dUSt Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 I watched a show on the discovery channel the other night. It's a new series called "Ancient Evidence". This episode was about Mary Magdalene. They used text such as the "Gospel of Thomas" and "Gospel of Mary" to try and show that Mary Magdalene was an apostle, and actually, Jesus' favorite apostle. They made claims that after Jesus' death and resurrection, there was a power struggle between Mary and Peter on who would lead the Church. It was very dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin D Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Yep, it is dumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Sounds like a veiled way to propagandize for women priests. :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeraMaria Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Yeah, these things get worse and stupidre by the minute....that makes me mad (but what doesn't?). Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us! B) For a cool picture of her, go to http://www.delparson.com/mary.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Most anything you watch on the history channel should be suspect. Its not just the religious stuff, they even get history wrong as well. Revisionism is rampart there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Friday Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 I don't know about the other speculation by the Discovery Channel, but the references to Mary Magdalene as apostle are found in the Gnostic gospels and writings: "There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion. His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary." - The Gospel of Philip "As for the Wisdom who is called 'the barren,' she is the mother of the angels. And the companion of the [...] Mary Magdalene [...] loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples [...] They said to him 'Why do you love her more than all of us?' The Savior answered and said to them, 'Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is blind will remain in darkness.'" - The Gospel of Philip "Now it happened when Mariam heard these words as the Savior was saying them, she stared for one hour into the air and said: 'My Lord, command me that I speak openly.' "Jesus, the compassionate, answered and said to Mariam: 'Mariam, thou blessed one, whom I will complete in all the mysteries of the height, speak openly, thou art she whose heart is more directed to the Kingdom of Heaven than all thy brothers.'" - The Pistis Sophia, Chapter 17 "Now it happened when Maria finished saying these words, he said: 'Excellent, Maria. Thou art blessed beyond all women upon earth, because thou shalt be the pleroma of all Pleromas and the completion of all completions.' But when Maria heard the Savior saying these words, she rejoiced greatly and she came before Jesus, she prostrated herself in his presence, she worshipped at his feet, she said to him: 'My Lord, hear me that I question thee on this word before thou speakest with us of the places to which thou hast gone.' "Jesus answered and said to Mariam: 'Speak openly and do not fear. I will reveal all things which thou seekest.'" - The Pistis Sophia, Chapter 19 "Now it happened when Mariam finished saying these words to Jesus in the midst of the disciples, she said to him: 'My Lord, this is the interpretation of the mystery of the repentance of the Pistis Sophia.' "It happened now when Jesus heard Mariam saying these words, he said to her: 'Excellent, Mariam, thou blessed one, thou Pleroma or thou all-blessed Pleroma, who will be blessed among all generations.'" - The Pistis Sophia, Chapter 34 And there are more references like that from the Pistis Sophia. There's also a whole Gospel of Mary, and references in other Gnostic gospels and writings. So the Discovery Channel may have been right about some things and wrong about some things, but one thing it was certainly right about is that the Gnostic writings contain references to Mary Magdalene as an apostle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dUSt Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 but one thing it was certainly right about is that the Gnostic writings contain references to Mary Magdalene as an apostle. Where? The things you provided above don't refer to her as an apostle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmonk Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Yes, she loved Jesus the most and Jesus loved her most... but she was not an Apostle. That is the discovery channel's way of trying to twist the truth for opening the way to women priests. Your Servant in Christ, ironmonk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good Friday Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Well, that's a good point. They don't refer to her as an apostle, they actually refer to her as greater than the Apostles. But, in the strict sense, she's made an apostle with a small "a" in the canonical Gospels. Jesus sends her to tell the Apostles and other disciples that he is risen. The definition of apostle is "one who is sent," so she is obviously an apostle with a small "a." Because she was sent by Jesus to first spread the Gospel, so obviously she was one who was sent... In the canonical Gospels, she is an apostle with a small "a." In the Gnostic writings, though, she is made out to be something more than the Apostles. I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm saying the references are there, in black and white, so it's not like the Discovery Channel was lying about those references. Were they lying about the rest of it? Possibly. Are the references lying? Possibly. That wasn't my point. I don't agree or disagree with the Discovery Channel (I haven't even seen the show), I was just providing the references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeSoul Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Apostle, or no apostle... She was the first to spread the Good News. People should think about what she did, reflect on her role in this Glorious Mystery... Wouldn't you revere the woman who told us the Messiah lives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 I would rather revere the message, than the messenger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeSoul Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 WHAT?? Why? What did she do wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Absolutely nothing. I think it's the word revere. It means to regard with awe, deference, devotion, with synonyns of worship, venerate, adore, idolize. At that reminds me what I owe God, but it seems odd to use that in terms of anybody else ( other than Mary). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeSoul Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Oh o.k. That's cool. I never hear anything about Mary Magdelene. Nothing about her life, experience..other than the very basic... prostitute/not prostitute..blah blah.... What about her choice to follow Jesus, her journey towards the resurrection...what about all that jazz!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary's Knight, La Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 "Now it happened when Maria finished saying these words, he said: 'Excellent, Maria. Thou art blessed beyond all women upon earth, because thou shalt be the pleroma of all Pleromas and the completion of all completions.' But when Maria heard the Savior saying these words, she rejoiced greatly and she came before Jesus, she prostrated herself in his presence, she worshipped at his feet, she said to him: 'My Lord, hear me that I question thee on this word before thou speakest with us of the places to which thou hast gone.' To me that seems to conflict with our beliefs about the Blessed Mother "Hail Mary, full of grace, blessed are thou amongst women..." Whether I'm right on that or not, we do need to remind that these writings while they may be helpful are not part of the cannon of Scripture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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