Coming in early 2009.











       
Relativism & Absolutes | Atheism | Is the Bible Relevant? | Women | Slavery | Judgment | Mary Magdalene? | Politics | Failed Philosophical Arguments
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Jamie Johnson
Discourses  · Mary Magdalene?
Jamie Johnson
Part 7

Mary Magdalene?

What the world says:

"How can you be sure that Jesus did not have a relationship with Mary Magdalene?"

What is the truth?

This idea was popularized in The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Much of the material for The DaVinci Code and comes out of Gnosticism. The Gnostics believed that matter was evil (The DaVinci Code: A Companion Guide to the Movie, p. 9). "The Gnostic gospels are dated about 110 to 300 years after Christ, and no credible scholar believes any of them could have been written by their namesakes" ("Mona Lisa's Smirk", Y-Jesus, Volume Two, p. 40). Regarding the Gnostic writings, the Gospel of Peter and the Acts of John, New Testament scholar Norman Geisler stated, "The Gnostic writings were not written by the apostles, but by men in the second century (and later) pretending to use apostolic authority to advance their own teachings. Today we call this fraud and forgery" ("Mona Lisa's Smirk", Y-Jesus, Volume Two, p. 40).

So, was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? For details, refer to http://www.jesusanddavinci.com/theology/crashdavincicode.html#Question_12.

I summarize key points on that site below:

Also consider Jesus' words in Matthew 19:12: ":… and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." And consider Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 7:27: "Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife." Would either Jesus or Paul say such things if Jesus had been married?











Engage

In considering what's being said, truth and the Bible, how are we to respond to the world when the world says, "Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene."

Possible Responses











Would you be interested in renting and watching The DaVinci Code with me and then us discussing it?
What are the sources for this claim?
The Apostle Paul esteemed remaining unmarried. Wouldn't he esteem being married if Jesus had married?
The Bible mentions that the church is the bride of Christ. Does that make sense if Jesus was already married?
I'm interested in hearing why Jesus's marital status is important for you.
What else have you heard about Jesus?

Which response is the most engaging so that it may bring discourse and productive discussion, perhaps even to presenting the Gospel? What are some other possible responses that promote discourse?