DaVinci Code: The Truth Behind the Fiction - Part 10

DaVinci Code Part 10 - Mary Magdelene 3

In my last post (just yesterday!), I left each of you with the passage from the document known as the Gospel of Mary:
Mary 17:10 – 18:21. “When Mary had said this to the disciples [she was re-telling some of the secrets Jesus had just confided in her privately], she was silent, since the Savior had spoken thus far with her. But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, ‘Say what you think concerning what she said. For I do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly, these teachings are of other ideas.’” Mary says, “This is what Jesus just confided in me privately.” Andrew says, “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe Jesus told you that. Peter also opposed her in regard to these matters and asked them about the Savior. ‘Did he then speak secretly with a woman, in preference to us, and not openly? Are we to turn back and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us? And then Mary grieved and said to Peter, ‘My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I thought this up myself in my heart or that I am lying concerning the Savior?’”
Let me reiterate – this document was written a few hundred years after Mary lived. It was not written by her and should not be read as a reliable source of information about the life of Christ. So, this document and the so-called Gospel of Philip are not viewed as historically accurate accounts at all. However, they merit our scrutiny because they are the two documents that are used to support those who want to support their claim that Jesus was married.

So, did you find any information in the passage above that would support the marriage hypothesis? Of course, the answer is “no.” But, those who would use this passage to suggest Jesus was married to Mary say that this shows a special relationship between the two. Again, we can’t assume the dialogue in this passage ever happened but we can all be in agreement that we find nothing to support the assertion that they were married.

Let’s take a quick look at a passage from the book of 1 Corinthians:
3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? (1 Corinthians 9:3-6)

This passage settles the matter for all but the most stubborn scholars. Paul talks of his right to take a wife as other apostles have already done. He specifically singles out Jesus’ half-brother Cephas. If Jesus was married, Paul would have most certainly used Jesus as the best example of the right to marry. Yet, Jesus is obviously not mentioned here even though his half-brother is.

We’ve looked at the possibility of Jesus being married and found that not a single one of the ancient documents that we have found through history suggests that Jesus was married to anyone. Further, our most reliable source for information regarding the life of Jesus, the New Testament, gives a very strong argument against this idea.

In my next post, we’ll take one last look at these “other gospels” that are mentioned so many times in the DaVinci Code. Not only are the Gospels of Mary and Philip mentioned but the Gospel of Thomas and others are mentioned in the novel. Are there other ‘gospels’ that should have been included in the Bible? Are there more accurate accounts of the life of Jesus than we have in the New Testament? Did the church conspire to keep these documents out of the hands of believers for political reasons? You probably know the answer to these questions but we’ll put the issue of the ‘other gospels’ to bed the next time we meet!

Until then…

Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
www.toddphillips.net