Wright states that in Paul's world, that is, the Roman Empire in?the century after the Crucifixion, ?there were a lot of people working in places away from their extended families. They were in need of a range of familial services, from psychological to material services. The church met the needs of the day by offering burial funds and the essentials of social security. They served as fictive families that gave people a sense that others cared for them.?