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False Statements Linked to Christianity
There are certain Scripture passages that are commonly misunderstood. In such cases we need to study Scripture and share our learning with others so that we can come to the truth.
 
But there are some false statements made about various Scripture passages that attempt to undermine the foundational elements of Christianity, which in turn can have a devastating effect on the church and its members. Such false statements could also make it more difficult for Christians to teach others who are unlearned or who are not in the Faith. It is the job of a Christian to clarify any untruths that may have been told in order to strengthen those weak in the Faith and to share it with those who lack understanding or are not of the Faith (Matt. 12:30; Matt. 28:18-20).
 
False statement:
Jesus and Mary Magdalene had an intimate relationship.
 
This false statement undermines the first main element, the purity of Christ, and His abandonment of all worldly desires because of it. That Christ abandoned all material and worldly possessions and life styles and lived a completely spiritual life is a fundamental part in understanding His perfection. Through His giving up all worldly things, Christ was humbled to the ultimate state of perfection and therefore able to take on the sins of others.
 
There is no Scripture verses nor are there any early Christian Writings that speak of Jesus and Mary Magdalene being together intimately, and even the Gnostic writings do not imply this. Yet there are those opinions made approximately two thousand years after the birth of Jesus that attempt to draw conclusions as if it were so regardless. It is left to those of the Faith to clarify the Truth.
 
Let's look at Scripture about Mary Magdalene to see if any intimate conclusions can be made.
 
One of the false statements made about Scripture used to link Mary with Jesus is when Mary washed Jesus' feet with her hair, thus implying something personal here.
 
Let's see what Scripture has to say.
    Luke 7 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house,brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
No mention of Mary Magdalene here.
    Matthew 26 6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
No mention of Mary Magdalene here.
    Mark 14 3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster boxof ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
No mention of Mary Magdalene here.
    Luke 7 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
No mention of Mary Magdalene here.
    John 12 1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
Here, a Mary anoints Jesus' feet, but it is Mary of Bethany, sister to Martha and Lazarus. So, no mention of Mary Magdalene here either.
 
Mary of Bethany, by the way, was also not married so Mary Magdalene was not the only single woman nor the only Mary who followed Jesus.
 
Here is what Scripture says about Mary Magdalene:
    Luke 81 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
Notice v. 3 says she was one of many women who looked after Him. Of course some of them would have been single since there were many who followed Him. 
    John 19 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
Mary Magdalene was one of the women who were by the cross at the crucifixion (v. 25). Because she was near the cross, it is said Jesus was talking to Mary when He said "Woman, behold thy son!" (v. 26). The implication is that the "son" belonged to Jesus and Mary. In fact, when Jesus said that statement, He was talking to His disciple John ("the disciple"). He wanted John to look after His own mother (Mary) after He was gone.
 
Mary was one of the women who went to the tomb early Sunday morning to anoint Jesus' body.
    Mark 16 1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweetspices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Jesus appeared first to Mary so she was actually the first witness of the Gospel.
 
And that's it. Far from any of the stories we have heard about her in recent years. She was not even mentioned much in the Bible. She was one of several women who looked after Jesus and the apostles. And she, like many other women of her time, was a devoted disciple of the Lord.
 
What is not talked about much is that Jesus called women as well as men to serve Him and witness the gospel to the world.
 
Now let's look at Scripture to see if Jesus was married or had a wife:
    Matthew 12 47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Notice that Jesus referred to everyone as a brother, sister, or mother. But there is no mention of a wife or of Him having one found in this Scripture.
 
The following verse describes Him as a Father to all humanity:
    John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
This one tells us Jesus deeply loved His followers:
    John 13 1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
...But still no wife.
 
No where in Scripture does it say that Jesus had a wife in any physical sense. For a reason, because He did not.
 
To a Christian, Jesus being married and having a worldly wife while here on this earth is not an intolerable idea if it is backed by Scripture or even proven to be true elsewhere with absolute facts. The problem is that it is not. In fact, it goes against everything Scripture teaches about Jesus.
 
But according to Scripture, Jesus does have a bride:
    Revelation 211 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband .3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega.
Jesus' bride is the church, the New Jerusalem, all of those since the beginning of time who devoted their lives to Him. The marriage of Christ and the church is a holy consummation, spiritual, a pure devotion not of "the flesh."
 
