Gender, Sex, and Freedom - The Acts of Thecla

In Paul's Letter to the Galatians, he writes, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:27-28). I wonder if we really understand how radical of an idea Paul presents here - in Christ, the distinctions of race, social position, and gender no longer matter. Culture and society are often built around such distinctions, or at least reinforce them. Paul undermines culture and society with these words. My guess is that such ideas upset the "apple cart" in the ancient world and folks were no too pleased about it.

But I wonder if we are any more pleased about it? Do we live out this gift of freedom that comes with following Christ?

In every TV or movie wedding that I've seen and in more than a few church weddings that I've attended, there has been something about "Giving the Bride Away." All of the participants enter the sacred space and then the note plays, "Here Comes the Bride." When she arrives at the "altar" the liturgy continues with the officiant asking, "Who gives this bride away?" These words suggest that the bride is some kind of property to be given. The practices goes back to the medieval period while the idea of brides being property probably goes back well into the ancient world. Marriage was, and still is, in this liturgy a financial transaction. A dowry of some sort was presented to the bride's father in exchange for the bride. In contemporary Catholic and Protestant worship, the question is sometimes changed to "Who brings this woman to be married?" It sounds better than giving away but I wonder if it is much different.

As I think about this issue, I have to wonder if either of these options faithfully reflects the teaching of Galatians 3:27-28? Does the liturgy reflect the freedom of "no longer Jew or Greek...no longer slave or free...no longer male and female" in Christ?

The Acts of Thecla addresses this very issue. When you first read this short collection of stories about a female Christian convert, it seems inordinately obsessed with sex and abstaining from sexual activity. When we look more carefully at this material though, the focus of the text is not on some moral objection to sex. Rather it seems to me that the issue at hand is the freedom that one has in Christ. Marriage and sexual intercourse leading to the birthing of children are key components to societal and cultural propagation. As long as a community is having children, the population is growing and someone will be present to carry on the traditions of the given community. Marriage also ensures good order in society as it puts people in their proper places and defines roles for males and females.

Theocleia, Thecla's mother, says to her daughter's fiance, "Thamyris, this man [Paul] is stirring up the city of the Iconians as well as your own Thecla. For all the wives and youth are going in to see him, learning from him that, 'You must fear the one and only God and live a chaste life.' Even my daughter is bound to the window like a spider..." (Ch. 9). More is going on in this situation than Theocleia simply not liking Paul and his message. Also key to this story is that Thamyris is a leading citizen of Iconium. If all of the women and youth begin to live the life that Paul calls them to live with his preaching of the gospel, then soon the society of Iconium will begin to unravel. Thamyris cannot allow this to happen. This example raises the question for us, "How does the gospel challenge social systems, cultural expectations, and even world order?"

Gender is not strictly anatomically defined. The roles which we fill also can define gender. When Thecla chooses to live the chaste life, she takes ownership of herself. In other words, her life is no longer defined by the expectations of her mother or her soon-to-be husband. She no longer is a daughter of marrying age who can serve as a child bearer for Thamyris and thus secure his legacy and her own mother's future well-being and security. In choosing this life, she steps out of her culturally defined role and thus out of her gender definition and in doing so she embraces the freedom that is in Christ - "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). It is a radical idea and I wonder if we are ready to live in such a way?

On a side note, did anyone notice the description of Paul included in the chapter 3? It sounds to me that he was a short, round, bald-head man who walked bow-legged and to top it all off he had a uni-brow. Interesting image, huh!

If you want to explore these issues and others further, then check out these links:
The Acts of Thecla: A Pauline Tradition Linked to Women

Women, the Roman Empire, and Early Christianity Links

The First Christians: The Roles for Women