The site includes the gnostic library, with the complete nag hammadi library and a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. It is further posited that she was the beloved disciple of the fourth gospel and, therefore, the founder and leader of what has come to be known as the johannine community. Mary magdalenes gnosis is displayed in full in the gospel of mary. This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true john 21. Her comment told me that i need to correct the impression i created with my illchosen word. Why was mary magdalene the first witness of the resurrection. Another school of thought has proposed that the beloved disciple in the gospel of john really was originally mary magdalene. If the foregoing argument holds good, mary of bethany and the sinner are one and the same. Secrets of the baptist i write about mary magdalene. For example, in the gospel of marythe only apocryphal text named for a womanmary magdalene is depicted as a visionary who receives secret revelations from jesus, much to the chagrin of peter.
Scholar uncovers the mary magdalene whom early christian. He shows us that jesus, though fully god, came in the flesh to distinctly and accurately reveal god, and that christ is the. Though he responds by saying, woman, how does your concern affect me. People have a lot to say about her, thats for sure, but what does johns gospel want us to know about this infamous mary. At a gathering with college classmates, someone mentioned the unlikelihood that mary magdalene could write. Mary magdalene is transformed by jesus forever changed. In your article mary of magdala, apostle to the apostles, you say, among other things, that mary magdalene was not a prostitute. But for some reason, the writer of the gospel of john wanted to remain. Lee grady read more christian women spiritual life, faith, and growth. We know mary spent the last 30 years of her life in the lower heavens, carried aloft daily by angels, then brought. There is a very intriguing story, unique to the gospel of john, about a wedding attended by jesus and his disciples at the galilean village of cana john 2.
In the gospel of philip, the favorable relationship between jesus and mary magdalene is contrasted with jesus relationship with the rest of the disciples. As a result, there is no validity to its teachings. Jesus marriage to mary the magdalene is fact, not fiction. Jan 02, 2020 the gospel of mary magdalene would better be titled the gospel of mary, due to the fact that the mary the gospel mentions is nowhere specified as mary magdalene. She was responding to my title mary magdalene wrote the 4 th gospel. Tell me what you think about the possibility that mary magdalene was the actual author of the gospel attributed. A more complete version of this gospel can be found in the berlin codex, originally discovered in the late 19 th century in upper egypt.
The gospel of john therefore portrays mary magdalene as the first apostle, the apostle sent to the apostles. John we learn the name of the woman who anointed christs feet previous to the last supper. In a series of sermons on mary magdalene written in 591 c. John imply this was an orchestrated presentation to the people of jesus as the messiah, possibly because both john and jesus suspected john would soon be imprisoned by herod and they wanted to. This study posits the theory that the fourth gospel, once universally believed to have been authored by john of zebedee, was actually authored by mary magdalene.
And the fourth gospel contains many accurate references to holy land places and customs, suggesting eyewitness authorship. John of zebedee did not write the gospel that bears his name. Mary magdalene was often called the greatest apostle of jesus, and she did indeed write a gospel. In this excerpt, the other disciples are discouraged and grieving.
They entered the tomb and saw a young man, who told them jesus was risen and that they should go and tell the disciples and peter. Two other copies were discovered in northern egypt in later years. Her incredible conversion to christ is evidenced throughout the gospel through committed and faithful service. The gospel of mary is an apocryphal book discovered in 1896 in a 5thcentury papyrus codex written in sahidic coptic. Could mary magdalene have written the fourth gospel. In 1896 a guy finds some ancient manuscripts including one that was a story, supposedly written by mary magdalene. A 1910 article by hugh pope in the catholic encyclopedia, makes the case as follows. In matthew and john, she also encounters the resurrected jesus. Not only that but, according to the longer ending of mark and to john s gospel, it is to this mary alone, out of all his followers, that the resurrected jesus appears first. Christian tradition has never assigned authorship of the fourth gospel to mary magdalene. The identity of mary of bethany and mary magdalene is not an unusual theory. This article makes a case for ascribing authorship of the fourth gospel the gospel of john in the new testament to mary magdalene.
