Silent Thecla

From the passage in 1 Timothy 2:1-15 the reader gathers that women are to basically be seen and not heard. Women are to be “in full submission” and “should learn in quietness” (1 Tim 2:11). The verses also specifically state that “she must be silent” and “not have authority over men” (1 Tim 2:12). The author’s reasoning behind this is that Adam was the one who was first created and Eve was the one that sinned; she was the one that made the man sin and she should be the one who is punished. From the story of Thecla from Acts of Paul and Thecla we can see that Thecla does not have much to say. She is very quiet as she “did not turn away, but gave her whole attention to Paul’s word” (Hennecke 239). When her mother and her “fiancé” were talking to her trying to figure out why she has been acting like the way she is she gives them no answer and this makes them even more worried. She is being silent and just observing. Even when she is on trial with Paul and they are both to be condemned she does not say anything at first. She is “[seeking] after Paul, as a lamb in the wilderness looks about for the shepherd” (Hennecke 242). When she saw the Lord sitting in the form of Paul she finally speaks and says “As if I were not able to endure, Paul has come to look after me” (Hennecke 243). She seems to be taking in all of the ridicule and hate that people are giving her and taking it in silence. She waits to speak until the right moment and for this reason I do think that Thecla conforms to 1 Timothy’s view of women; but maybe not completely. She did stay silent until she stood up for Paul in a very public way. She breaks her silence and Paul encourages her to spread the word of God. In the beginning she is conforming to the silent view of women that 1 Timothy portrays but by the end of the story she has broken her silence and even sneaks away to find Paul. She dresses up as a man to look for him. She definitely became more outspoken and Paul with the word of God helped her to do that.