Update: This fragment has been proven to be a fake.
There have been several reports lately that the “gospel of Jesus’ wife” is probably not a fake after all. Whether or not the manuscript is real, as in, whether or not it was written in the 8th century, doesn’t really matter. The canon has been closed for centuries before that. Now, bear with me: The canon was closed because people knew which biblical manuscripts were truthful. In other words, people included the books of the Bible that they did because they fell under requirements for the canon (for a few examples, they must be written by either an apostle of Jesus or a disciple of an apostle).
There have been several reports lately that the “gospel of Jesus’ wife” is probably not a fake after all. Whether or not the manuscript is real, as in, whether or not it was written in the 8th century, doesn’t really matter. The canon has been closed for centuries before that. Now, bear with me: The canon was closed because people knew which biblical manuscripts were truthful. In other words, people included the books of the Bible that they did because they fell under requirements for the canon (for a few examples, they must be written by either an apostle of Jesus or a disciple of an apostle).
So then, if the “gospel
of Jesus’ wife” were written in the 8th century, which would mean
that it would have been written before that as well, because of the statements
in the manuscript such as, “she will be
able to be my disciple” implies that an eye-witness was with Jesus when He
said that. Now, if you think about it, the writings of the New Testament are
still around today because they exposed the truth about Jesus. There are even “embarrassing” statements found in the
gospels, such as Mark 10:18, which reads, “’Why do you call me good?’ Jesus
asked. ‘There is no one good but God alone.’” The fact that this verse is in
the Bible gives strength that the New Testament writers were giving a truthful
account of Jesus’ life, and they were not only writing about events that they
thought would bring Him glory. They wrote about the truth.
People who were close to
Jesus at the time would have recognized the truth that “the gospel of Jesus’
wife” lacked and discarded it. There are over 5,700 ancient manuscripts of the
New Testament, and only one of the “gospel of Jesus’ wife” manuscripts, which
is only a fragment. The point is, we honestly have no idea what the real
subject matter is on this false manuscript because it did not stand the test of
time, like other manuscripts which are full of truth which caused people to choose
to lose
their lives over the message of the true gospel. The fact that people carried
the message of the gospel to their deathbed reveals how serious these people
were. This is why we have the gospel message today.
In John chapter four, Jesus
was taking the long way home and was tired so he stopped in a town named “Sychar”
near the well that once belonged to Jacob. There was a woman drawing water from
the well and Jesus asked her if she would give Him a drink. She said to Him, “Sir,
you are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” Men
didn’t normally speak to women publicly because it would possibly lead to
something dangerous and thus, they didn’t want to ruin their reputation.
Later on, beginning in
verse 27, His disciples rolled in. They were surprised to find him talking with
a woman! Yet, no one asked Him what He wants or why He was talking with her.
Now, as alluded to above, it seems that someone should ask the question, “Why
is it such a big deal that He was talking with a woman?” The reason is that the
disciples thought Jesus would never need
to speak with a woman, let alone lower His standards to speak with one. After
all, He is God! The fact that she is a Samaritan
woman never even comes up. The disciples were more concerned that He was talking
with a female. Jesus’ disciples were in the middle of understanding that He loved
all people (After all, they did go through
Samaria), which is probably why they never verbally questioned Him.
Jews didn’t really get
along with Samaritans and vice versa. Jews basically looked at Samaritans like
they were less than Jews, because they were only half-Jewish, so to speak,
because of ancestral foreign intermarriage. The fact that Jesus went through
Samaria shows that He loved them as well (He also told the parable of the Good
Samaritan), even though they were basically despised.
The thing is, the “Bride
of Christ” is the church (the body of believers) and Jesus would not commit adultery
on His bride (Ephesians 5:21-33). If Jesus did have a wife, it definitely would
have been mentioned in the New Testament. After all, the gospels mention His
birth and death record, and even a small account of His becoming-a-man record (Luke
2:41-52). None of the gospel writers were around when Jesus was a boy, so that
is why His “becoming-a-man” record is so scarce. Otherwise, it would have been
documented further as well. Marriage is also one of the four main rites-of-passage. If Jesus were married,
it would have been recorded in the gospels. His disciples would have questioned
why Jesus had two brides: His church and His wife.
Jesus is one with His
bride, the church. He knew that “the two shall become one flesh” (see Mark
10:7-9). Jesus wants to be one with you, who, can be a part of the church—the body.
Make a decision today whether or not you will submit to Jesus. All you have to
do is confess that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23) against God (lust, idolatry,
murder, theft, etc.), proceed to ask Jesus into your heart and say that He is
Lord. Believe that God raised Him from the dead and you shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10).
Breaking God’s Law requires justice (Romans 6:23). The punishment for breaking
the Law is to be absent from God eternally in Hell (2 Thessalonians 1:9; John
3:36; Revelation 20:15; 21:8; et. al.). God must turn His back on sin (2
Thessalonians 1:9). He is the epitome of integrity. The Good News (which is
what “gospel” means) is that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to take our
sins away. Trust in Him alone (John 14:6) for cleansing of your sins and be one
with Him.
Galatians 1:6-9: “I am
astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in
the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no
gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are
trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven
should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under
God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is
preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s
curse!” (NIV)
Written by Nace Howell through the grace of the Lord Jesus
Written by Nace Howell through the grace of the Lord Jesus
© Nace Howell, 2014
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