DID JESUS HAVE A WIFE?

We continue having to defend the life of Christ and rumors about Him.  The picture above comes from a piece of papyrus thought to be from the 4th century A.D.  In it there is a line which reads, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife...'".  So the question that is now being circulated throughout the world (again) is, "Did Jesus have a wife?"  But I believe a better series of questions should be directed at the piece of papyrus, i.e., "Is this an authentic rendering of the first century life of Christ?"  "Where did this come from?"  "Who is its author?"

Harvard Divinity School historian Dr. Karen L. King has been the driving force in sharing this piece of papyrus to the world.  But even though she has fueled the excitement fire, she is quoted to say, "that although this may be the first source from humanity’s distant past to mention Jesus having a wife, the text was most likely written long after Jesus had lived. Though exciting, the document is not proof that Jesus had a wife" (Prachi Gupta - Historian decodes ancient papyrus that says Jesus had a wife -  www.salon.com/topic/jesus).  Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary's distinguished professor of New Testament said "(The papyrus,) even if a genuine 4th-century document, is likely a deliberate invention and distortion by an unorthodox Christian group 400 years later" (Electa Draper - Denver theologians weigh in on meaning of "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" - www.canoncitydailyrecord.com).

Before going any further I have provided the line by line translation of the papyrus.  Each line is designated by a hyphen.

- not [to] me.  My mother gave to me life
- the disciples said to Jesus
- deny.  Mary is worthy of it
- Jesus said to them, My wife
- she will be able to be my disciple
- Let wicked people swell up
- As for me, I dwell with her in order to
- an image

(http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty-research/research-projects/the-gospel-of-jesuss-wife)

Do you notice that there are no complete sentences or thoughts.  We have no way of knowing what the original author had in mind.  What is presented to the world is only a small section of a much larger document.  But I cannot help but continue the questions: Was the writer actually talking about Jesus Christ the Savior?  Was this author an unbeliever that maybe wanted to stir people up?  And on and on I could go.  When we understand that these questions are impossible to answer we must therefore turn to another source that is complete to remedy the proposed dilemma.  The only logical place to look for trustworthy remedies to these and all other inquiries about Jesus Christ is the inspired Word of God.

As I turn the pages of Scripture, I find not a single verse that even gives a hint to the idea that Jesus was married.  What I do see is the purpose of Christ coming to this earth, and it was not about being married.  The purpose of Christ coming to the earth was to "seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10).  He did not come to start a physical family with a wife called Mary.  He does have a spiritual family called the church.

He came to be the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  All the prophecies of a Messiah, in the Old Testament, point to the purpose and life of Christ.  Isaiah wrote,  "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12, ESV)  One of the best known verses in the New Testament reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NKJV).  Again, I don't see any mention of the wife that some want to convey on Christ.

This notion of Jesus being married is not new in our secular society.  One of Hollywood's best selling movies, “The Da Vinci Code" put this issue in the minds of skeptics.  The atheist, the agnostic, the unbeliever, the deceiver and the deceived will prolong this knavery of Jesus' life.  This ancient papyrus has started the discussion once again.  But when we are focused on God and His word as truth, then we have the way to put an end to all of this.  Conclusion: Jesus did not have a wife!

IT IS TIME TO RESTORE THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

Some 2000 years ago in the town of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the church of Christ was born.  In Acts 2, it is recorded for us that Peter preached a gospel message like none other.  He told the people in attendance about Jesus the Christ.  He preached unto them about Jesus' death and resurrection (Acts 2:23, 24).  Peter might have literally pointed his finger at the people when he said, "let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (emp. jer Acts 2:36).  Finally after all of this their hearts were "cut."  This means that their spiritual hearts were pierced and they now believed.  Their response was humbling as they cried out "men and brethren what shall we do" (Acts 2:37).

