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Jesus Married Mormon Doctrine - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 9th Nov, 2003 - 7:40pm
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Ancient historians, apocryphal writings, and archaeological finds all confirm the evidence found in the scriptures and understood in light of early Jewish traditions: One of the earliest references to Jesus by a non-Christian was that of Aurelius Cornelius Celsus, a Philosopher and Physician, who lived until AD 38, who recorded that, "The grand reason why the gentiles and philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ was because he had so many wives; there were Elizabeth and Mary and a host of others that followed him." Related Information to Jesus Married Mormon Doctrine
Jesus Married Mormon Doctrine
I found this on an old CD that kept some of my files. I thought I would put it here for review...
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| A MARRIED MESSIAH? As far as the millions of orthodox Jews in the world are concerned their Messiah has not yet come, and the popular Christian portrayal of Jesus seems very different to them from their expectations of what their Christ should be like. One glaring omission in what they would otherwise consider a perfect and exemplary life is the impression that Christ was celibate. Noted Rabbi, Emil Hirsch touched upon this subject in his book, My Religion: "Now as the life of Jesus is pictured in the New Testament, there are certain peculiar defects in that life from the Jewish point of view. His teachings are the ideal teachings of Judaism; they are not new teachings, nor new revelations. They are confirmations of Jewish thought and life. But his personal life - I am speaking respectfully; I do not think anyone should think I cast any shadow on the beauty and perfection of that life, but I can take it as it is pictured - you know he was not married, and from the Jewish point of view, that is a defect. The Jewish morality insists that a man who does not assume the social responsibility for the continuation of society, lives a life that is not complete." (p. 43 44,1925 ed.) Having assumed that Jesus was single many have been led to the conclusion that marriage was considered by him to be less than the holy institution Jews have always held it in regard as, and have supposed perhaps that he even encouraged celibacy by such an example. Yet the writers of the Gospels leave us in no doubt as to Jesus" views on the matter, and record him as having quoted from the first book of Moses, Genesis, on marriage being part of God's plan for man and woman upon the earth: "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." (Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 9:6-9, see Genesis 2:23-24) The disciples took the counsel of their beloved prophet and leader seriously, and the New Testament speaks of many of them being married, amongst their number being Peter, John the beloved, Paul and others (Matthew 8:14, 2 John 1,13, 1 Corinthians 9:5). In fact, having a spouse was a requirement for fulfilling the responsible stations of Bishop and Deacon (1 Timothy 3:2,12). Church father, Clement of Alexandria wrote in the second century that all of the apostle were married, and Eusebius includes Paul amongst them in his list. Doubtless early Church leaders were expected to be an example in thismatter. Which brings us to the question of why does it seem from a cursory overview of his life that Jesus omitted the first commandment God ever gave, that of marriage and the bringing of children into the world? To begin to answer that question we must first admit that the Gospels are only a partial record of all that Jesus said during his sojourn on earth. John the apostle who faithfully followed Jesus during his earthly ministry and probably knew him as well as any man could, remarked that, "there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25) Because a Jewish man being unmarried at the age of Jesus would have been so unusual during the time in which Jesus lived, and because the New Testament does not explicitly say that he had no wife, some have suggested that this itself may be evidence that he was indeed married, otherwise the scriptures would have mentioned that he wasn't and why. As the Rev. Dr. William Phipps, a professor of theology, argued, "If Jesus had been a bachelor "¦the Bible would surely contain some record of his being criticized for it." (Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Spring 1969, see also Newsweek, 24 March 1969) Beyond the speculation though, what evidence do we have of either the celibate or married Christ? And why cant Jews accept that the Messiah could be excluded from the commandment to wed? To the Jews, their human Saviour, would be an embodiment of the laws of God, he would typify them rather than being exempt from them. Just as Jesus was baptized "to fulfil all righteousness", and said that he had not "come to destroy," the law, "but to fulfil" it (Matt. 3:15, 5:17). They also expected a married Messiah, because the prophets of their Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) predicted his marital state as a feature of his life: In speaking of Israel's expectant deliverer in a passage Paul identifies as referring to Jesus, David wrote, "Kings daughters were among thy honourable women", or wives as the 1599 version of the Geneva Bible, and a 1636 Church of England Bible puts it (Ps. 45:6, see Heb. 1:8) Of him having children, Isaiah predicts, "he