Part One: Why It Matters
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Luke 1:1-4 (Good News Bible)-Dear Theophilus: Many people have done their best to write a report of the things that have taken place among us. 2 They wrote what we have been told by those who saw these things from the beginning and who proclaimed the message. 3 And so, Your Excellency, because I have carefully studied all these matters from their beginning, I thought it would be good to write an orderly account for you. 4 I do this so that you will know the full truth about everything which you have been taught.
Recently, a good friend asked me to look into a question that I have been asked a lot over the last several years.
“Mark,” she asked: “Could Jesus and Mary Magdalene have been married?”
This idea has been fueled in recent years by the novel, The Da Vinci Code, written by author Dan Brown. The theory goes much deeper, however, then the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Many strange conspiracy theories have been brought forth that directly affects people’s perceptions of the Bible. And let’s face it: we live in the day and age of conspiracy theories!
Here is a sample of some of them:
Jesus was not really the Son of God;
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene who was not only His wife, but also His chief Apostle;
The Gospels covertly record that Mary was the wife of Jesus and also the holy grail, and that she and Jesus had a child;
The other Apostles were jealous of Mary Magdalene and wanted to kill her and her descendants;
Jesus never was crucified, and He did not arise from the dead;
There were other Gospels that told the truth about all these things, but they were removed from the Bible in the infamous 325 A.D. “council of Nicaea” at which time also the Roman Emperor Constantine chose the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to be inserted into the Bible;
The Catholic church has been on a vendetta since the time of the Apostles to kill all the descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in the world.
Wow!
Indeed, the Da Vinci Code touches on lots of important issues (probably just not the ones we may think at first glance). Topics such as the trustworthiness of the New Testament, the Divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, the crucifixion, the resurrection, church councils, and others have all been called into question in the minds of a lot of people, and their faith in the Word of God has been affected.
So, we are going to look into it together.
First, we will discuss the authorship (genuineness) and credibility of the New Testament to ascertain if it is a reliable historical guide. We will then look at whether or not it addresses these issues. After that, we will discuss the Gnostics and what they contribute to the discussion. Then, we will take a look at these church councils and whether or not Constantine decided which Books went into the Bible, along with what was discussed and debated in these meetings. We will also have a study of these alleged “banned books” that were not allowed into the Bible. Finally, we will look carefully not only at whether or not Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, but other important issues such as the Divinity and humanity of Jesus. It will all lead to a very surprising truth: Jesus does indeed have a wife!
Buckle up!
Now, what to do with all this?
First, study along with us! Christians have nothing to fear from honest and open investigation. The Bible tells us to “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1). The people of God remember that He invites us to “reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). One of my instructors in West Virginia School of Preaching (WVSOP) used to tell us that truth is like a diamond: the harder you rub it, the brighter it will shine!
Second, invite others to join us in this study. You can do that in a lot of ways. Share these posts with them via social media, text message, or email. In fact, feel free to invite them to join this email list. (I have to receive a personal request from anyone to join the email list, per the requirements of MailChimp, the program that I use for this list. Currently, there are 85 subscribers). It is possible that the faith of your family and friends has been adversely affected over the years by these topics. Encourage anyone and everyone to study with us and help them to better realize that the words of Christ are words of “truth and reason” (Acts 26:25).
Third, and perhaps most importantly: pray for deeper understanding and salvation of others as we study about these topics. God says:
Jeremiah 29:13-And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Again:
Jeremiah 33:3-Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Years ago, one of my favorite authors, Timothy Paul Jones, wrote a book about this (and other) conspiracy theories regarding Christianity. He made the following observation from polls conducted at that time:
“So why can’t we simply disregard such vicious attempts? Because these works have had an effect on people. Only 9 percent of middle-aged adults and 14 percent of adults in their early thirties identify themselves as atheists or agnostics. Yet, when it comes to the people who have grown up in the shadow of such claims about Jesus—persons presently in their late teens and early twenties—nearly 20 percent openly refer to themselves as atheists or agnostics. Put another way, one out of every five college-aged students has rejected not merely Jesus but the very possibility of knowing God at all! 23”. (Timothy Paul Jones, Conspiracies and The Cross, 231-234 (Kindle Edition): Lake Mary, FL: FrontLine)
For our faith, and for the eternal wellbeing of others, we need to study about these things.
Father, please bless us as we study about these subjects. Bless all who study along with us. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.