Now this is the point at which 2000 years later the religious world goes off the beaten path.  Some say that Peter's answer to them was "do nothing but believe."  Others claim that he said to them, "grace alone will save you."  Still others argue that Peter's response was not complete and another testament of Jesus had to be written.  But when I read the scripture here in Acts 2:38, I see revealed to me this response from Peter, "Repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

I could stop there and it would be enough because it was God through the Holy Spirit who gave these words to Peter.  But the next verse shares even more with us about what we should be teaching today.  Peter tells the people not only what to do but who is to do it and for how long it would last.  In Acts 2:39 Peter says, "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."  This is essential to understanding the length of time and to whom God was speaking.  This message, the gospel saving message, cannot change.

We have far too many denominations, and religious groups that have somewhere in the last 2000 years veered off the Gospel path and onto the unauthorized path of creeds and beliefs.  The apostle Paul saw divisions happening when he wrote, "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgments" (1 Corinthians 1:10).  This is the plea to restore the church back to the original.  Back to its spiritual roots.  In an outstanding article written on this subject the author wrote, "calling for a return to the Bible, for abandonment of denominational names and creeds, and for obedience to the authority of Christ" (Alan Highers, "Our Purpose and Our Plea," The Spiritual Sword, vol. 28 no. 2, January 1997).  We must become exactly what God wants the church to be.

Who will join this restoration plea and drop all denominational names, creeds and everything else that Christ has not authorized?  Let us once again become the New Testament church!  I will be writing more about just how we all can become part of this restoring effort.

Minister with this message!!!

CONVENIENT CHURCH

Thirty minutes or less... Have it your way...  Next day service guaranteed....  These are just a few of the modern conveniences that we hear come across our TVs.  But have you ever heard of "convenient church?"  In our churches today we are hearing more and more of this.  But what is "convenient church?"  This is when we "don't have time" for worship services on Sunday or Wednesday so we sing a couple of memorized songs, read a quickly picked out verse in the Bible and finally say a little prayer then go on to our "whatever" activity.  This is being practiced more and more by those claiming to be Christians.  But what is this type of attitude saying to God?  It says that we have more time for us then we do for Him.  I know the argument, "but I am doing my part and worshipping God."  Are you really? 

Worship to God is being presented like it is an option in our lives, rather than a necessity.  What happened to the Israelites in the Old Testament when they gave the left overs to God.  Was He happy?  No He was not!  Look at the following from Malachi 1:6-8; "“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name.  Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’ “You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’  By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’  And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil?  And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.  When we participate in "Convenient Church" we offer to God our blind as a sacrifice.  We have defiled and despised the name of God.  

So, God is not happy today when we give Him our left over time on Sunday because it would be too inconvenient to go to worship Him.  "You know, we have basketball games, fishing tournaments, golf outings, family visiting,"  and on and on and on the argument goes.  I am very disappointed in our Christian family today.  They don't care about God anymore.  Oh, they will say they are dedicated to God.  But this is only lip-service.  

What if your spouse treated you like you do God?  What if you treated your jobs the same way you treat God?  What if one day you look for your children in worship and they are gone?  You ask them where were they and they say, "oh dad, Johnny had a basketball tournament on Sunday so we said a few get-by prayers."  Ken Hamm wrote a book entitled, "Already Gone."  In it he details the modern teenager in the pew.  He proves that many teens in the pews today are "already gone" from God.  Why?  One reason is that their parents have handed them the example that God, church, worship and everything else that is spiritual, is only an option and not necessary.  

Parents, brethren, WAKE UP!!!  You are going down a dark path that does not have a happy ending.  This is satan's pathway.  Jesus said that there are two roads in this life, one that leads to everlasting life and the other that leads to everlasting destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  Worship is not an option for the Christian.  And until we see it that way, we will continue down the path of destruction.  So what if Johnny does not play basketball at Kentucky.  So what if you are not able to win that prize at the weekend fishing tournament.  And so what if you can't go golfing with your "buddies."  If you are the right example then Johnny might just go to heaven and so will you.

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