Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
Harvard University used to be a place of astute academic excellence. The key words there are “used to be”. These days the academics are either gullible or lazy. Speaking of which Harvard has lazily made its way into the news again. BBC reports…
[A Harvard divinity professor] Karen King unveiled [a supposed 4th-Century Coptic script] at a conference in Rome. She said researchers had identified the words “Jesus said to them, ‘my wife'”, which might refer to Mary Magdalene.
Christian tradition holds that Jesus did not marry – but Ms King said in early years it was subject to debate. The provocative find could spark debate over celibacy and the role of women within Christianity, she added. But the announcement sparked scepticism from some theologians.
Jim West, a professor and Baptist pastor in Tennessee, said: “A statement on a papyrus fragment isn’t proof of anything. It’s nothing more than a statement ‘in thin air’, without substantial context.”
Wolf-Peter Funk, a noted Coptic linguist attending the same conference as Ms King, said there were “thousands of scraps of papyrus where you find crazy things,” and many questions remained about the fragment.
Ms King said the document, written in ancient Egyptian Coptic, is the first known scripture in which Jesus is reported to cite his wife. She said the 4th-Century text was a copy of a gospel…
Surely this fragment is going to make those crazy insecure Christians start blowing up Embassies. No?
No! Far from it, these “new revelations” and are not new. Heretics, dilettantes and false teachers (and lazy academic scholars) come in many stripes and shades. Actually Christians were told to expect such lies and false gospels which deviate from the totality of Scripture and worse blasphemous writings will come up to deceive many.
I agree with Jim West a fragment isn’t proof of anything. It only begs me to wonder what could be the debased motive of such shoddy workmanship? Any responsible academic would surely intuitively keep away from such questionable antiquities.
Oh, by the way King has just announced that the owner of the fragment now wants to hastily sell his dodgy antiquity to (wait for it) Harvard University!
Tut, tut!
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
“Jim West, a professor and Baptist pastor in Tennessee, said: “A statement on a papyrus fragment isn’t proof of anything. It’s nothing more than a statement ‘in thin air’, without substantial context.”
Wolf-Peter Funk, a noted Coptic linguist attending the same conference as Ms King, said there were “thousands of scraps of papyrus where you find crazy things,” and many questions remained about the fragment.
”
The earliest versions of the old testament were written on papyrus yet he believes them.
The old and new testament manuscripts all have copies and all the copies agree with each other. They may have been recorded on papyrus or codexes but they all do not contradict each other.
I read in an article that this woman was holding it up to the sun so you could see through it. Is that a good thing for a 1600 year old document like this?
Jeff
From a mystical point of view Jesus was married. He was married to God in the way that Catholic nuns today are married to Jesus. Jesus’ Wedding did happen at the Wedding at Cana.
As to whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, well he did marry her. Just as any minister marries every woman to her husband and every husband to his wife.
The answer to both questions is, “Yes.” Jesus was married. (To God)
Jesus did marry Mary Magdalene. (He was the officiant who married Mary to God.)
You must have mixed up your facts there my dear. Whats the source of your data?