A complete translation of the gospel of mary aeon byte. There is also the possibility that the author of john did not know of mark. It has become quite popular of late, to talk about, other gospels. The first is the wedding at cana, when mary tells jesus that there is no more wine. Mary magdalene is only mentioned twicevery late in the gospelbut she gets up close and personal at the most important events in the story.
Now there stood by the cross of jesus his mother, and his mothers sister, mary the wife of cleophas, and mary. Mary magdalene, in both the bible and art, is certainly a captivating figure. The four accounts of the empty tomb seem to differ as follows. Apr 17, 2018 mary magdalene and the writings attributed to john an interesting and provocative question was posed to me yesterday during my guest appearance on the healing fountain blogtalk radio show with host cindy bentley. In johns gospel, mary magdalene was definitely at the crucifixion. A closer study of this gives far more weight to lazarus. Not only did jesus not follow the social norms of his day, he hung out with the. Johns gospel makes it almost impossible to deny the identity of mary of bethany with mary magdalen. Similar examples of mary magdalene being favored by jesus over peter can be found in the gospel of the egyptians and pistis sophia. Not only that, i believe she likely mapped the face of the planet from 80 miles above the earth. And people werent afraid to discredit mary magdalene because of it.
Mary magdalene, sometimes called simply the magdalene or the madeleine, was a jewish woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with jesus as one of his early and closest followers and was a witness to his crucifixion, and burial. They left and told no one of this, for they were afraid. The gospels, the first four books of the new testament, tell the story of the life of jesus. Many others believe the author was in fact a committee of unknown authors, editors, and redactorsthe johannine community. As far as i know no previously published work has made an argument in support of this hypothesis. These texts also describe peter rejecting the authority of women to teach. The gospel of mary attacks both of these positions headon through its portrayal of mary magdalene. Only in lukes gospel does mary magdalene show up before jesus death. But this mary is simply a small fraction of a figure that is truly both a religious and inspirational cosmic force. She whom luke calls the sinful woman, whom john calls mary, we believe to be the mary from whom seven devils were ejected according to mark. What is not disputed is the portrayal of mary of magdala as an important woman leader and witness in the earliest christian churches. Why are the four gospel accounts of the empty tomb so. She is the first to use the standard credential formula of the apostles, i have seen the lord john 20.
Johns gospel has no birth or infancy narratives, but it does have two key stories that highlight marys involvement in jesus adult life. The gospel according to st john refers to the day after saturday, when mary magdalene went to the tomb where jesus was buried. The first copy of that gospel was only discovered in 1896 in cairo, along with sophia of jesus christ and apocryphon of john. Already mary magdalene is at the crucifixion and the empty tomb, and in the gospel of luke she is exorcized of seven demons and then travels with jesus and supplies him the funds needed for his. Johns gospel writes about gnosticism and continues straight to johns message to be cleansed of your sins by water. Mary magdalene was one of jesus closest followers and friends. Todays gospel in art mary magdalene saw two angels icn. The gospel of mary was not written by mary magdalene or any other mary of the bible. Kings introductory chapter from the gospel of mary of magdala. Given the current interest in mary magdalenes place in the church and her relationship with christ, speculation that she is the beloved disciple referred to in the gospel of john is more likely a modern phenomenon than an ancient reality. But for me, the most important revelation in this long ignored manuscript has to do with a foiled plot on jesus and mary the magdalenes lives, about years before the crucifixion. This berlin codex was purchased in cairo by german diplomat carl reinhardt.
Within the gospel of john the story functions in a theological and even allegorical mannerit is the first of seven signs, the water into wine story, but that is not to say it lacks any historical foundation. She is the saviors beloved, possessed of knowledge and teaching superior to that of the public apostolic tradition. The gnostic teachings found in the gospel of mary date it to the late 2nd century ad at the earliest. They ascribe authorship to the anonymous beloved disciple. Yet only onethe gospel of johnclaims to be an eyewitness account, the testimony of the unnamed disciple whom jesus loved. What was the relationship between peter and mary magdalene. She is also known as mary magdalen and mary magdala. As she said this she turned around and saw jesus standing there, though she did not.
