Paul and Pseudepigraphy (Pauline Studies, Book 8)

authorship and pseudepigraphy in early christian literature 51

3 “ for our part, brethren, we receive both Peter and the other apostles as

Christ, but the writings which falsely bear their names we reject, as men of

experience, knowing that such were not handed down to us. 4 for I myself,

when I came among you, imagined that all of you clung to the true faith;

and, without going through the gospel put forward by them in the name of

Peter, I said: If this is the only thing that seemingly causes captious feelings

among you, let it be read. But since I have now learnt, from what has been

told me, that their mind was lurking in some hole of heresy, I shall give dili-

gence to come again to you; wherefore, brethren, expect me quickly. 5 But we,

brethren, gathering to what kind of heresy Marcianus belonged (who used to

contradict himself, not knowing what he was saying, as you will learn from

what has been written to you), 6 were enabled by others who studied this

very gospel, that is, by the successors of those who began it, whom we call

docetae (for most of the ideas belong to their teaching) using (the material

supplied) by them, were enabled to go through it and discover that the most

part indeed was in accordance with the true teaching of the savior, but that

some things were added, which also we place below for your benefit.”

Sozomenus, historia ecclesiastica 7.19

In his Church History (443–450 ce), the church historian sozomenus

referred to the Apocalypse of Paul as a pseudepigraphon that claimed to

have the apostle Paul as its author.70

the work entitled “apocalypse of the apostle Paul,” though unrecognized by

the ancients, is still esteemed by most of the monks. some persons affirm

that the book was found during this reign, by divine revelation, in a marble

box, buried beneath the soil in the house of Paul at tarsus in Cilicia. I have

been informed that this report is false by Cilix, a presbyter of the church

in tarsus... who says that no such occurrence is known among them, and

wonders if the heretics did not invent the story.

Sulpicius Severus, Vita sancti Martini pr. 1–6

at the beginning of his Life of St. Martin (396 ce) in the dedication let-

ter to desiderius, sulpicius severus explained why he wanted to publish

his biography of bishop Martin of tours anonymously. at the end of his

prologue, sulpicius explicitly articulated an authorial self-perception that

formed the basis of much of the originally anonymous literature of antiq-

uity: anonymous authors presented themselves as rather insignificant

mediators of the traditional material which they passed on and to which

they gave highest priority.71

70 trans. in NPNF 2 2:390.

71 trans. in NPNF 2 11:3.