Was Jesus Married?

 

WAS JESUS MARRIED?

Brett A. Todd

We all know that Jesus was married and had children, right?  At least this is what Dan Brown writes in his best-selling book, “The Da Vinci Code”.  But was Jesus really married, and did he have children?  Often I have to remind people that Brown’s book is nothing more than fiction and that more than likely Jesus was not married and he didn’t have children.

However, about 10 years after Dan Brown wrote his book, a shocking discovery was revealed to the world by Harvard Professor, Karen King.  What they discovered was an ancient Coptic papyri fragment no larger than a credit card that read, “Jesus said to them, 'My wife …” Interesting, perhaps Dan Brown was right, maybe Jesus was married, and maybe he had children as well.

It wasn’t long afterward that the tide began to change as did so many forgeries.  One scholar after another began to question the authenticity of this papyri fragment that said Jesus had a wife.  In time, and with further research and testing, it was concluded that this fragment was a forgery created by a con man.  This really shouldn’t surprise anyone, forgeries are big business and big money, even in the field of early Christian artifacts.  

So, where did this idea of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene actually come from? If “The Da Vinci Code” is fiction and the Coptic papyri fragment a forgery, where do people get the idea that Jesus was married?

In 1945, a farmer in Egypt by the name of Muhammed al-Samman discovered a jar buried in the ground that contained a codex (book) with several Christian scripts.  Among these scripts was a treatise called “The Gospel of Philip”.  As we have already discussed in a past article, there were many other gospels that early Christians were reading that are not found in the Bible.  In this particular gospel, we are told that Mary Magdalene was a companion of Jesus.  Further, we read these startling words concerning the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene:

And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene. [...] loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples [...]. They said to him "Why do you love her more than all of us?" (Translated by Wesley W. Isenberg). 

But what does the Bible say?  First, even though the idea of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene can be intriguing to some, it should be noted that when Mary Magdalene spoke to Jesus, she never called him her husband and Jesus never called Mary Magdalene his wife.  Second, there is no place in the Bible that states that Jesus was married.  It mentions his family and even some of the women who faithfully followed him in his ministry, but never, ever does the Bible state that Jesus was married.

Of course, an argument from silence really proves nothing. So it might be best to say, “More than likely Jesus was not married, nevertheless, we don’t know!”

In our next study, we will look at the childhood of Jesus.  What does the Bible have to tell us and what can we know?

Mark 1:41: Why Did Jesus Get Angry At The Leper?

 

Mark 1:41: Why Did Jesus Get Angry At The Leper?

Brett A. Todd

In our last article, we discussed whether Jesus was angry or compassionate at the leper who approached him for healing.  In short, more than likely, the original reading of Mark was that Jesus was angry at the leper.  But why did Jesus get angry?

Some have suggested that Jesus was angry at the sinful condition of the world or maybe even angry at the devil.  Still others, Jesus, with his foreknowledge, knew that this leper was going to broadcast his healing even though Jesus would tell that man not to tell anyone.  Still others, and I think this one gets closer to the correct answer, have suggested the reason Jesus was angry was that he was tired of people asking him if he was willing to heal them.  In other words, Jesus was tired and wanted the people to give him a break.

Though the above answers are pretty creative, I think a better answer would be that Jesus was angry because of the leper’s lack of faith and probably because of the lack of faith among so many people, even his disciples.  You may recall the story in Matthew 8:23-27, where Jesus and his disciples were on the boat and a storm swept through and the disciples thought they were going to die.  Jesus’ answer to his disciples is interesting, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?”  Oh, ye of little faith!!!

