Mary!
Yes, it's a little late, but IDC, I'll post it anyway, Sunday School this morning, usual posting let slip because, Madge being away, class was not to be live-streamed.
We talked about Mary Magdalene, read the New Testament references to her, and read and discussed the non-canonical Gospel about her, named for her, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
Mary was of Magdala, a prosperous fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Mary has had a bad rap in the church owing to a pope's lack of scholarly insight back in the sixth century, ignorantly connecting her with an unnamed unsavory woman in a story just before Mary is first named in Luke's gospel. Following which, Mary was negatively characterized by artists over the ages.
The dozen or so Bible references don't tell us much about her
Mark 15:40, 15:47, 16:1, (16:9 not original to Mark)
Matthew 27:56, 27:61, 28:1
Luke 8:2, 24:10
John 19:25, 20:1, 20:18
Other than that she was one of any number of women who followed Jesus, supported him and the disciples in their ministry, traveled with them on their journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, and witnessed Jesus' crucifixion, burial, and the events of Easter morning. In recent years, popes and the church have moved to redeem her reputation and honor her First place in Christian history as Apostle to the Apostles.
There is a 2018 film, Mary Magdalene, which I watched on Amazon Prime Video, appreciated, and recommend for a fresh look, presenting Mary in a far different and more positive light, not in the romantic or conjugal relationship with Jesus that has been popular recently, but persuasively as an enthusiastic and effective apostle, and a companion, at times quite strained because of jealousies, of the Twelve disciples, especially Peter and Judas.
We had a good discussion session, I think. The two handouts are included, scroll down.
Mary Magdalene in the New Testament
Mary Magdalene is mentioned in all four gospels as a witness of the crucifixion and empty tomb. In Matthew and John, she also encounters the resurrected Jesus.
Only in Luke is Mary mentioned earlier in the story. Luke 8 refers to Mary, called Magdalene, as one of several women who travelled with Jesus and the disciples in Galilee. Immediately preceding this reference is the story of the woman described as a sinner who anoints Jesus with her tears and is forgiven by him.
In later Christian tradition, this unnamed woman was identified with Mary Magdalene, and all of these references were combined with references to Mary, the sister of Martha, in Luke and John, to construct the image of Mary Magdalene as repentant sinner, anointer, disciple, sister of Martha and Lazarus. The image of Mary as repentant sinner became far more prominent in the history of painting than the Mary Magdalene of the empty tomb stories. The depiction of Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus in GJohn 20 was widely represented in paintings known as “Nolo me Tangere” (“Do not touch me”). Click on the link to the Gallery of Images to see a variety of images of Mary Magdalene in western painting.
New Testament Passages
Gospel of Mark 15:40-16:9
33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" . . . . . . 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" 40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. . . . .47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
16: 1 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Gospel of Matthew 27:55-28:1
55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
28: 1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Gospel of Luke 8:2, 24:1-12
1 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.
[Immediately preceding this explicit reference to Mary Magdalene is the story of the woman who anoints Jesus with her tears, in Luke 7:36-50.]
24:1-10 1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Gospel of John 19:25-30, 20:1-18
19:25-30 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. 28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
20:1-18 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me [Latin: “Nolo me tangere”], because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
[Top picture lifted from reviews of the 2018 film Mary Magdalene starring Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. Bottom picture Alexander Ivanov 1835 oil on canvas Russia]
The Gospel of Mary
translation by Mark M. Mattison
The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. It is based on the Coptic text of Papyrus Berolinensis 8502, 1. For information about the surviving manuscripts of the Gospel of Mary, see the Manuscript Information page. For additional information about the translation, see the introduction to the PDF version.
For some reflections on the meaning and significance of Mary's Gospel for us today, see my book, The Gospel of Mary: A Fresh Translation and Holistic Approach.
Symbols
7 Page Number
[ ] Gap in the text
/ \ Editorial correction of a scribal error
( ) Editorial insertion
Pages 1 through 6 are missing.
An Eternal Perspective
7 "Then will [matter] be [destroyed], or not?"
The Savior said, "Every nature, every form, every creature exists in and with each other, but they'll dissolve again into their own roots, because the nature of matter dissolves into its nature alone. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!"
Peter said to him, "Since you've explained everything to us, tell us one more thing. What's the sin of the world?"
The Savior said, "Sin doesn't exist, but you're the ones who make sin when you act in accordance with the nature of adultery, which is called 'sin.' That's why the Good came among you, up to the things of every nature in order to restore it within its root."
Then he continued and said, "That's why you get sick and die, because [you love 8 what tricks you. Anyone who] can understand should understand!
