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No. There is no reliable historical evidence that Jesus
was married, and much evidence that he was not.
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Weren’t virtually all Jewish
men of Jesus’ day married?
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While most Jewish men of Jesus’ day were married,
there were many exceptions.
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Hasn’t Jesus’ marriage been
documented by many
historians?
|
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No. There are no ancient references to Jesus’ marriage.
This is a modern idea promoted by tabloid journalists.
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Don’t the Gnostic gospels
claim Jesus was married to
Mary Magdalene
|
|
No. While the Gnostic gospels describe a special
esoteric relationship between Jesus and Mary, it is not a
marital or a sexual one.
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Doesn’t Jesus kiss Mary in
the Gospel of Philip?
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Yes, but it is a kiss of fellowship used to transfer gnosis,
or secret “knowledge.” Jesus also kisses his other
disciples in the same way.
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Do these Gnostic gospels
relate real historical episodes
from Jesus’ life?
|
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No. Even scholars sympathetic to Gnosticism
acknowledge that these are fictional dialogues created
by later Gnostics.
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Aren’t Peter and Mary
treated as rivals in the
Gnostic literature?
|
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Yes, but this is a symbolic representation of the struggle
between Christianity and Gnosticism. It has nothing to do
with the historical Peter or Mary.
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If Jesus were married, would
this undermine the truth of
Christianity?
|
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No. Sexual relations within marriage are part of God’s
good creation and are celebrated in Scripture. Jesus’
sinless nature would not have been damaged by
marriage.
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