ABSTRACT
Celsus' critique brings together three important topics such as women, children and house churches in the early Christian world. The vast majority of ancient texts were written by adult men and thus represent male perspectives on women, children and households, that is, perspectives of literate men with some wealth or status. Celsus accuses Christians of sequestering their unsuspecting target in 'private' spaces. The household also became the metaphor of the community as a whole: the 'household of God'. Women were integral members of the household. They were also clearly part of the early Christian movement from the beginning, from characters in the earliest Jesus stories to being named and addressed in Paul's letters. The cultural value of honour is the backdrop to much of the rhetoric around women's behaviour and representation of women in early Christian texts. Mothers were thought to have a special role in teaching children, including moral and religious instruction.
