The Jesus Tomb - Gnosticism Rears Its Head... Again
1 Timothy 1:3-7 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
Paul wrote the epistle of 1 Timothy for the express purpose of guiding one's conduct in the house of God (1 Timothy 3:14-15). To that end, Paul had exhorted Timothy not only to teach sound doctrine, but to deal with those who were not teaching as they ought to teach. Since the Church serves as the pillar and ground of the truth in the midst of a truthless world, it is imperative not only to explain sound doctrine but also to expose false doctrine. Indeed the end results are clear… sound doctrine produces godly edification; false doctrine produces godless disputes.
While the early church faced an onslaught of problems at the outset (i.e. persecution from the Jewish religious leaders - Acts 4 and bigotry between the brethren - Acts 15) the issue that faced the church as it began to grow and spread throughout the Gentile world was on the Greek front. During the latter half of the First Century AD, a line of thought developed throughout the Greek world known as Gnosticism. In fact, the Pastoral Epistles, the Epistle to the Colossians and the Gospel of John seek to combat the heresy of Gnosticism.
Today, Gnosticism rears its head again, thanks in part to recently released Gnostic works such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Judas. More dangerous than these heretical tomes is the recent ‘documentary’ by James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici, ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’. The premise of their film is that they have discovered that a tomb uncovered some 25 years ago is in fact the tomb of Jesus, his wife Mary Magdelene and their son Judah. Much of the so-called ‘proof’ for the theory behind ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ lies in two Gnostic works - The Pistis Sophia and The Gospel of Philip.1
Since the premise for ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ is based primarily on two Gnostic works, it is needful to consider the basic tenant of Gnosticism. They are as follows (Gnostic beliefs in italics):2
1. Matter is bad, while spirit is good. Men's bodies, being matter, are therefore inherently evil, while God, being a spirit being is inherently good.
Gnosticism begins with a dualistic approach to man (man's body is evil, but his spiritual being is good). Scripture states that man (body, soul and spirit) was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). When man fell, his body, soul and spirit fell as well (Romans 1:28; Ephesians 2:2-3; 4:17-18; 1 Timothy 4:2). Furthermore, Gnosticism believes that because the body is evil and ultimately creation is evil, they must be despised. Such an ideology led to the development of an austere list of rules. These ranged from forbidding to marry to abstaining from certain foods (1 Timothy 4:3). Scripture stands in direct opposition. Genesis 1-2 states that when God created the world and man, all was good. Though man fell (Genesis 3) and became sinful (Romans 5:12-21) man through redemption in Christ is in the process of being restored to that state which God declared as good (Romans 8:29-30; 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:4-5). On the other hand, because the body is evil, Gnosticism states that it does not matter what the body does. This in turn allows man to use his body licentiously all in the name of religion (2 Timothy 3:6; Titus 1:16).
2. God is remote from human affairs; He is unknowable and undetectable by man. Thus God created a variety of emanations (Aeons) of God (the Aeon) two at a time (a male and a female) in order to transmit secret knowledge to humanity.3
These so-called emanations are what Paul refers to as ‘endless genealogies’ (1 Timothy 1:4). The word ‘genealogies’ come from the Greek word and is related to the Greek word ‘aeons’. Gnosticism developed these ‘emanations’ and gave them various biographical or genealogical backgrounds. They eventually built them into the mythology of the gods. During the days of the early church, Gnosticism sought to envelope Christianity into itself (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14) by designating Christ as the highest of these so-called emanations. If Christ we an emanation then there must be a female counterpart. However there is only one wise God (1 Timothy 1:17) and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:5).
3. The snake in the Garden of Eden (i.e. Satan) was not a seducer, but rather a liberator by convincing Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and thus become fully human.
In the first place, Adam and Eve were fully human. When God breathed into man the breath of life, man became a living soul (Genesis 1:26), complete with body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Satan on the other hand is far from a liberator, he is the seducer of mankind (John 8:44-45; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 4:1-4) and the accuser of the brethren (Job 2:1; Zechariah 3:1-2; Revelation 12:9-10). His work in the Garden was not to liberate man, but to enslave man. The title ‘Serpent’ as applied to the Devil in Revelation 12:9 while looking back to the Garden temptation, reminds believers of his deception and craftiness.
