The Inside Story of a Controversial New Text About Jesus (Married!)

Smithsonian Magazine ^ | 9-18-2012 | Ariel Sabar

[Renfield]

Harvard researcher Karen King today unveiled an ancient papyrus fragment with the phrase, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.’” The text also mentions “Mary,” arguably a reference to Mary Magdalene. The announcement at an academic conference in Rome is sure to send shock waves through the Christian world. The Smithsonian Channel will premiere a special documentary about the discovery on September 30 at 8 p.m. ET. And Smithsonian magazine reporter Ariel Sabar has been covering the story behind the scenes for weeks, tracing King’s steps from when a suspicious e-mail hit her in-box to the nerve-racking moment when she thought the entire presentation would fall apart. Read our exclusive coverage below....

[Nervous Tick]

>> Liberal theologians would like nothing better than to lower the Lord Jesus Christ to the level of human being.

Yeah, that, and to remake Almighty God in *their* image.

Fool’s errands. Literally.

[griswold3]

But the good news is that Jesus has returned!

http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/news/news/jesus-statue-being-erected-today/nSFct/

Replaces Touchdown Jesus that was destroyed in 2010.

[Just mythoughts]

There is always a distinction in who does the talking. I am NOT saying you specifically, but in general people read over what was Written down ignoring who is doing the speaking. There seems to be little distinction from God or Christ speaking as opposed to when flesh beings speak.

One example I like to use, comes from Genesis when Adam was asked what he had done. Adam responded to the Creator, ‘that woman’ you gave me made me do it. Of course I am paraphrasing, but it has shocked me the number of people who think that was God speaking blaming the woman for Adam's disobedience.

[Red Badger]

Take my wife.........please!........

[GeronL]

It seems like there is annual attempt to make Jesus just another person, doesn’t there?

[pgyanke]

One correction: Indeed, Christ was is married to the church.

[Morgana]

*yawn* maybe we should riot at someone’s embassy.

[GeronL]

lemonade and lawn chairs.

[Nervous Tick]

>> It seems like there is annual attempt to make Jesus just another person, doesn’t there?

Yeah, and it’s been going on for, oh, a little over two thousand years now.

(without success, of course, because He IS Who He IS!)

[Cronos]

I find it scientifically hard to accept a narrative based on one text that no one knows who wrote and when. The Gnostic gospels say different things as well

[Cronos]

well, His being married would not in any way diminish Him

however, it would then lead to a new caste-system, like in Islam where descendants of the Prophet have a higher ranking in society..

[Cronos]

well, His being married would not in any way diminish Him

however, it would then lead to a new caste-system, like in Islam where descendants of the Prophet have a higher ranking in society..

However, to a logical point of view, why is it not known? There were Christian churches in the east -- the Churches in Kerala etc. which were separated from orthodoxy for centuries

yet, they don't talk of any wife

[GeronL]

especially when the people pushing it are known to be part of a group trying to discredit Christianity (Jesus Seminar)

[MrDem]

I can hear Jesus wife now ... “Well you think you’re always right...” LOL

[Cronos]

what is good is for us Christians to show the press the contrast between us and Moslems.

[b9]

well, if he was married, that just means he suffered a little more than we thought.........

Too funny! ";^)

[Renfield]

Jesus was a rabbi, and under Jewish tradition, one cannot become a rabbi until he has been married.

[PapaBear3625]

That having been said, if Jesus had been married sometime between the age of 12 and when He began His public ministry around age 30, it would not be remarkable to me and it would not affect my faith in the least.

When I went to Catholic high school, one of the topics we discussed in theology was a (now out of print) book "Was Jesus Married?". There were pro's and con's on the subject.

Among the pro's was that Jewish culture at the time had one of the duties of a father being to get his son a suitable wife in his teen years. There was also discussion on whether the wedding where Jesus turned water into wine was His own wedding.

It doesn't really matter one way or the other. He is Who He is, married or not.

[impimp]

Rabbi means teacher. A good analogy is that to be a state approved “teacher” you need a certificate or license of some sort. But you and I both know there is more than 1 kind of teacher.

There is also no discussion of His “wife” in the bible.

[Jim Noble]

There is also no discussion of His “wife” in the bible.

There is no discussion of ANYTHING about Jesus' life between age 12 and age 30, so that doesn't mean too much, unless you think he was over with the Lamanites.