50 armin d. baum
was well aware that every word in his pamphlet was written for the “honor
of god,” just as the evangelist’s words were written for the “love of god”;
and for the same reason that the latter chose the name theophilus, the pres-
ent writer chose “timothy.” for the name theophilus means “love of god,”
and the name timothy means “honor of god.” hence, when you read that
“timothy” has written to the church, you should understand that the book
was written to the church “for the honor of god,” or rather that the honor
of god itself has sent this pamphlet out; for he who caused the book to
be written is rightly called its author. 20 for this reason, then, the name of
timothy appears in the title of the book. Indeed, the author thought it fit-
ting that since his book was written for the honor of god he should dedicate
the title to the “honor of god” itself...
[Pseudo-Seneca] epistulae senecae et Pauli 7
In the pseudepigraphical correspondence between Paul and seneca from
the fourth century ce, Pseudo-seneca traced the pseudo-Pauline epistles
back to the author of the new testament Paulines (galatians, etc). such
an assertion reveals that the pseudepigraphical author of this correspon-
dence wanted to deceive his readers.68
I confess that I was much taken with the reading of your letters which you
sent to the galatians, the Corinthians and the achaeans, and let us both live
in the spirit which with sacred awe you show in them.
Serapion, de euangelio Petri in Eusebius, historia ecclesiastica 6.12.2–6
around 200 ce, bishop serapion of antioch rendered two different judg-
ments on the Gospel of Peter. When he visited the church in rhossus he
approved the public reading of the Gospel of Peter without having read it.
after he had studied it and had come to the conclusion that it contained
docetic heresies, serapion wrote a treatise on the so-called Gospel of Peter in
which he withdrew his former approval. eusebius has quoted a few sections
from serapion’s treatise.69
and another book has been composed by him (i.e., serapion) “Concerning
what is known as the gospel of Peter,” which he has written refuting the
false statements in it, because of certain in the community of rhossus, who
on the ground of the said writing turned aside into heterodox teachings. It
will not be unreasonable to quote a short passage from this work, in which
he puts forward the view he held about the book, writing as follows:
68 trans. by C. römer in New Testament Apocrypha (ed. Wilson), 2:49.
69 trans. by J. e. l. oulton, lCl 265:41, 43.