4. Christ did not have a real body; Christ (the spirit) joined Jesus (the body) at His baptism and then left Him, when He died on the cross.
At the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Godhead took on the additional nature of flesh. This did not change His essence as God. Since that time, Christ remains eternally, sinless deity and sinless humanity in one person (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-8; 1 Timothy 3:6). The virgin birth of Jesus Christ was the means by which this occurred. Note the phrase ‘found with child of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 1:18) and ‘that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 1:20). The Holy Spirit was the agent by which Mary was impregnated. Jesus Christ had no human father. This is supported not only by the context, but even the grammar of the text. In the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:2–15 the active verb form of ‘begat’ is used; however, in verse 16, there is a change to the passive verb form in describing Christ’s birth. The verb ‘was born’ emphasizes that in contrast to all the preceding men who ‘begat’ their sons, Joseph did not ‘beget’ Jesus. Furthermore, Christ was fully man, He did not ‘rest’ on Jesus the man for a period of time (from baptism till death). Rather He is the God-Man… fully God and fully man. As God, He shares His essence with the Father. As man, he became hungry (Matthew 4:2), became tired (John 4:6), thirsted (John 4:7; 19:28), experienced loss (John 11:34-35), experienced grief (Matthew 23:37; Luke 19:41), suffered pain (John 19:1) and horror (John 19:18).
5. Christ resurrection was spiritual, not physical; that is, His resurrection occurred when His spirit was liberated from His body.
Scripture is clear, if Christ be not risen, salvation is worthless (1 Corinthians 15). Christ's resurrection was not the liberation of His spirit from his physical body. When the woman went to the tomb, they ‘found not the body of the Lord Jesus’ (Luke 24:3) and were told by the angel that ‘He is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him’ (Mark 16:6). As well, note the question posed by the angel in the same context, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?’ (Luke 24:5). When Christ appeared before the disciples in the upper-room following the resurrection, they thought He was a spirit (Luke 24:37). However, note the response of Christ, ‘Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have’ (Luke 24:39). Furthermore, what need has a spirit to eat, and yet, in the same context, Christ ate fish and honeycomb (Luke 24:42-43). As well, it is recorded that He was seen of some 500 people at the same time following the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5). Finally, consider James, the brother of Jesus and Saul, the Pharisee. During the life of Jesus, James doubted His identity as the Messiah (Mark 3:21; John 7:1-5) yet he later became the head of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15; Galatians 1:19). Saul, Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee bent on destroying the church (Acts 8:1; 9:1) forsook his former lifestyle, for the cause of Christ (Philippians 3:2-6). If the resurrection was not valid, why the change of heart on the part of these two individuals?
6. Salvation is achieved through relational and experiential knowledge.
To the Gnostic, salvation comes via the gnosis, a secret science imparted only to an individual on the basis of an oath.4 Paul warned Timothy to avoid profane and vain babbling (i.e. godless chatter), and opposition of science falsely so called (1 Timothy 6:20). The word ‘science’ comes from the Greek word 'gnosis', which in this context means ‘the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge… such as belongs to the more advanced’.5 While salvation comes via the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:4), it is more than mere intellectual assent to a series of facts. Indeed there is a danger to building faith on intellectual speculating. Not only does it not merit salvation, but it produces strife, contention and ungodliness (1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:16, 23).