This website is designed as a showcase for the books mary magdelene and the gospel of john and mary magdalene and the first chrisitians by dr ian poole. There, after seeing that the stone had been moved away from the tomb, she runs to tell simon peter and the other disciple, the one whom jesus loved. Only in luke is mary mentioned earlier in the story. If mary magdalene did not pen the writings attributed to john, it is highly likely that their author was very close to mary and to the ministry she continued after jesus death, for according to the noncanonical gospel of mary, she was the one who understood the fullness of jesus teachings, especially his teachings on oneness. Scholars writing gospel of john commentary often grapple with the question. And what did these seven devils signify, if not all the vices. When the name of mary magdalene is inserted into the odd passages, their meaning clears up. Does josephus say that mary magdalene was john the apostle. He answered and said to me, blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight. In the gospel of philip, a similar statement is made about mary magdalene. Did mary magdalene write a book for the bible answers. Nov 17, 2008 the fourth gospel, once universally believed to have been authored by john of zebedee, was actually authored by mary magdalene. Contrary to popular belief, the gospel of mary is not found in the nag hammadi library although most versions include it.
Primary sources the gospel of mary from jesus to christ. In this gnostic gospel, mary magdalene appears as a disciple, singled out by. Richard valantasis writes in the beliefnet guide to gnosticism and other. Mary magdalene was one of the earliest and most devoted followers of jesus. Why do gnostics consider mary magdalene the greatest. Jun 06, 2016 mary magdalenes gnosis is displayed in full in the gospel of mary. If our historical sleuthing is correct, this text is a gospel before the gospels and we can finally return jesus to the historical context from which paul removed him. In this gnostic gospel, mary magdalene appears as a disciple, singled out by jesus for special teachings. Jan 18, 2019 the gospel of john was written to prove that jesus christ is the son of god. Mary magdalene, by virtue of her encounter with jesus in john 20, was regarded as someone who was a special channel of secret knowledge, bowe. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. Mary magdalene is seen in the gospel of mary as a disciple who is singled out by jesus for special teachings.
In the gospel of john, she is recorded as the first witness of jesus. The catholic church did later declare that mary magdalene was not the. The gospel of john was composed around 90 to 95 and is distinct. In this third lesson of the forever changed series, children will learn how christs resurrection gave mary magdalene increased boldness and dedication to the lord. The text of john gives us evidence of some of the historical events in the life of jesus and his followers and his family. Not only that but, according to the longer ending of mark and to johns gospel, it is to this mary alone, out of all his followers, that the resurrected jesus appears first. The books are a genuinely new and quite revolutionary view of the relationship between jesus and mary magdalene, and underlines her seminal role in the foundation of the christian church. This gospel also shows mary describing her vision of the souls journey after death and the challenges it must overcome. Prayer and meditation for tuesday, july 22, 2014 mary magdalen. As an eyewitness to the love and power displayed in the miracles of jesus, john gives us an upclose and personal look at christs identity. So when we read about mary magdalene in each of the gospels, as when we read. The gospel of mary was attributed to mary magdalene, but is really a gnostic gospel, probably written in the second century.
It was the common practice for men and women to accompany each other when traveling, but they moved in separate groups. Mar 31, 2008 and as they did eat we know from john. Jul 15, 2015 mary magdalene, in both the bible and art, is certainly a captivating figure. The gospel of mary magdalene and her neardeath experience.
Why do gnostics consider mary magdalene the greatest apostle. Apr 27, 2016 mary magdalene was one of jesus closest followers and friends. There are also remembrances of traditions about jesus and his followers and family which were not recorded elsewhere. Mary magdalene is mentioned in all four gospels as a witness of the crucifixion and empty tomb. To make this claim and maintain consistency with scripture, the theory is suggested that marys separate existence in the two common scenes with the beloved disciple jn 19. The gospel of mary magdalene would better be titled the gospel of mary, due to the fact that the mary the gospel mentions is nowhere specified as mary magdalene. He shows us that jesus, though fully god, came in the flesh to distinctly and accurately reveal god, and that christ is the source of eternal life to all who. The gospel of john was written to prove that jesus christ is the son of god.
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