shall see his seed", and asks, "Who shall declare his generation?" (Isa. 53:8, see Luke 23:27-28 & Isa 53:10, see Acts 8:33 and Heb. 2:16) Some Christian readers may be troubled by the implication of David's prophesy of the Messiah having several "honourable wives," as one of the features of pagan Roman religion that remained after its adoption of Christianity was that of monogamy, and the laws restricting one woman to one man. The Old Testament however contains many examples of righteous prophets who lived in such manner, such as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David. The father of the Protestant movement, Martin Luther, declared that "for a man to have two wives at once" was not "contrary to the divine law" and himself authorised a nobleman (Philip the Landgrave of Hesse) to marry a second wife, and is recorded as stating, "The Gospel hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitted in the law of Moses with respect to marriage." (Thelyphthora 1:212, Rev. Martin Madan) Of course other interpretations have been made of references to Jesus in the role of father, husband, and some have supposed the Church was his symbolic bride, and that its members are his "children", as he is the "father" of their salvation. Indeed, the Catholic Church marries it's Nuns to Jesus, representing their lifelong commitment to him. Whilst such concepts have great meaning to those who believe in them, they neither rule out the possibility of Jesus being married nor explain every passage in the Old and New Testaments that seem to suggest he was. In fact, it is the four Gospels themselves that may hold the answers to whether, when, where, and who Jesus married. Whether Jesus was married: In addition to all the indications already given, it is interesting to note that Jesus was referred to by a title only given to married teachers, that of Rabbi. Even his detractors had no qualms about referring to him as such, and allowed him to preach in the synagogue, a practice also limited to married men (John 1:38,49, 3:2, 6:25, 20:16). When Jesus was married: John in the second chapter of his book speaks of a wedding at which not only Jesus was present, but also his mother, who would have had to have traveled all the way from Nazareth especially to be there. At this event Jesus was in charge of the wine, a duty usually set aside for the groom, and if this does not make it obvious enough that it was his own wedding he was present at, we have in the sacred record that he was referred to as the bridegroom on this occasion (John 2:1-10). Who Jesus married: The association Jesus had with certain women would have been wholly inappropriate for a single man, but perfectly normal and accepted for a husband (Matt. 27:55, Mark 15:40-41, Luke 23:27-28). In the Greek language there is little distinction between the word woman and wife, and so therefore any (if not all) of those females who accompanied him quite possibly could have been married to him. Martha called him "Master", a title a wife would use to address her husband, and when Mary her sister was in mourning over the death of their brother, Lazarus, she sat in her home until Jesus called her out, just as was the custom that only a husband could call a woman out of her home at such a time (John 11:28). Not only did Christ fulfill the traditions and duties of a typical Jewish husband, but so did his wives, when they anointed him prior to his burial (Luke 24:1,10). Ancient historians, apocryphal writings, and archaeological finds all confirm the evidence found in the scriptures and understood in light of early Jewish traditions: One of the earliest references to Jesus by a non-Christian was that of Aurelius Cornelius Celsus, a Philosopher and Physician, who lived until AD 38, who recorded that, "The grand reason why the gentiles and philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ was because he had so many wives; there were Elizabeth and Mary and a host of others that followed him." The Gospel of Philip, a volume from the ancient Nag Hammadi library, reads, "And the consort of Christ is Mary Magdalene. The Lord loved Mary more than all the disciples, and kissed her on her mouth often." (translated by R. McL. Wilson, B.D., Ph.D.) Finally, in 1873 M. Clermont Gannaeu discovered near the village of Bethany early Christian graves, the tombstones of which bore the names of persons mentioned in the Gospels, including Martha (considered to be one of Jesus' wives). Among them was "Simeon, the son of Jesus". Who was quite possibly the second Bishop of Jerusalem and President of the Church until his death in 106 AD. (Dr. M. Zvi Udley, Th.M, Ph.D) What more evidence does the world need to accept that Jesus was indeed the married Messiah? |
Authored by Nathan C. Taylor
| Rather off topic, but... If anyone knows how to contact Nathan - I will be happy to have him join and comment on this article and/or reference where he got his info. Biography will be a plus. |
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| QUOTE |
| In addition to all the indications already given, it is interesting to note that Jesus was referred to by a title only given to married teachers, that of Rabbi. Even his detractors had no qualms about referring to him as such, and allowed him to preach in the synagogue, a practice also limited to married men |
What interesting information!. I didn't know these facts!. I always thought JesusChrist was married but at the same time I never understood why there is no mention at all in the scriptures about it.
