Early Christian References and Theological Interpretations
Origen's 2nd century Homilies on Matthew suggest that she became a Christian, or at least that God sent her the dream mentioned by Matthew so that she would become one. This interpretation was shared by several theologians of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Rival theologians contended the dream was sent by Satan in an attempt to thwart the salvation that was going to result from Christ's death.
Pontius Pilate's wife is mentioned in the apocryphal Acts of Pilate (Gospel of Nicodemus, probably written around the middle of the 4th century), which gives a more elaborate version of the episode of the dream than Matthew. The name Procula derives from translated versions of that text. The chronicle of Pseudo-Dexter (1619) is the first place known where she is referred to as Claudia.
Read more about this topic: Pontius Pilate's Wife
Famous quotes containing the words early, christian and/or theological:
“Never hug and kiss your children! Mother love may make your childrens infancy unhappy and prevent them from pursuing a career or getting married! Thats total hogwash, of course. But it shows on extreme example of what state-of-the-art scientific parenting was supposed to be in early twentieth-century America. After all, that was the heyday of efficiency experts, time-and-motion studies, and the like.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
“The common consolation which some good christian or other, is hourly administering to himself,that he thanks God his mind does not misgive him; and that, consequently, he has a good conscience, because he has a quiet one,is fallacious.”
—Laurence Sterne (17131768)
“As liberty and intelligence have increased the people have more and more revolted against the theological dogmas that contradict common sense and wound the tenderest sensibilities of the soul.”
—Catherine E. Beecher (18001878)