______________________
Beside the basic Gnostic heresy underlying this film, there are a number of other theological ‘messes’ that need to be cleaned up. For the purpose of this article, three of them will be considered. According to the official website for the film <www.jesusfamilytomb.com> (Statements from movie and book are in italic):
1. “The Lost Tomb of Jesus does not challenge the Resurrection. It asks viewers to consider the possibility that the Resurrection occurred from a second tomb. The writer of the Gospel of Matthew (28:12-15) addresses a rumor that was circulating in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, a rumor that we suggest can be taken for the truth. The rumor was that the disciples came by night to remove Jesus’ body from the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. They would have done this to safeguard his remains from desecrators. His followers then would have taken the body of Jesus to a permanent tomb. Even if Jesus were moved from one tomb to another, this does not negate the possibility that he was resurrected from the second tomb. Our documentary does not address this issue. Belief in the resurrection is based not on which tomb he was buried in, but on alleged sightings of Jesus that occurred after his burial and that are documented in the Gospels.”6
Notice the subtlety of the text. One the one hand they claim not to challenge the Resurrection, while on the other hand they do. Some may ask, “Does it matter which tomb Jesus rose from?” The answer is, “Yes, it absolutely does matter!” While the truth of the resurrection was illustrated by the sightings of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:5-8), it was first validated by the empty tomb. The same empty tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathaea (Matthew 27:57-61). Note Matthew 27:61, ‘And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre’. When the body of Jesus was buried by Joseph in the sepulcher the woman were present. They knew where the body was buried. Following the Sabbath, these same women returned to the same tomb and found it empty (Matthew 28:1-6). If the body of Jesus had been moved to a second tomb, why would His supposed ‘wife’ Mary Magdelene return to the wrong tomb? Would not His wife know where her husband was buried?
Consider as well the statement, ‘Matthew addresses a rumor that was circulating in Jerusalem… a rumor we suggest can be taken for the truth’. Perhaps the individuals behind this documentary should consider actually looking at the text from which they quote. Matthew 28:12-15 is clear that this ‘rumor’ was started by the Jewish religious leaders, and that the eyewitnesses of the angel and empty tomb were paid hush money to keep their mouths shut. Furthermore, notice the words ‘alleged sightings’. For individuals who are not trying to undermine the resurrection of Christ they chose some interesting terms. According the Meriam-Webster Dictionary, ‘alleged’ means ‘to assert without proof or before proving’.7 I suppose that ‘eye-witness’ testimony is no longer valid proof in a court of law.
2. “It is also a matter of Christian faith that Jesus, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection, ascended to Heaven. There is much debate among Christians as to whether this was a spiritual or a physical ascent. Did he leave his body behind or did he take it with him? If Jesus’ mortal remains have indeed been found, this would contradict the idea of a physical ascension. However, it says nothing against the possibility of a spiritual ascension.”8
Again, more subtlety, ‘there is much debate…’ This statement alone is used to cast a shadow of doubt on the validity of the ascension of Christ. Where is the debate… such statements should be supported with facts. Scripture states that Christ rose from the grave with a physical body (Luke 24:39). In this body, Christ met His disciples, was worshiped by them and held by the feet (Matthew 28:9). Why would He not then have ascended forty days later with a physical body as well? Not only did He have flesh and bones (of which He invited His disciples to touch and handle), but Scripture records that He bore the scars of the crucifixion (Luke 24:29-30; John 20:25, 27), He handled bread and fish (Luke 24:30; John 21:13) and ate with His disciples (Luke 24:42-43; John 21:15). If Christ's ascension was merely spiritual and not physical why the scars, and why take on flesh and bones? If Christ did not have a physical body, why and how did he handle and eat the honeycomb, bread and fish? Christ provided all the evidence necessary to illustrate the validity of His physical body; His body that was not only visible, but palpable (Acts 1:3; 10:41). The only ‘debate’ is among Bible-denying heretics and liberal theologians.
3. “There are also so-called “non-canonical Gnostic” texts such as: The Gospel of Mary; The Gospel of Thomas; The Dialogue of the Savior; The Pistis Sophia; The Gospel of Philip; The Second Apocalypse of James; and The Manichaean Psalms. Of these, The Gospel of Philip is a particularly valuable source of information about Mary Magdalene. From it we glean that Mariamne/Magdalene was sister to Philip (one of the twelve original apostles) and Martha; that Jesus called her "chosen among women"; that she healed people and baptized converts; and that she died at the Jordan River, “near Jerusalem.” It also reveals the following tantalizing tidbit: 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. This text has led many to surmise a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.”9
Once again, more subtlety, the ‘so-called non-canoncial Gnostic texts’. This statement immediately seeks to discredit the recognized canon of Scripture. The fact that they are ‘so-called’ indicates that these texts should be considered canon. The canon of Scripture was closed by the end of the 1st Century when God breathed out the last words of Revelation to John the Apostle.
