Wilhelm Schneemelcher writes, "A Praedicatio Pauli (Homily of Paul) is mentioned in ps.-Cyprian, de Rebaptisme 17 (3rd cent.?). This is said to have been forged by heretics to give support to their false doctrine: 'In this book one discovers how Christ, who alone had committed no kind of sin, contrary to all (the assertions of) Scripture confessed his own sins and almost against his own will was constrained by his mother to receive the baptism of John. Further (it is related) that when he was baptised, fire appeared upon the water, a thing that is written in no Gospel. And after the agreement regarding the gospel to come in Jerusalem and consultation and debate together and after arrangements had been made as to what was to be done, after so long a time Peter and Paul finally came to know one another in Rome, as it were for the first time. And there are some other things of the kind (it is stated), absurd, improper and fictitious, all of which are found collected in that book.' We shall not here enter into a discussion as to which heretics are referred to and as to whether the statement of ps.-Cyprian that the Praedicatio Pauli was composed by them is true. That ps.-Cyprian had a definite writing before him, seems to me to be certain. It is likewise clear that the Praedicatio mentioned here had nothing to do with the Acts of Paul, as Th. Zahn supposed (Gesch. d. ntl. Kanons II, 2, p. 881; against that Dobschütz, Das Kerygma Petri, p. 127). The statement that Jesus had received the baptism of John only when constrained, and that at the time of his baptism fire was seen upon the water, is striking. It has rightly been concluded that here our text is connected with a fragment of the Gospel of the Nazaraeans (vol. I, p. 160, no. 2) and another of the Gospel of the Ebionites (vol. I, p. 169, no. 3) (cf. Dobschutz, op. cit., pp. 128ff.). A use of two different Jewish-Christian Gospels in the Praedicatio Pauli is unlikely. But above all hardly more than the possibility of a use of Jewish-Christian Gospels can be made out, the basis for more far-reaching hypotheses being in fact too small. The other statement that Peter and Paul came to know one another properly only in Rome - earlier meetings, it is true, seem according to the text not be altogether excluded (!!) - is singular. Here also the short text allows of no far-reachinig conclusion. With regard also to the composition, content and form of this Praedicatio nothing can be said. Only this seems to be certain, that the writing has nothing to do with the Kerygma Petri and nothing with the Acts of Paul." (New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, p. 32)
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Kirby, Peter. "Preaching of Paul." Early Christian Writings. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/praedicatiopauli.html>.
