What is The Acts of Paul and Thecla?

Answer

The Acts of Paul and Thecla is an alternative title for a second-century apocryphal text also known as The Acts of Thecla. This narrative portrays a young woman named Thecla who listens to Paul preach in Iconium and becomes a fervent convert. The particular message that resonates with her is Paul’s teachings on chastity and celibacy. Consequently, she ends her engagement and accompanies Paul to prison, where she bribes the guards and spends a night absorbing his lessons on Christian doctrine. Subsequently, she faces a death sentence by burning at the stake. The story recounts how Thecla is miraculously saved from the flames by a sudden rainstorm. She escapes and reunites with Paul, and together they journey to Antioch.

Upon Paul’s instruction to await baptism, Thecla encounters a perilous situation in Antioch where she narrowly avoids being assaulted by a nobleman. Subsequently, she is arrested for defending herself and once again condemned to death. This time, she is thrown nearly unclothed into an arena teeming with wild animals. However, a lioness shields her, and Thecla plunges into a pool filled with seals, symbolizing a self-baptism. According to the account, seals are known to be carnivorous, yet Thecla remains unharmed as heavenly fire engulfs and kills the beasts. An additional attempt on her life is made using bulls, but once more she is rescued by supernatural fire.

Following these events, the locals abandon their efforts to harm her. Thecla spreads her faith through her testimony, disguises herself as a man, and embarks on a quest to locate Paul once more. Upon finding him in Myra, Paul appoints her as a teacher. Thecla takes a vow of complete celibacy and advocates for women to devote themselves to the Lord and remain single. She retreats to a hermit’s life, dwelling in a cave that miraculously seals shut to shield her from another assault. As depicted in The Acts of Paul and Thecla, she spends her days in prayer, teaching, and performing miraculous healings. After residing as a hermit for 72 years, Thecla departs to reunite with Paul in Rome, only to discover his execution upon her arrival, leading her to rest beside his grave.

The Acts of Theclaappeared around the end of the second century. It is akin to other Christian-themed writings dismissed by the early church, like The Apocalypse of Peter and The Shepherd of Hermas. The Acts of Paul and Thecla includes various non-biblical embellishments. For instance, Thecla’s extraordinary experiences are quite extravagant; in contrast, most biblical miracles are (comparatively) subtle. She performs her own baptism, a custom not found in Scripture. Paul appoints her as a teacher and female apostle, contradicting his own words in 1 Timothy 2:12. Additionally, the book advocates communicating with the deceased and praying for the departed to attain eternal life (8:5–7).

The Acts of Paul and Thecla appears to have been well-received in its time, but early Christian authorities dismissed it as untrue. The Acts of Thecla is notable as one of the rare early works to provide a physical depiction of the apostle Paul: “A man . . . of a low stature, bald on the head, crooked thighs, handsome legs, hollow-eyed; had a crooked nose; full of grace; for sometimes he appeared as a man, sometimes he had the countenance of an angel” (1:7).

A significant issue with The Acts of Paul and Thecla is its emphasis on unscriptural perspectives on sexuality. For example, the book attributes these words to Paul: “Blessed are they who have wives, as though they had them not; for they shall be made angels of God” (1:16). And another questionable beatitude: “Blessed are the bodies and souls of virgins; for they are acceptable to God, and shall not lose the reward of their virginity, for the word of their Father shall prove effectual to their salvation in the day of his Son, and they shall enjoy rest forevermore” (1:22). Such teachings contradict the Bible’s teachings on marriage and sex. Spouses are not to separate from each other or withhold sex from one another (1 Corinthians 7:5,10-14). Celibacy and asceticism do not lead to salvation. Paul condemns

And those who forbid others to marry «forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. », (1 Timothy 4:3).

The emphasis on virginity and total denial of the flesh makes The Acts of Paul and Thecla a Gnostic writing. Ancient Gnosticism viewed the body and all material things as inherently evil. Thecla’s conversion is partly attributed to her desire to be “blessed” for abstaining from sex, pleasure, and so forth. This teaching on celibacy has made the book popular with those who believe that chastity is a requirement for spiritual service, such as in Catholicism. In fact, the Catholic Church has recognized Thecla as a saint worthy of veneration—despite the likelihood that she never even existed.