Was Jesus Married?

[Merlin]

I assume you all want to attack the theories more. They are widely held.

Do you want them pasting in here?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

No he was not
His detractors would have let every one Know about it.
After all he told his followers to leave every thing and follow him.
And he was no hypocrite.



Terry______________________
Blessed are the pure of heart, they shall behold their God.

 

[michel]

No he was not
His detractors would have let every one Know about it.
After all he told his followers to leave every thing and follow him.
And he was no hypocrite.



Terry______________________
Blessed are the pure of heart, they shall behold their God.

Short and to the point. Good one Terry.

 

[Katzpur]

I assume you all want to attack the theories more. They are widely held.

Well, I'd say that there is a reasonably good possibility that He was. I'll have to see if I can dig up some of the evidence I used to have around.

 

[Augustine]

The Bible says nothing about Christ getting married, and that is the only source you can use for information about Christ.

 

[ChrisP]

What ever happened to Mary Magdalene? I know she was painted a... uhh... women of some small disrepute by the Catholic Leadership early on in it's history, but some Gnostics I've spoken to regard her as the wife of Jesus, possibly bearing children.

He spoke of Marriage as a Man and a Women becoming one, most people would agree that this is a natural desire for people (and not just at an animal instinct for procreation level). Men need Women to stay level and vice versa for Women.

I think there are some Jewish/Roman records from the time which may substantiate this Gnostic view. It probably was not relevant to the Catholic churches belief at the time the bible was assembled.

Please don't hurt me Mr. Scott and Mister Victor

**Cowers under his desk**

 

[Katzpur]

The Bible says nothing about Christ getting married, and that is the only source you can use for information about Christ.

Does it say He wasn't married? I'm not insisting He was, but there are a number of cultural "clues" that would appear to indicate that He may have been.

 

[ChrisP]

Hi Katzpur, I have not investigated the matter very closely myself. I am going on faith that what some of my Gnostic friends have told me is true. From some passages of scripture I've read, particularly those surrounding the time of Jesus death where he was visited at the Cross by several women, there are certainly strong indications that his relationship with Mary Magdalene was different than just a disciple.

It certainly bears looking into anyway. I think the Gnostic Gosple of Mary and Thomas may be of interest here. They are certainly two texts that should not have been omitted from the bible (if they are truly written by these people). Personal information regarding Jesus in the bible is scarce, as Christians (probably rightly) believe that his message regarding God's will as the more important part of his life

 

[The Black Whirlwind]

If he was married, shoudln't he have gotten married earlier than 33? if he was married, i would say he would have his own home, and wouldn't be living with his mother. He would probabaly had some kids too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Jesus a jewish rabbi? if so, wouldn't that mean he would need to not have a wife, to stay spiritually pure or something?

 

[ChrisP]

Just found this article, reasonably interesting. Only takes biblical sources though.

http://www.markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/jesusmarried.htm

 

[dan]

The law of the time was very spcific about marriage. Many thing swere allowed only if one was married. For instance, no one could teach the Gospel unless married. There are others, but this is the most glaring one.

The point was made that His detractors would have used it against Him, when in fact, his not having been married would have been a violation of Jewish law (He taught the Gospel), which would have made it a thousand times easier for them to have had Him thrown in jail, nice and legal-like. For Him to have continued preaching unmarried would have been the only law which He would have broken His entire life.

You figure out what that means to you. I make no assertions, I only let you know what the facts are.

 

[ChrisP]

The law of the time was very spcific about marriage. Many thing swere allowed only if one was married. For instance, no one could teach the Gospel unless married. There are others, but this is the most glaring one.

The point was made that His detractors would have used it against Him, when in fact, his not having been married would have been a violation of Jewish law (He taught the Gospel), which would have made it a thousand times easier for them to have had Him thrown in jail, nice and legal-like. For Him to have continued preaching unmarried would have been the only law which He would have broken His entire life.

You figure out what that means to you. I make no assertions, I only let you know what the facts are.

Wow thanks for that Dan, I must confess I am extremely ignorant of Jewish rabbinical law.

 

[greatcalgarian]

If he was married, shoudln't he have gotten married earlier than 33? if he was married, i would say he would have his own home, and wouldn't be living with his mother. He would probabaly had some kids too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Jesus a jewish rabbi? if so, wouldn't that mean he would need to not have a wife, to stay spiritually pure or something?

Not according to this research

Although almost all scholars of all religious persuasions take this as strong evidence of the singleness of Jesus, a few have proposed that, in fact, Jesus was married. In 1970, for example, William E. Phipps published Was Jesus Married? The Distortion of Sexuality in the Christian Tradition. In this book Phipps argued that the silence of the New Testament about the marital status of Jesus indicates that Jesus was in fact married. Why? Because virtually every Jewish man in Jesus' day did marry, especially those who were considered to be Rabbis.

 

[greatcalgarian]

LDS source on Jesus marriage:

http://www.helpingmormons.org/married.htm

 

[Merlin]

If he was married, shoudln't he have gotten married earlier than 33? if he was married, i would say he would have his own home, and wouldn't be living with his mother. He would probabaly had some kids too. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Jesus a jewish rabbi? if so, wouldn't that mean he would need to not have a wife, to stay spiritually pure or something?

Just the oposite. Rabbis must be married.