The producers of this documentary based their idea of Christ being in love with Mary Magdalene on the 2nd Century fictional work – The Gospel of Mary. Upon review of this work, no mention is made of any type of sexual relationship between Mary and Christ. The text does allude to the fact that she was loved by Christ more than other women. Keep in mind though, that the New Testament states that Jesus ‘loved’ Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:5, 36). Christ ‘loved’ the Apostle John (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). Christ even ‘loved’ the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21). In each of these passages there is not a hint of anything sexual.
The producers have also tried to make a 4th Century work of fiction (The Gospel of Philip), relevant to 1st Century historical facts. Nowhere does The Gospel of Philip refer to or identify ‘Mariamne’ as Mary Magdelene. In fact, Mary Magdelene is not mentioned in The Acts of Philip. As well, the text of The Acts of Philip is misrepresented by stating that Mary Magdelene (who is never mentioned) would be buried in Jerusalem. What the text does state is that Mariamne would die in the Jordan River.
The real ‘historical’ Mary Magdalene is mentioned twelve times in the New Testament. Neither the idea that she was a former prostitute (made popular thanks in part to Pope Gregory 1) nor the idea that she was married or romantically linked to Christ was ever in the Scriptures. Scripture does say that Christ cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:0), that she financially supported the ministry of Christ (Luke 8:2-3) and that she clung to Him following His resurrection (John 20:17). According to a quote from The Gospel of Philip, ‘there were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion.’ Those behind The Lost Tomb of Jesus assume that ‘companion’ means ‘wife’. However, The Gospel of Philip is written in Coptic and “the word here for companion (koinonos) is actually a loan word from Greek and is neither a technical term nor a synonym for wife or spouse. It […] is an umbrella term, but it does not specify this fact. There was another Greek word, gune, which would have made this clear. It is much more likely that koinonos here means “sister” in the spiritual sense since that is how it is used elsewhere in this sort of literature. In any case, this text does not clearly say or even suggest that Jesus was married, much less married to Mary Magdalene.”10
Though Mary Magdalene was a faithful disciple of Jesus, there is absolutely no evidence, Biblical or extra-biblical, to suggest that she was a lover or wife to Christ or mother to any children of Christ. The Bible speaks of Christ’s mother, his brothers and sister, but no mention is made of a wife… because there was no wife. Christ did not come to earth to fall in love, to marry or to sire a child. Christ came to do the will of His Father (John 4:34). Christ came as a Servant to go to the cross to die for mankind (Philippians 2:5-8).
The Lost Tomb of Jesus (both film and book) present dualistic claims that seek to undermine the basic tenants of Christianity and thus show Christianity to be a false religion. The ‘facts’ it does present are often misstated and are askew. Furthermore, they accept some of the facts of the New Testament only to turn around and reject others without logical reasoning as to why they are rejected. The Lost Tomb of Jesus is just another scheme of the Devil to distort and cast doubt upon the Word of God. Believers must beware of such ‘fable’ and ‘so-called science’ and be ready to present sound evidence against such in order to give answers to those who ask.
Reference:
1 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/the_tomb/mariamene_e_mara.html
2 www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic2.htm
3 www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/gnosis/secret.html
4 www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view..jsp?artid=280&letter=G&search=gnosticism
5 Strong’s Concordance, No. 1108
6 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/theological_considerations/resurrection.html
7 www.http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/alleged
8 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/theological considerations/ascension.html
9 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/the_tomb/mariamene_e_mara/historical_mary.html
10 Ben Witherington III, Biblical Archaeology Review, (2004, 30[3]:60)
- GGCJr., copyrighted 2007
Paul wrote the epistle of 1 Timothy for the express purpose of guiding one's conduct in the house of God (1 Timothy 3:14-15). To that end, Paul had exhorted Timothy not only to teach sound doctrine, but to deal with those who were not teaching as they ought to teach. Since the Church serves as the pillar and ground of the truth in the midst of a truthless world, it is imperative not only to explain sound doctrine but also to expose false doctrine. Indeed the end results are clear… sound doctrine produces godly edification; false doctrine produces godless disputes.