Wow I love this info!
Post Date: 11th Jan, 2003 - 10:13pm / Post ID: #
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This is a great post. It gives us almost every reason given for believing that Jesus was indeed married. I've believed this for a long time now. I've read most of these points in various places at different times but never altogether in one place. Yes, I believe Jesus was married - perhaps to Mary Magdalene.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Cousin marriages are very common in the Middle East - in fact they are considered the most desirable from the standpoint of family cohesion.
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I told a sister in the Church about this and she asked me a copy of this article that I will give it to her next sunday. What I liked the most about the article is all the scriptural evidence on it and how simple and understable was written. It's in my opinion a excelent article.
Jesus Married Mormon Doctrine
I wanted to add some things that a friend of mine wrote up.
[quote]The following is quick reference of the evidence in support of a married Jesus. (Source - Hierogamy & the Married Messiah and previously named sources)
SUGGESTIVE EVIDENCE
1. The marriage of Jesus Christ is a taboo subject because most Christians regard it as an impious suggestion. They think this way because marriage implies sexuality, and sexuality is defiled in Christian dogma. A married Christ is rejected for theological reasons, not because of historical facts which may disprove the thesis.
2. While the New Testament "appears" to be silent on the subject, it was not until Clement of Alexandria, from the 2nd Century, that any Christian leader denied that Jesus Christ was married. Clement believed that a married Jesus was inconsistent with His role as the Savior of the world, not that marriage would have disqualified Him, but rather, that His public ministry was too demanding to allow Him the opportunity for marriage.
3. All later references in the Patristic writings show the Church Fathers following the same pattern: they deny that Jesus was married based upon the supposed silence of the Scriptures and doctrinal problems which were inconsistent with the Church's dogma (e.g. a celibate priesthood, the ritual defilement of seminal emissions, etc.).
4. There was a 2nd Century tradition among various heretical sects which taught that Jesus was married. Clement and others may have been reacting to those movements.
5. Although he didn't say one way or the other, Ireneaus' Doctrine of Recapitulation supports the notion of a married Savior. With a style similar to the Druids, Ireneaus, another 2nd Century leader, taught that Jesus Christ symbolically entered every critical stage of human existence and sanctified it. Since family life, including sexuality, is central to our lives, it seems logically consistent with the mission of a Savior to redeem and sanctify this aspect of our experience, as well.
6. In their dispute with Augustine, the Celtic Pelagians argued that the Atonement of Christ cancelled Original Sin. If Original Sin was, as Augustine argued, a sexually transmitted disease of the soul, then Christ has reversed the process and made it a transmitter of healing, health, and virtue.
7. In keeping with the Creeds of the Church, the offspring of Christ would not have represented a "divine race". The Creeds teach that Christ had two natures: one human and one divine, without mingling and without confusion. Since procreation is a human function, we can reasonably say that the children of Jesus would have been just as human as any other human being.
INDIRECT EVIDENCE
1. Jewish customs of Jesus' day required married Rabbis. Unmarried men were considered a curse to Jewish society. Jesus would not have had much credibility as a leader had He not been married. Although Jesus was a non-conformist and had many conflicts with Jewish tradition, His parents, Joseph and Mary, were not. The Bible says that they were careful to perfectly obey the laws of their people. It also says that Jesus was "subject unto them". Since Jewish culture practiced arranged marriages and early marriage, as well (a Jewish boy was marriageable at age 16), it is reasonable to assume that Jesus' parents would have performed their parental duties faithfully and arranged a bride for the young Jesus. There are 18 silent years in His life (12 - 30). The Gospel of John tells us that there were many other things which Jesus did which have not been recorded.
This point is important because it shifts the weight of presumption. Given the cultural milieu in which Jesus lived and the supporting Biblical evidence, the burden of proof lies with those who do not believe Jesus was married. They must show why Jesus and His parents would have been derelict in their civic responsibilities and not contracted a marriage.
