The Acts of Paul and Thecla

[Scott]

This is an interesting note from Tertullian work "On Baptism." He was fighting against female clergy. There was evidently a forgery going around, the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which held forth an example of a saintly woman, Thecla. Thecla is actually revered by many Eastern christians today. Anyway, here we see an example of a forger who was actually caught and brought out into the open. Tertullian raised this event, as evidently some of his readers may have considered the document authentic.

Again, we see ecclesiastical action to reveal the forgery. It is amazing that there were even forgeries during the lives of the apostles. Paul warned against them, as they had already caused problems. See 2 Thes. 1:1-2: "1Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come."

This is the excerpt from Tertullian:

But the woman of pertness,173 who has usurped the power to teach, will of course not give birth for herself likewise to a right of baptizing, unless some new beast shall arise174 like the former; so that, just as the one abolished baptism,175 so some other should in her own right confer it! But if the writings which wrongly go under Paul's name, claim Thecla's example as a licence for women's teaching and baptizing, let them know that, in Asia, the presbyter who composed that writing,176 as if he were augmenting Paul's fame from his own store, after being convicted, and confessing that he had done it from love of Paul, was removed177 from his office. For how credible would it seem, that he who has not permitted a woman178 even to learn with over-boldness, should give a female179 the power of teaching and of baptizing! "Let them be silent," he says, "and at home consult their own husbands."

[Edited on 2-7-2005 by Scott]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The more things change, the more they remain the same!

 

[lwadkins]

Yep, nothing new under the sun.