While the early church faced an onslaught of problems at the outset (i.e. persecution from the Jewish religious leaders - Acts 4 and bigotry between the brethren - Acts 15) the issue that faced the church as it began to grow and spread throughout the Gentile world was on the Greek front. During the latter half of the First Century AD, a line of thought developed throughout the Greek world known as Gnosticism. In fact, the Pastoral Epistles, the Epistle to the Colossians and the Gospel of John seek to combat the heresy of Gnosticism.
Today, Gnosticism rears its head again, thanks in part to recently released Gnostic works such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Judas. More dangerous than these heretical tomes is the recent ‘documentary’ by James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici, ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’. The premise of their film is that they have discovered that a tomb uncovered some 25 years ago is in fact the tomb of Jesus, his wife Mary Magdelene and their son Judah. Much of the so-called ‘proof’ for the theory behind ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ lies in two Gnostic works - The Pistis Sophia and The Gospel of Philip.1
Since the premise for ‘The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ is based primarily on two Gnostic works, it is needful to consider the basic tenant of Gnosticism. They are as follows (Gnostic beliefs in italics):2
1. Matter is bad, while spirit is good. Men's bodies, being matter, are therefore inherently evil, while God, being a spirit being is inherently good.
Gnosticism begins with a dualistic approach to man (man's body is evil, but his spiritual being is good). Scripture states that man (body, soul and spirit) was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). When man fell, his body, soul and spirit fell as well (Romans 1:28; Ephesians 2:2-3; 4:17-18; 1 Timothy 4:2). Furthermore, Gnosticism believes that because the body is evil and ultimately creation is evil, they must be despised. Such an ideology led to the development of an austere list of rules. These ranged from forbidding to marry to abstaining from certain foods (1 Timothy 4:3). Scripture stands in direct opposition. Genesis 1-2 states that when God created the world and man, all was good. Though man fell (Genesis 3) and became sinful (Romans 5:12-21) man through redemption in Christ is in the process of being restored to that state which God declared as good (Romans 8:29-30; 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:4-5). On the other hand, because the body is evil, Gnosticism states that it does not matter what the body does. This in turn allows man to use his body licentiously all in the name of religion (2 Timothy 3:6; Titus 1:16).
2. God is remote from human affairs; He is unknowable and undetectable by man. Thus God created a variety of emanations (Aeons) of God (the Aeon) two at a time (a male and a female) in order to transmit secret knowledge to humanity.3
These so-called emanations are what Paul refers to as ‘endless genealogies’ (1 Timothy 1:4). The word ‘genealogies’ come from the Greek word and is related to the Greek word ‘aeons’. Gnosticism developed these ‘emanations’ and gave them various biographical or genealogical backgrounds. They eventually built them into the mythology of the gods. During the days of the early church, Gnosticism sought to envelope Christianity into itself (1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14) by designating Christ as the highest of these so-called emanations. If Christ we an emanation then there must be a female counterpart. However there is only one wise God (1 Timothy 1:17) and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:5).
3. The snake in the Garden of Eden (i.e. Satan) was not a seducer, but rather a liberator by convincing Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and thus become fully human.
In the first place, Adam and Eve were fully human. When God breathed into man the breath of life, man became a living soul (Genesis 1:26), complete with body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Satan on the other hand is far from a liberator, he is the seducer of mankind (John 8:44-45; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 4:1-4) and the accuser of the brethren (Job 2:1; Zechariah 3:1-2; Revelation 12:9-10). His work in the Garden was not to liberate man, but to enslave man. The title ‘Serpent’ as applied to the Devil in Revelation 12:9 while looking back to the Garden temptation, reminds believers of his deception and craftiness.
