Acts of Paul and Thecla 9

1Then Thecla was taken from Trifina, stripped naked, fitted with a belt, and thrown into the place appointed for fighting wild beasts. The lions and bears were released against her.

2But the fiercest of them all, a lioness, ran to Thecla and lay down at her feet. At this, the crowd of women shouted loudly.

3Then a female bear charged fiercely toward her, but the lioness met the bear and tore it to pieces.

4Again, a male lion that was accustomed to devouring people, and that belonged to Alexander, ran toward her. But the lioness confronted the male lion, and they killed each other.

5Then the women became even more distressed because the lioness that had helped Thecla was dead.

6Afterward, they brought out many other wild beasts. But Thecla stood with her hands stretched toward heaven and prayed. When she had finished praying, she turned around, saw a pool of water, and said, “Now is the right time for me to be baptized.”

7So she threw herself into the water and said, “In your name, O my Lord Jesus Christ, I am baptized on this last day.” When the women and the people saw this, they cried out, “Do not throw yourself into the water!” The governor himself also cried out at the thought that the fish (sea-calves) were likely to devour so much beauty.

8Despite all this, Thecla threw herself into the water in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9But when the fish (sea-calves) saw the lighting and fire, they were killed and floated dead on the surface of the water. A cloud of fire surrounded Thecla, so that just as the beasts could not come near her, the people could not see her nakedness.

10Yet they released other wild beasts against her. At this, the women raised a deeply mournful cry. Some of them scattered spikenard, others cassia, others amomus [a kind of spikenard, or the herb of Jerusalem, or ladies’ rose], and others ointment. The amount of ointment was great, in proportion to the number of people. Then all the beasts lay down as though they were fast asleep and did not touch Thecla.

11Then Alexander said to the governor, “I have some very terrifying bulls. Let us bind her to them.” The governor replied with concern, “You may do what you think is appropriate.”

12Then they put a cord around Thecla’s waist that also bound her feet, and with it they tied her to the bulls. They applied red-hot irons to the bulls’ genitals so that, being tormented even more, they might drag Thecla around more violently until they had killed her.

13The bulls tore around, making a horrifying noise. But the flame surrounding Thecla burned through the cords fastened to the bulls’ members, and she stood in the middle of the arena as calmly as if she had not been bound.

14Meanwhile, Trifina, who was sitting on one of the benches, fainted and died. At this, the whole city became greatly distressed.

15Alexander himself was afraid and pleaded with the governor, saying, “I beg you, have compassion on me and on the city, and release this woman who has fought with the beasts, lest you, I, and the whole city be destroyed.

16For if Caesar receives any report of what has just happened, he will certainly destroy the city at once, because Trifina, a woman of royal descent and his relative, has died in her seat.”

17Then the governor called Thecla to him from among the beasts and said to her, “Who are you, and what is your condition, that not one of the beasts will touch you?”

18Thecla answered him, “I am a servant of the living God. As for my condition, I am a believer in Jesus Christ, his Son, in whom God is well pleased. For that reason, none of the beasts could touch me.

19He alone is the way to eternal salvation and the foundation of eternal life. He is a refuge for those in distress, a support for the afflicted, and hope and defense for the hopeless. In short, all who do not believe in him will not live but will suffer eternal death.”

20When the governor heard these things, he ordered her clothes to be brought and said to her, “Put on your clothes.”

21Thecla replied, “May the God who clothed me when I was naked among the beasts clothe your soul with the robe of salvation on the day of judgment.” Then she took her clothes and put them on. The governor immediately issued an order in these words: “I release to you Thecla, the servant of God.”

22At this, the women cried out together in a loud voice and, with one accord, praised God, saying, “There is only one God, who is the God of Thecla—the one God who has delivered Thecla.”

23Their voices were so loud that the whole city seemed to be shaken. Trifina herself heard the good news, rose again, and ran with the crowd to meet Thecla. Embracing her, she said, “Now I believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead. Now I am convinced that my daughter is alive. Therefore, come home with me, my daughter Thecla, and I will transfer to you everything I have.”

24So Thecla went with Trifina and stayed there for a few days, teaching her the word of the Lord. Through this, many young women were converted, and there was great joy in Trifina’s household.

25But Thecla longed to see Paul. She made inquiries and sent people everywhere to find him. At last, when she was told that he was at Myra in Lycia, she took many young men and women with her. She put on a belt, dressed herself in men’s clothing, and went to him at Myra in Lycia. There she found Paul preaching the word of God, and she stood beside him among the crowd.