In another story, Mark 9:14-29, a man comes to Jesus for help for his son who is possessed by an evil spirit.  This young boy has foam running out of his mouth, rolls on the ground, and the demons throw him into the fire and the water trying to kill the young boy.  It is indeed quite the spectacle.  Then the father asked Jesus, verse 22 “are able to do anything, help us!?”  Jesus says to the man, verse 23, “If you are able! All things can be done for the one who believes.”  The father’s reply is interesting, verse 24 “I believe; help my unbelief!”  So many of the stories of Jesus' ministry are about one’s having faith or the lack thereof.  So it is it true in the story of Jesus who became angry at the leper.  Everywhere Jesus went, there were those who questioned Jesus' ability to heal and to bring freedom into people’s lives.

Jesus was on a mission and his mission was to heal and deliver those people who were not only sick and possessed by evil spirits, but also restricted from God’s kingdom.  Remember, those who were possessed by evil spirits or had such illnesses as leprosy could not enter the Temple in Jerusalem which represented God’s kingdom. Jesus' ministry was not about making people feel better, it was about getting people into the kingdom of God.  That is why the Bible says, “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness” (Matthew 9:35).

In our next study, we will ask the question, “Was Jesus married.”

Mark 1:41: Was Jesus Angry At The Leper?

 

Mark 1:41: Was Jesus Angry At The Leper?

Brett A. Todd

It appears that some of the early pious Christians, like many Christians today, frowned upon, or at least, struggled with the idea that anger could be a godly virtue.  You know, “Be angry but do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26).  This seems to be the case in the story of Jesus and the leper in our earliest gospel.  Let’s take a look.

Moved with anger, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, "I am willing. Be made clean!”  (Mark 1:41).

In this story of the leper, Jesus is traveling about Galilee and preaching in the local synagogues and casting out demons, and healing the sick. As Jesus is preaching, he is approached by a leper who asked Jesus to cleanse him.  In verse 41, we are told that Jesus is moved with anger and cleanses the man.  You may be looking at your Bible, unless it is a New International Version, and saying to yourself, “Wait a minute, my Bible says that he was moved with pity or with compassion.  Where does it say that Jesus became angry?”

It is true that most Bible translations either say that Jesus was moved with compassion or with pity, but there are other ancient manuscripts that use the word anger instead of compassion or pity.  In fact, if you have a good study Bible, you will have a note referring to other reliable ancient manuscripts that read, “he was moved with anger.”

Once again, we have come upon a passage of Scriptures where some scribe changed the wording to suit his fancy.  Please note that there is a pretty big difference between being angry or compassionate.

There is a tell-tale sign that tells us that something happened here.  Both gospels of Matthew and Luke who are copying Mark say nothing about Jesus being angry or compassionate.  They just skip over the whole matter.  In other words, Matthew and Luke know there is an elephant in the room, and they don’t want to talk about it.

It seems more than likely someone, just like Matthew and Luke, did not feel comfortable with the idea of Jesus getting angry at the poor old leper and decided to change it to something less offensive.  Bear in mind that it was not uncommon for Jesus to get angry in the Gospel of Mark (3:5 and 10:14).  But in this reading, it seems obvious that some Scribe was aggravated and changed the wording to make Jesus look more caring and loving (See M. A Proctor and Bart Ehrman).

In our next study, we will answer the question: Why was Jesus angry at the leper?

The Gospel of Mark: It’s Greek To Me

The Gospel of Mark:  It’s Greek To Me

Brett A. Todd

It may be Greek to you, but the Gospel of Mark was not originally written in English, it was written in Greek.  It was written by some person we don’t know, and whoever this person was, he never met Jesus.  Imagine trying to write a biography on a historical figure you never met.  Well, that’s what the author of the Gospel of Mark did.  Some 40 years after Jesus' death, he sat down and wrote a story about a guy he didn’t even know.

To date, the earliest existing Greek manuscript we have of Mark was written somewhere between 150 and 250 AD (or maybe even 350 AD). No, we do not have the original Gospel of Mark.  The original Gospel of  Mark is long gone.  Where was this early existing manuscript found?  It wasn’t found on the shelves of some ancient library, as some might assume, but it was found in an Egyptian garbage dump.

