Sermon Series: Banned Books of the Bible
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This summer on Sunday mornings beginning at 9:30 am, St. Barnabas will explore several ancient Jewish and Christian texts that were read, treasured, debated, quoted, or even treated as Scripture by some early communities of faith — but eventually stood outside the Bible as most Protestants know it today. Join us this summer as we open the books that stand just outside the Bible — and listen for what the Spirit may still be saying through them.
These books were not all “banned” in the dramatic sense. Some were deeply loved. Some influenced the New Testament. Some remain part of the Bible for Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Ethiopian Christians. Others were considered spiritually useful by the early Church, even though they were not finally included in the canon of Scripture.
Each Sunday, one of these texts will serve as our first reading, alongside New Testament readings that help us hear these ancient voices through the lens of Christ. Together, we will ask what these books reveal about faithfulness under pressure, the power of evil, the pursuit of wisdom, our relationship with money, spiritual identity, repentance, holiness, women’s authority, and the courage to follow God when faithfulness is costly.
After the service each Sunday, Fr. John will lead an adult formation class in the library for those who want to go deeper. These classes will explore the history, authorship, theology, influence, and controversies surrounding each book.
*The first Sunday of the series, July 12, will be replaced by an All-Parish Meeting.
The 1 Maccabees session has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30pm on Zoom.
The series will include:
July 12 | 1 Maccabees rescheduled
the story of a Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes and the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple.
*July 14 | 1 Maccabees rescheduled date - on Zoom
the story of a Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes and the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple.
July 19 | The Book of Enoch:
an ancient apocalypse about the Watchers, the spread of evil, divine judgment, and the world to come.
July 26 | The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach
a Jewish wisdom book offering practical teaching on money, speech, friendship, generosity, and daily life.
August 2 | The Gospel of Thomas
a collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, some familiar and some deeply strange.
August 9 | The Shepherd of Hermas
an early Christian book of visions, commandments, and parables about repentance and righteous living.
August 16 | The Acts of Paul and Thecla
the dramatic story of a woman disciple who defies family expectations, survives persecution, and is sent to teach the word of God.
Study Guide (updated AUGUST 14, 2026)
Study Guide: Banned Books of the Bible Session 6: The Acts of Paul and Thecla
Background
The Acts of Paul and Thecla is a second-century Christian story about Thecla, a young woman from Iconium whose life is transformed after she hears Paul preach. She breaks with the future others have planned for her, chooses a life devoted to Christ, survives repeated persecution, and eventually becomes a teacher and missionary herself.
The story belongs to the apocryphal acts of the apostles, works that combined Christian teaching with the adventure, courtroom drama, miraculous rescues, and heroic characters familiar from Greco-Roman popular literature. Although it was never included in the New Testament, Thecla’s story became enormously influential. She was remembered as a saint and model of courageous discipleship, particularly for Christian women. The text also became controversial because it portrayed a woman teaching, evangelizing, and even baptizing—raising questions about women’s authority that the early Church was already debating.
Text for Sunday’s Sermon
Acts of Paul and Thecla 5:7
The governor listened with interest as Paul spoke about the works of Christ. Then, after consulting with his council, he summoned Thecla and asked her, “Why will you not obey the law of the Iconians and marry Thamyris?”
Acts of Paul and Thecla 7:4–6
When Paul and Thecla came to Antioch, a powerful magistrate named Alexander saw Thecla and desired her. He seized her in the street and tried to force himself upon her.
Thecla resisted him and cried out, “Do not force me! I am a servant of God. I had to leave Iconium because I refused to marry Thamyris.”
Then she took hold of Alexander, tore his cloak, pulled the crown from his head, and humiliated him publicly.
Ashamed and enraged, Alexander brought Thecla before the governor. When she acknowledged what she had done, the governor condemned her to be thrown to the wild beasts.
Acts of Paul and Thecla 9:1–3
Thecla was taken from Tryphaena, stripped, and brought into the arena. Lions, bears, and a fierce lioness were released against her.
The lioness ran toward Thecla, but when she reached her, she lay down at Thecla’s feet. The women in the crowd cried out.
Then a bear charged toward her, but the lioness rose to defend Thecla and killed the bear.
Acts of Paul and Thecla 10:1–5
When Paul saw Thecla approaching with a group of people, he was astonished, thinking that another trial had come upon them.
But Thecla said to him, “Paul, I have been baptized. The one who works through you as you proclaim the Gospel has also worked in me.”
Paul brought her into the house of Hermias, and Thecla told him everything that had happened to her in Antioch. Paul was amazed, and all who heard her story were strengthened in faith.
Then Thecla rose and said, “I am returning to Iconium.”
Paul said to her, “Go, and teach the word of the Lord.”
Tryphaena had also sent money and clothing with Thecla, which she gave to Paul for the care of the poor.
Questions for Discussion
1. Thecla hears Paul preach and allows the Gospel to disrupt the future others have chosen for her. When can faithfulness to Christ require us to resist family, social, or cultural expectations?
2. The story portrays Thecla surviving fire, wild animals, rejection, and violence. What kind of courage is the story trying to form in its readers? How should we understand miraculous stories like these without assuming faithful Christians will always escape suffering?
3. Thecla becomes a teacher and missionary, and Paul commissions her to “go and teach the word of the Lord.” What does her story reveal about early Christian debates over women’s spiritual authority and ministry?
4. Thecla’s celibacy represents freedom from a social system in which a woman’s future was largely determined through marriage. What might her choice teach us more broadly about the freedom to follow God’s call rather than identities or roles imposed upon us?
5. The Acts of Paul and Thecla was never received as Scripture, yet Christians treasured its story for centuries. What can a legendary or imaginative Christian story teach faithfully even when we do not treat it as historical or canonical?