It is not uncommon to hear the pro-abortion crowd refer to pro-lifers as right-wing religious extremists. Along with that name-calling, there always seems to be tagging along close behind a polemic that we who are pro-life take Bible verses out of context. They accuse us of not being able to defend our position without a few out of context verses from the Bible that suit our arguments. I beg to differ. Over the next few days I will trace what early Church leaders believed about a woman's right to an abortion.

I certainly maintain that the teaching of the Old Testament and the New Testament is clearly anti-abortion. I can prove that in a scholarly way. But for the sake of argument, allow me to lay out for you the thought of the extra-Biblical material especially in the afterglow of the Apostles' ministry, that is, after the Apostles died off. Why should we bother to look at this material? Extra-Biblical literature, although it does not have the weight of Scripture does represent the cultural and theological mindset of the early Church thinkers and leaders. What did the early Church leaders believe about a woman's right to an abortion? Let me illustrate.

Let's start with a second century document (circa 135 AD) written under the pseudo-authorship of someone named Peter. It was not written by the Apostle Peter, thus one reason it is not in the New Testament Canon. It is called The Apocalypse of Peter. Below is a passage from this short letter describing a scene at the Judgment seat of Christ:

"I saw a gorge in which the discharge and excrement of the tortured ran down and became like a lake. There sat women, and the discharge came up to their throats; and opposite them sat many children, who were born prematurely, weeping. And from them went forth rays of fire and smote the women on the eyes. These were those who produced children outside of marriage and who procured abortions. Those who slew the unborn children will be tortured forever, for God wills it to so." The Apocalypse of Peter 2:26;64

Tertullian (c. 160 - 240) was one of the most influential and prolific early Christian authors, and the first to write Christian literature in Latin. He was a great apologist (defender of the faith) and a polemicist against unorthodox heresy. He was the first to coin the term "Trinity" to describe the Godhead. Below are excerpts of his teaching on abortion from two of his books, De Anima and Apologia.

"That the unborn child is alive: How are they dead unless they were first alive? But still in the womb an infant by necessary cruelty is killed when lying twisted at the womb's mouth he prevents birth and is a matricide unless he dies. Therefore there is among the arms of physicians an instrument by which with a rotary movement the genital parts are first opened, then with a cervical instrument the interior members are slaughtered with careful judgment by a blunt barb, so that the whole criminal deed is extracted with a violent delivery. There is also the bronze needle by which the throat - cutting is carried out by a robbery in the dark; this instrument is called an embryo knife from its function of infanticide, as it is deadly for the living infant..

They [John and Jesus] were both alive while still in the womb. Elizabeth rejoiced as the infant leaped in her womb; Mary glorifies the Lord because Christ within inspired her. Each mother recognizes her child and each is known by her child who is alive, being not merely souls but also spirits." (De Anima 26.4)

"Thus, you read the word of God, spoken to Jeremiah: 'Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee.' If God forms us in the womb, He also breathes on us as He did in the beginning: 'And God formed man and breathed into him the breath of life.' Nor could God have known man in the womb unless he were a whole man. 'And before thou came forth from the womb, I sanctified thee.' Was it, then, a dead body at that stage? Surely it was not, for 'God is the God of the living and not the dead.'" (De Anima 26.5) "It is not permissible for us to destroy the seed by means of illicit manslaughter once it has been conceived in the womb, so long as blood remains in the person." (Apologia, cap 25, line 42)

"In our case, murder being once for all forbidden, we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to the birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in the seed." (Apologia 9.6)

"Give us your testimony, then, ye mothers, whether yet pregnant, or after delivery (let barren women and men keep silence), - whether you feel in the embryo within you any vital force other than your own, with which your bowels tremble, your sides shake, your entire womb throbs, and the burden which oppresses you constantly changes its position?" (De Anima 25)

"Now we allow that life begins with conception because we contend that the soul also begins from conception; life taking its commencement at the same moment and place that the soul does" (De Anima, 27)

"The Law of Moses, indeed, punishes with due penalties the man who shall cause abortion - Exodus 21:22-24" (De Anima., 37)

These statements are startling, but there is more. Check back tomorrow or sign up for the RSS feed to be alerted to my next post.

In His Grip,
Pastor Betters

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