Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-13


Prof Harnack has in a German theo-
logical periodical. quoted by The Liter
airy Digest. set forth at length his reas-
ons for believing the noble Priscilla the
authoress Of the eplstle. a summary Of
his argument is as follows.
/. This letter is the production of a
highly cultured and skilled Representa-
tive OF the Christian cause; and this
Aqula and Priscilla We're, as rs eyi-
deaced by their teaching even the Alex
andIlan Agollos
O. The letter is written by a person
who belonged 90 Paul's circle of friends
and this was especially true OF these
two
g. The writer stands In intimate re-
lauonship 10 Timothy and knows that
he Is equal in rank OF Priscilla ana
Aquila we know that they labored To-
gether with Timothy In Corinth TOT
eighteen months as missionaries ana
teachers, and then Joined him IN Ephe-
sus
g. The author OF Hebrews wrote big
letter after the death Of st. PAU. ana
probably some time after this event.
Priscilla and Aqulla were certainly yel
living when Paul wrote the last docu-
ment which we stlll possess from ms
hand q Tim. iV). and there are no rea-
sons for doubling that they lived two
decades after his departure.
The author OF this Eplstle must al
one time have been a member OF small
er band Of Christians In Rome Ga house
congregation, and must have occupied
a hlgh rank in this circle. probably that
OF "a teacher IN his letter he stlll teels
himself 10 be "a member Of this band
and talks TO his readers In "a manner
of "a companion with authority. Prlscl-
Ia and AQuila came originally from
Rome and after q number of years re-
turned TO that city and there became
the head OF a household congregation,
and at a later period again left Rome.
This combination OF historical facts eX-
plains at once what was hitherto eng
matical in the relation that existed be-
tween the writer ana his readers.
o. The eplstle 90 the Hebrews Is the
work Of a single writer, but back OF
the author Glands O closely connected
communion, indicated by the repeated
eve" of the letter, and the noteworthy
exchange and interchange OF THIS we
with the a." All these conditions are
well met by the position occupied oy
this teaching and preaching pair
q The most paradoXical feature IN
connection with the EDlstle TO the He
brews is the fact that the church mas
lost altogether all tradition as TO the
name OF the writer IL Barnabas on
Luke or Clemens on Apollos had been
the writer. this loss could not De natur-
ally explained. II, however. these TWO
were the authors or especially Prs
ella had been prominent In The cOmpo-
sitlon. then the DISAPPEARANCE Of the
name can be explained without any
difficulty whatever, and an excellent
reason can be assigned for the suppress
sion Of the name when the letter was
sent out from Rome In the beginning
of the second century For good rea-
son the letter could not be sent out 10
the churches as the production OK
woman. Paul already In several OF MS
letters had expressed himself uniaNoI-
ably 10 the prominence of women IN
the churches. but had made exceptions
TO the rule as is indicated by bis judg-
ment of Priscilla In post-apostollc
wears more rigorous views against the
teaching Of women In the churches pre-
vailed. This condition OF affairs eN-
plains why the name OF this couple
was suppressed, and the thoroughness
OF this suppression can be best eN-
planned on the hypothesis that not the
husband but the more gifted and active
wife had the chief part In the compost
ton of this letter.
s. But we are not confined TO gener-
alitles IN this matter We have actual
historical evidence 30 prove that IN the
early period of the church systematic
efforts were put forth TO suppress the
prominence OF Priscilla Ia the print
i've church. and that even a letter
which she had sent out was declared
20 have been not from her pen ana
vas ascrlbed 30 another author Ihe
details of this matter based on changes
made In number OF Greek New Tesia-
ment manuscripts. have been given IN
the Reports OF the Prusslan Royal So
ciety Of Sciences, January il, 1907
These considerations the learned pro-
fessor thinks sufficient to determine the
authorship lie ventures the opinion
that the epistle was Written by Pris-
ella. probably assisted with her hus-
band Aquna. and thus he gives the
theologlcalworld some food for thought.