Women, Gender, and Households in Early Christianity
Women, Gender, and Households in Early Christianity
Initially, I thought 1 Timothy and the Acts of Paul and Thecla portrayed an opposite
response to women's roles and authority within the community. The story of The Acts of Paul
and Thecla begins with the virgin Thecla inside her family’s house, glued to the window to hear
Paul’s messages of self-control. Her blossoming faith leads her to reject her betrothed, leave the
house in pursuit of Paul, and eventually to travel and proclaim the word of God herself. In
contrast to Thecla’s story, 1 Timothy advocates women returning to socially acceptable, passive
roles as evidenced of Chapter 2, “permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she
is to keep silent” (2:12). However, as I probed deeper, I noticed a different pattern between these
two literary works. Although both of them reiterate virtues of modesty and domestic fidelity, 1
Timothy and the Acts of Paul and Thecla also approved public leadership by virtues women.
With 1 Timothy, women are expected to conform to standards of modesty, industry, and
loyalty. Dress and behavior express women’s modesty. In chapter 2, modesty is expressed
through simple dress (2:9-10) and submission to men (2:11-12). Additionally chapter 5 instructs
for young widows to marry for it reflects the ideals of modesty and industry (5:11–13). Also Paul
portrays young, unmarried widow as being at risk. The author draws on the common notion that
young women were passionate by nature, driven by sensual desires (5:11), and of marriage as a
correction for this problem. A second problem to be solved is idleness: “they are not merely idle,
but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say” (5:13). These women were at
risk of becoming the opposite of the modest, industrious wife. Yet as industrious, loyal wives,
women also played important
Initially, I thought 1 Timothy and the Acts of Paul and Thecla portrayed an opposite
response to women's roles and authority within the community. The story of The Acts of Paul
and Thecla begins with the virgin Thecla inside her family’s house, glued to the window to hear
Paul’s messages of self-control. Her blossoming faith leads her to reject her betrothed, leave the
house in pursuit of Paul, and eventually to travel and proclaim the word of God herself. In
contrast to Thecla’s story, 1 Timothy advocates women returning to socially acceptable, passive
roles as evidenced of Chapter 2, “permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she
is to keep silent” (2:12). However, as I probed deeper, I noticed a different pattern between these
two literary works. Although both of them reiterate virtues of modesty and domestic fidelity, 1
Timothy and the Acts of Paul and Thecla also approved public leadership by virtues women.
With 1 Timothy, women are expected to conform to standards of modesty, industry, and
loyalty. Dress and behavior express women’s modesty. In chapter 2, modesty is expressed
through simple dress (2:9-10) and submission to men (2:11-12). Additionally chapter 5 instructs
for young widows to marry for it reflects the ideals of modesty and industry (5:11–13). Also Paul
portrays young, unmarried widow as being at risk. The author draws on the common notion that
young women were passionate by nature, driven by sensual desires (5:11), and of marriage as a
correction for this problem. A second problem to be solved is idleness: “they are not merely idle,
but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say” (5:13). These women were at
risk of becoming the opposite of the modest, industrious wife. Yet as industrious, loyal wives,
women also played important