The Acts of Paul

A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary

Richard I. Pervo

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781625641717
  9781498216821
• eBook ISBN:
  9781630871468
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

This is the most complete translation of the Acts of Paul in English, together with a detailed commentary. The orientation is primarily literary, with detailed attention to the history of composition and revision. Unlike many studies, this commentary does not focus upon the story of Thecla.

Appendix 1

Fragments of Uncertain Location

1. Origen, On First Principles 1, 2, 3. The theme is the relation of personified Wisdom to Word. Origen states that they are the same “because she [Wisdom] is as it were an interpreter of the mind’s secrets. Hence I consider that to be a true saying which is written in the Acts of Paul, ‘He is the word, a living being’ [unde et recte mihi dictus videtur sermo ille qui in Actibus Pauli scriptus est, qui ‘hic est verbum animal vivens]. John, however, uses yet more exalted and wonderful language” (trans. Butterworth, Origen on First Principles, 16–17).

As stated in the Introduction, this quotation most likely came from a speech or sermon. A missionary or pastoral address would be likely. Brief as it is, it reveals the connection of APl to the Logos theology of various apologists.

2. A fragmentary papyrus from Yale. P.Yale 87 (inv. 1376, in Stephens, ed., Yale Papyri, 3–7).

This material is from an apocryphon dealing with Paul. That it is from a lost part of APl is probable. The recto appears to be from a speech or, perhaps more likely, a conversation. L. 3 can be construed as “I praise y[ou].” In l.4 “the Lord Jesus” is possible (Stephens, ed., Yale Papyri, 5). Ll. 6–7 refer to “Alexander.” If this is from APl, the Alexander in view may be he of 1 Tim 1:20; 2 Tim 4:14, since the author takes a number of his characters from the PE. In l.6 the genitive “of Alexander” is followed by pist-. The word could mean “faithful,” “faith,” or represent a form of “believe,” “trust.” Ll. 7–8 evidently have “s/he [Alexander, God?] saved both [?] messenger/angel . . . Paul said to him.” A sentence in l.11 closes with “We have done.” The following sentence includes “God . . . of the earth . . . the father . . . his [?] son/servant Jesus Christ from him . . .” The speaker, almost certainly Paul, has moved into a creedal statement, summarizing creation and redemption. For a similar speech see 3.24, where Thecla says: “Father, the maker of heaven and earth, the father of your beloved son Jesus Christ, I praise you because you have delivered me from fire so that I might see Paul.”

The verso appears to deal with Paul’s “conversion.” The narrative is third person, i.e., Paul is not telling his own story. L. 2 contains “mighty” or “strong” (neuter pl.); ll. 3–4, “to Damascus . . . s/he sent to Jerusalem.” L.5 may be “he found now an apostle . . .” L. 8 mentions Damascus (acc.) followed by letters that might mean “He saw a novel” (fem.); l.10, “Paul to him”; l.11, “the appearance (epiphaneia) of the lord”; l.12 “and he stayed, but . . .”; l. 13, “Damascus and from there from . . .”

It is not certain whether the recto or the verso is prior, as no page numbers survive. The content and language make it quite likely that this fragment derives from the APL. Can it be located? One possibility is chap. 1. After narrating the conversion the story turned to an attempt to persuade Alexander, perhaps one of Paul’s companions, of his newfound faith. Another would be in the catch-all designated as chap. 8.

Appendix 2

The Continuation of Thecla’s Story

Chapter 4 closes the story of Thecla firmly and succinctly: “Following this exhortation she went to Seleucia, where, after enlightening many with God’s word, she enjoyed a noble death.” With these words the author of APl intended to remove her from the scene. When her story was detached for service in her cult at Seleucia, this brief closure was deemed inadequate. Eventually her story was revised into a more elegant preface to a collection of miracles experienced at her shrine (Dagron, Vie; and Johnson, Life). Prior to that longer endings were supplied. Lipsius 1:269–72 is a fine lesson in the growth of tradition. The Latin tradition includes a clear resolution to the story of her mother Theocleia, left open in the Greek text.

Some Greek mss. insert in 4.18, prior to the notice that she enlightened many:

She lived in a cave for seventy-two years on a diet of vegetables and water.

19. Some men of the city, pagans in religion and physicians in profession, sent some arrogant young men to corrupt [i.e., rape] her. They claimed: “She is a virgin dedicated to Artemis. That is why she can master illnesses.” By divine foresight she went into the rock and underground. She went to Rome to see Paul but found that he had died. After a short stay she died gloriously and is buried no more than a third of a mile from her teacher Paul.

45. She was thrown to the flames when she was seventeen, at eighteen she was condemned to the beasts, and she lived an ascetic life for seventy-two years, as noted, in the cave, for a total of ninety years. After accomplishing a vast number of healings she is at rest with the saints, having died on 24 September in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and power for evermore. (author’s trans.)

Comment

This addition seeks to justify the cult of Thecla at Rome, particularly a church dedicated to her. See Davis, Cult, 46–47. It appears to be based upon a much longer account found in Lipsius 1:271–72; trans. Elliott, 372–74. This circumstantial story clarifies what is obscure in §44: if Thecla loses her virginity she will lose her power to heal, which is having a ruinous effect upon the income of the local physicians. After a display of piety and the development of considerable suspense, she saw the rock opened widely enough for her to enter, which she did. It then closed without a seam, leaving them with nothing more than a piece of her dress (which could thereafter serve as a relic of the second class). Elizabeth and the young John the B...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Translation: The Acts of Paul
• Introduction
• Translation, Commentary, and Notes
• Appendix 1: Fragments of Uncertain Location
• Appendix 2: The Continuation of Thecla’s Story
• Appendix 3: The Acts of Titus
• General Bibliography