2. According to Josephus, descendants of the House of David felt a moral obligation to perpetuate their line, never knowing which one among their descendants would be the chosen Messiah. Jesus may or may not have known who He was, but regardless, He lived as a normal person until called by the ministry of John the Baptist.
DIRECT EVIDENCE
1. Hippolytus, a Christian leader from the late 2nd Century, was followed by Origen in the 3rd Century in saying that the Song of Solomon was a prophecy of a marital union between Christ and Mary Magdalene. Although they believed Mary was symbolic of the Church, nevertheless, the notion presupposed a real, albeit a spiritual (meaning non-sexual), marriage between Mary and Jesus.
2. There are hints scattered in the Gospels of a special relationship between Jesus and Mary. If she is the same Mary of Bethany in John 11, then we can explain why Martha arose to greet Jesus and not Mary. Some scholars say she was sitting sheva according to Jewish custom. "Sheva" was when a woman was in mourning. Married women were not allowed to break-off from their mourning unless called by their husbands. In this story, Mary does not come to Jesus, until He calls her.
·        At the Resurrection, when Mary meets Jesus in the Garden, there is a degree of intimacy (see the Aramaic here) which one would expect between lovers, not friends.
·        The Greek word for "woman" and "wife" is the same. Translators must rely upon the context in deciding how to translate it. Sometimes, the translation is arbitrary. When Mary is referred to as a "woman" who followed Jesus, it can just as easily be translated as "wife".
4. The story of Mary with the alabaster jar anointing the feet of Jesus is cited by some scholars as the most direct witness to their marriage. It is in all four Gospels and was a story in which Jesus gave express command that it be preserved. This ceremony was an ancient one among many royal houses in the ancient world, which sealed the marital union between the king and his priestess spouse. We find it mentioned briefly in the Song of Solomon. Although we may not understand its significance, Jesus and Mary knew exactly what they were doing. To be the valid Messiah, He had to be anointed first by the Bride. They were by-passing the corrupt Jewish establishment.
5. Modern prophets and the revelations of the Restoration support the idea of a married Savior[/quote]
I have always believed that Jesus was married. The recent controversy surrounding the television special about these ideas has been interesting. I frequently listen to a local Catholic radio station, and their take on the idea was very interesting, and very defensive.
I only listened to a few minutes, but here is the gist of their arguments:
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The TV special was based on the book, The Da Vinci Code, which is about a secret society that exists to protect the bloodline of Jesus.
A major portion of this "theory" comes from gnostic writings contained in the Nag Hammadi library, discovered in Egypt in the 1950's.
Since the Nag Hammadi library is gnostic, and gnosticism is heretical, it can be ignored.
Also, gnosticism teaches a "different" Jesus, as do the Mormons (the host actually brought up this exact point), so can be ignored.
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That is when I changed the station. However, I think that the host ignored a very important point. There has been independant research, published in such books as Holy Blood, Holy Grail, showing a lot of evidence for the existence of such a society down through the ages. It actually show some strong evidence as well for the idea that the Knights of the Temple (Templars) learned this secret in Jerusalem during the Crusades, and used it to gain great power as the protectors of the Holy Blood for several centuries, and that the Masons are actually the inheritors of this secret.
Now, why do the Catholics hate this idea so much? I think it is because of their tight links to pagan Rome. Rome introduced the Greek idea that sexuality is inherently evil into Christianity. It also introduced strictly monogamous marriage and strict celibacy. Therefore, if sexuality is, if not actually evil, at least debased, there is no way that Jesus could have experienced it. Also, since women are inferior (sorry, this appears to me to be a hidden but very real part of Catholicism), Jesus couldn't have defiled himself with them.
I hope we can continue to explore this.
Isn't there some indication that Joseph Smith was a descendent of Jesus?
NightHawk
Jesus Married Mormon Doctrine
I have often wondered why there isn't more done to dispell the belief that Jesus was single all his life. Perhaps it is not important to 'know' for salvation and the Church does not want to make itself look more seperate from main stream Christianity by declaring that 'their' Jesus is a married, Jesus. However, if it is taught to the members then themes like Celestial marriage will seem even more relevant to those that struggle with it.
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I think there isn't more discussion about it because there isn't any specific revelation about it. There is evidence, but no doctrine. There are people who feel they have received revelation about it, but I would think most would keep it to themselves.
NightHawk
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