                  80 to 250-year span

Mark’s Gospel.................................................................................Earliest Copy of Mark

As already noted, this Greek manuscript copy of Mark is dated 150 to 350 AD, this means there is a span of 80 to 250 years between Mark's original Gospel and the earliest copy of Mark we now possess.  That’s a long span of time which potentially poses a big problem.  Let me explain:

During this time span, individuals who wanted a copy of Mark's Gospel had to make copies that were made from other copies of copies of copies.  And each time they made a copy they were copying other people’s mistakes while creating their own mistakes, leaving out and adding words to what the original Gospel of Mark said. One Evangelical scholar tells us that there are over 500,000 mistakes in the New Testament alone.  Granted, most of these mistakes don’t make a whole lot of difference when it comes to what Christians believe, but it does leave the question of what the original Gospel of Mark might have looked like and what it might have actually said?  What was added and what was taken out?

We already know that the passage in Mark 16:9-20 was added to Mark’s story.  Someone didn’t like how the Gospel of Mark ended, so they added verses 9-20.  Again, Mark didn’t write these words, someone added them.  It can also be easily argued that parts of Mark were either removed or at least left unfinished.   So again, what did the original story of the Gospel of Mark look like?  We don’t know and we may never know. 

What difference does all of this make?   Indeed, the Bible is a guide of some sort for millions of Christians around the world; however, it is not perfect.

In our next study, we will ask whether or not Jesus got angry at the leper who asked Jesus to heal him (Mark 1:41).

Did Jesus Consider Himself Sinless? (Part Two)

 

Did Jesus Consider Himself Sinless? (Part Two)

Brett A. Todd

Today we continue with the question: Did Jesus consider himself sinless?  As I have already stated, this is a completely different question then: does the Bible teach that Jesus is sinless?  There is no question in my mind that it does.  Again, I refer you to 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 4:15.  For now, however, let’s zero in on the question: Did Jesus consider himself sinless?

There is a Bible story in the Gospel of John that is hotly contested among Bible scholars today as to whether or not it should be in the Bible.  Nevertheless, they all agree on this one thing, this story is an ancient Christian story that goes a long way back to Christians who apparently believed this was an authentic story of Jesus. 

You know the story, it is one of the most beloved stories of Jesus in the Bible, “The Woman Caught In Adultery” (John 7:53-8:11).  The religious leaders brought this woman before Jesus as a test to see whether or not he would have this woman condemned and stoned to death. But Jesus’ unexpected words send these leaders packing, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  

What Jesus said to these religious leaders was clear.  Unless you are sinless, you don’t have the right to judge anyone.  So what did these religious leaders do?  They walked away, one by one, leaving Jesus and this woman alone. Then Jesus said these remarkable words, “Neither do I condemn you.”  Here, Jesus identified himself with everyone else who were sinners.  Why do I say this? Let me give you a couple of reasons to consider.

First, there are no indicators or inferences in this story that suggest Jesus was divine.  One might consider the use of the word “Lord” (κύριος) as stating that Jesus is divine, but this is incorrect.  The word “Lord” (κύριος) in this passage is best understood as “Sir”.  If we are to keep this in context, as stated in verse 4, “they said to him (Jesus), “Teacher…” at most, this woman probably only recognized Jesus as a compassionate teacher.

Lastly, the author of this story grammatically connects Jesus with the others, sinners, by saying, “Neither do I condemn you” (Οὐδὲ ἐγώ σε κατακρίνω).  Note the grammatical downward movement in this story, using two similar and related Greek words:

1. Jesus asked the woman, “Has no one condemned you?” (οὐδείς)

↓

2. The woman replies, “No one, sir.” (Οὐδείς)

↓

3. Jesus replied, “Neither do I condemn you.” (Οὐδὲ)

Does the Bible teach that Jesus is sinless?  Yes.  Did Jesus consider himself sinless?  More than likely not. 

In our next study, we will again look at the Gospel of Mark and see how its earliest Greek manuscripts pose some problems for Bible readers.