 

[greatcalgarian]

This Essenes web page give forceful arguement for a married Jesus:
http://essenes.net/jesusm.html

For example:They also expected a married Messiah, because the prophets of their Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) predicted his marital state as a feature of his life: In speaking of Israel’s expectant deliverer in a passage Paul identifies as referring to Jesus, David wrote, "Kings daughters were among thy honourable women", or wives as the 1599 version of the Geneva Bible, and a 1636 Church of England Bible puts it (Ps. 45:6, see Heb. 1:8) Of him having children, Isaiah predicts, "he shall see his seed", and asks, "Who shall declare his generation?" (Isa. 53:8, see Luke 23:27-28 & Isa 53:10, see Acts 8:33 and Heb. 2:16)

 

[Merlin]

The Bible says nothing about Christ getting married, and that is the only source you can use for information about Christ.

It is highly improbable that Jesus was not married well before the beginning of his public ministry. If he had insisted upon celibacy, it would have created a stir, a reaction which would have left some trace. So, the lack of mention of Jesus's marriage in the Gospels is a strong argument not against but for the hypothesis of marriage, because any practice or advocacy of voluntary celibacy would in the Jewish context of the time have been so unusual as to have attracted much attention and comment.

Jesus was often addressed as Rabbi. But if Jesus was a Rabbi in the strict sense of the word, a marriage would not only have been likely, but virtually certain under Jewish Mishnaic Law.

 

[Merlin]

The Bible says nothing about Christ getting married, and that is the only source you can use for information about Christ.

In the fourth Gospel there is an episode related to a marriage which may, in fact, have been Jesus's own. This is the wedding at Cana. It would seem to have been a typical village wedding, whose bride and groom remain anonymous. To this wedding Jesus is specifically called, which is slightly curious perhaps for he has not yet fully embarked upon his ministry. More curious still, however, is the fact that his mother 'just happens' to be present. And her presence would seem to be taken for granted. That is not explained.

What is more it is Mary who not merely 'suggests' to her son, but in effect orders him to replenish the wine. she behaves quite as if she was the hostess (John 2:3-4).

"His mother said to the servants, whatever it He says to you, do it". And the servants promptly comply. Quite as if they were accustomed to receiving orders from both Mary and Jesus.

Despite Jesus's attempt to disown her, Mary prevails and Jesus performs his first major miracle, the transmutation of water into wine. As far of the Gospels are concerned he has not tried prior to this to display his powers and there is no reason for Mary to assume he even possesses them. But even if she did know, why would such a unique and holy gift be employed for so banal a purpose? Why would Mary make such a request of her son at a village wedding?

More important still, why would two artisan class 'guests' at the wedding take on themselves the responsibility of catering, a responsibility that, by custom, should be reserved for the host? Unless of course it was His own wedding, in which case it would be His responsibility.

Then in John 2:9-10, the 'Governor of the Feast' (Master of ceremonies) called to the bridegroom and said what fantastic wine it was. These words would would clearly seem to be addressed to Jesus, and according to the Gospel they are addressed to the bridegroom.

 

[Merlin]

The Bible says nothing about Christ getting married, and that is the only source you can use for information about Christ.

Is there any indication in the Gospels of the identity of any possible wife?

On first consideration they would appear to be two possible candidates, two women apart from his mother who are mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels as being of his entourage.

The first of these is Mary Magdalene (Mary from the village of Migdal or Magdala) in Galilee. In all four Gospels this woman's role is singularly ambiguous. In the accounts of Mark and Matthew she is not mentioned by name until quite late. In the Gospel of Luke, however, she appears relatively early in the Ministry while He is preaching in Galilee. It would therefore seem that she accompanies him from Galilee to Judaea, or if not that, she at least moves between these provinces as readily as he does. This in itself strongly suggests that she was married to someone. In the Palestine of Jesus's time it would have been unthinkable for an unmarried woman to travel unaccompanied - and even more so to travel unaccompanied with a religious teacher and his entourage.

A number of traditions have taken cognisance of this potentially embarrassing fact. Thus it is sometimes claimed that Magdalene was married to one of Jesus's disciples. If that were the case, however, a special relationship with Jesus and her proximity to him would have rendered both of them subject to suspicions if not charges of adultery.

Despite popular tradition, she is not at any point in any of the Gospels said to be a prostitute. Luke reports that her friends include the wife of a high dignitary in King Herod's court. And she was a woman of means, because Mark's gospel stresses the costliness of the ointment with which the ritual anointing was performed.

Mary Magdalene became a figure of immense significance in the Gospels, and heads the list of women who followed Jesus. She was also the first witness to the empty tomb.

The other candidate is Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. I will elaborate on these theories if anybody is interested (and if I survive the bombs which will be thrown at me now). Remember I am quoting General theory not my own.

 

[Merlin]

What ever happened to Mary Magdalene? I know she was painted a... uhh... women of some small disrepute by the Catholic Leadership early on in it's history, but some Gnostics I've spoken to regard her as the wife of Jesus, possibly bearing children.

He spoke of Marriage as a Man and a Women becoming one, most people would agree that this is a natural desire for people (and not just at an animal instinct for procreation level). Men need Women to stay level and vice versa for Women.

I think there are some Jewish/Roman records from the time which may substantiate this Gnostic view. It probably was not relevant to the Catholic churches belief at the time the bible was assembled.

Please don't hurt me Mr. Scott and Mister Victor

**Cowers under his desk**

See later post