4. Christ did not have a real body; Christ (the spirit) joined Jesus (the body) at His baptism and then left Him, when He died on the cross.
At the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Godhead took on the additional nature of flesh. This did not change His essence as God. Since that time, Christ remains eternally, sinless deity and sinless humanity in one person (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-8; 1 Timothy 3:6). The virgin birth of Jesus Christ was the means by which this occurred. Note the phrase ‘found with child of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 1:18) and ‘that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost’ (Matthew 1:20). The Holy Spirit was the agent by which Mary was impregnated. Jesus Christ had no human father. This is supported not only by the context, but even the grammar of the text. In the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:2–15 the active verb form of ‘begat’ is used; however, in verse 16, there is a change to the passive verb form in describing Christ’s birth. The verb ‘was born’ emphasizes that in contrast to all the preceding men who ‘begat’ their sons, Joseph did not ‘beget’ Jesus. Furthermore, Christ was fully man, He did not ‘rest’ on Jesus the man for a period of time (from baptism till death). Rather He is the God-Man… fully God and fully man. As God, He shares His essence with the Father. As man, he became hungry (Matthew 4:2), became tired (John 4:6), thirsted (John 4:7; 19:28), experienced loss (John 11:34-35), experienced grief (Matthew 23:37; Luke 19:41), suffered pain (John 19:1) and horror (John 19:18).
5. Christ resurrection was spiritual, not physical; that is, His resurrection occurred when His spirit was liberated from His body.
Scripture is clear, if Christ be not risen, salvation is worthless (1 Corinthians 15). Christ's resurrection was not the liberation of His spirit from his physical body. When the woman went to the tomb, they ‘found not the body of the Lord Jesus’ (Luke 24:3) and were told by the angel that ‘He is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him’ (Mark 16:6). As well, note the question posed by the angel in the same context, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?’ (Luke 24:5). When Christ appeared before the disciples in the upper-room following the resurrection, they thought He was a spirit (Luke 24:37). However, note the response of Christ, ‘Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have’ (Luke 24:39). Furthermore, what need has a spirit to eat, and yet, in the same context, Christ ate fish and honeycomb (Luke 24:42-43). As well, it is recorded that He was seen of some 500 people at the same time following the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:5). Finally, consider James, the brother of Jesus and Saul, the Pharisee. During the life of Jesus, James doubted His identity as the Messiah (Mark 3:21; John 7:1-5) yet he later became the head of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15; Galatians 1:19). Saul, Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee bent on destroying the church (Acts 8:1; 9:1) forsook his former lifestyle, for the cause of Christ (Philippians 3:2-6). If the resurrection was not valid, why the change of heart on the part of these two individuals?
6. Salvation is achieved through relational and experiential knowledge.
To the Gnostic, salvation comes via the gnosis, a secret science imparted only to an individual on the basis of an oath.4 Paul warned Timothy to avoid profane and vain babbling (i.e. godless chatter), and opposition of science falsely so called (1 Timothy 6:20). The word ‘science’ comes from the Greek word 'gnosis', which in this context means ‘the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge… such as belongs to the more advanced’.5 While salvation comes via the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:4), it is more than mere intellectual assent to a series of facts. Indeed there is a danger to building faith on intellectual speculating. Not only does it not merit salvation, but it produces strife, contention and ungodliness (1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:16, 23).