The "male and female" of this age is carnal, physical, and for this age only. The "husband and bride" relationship with Jesus is a spiritual relationship where the believers as one church (Gal. 3:28)  are devoted to their God Husband Jesus. It is this relationship that is carried over to the first resurrection and to the new age where the "bride" is "adorned for her husband" (v. 2).
 
 
False statement:
A supposed burial site for Jesus.
 
This false statement contradicts the foundational Christian teaching that Jesus was resurrected. After all, if He was resurrected how could he have a burial site. The claim that there is such a burial site is due to the supposed names of Jesus and His family similar to a burial site found. In reality, it attempts to disprove Jesus' resurrection.
 
Let's examine the evidence:
 In 1980, a burial site known as the Talpiot Tomb was discovered in East Jerusalem which contained ten ossuaries, including one which when translated has "Joshua, son of Joseph" written on its content. Joshua is interpreted as Jesus. The translation is only partially legible and is disputed (Heiser).
 
Let's look at facts.
 
Fact:
Archaeologists, theologians, and biblical scholars all dispute the claim made that it is the Jesus family tomb.
 
Fact:
Jesus had brothers and sisters.
    Matthew 13 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
His brothers were James, Joses (properly translated "Joseph"), Simon, and Judas (not the same one who betrayed Him). Notice that of the twelve apostles, there was also a James, Simon (or Peter), and Judas, but they are not the same as His brothers.
 
Another Fact:
Jesus was a popular Jewish name during this time period. So were Joseph, Mary, and different versions of Mary. Also extremely popular names were James and John as well as some others. Read Scripture and examine how many different Marys are mentioned. Tradition holds that there are six different Marys named in the New Testament.
 
A family tomb found near where Jesus lived or died that has names similar to Jesus' family is very possible since His family members were given very popular names. This in no way proves that the people buried in this tomb were Jesus' family or that Jesus was placed in it.
 
A burial place for Jesus' brother James has possibly been discovered but it does not correlate with any known Jesus burial site (Rose).
 
The James' ossuary was possibly discovered because he was a devoted disciple to Jesus although this was not always the case. Before Jesus' crucifixion, neither James nor Jesus' other brothers believed Jesus' claim to be the prophesied Messiah.
    John 7 1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
He appeared to His brother James after His resurrection (Gal. 1:19; 1 Cor. 15:7). After this event, James and his brothers believed their brother Jesus was not only the prophesied Messiah but also the God and Savior of mankind. James later became the leader of the church which began in Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 1:14). He is believed to be the author of the Book of James. Their younger brother Judas is said to be the writer of the book of Jude.
 
James was known as James the Just because of his just devotion to God. When he witnessed that his brother Jesus was the chosen Messiah and Son of God to the Sanhedrin (Jewish leaders), he was accused of blasphemy and transgression of the Law. Judged as guilty, the Pharisees threw him from the summit of the Temple in Jerusalem, stoned him, and at last broke his skull with a fuller's club. As he was being stoned, he knelt down and spoke these words: "I beseech Thee, Lord God our Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Kirby).
 
He was said to have been buried there where he died. His remains are said to have been retrieved by an early church which still has them.
 
He died a martyr for the Lord Jesus.
 
Note the change in James after his brother's resurrection. He changed not because he coincidentally just happened to become religious sometime after his brother was resurrected. He was already a Nazarite. Furthermore, his character before Jesus' resurrection proved that he did not follow Jesus just because Jesus was his brother. James had a character change because He recognized, upon seeing his brother resurrected, that Jesus had to be both God and Messiah.
 
 
Define the difference between hypothesis, fact, and faith. Scripture should be respected and therefore conclusions drawn from proper analysis. If we impose worldly assumptions, then we risk spiritual failure.
 
In Scripture, we find the very essence of humanity--past, present, and for eternity--through Jesus. It is Scripture that proves Jesus is God and Messiah and as God and Messiah mankind's Savior.
 
The main elements help us to understand why.
    James 1 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
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Works Cited
 
Heiser, Michael S, PhD. "Evidence Real and Imagined: Thinking Clearly About the 'Jesus Family Tomb.'" pp. 9-13. Bellingham: Logos Bible Software.
 
Kirby, Peter. "Hegesippus." Early Christian Writings, 2018, http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/hegesippus.html. Accessed 28 August 2018.
 
Rose, Mark. "Ossuary Tales." Archeology. Volume 56 Number 1. https://archive.archaeology.org/0301/newsbriefs/ossuary.html, Accessed 28 august 2018.