"Matter [gave birth to] a passion that has no image because it comes from what's contrary to nature. Then confusion arises in the whole body. That's why I told you to be content at heart. If you're discontented, find contentment in the presence of the various images of nature. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!"
The Gospel
When the Blessed One said these things, he greeted them all and said, "Peace be with you! Acquire my peace. Be careful not to let anyone mislead you by saying, 'Look over here!' or 'Look over there!' Because the Son of Humanity exists within you. Follow him! Those who seek him will find him.
"Go then and preach the gospel about the kingdom. Don't 9 lay down any rules beyond what I've given you, nor make a law like the lawgiver, lest you be bound by it." When he said these things, he left.
But they grieved and wept bitterly. They said, "How can we go up to the Gentiles to preach the gospel about the kingdom of the Son of Humanity? If they didn't spare him, why would they spare us?"
Mary and Jesus
Then Mary arose and greeted them all. She said to her brothers (and sisters), "Don't weep and grieve or let your hearts be divided, because his grace will be with you all and will protect you. Rather we should praise his greatness because he's prepared us and made us Humans."
When Mary said these things, she turned their hearts [toward] the Good and they [started] to debate the words of [the Savior].
10 Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know the Savior loved you more than all other women. Tell us the words of the Savior that you remember – the things which you know that we don't, and which we haven't heard."
In response Mary said, "I'll tell you what's hidden from you." So she started to tell them these words: "I," she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, 'Lord, I saw you in a vision today.'
"In response he said to me, 'You're blessed because you didn't waver at the sight of me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.'
"I said to him, 'Lord, now does the one who sees the vision see it /in\ the soul /or\ in the spirit?'
"In response the Savior said, 'They don't see in the soul or in the spirit, but the mind which [exists] between the two is [what] sees the vision [and] it [that …]
Pages 11 through 14 are missing.
Overcoming the Powers
15 "And Desire said, 'I didn't see you going down, but now I see you're going up. So why are you lying, since you belong to me?'
"In response the soul said, 'I saw you, but you didn't see me or know me. I was to you just a garment, and you didn't recognize me.' When it said these things, it left, rejoicing greatly.
"Again, it came to the third power, which is called 'Ignorance.' [It] interrogated the soul and [said], 'Where are you going? In wickedness you're bound. Since you're bound, don't judge!'
"[And] the soul said, 'Why do you judge me, since I haven't judged? I was bound, even though I haven't bound. They didn't recognize me, but I've recognized that everything will dissolve – both the things of the [earth] 16 and the things of [heaven].'
"When the soul had overcome the third power, it went up and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms:
The first form is Darkness;
The second, Desire;
The third, Ignorance;
The fourth, Zeal for Death;
The fifth, the Kingdom of the Flesh;
The sixth, the Foolish 'Wisdom' of Flesh;
The seventh, the 'Wisdom' of Anger.
"These are the seven powers of Wrath.
"They ask the soul, 'Where do you come from, you murderer, and where are you going, conqueror of space?'
"In response the soul said, 'What binds me has been killed, what surrounds me has been overcome, my desire is gone, and ignorance has died. In a [world] I was released 17 from a world, [and] in a type from a type which is above, and from the chain of forgetfulness which exists only for a time. From now on I'll receive the rest of the time of the season of the age in silence.'"
When Mary said these things, she fell silent because the Savior had spoken with her up to this point.
Conflict over Authority
In response Andrew said to the brothers (and sisters), 'Say what you will about what she's said, I myself don't believe that the Savior said these things, because these teachings seem like different ideas."
In response Peter spoke out with the same concerns. He asked them concerning the Savior: "He didn't speak with a woman without our knowledge and not publicly with us, did he? Will we turn around and all listen to her? Did he prefer her to us?"
18 Then Mary wept and said to Peter, "My brother Peter, what are you thinking? Do you really think that I thought this up by myself in my heart, or that I'm lying about the Savior?"
In response Levi said to Peter, "Peter, you've always been angry. Now I see you debating with this woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you then to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That's why he loved her more than us.
"Rather we should be ashamed, clothe ourselves with perfect Humanity, acquire it for ourselves as he instructed us, and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said."
When 19 [Levi said these things], they started to go out to teach and to preach.
Notes on Translation
Page 8: "Be content at heart … discontented … find contentment." Or possibly "Be obedient … disobedient … be obedient."
Pages 8 and 9: "Son of Humanity." Literally, "Son of the Human," a technical term based on an Aramaic idiom meaning “human."
Pages 15 through 17: For a similar ascent narrative, see The Stranger’s Book, pages 63 through 66.
Page 18: "Perfect Humanity." Literally, "the perfect human."