______________________
Beside the basic Gnostic heresy underlying this film, there are a number of other theological ‘messes’ that need to be cleaned up. For the purpose of this article, three of them will be considered. According to the official website for the film <www.jesusfamilytomb.com> (Statements from movie and book are in italic):
1. “The Lost Tomb of Jesus does not challenge the Resurrection. It asks viewers to consider the possibility that the Resurrection occurred from a second tomb. The writer of the Gospel of Matthew (28:12-15) addresses a rumor that was circulating in Jerusalem at the time of the Crucifixion, a rumor that we suggest can be taken for the truth. The rumor was that the disciples came by night to remove Jesus’ body from the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. They would have done this to safeguard his remains from desecrators. His followers then would have taken the body of Jesus to a permanent tomb. Even if Jesus were moved from one tomb to another, this does not negate the possibility that he was resurrected from the second tomb. Our documentary does not address this issue. Belief in the resurrection is based not on which tomb he was buried in, but on alleged sightings of Jesus that occurred after his burial and that are documented in the Gospels.”6
Notice the subtlety of the text. One the one hand they claim not to challenge the Resurrection, while on the other hand they do. Some may ask, “Does it matter which tomb Jesus rose from?” The answer is, “Yes, it absolutely does matter!” While the truth of the resurrection was illustrated by the sightings of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:5-8), it was first validated by the empty tomb. The same empty tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathaea (Matthew 27:57-61). Note Matthew 27:61, ‘And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre’. When the body of Jesus was buried by Joseph in the sepulcher the woman were present. They knew where the body was buried. Following the Sabbath, these same women returned to the same tomb and found it empty (Matthew 28:1-6). If the body of Jesus had been moved to a second tomb, why would His supposed ‘wife’ Mary Magdelene return to the wrong tomb? Would not His wife know where her husband was buried?
Consider as well the statement, ‘Matthew addresses a rumor that was circulating in Jerusalem… a rumor we suggest can be taken for the truth’. Perhaps the individuals behind this documentary should consider actually looking at the text from which they quote. Matthew 28:12-15 is clear that this ‘rumor’ was started by the Jewish religious leaders, and that the eyewitnesses of the angel and empty tomb were paid hush money to keep their mouths shut. Furthermore, notice the words ‘alleged sightings’. For individuals who are not trying to undermine the resurrection of Christ they chose some interesting terms. According the Meriam-Webster Dictionary, ‘alleged’ means ‘to assert without proof or before proving’.7 I suppose that ‘eye-witness’ testimony is no longer valid proof in a court of law.
2. “It is also a matter of Christian faith that Jesus, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection, ascended to Heaven. There is much debate among Christians as to whether this was a spiritual or a physical ascent. Did he leave his body behind or did he take it with him? If Jesus’ mortal remains have indeed been found, this would contradict the idea of a physical ascension. However, it says nothing against the possibility of a spiritual ascension.”8
Again, more subtlety, ‘there is much debate…’ This statement alone is used to cast a shadow of doubt on the validity of the ascension of Christ. Where is the debate… such statements should be supported with facts. Scripture states that Christ rose from the grave with a physical body (Luke 24:39). In this body, Christ met His disciples, was worshiped by them and held by the feet (Matthew 28:9). Why would He not then have ascended forty days later with a physical body as well? Not only did He have flesh and bones (of which He invited His disciples to touch and handle), but Scripture records that He bore the scars of the crucifixion (Luke 24:29-30; John 20:25, 27), He handled bread and fish (Luke 24:30; John 21:13) and ate with His disciples (Luke 24:42-43; John 21:15). If Christ's ascension was merely spiritual and not physical why the scars, and why take on flesh and bones? If Christ did not have a physical body, why and how did he handle and eat the honeycomb, bread and fish? Christ provided all the evidence necessary to illustrate the validity of His physical body; His body that was not only visible, but palpable (Acts 1:3; 10:41). The only ‘debate’ is among Bible-denying heretics and liberal theologians.
3. “There are also so-called “non-canonical Gnostic” texts such as: The Gospel of Mary; The Gospel of Thomas; The Dialogue of the Savior; The Pistis Sophia; The Gospel of Philip; The Second Apocalypse of James; and The Manichaean Psalms. Of these, The Gospel of Philip is a particularly valuable source of information about Mary Magdalene. From it we glean that Mariamne/Magdalene was sister to Philip (one of the twelve original apostles) and Martha; that Jesus called her "chosen among women"; that she healed people and baptized converts; and that she died at the Jordan River, “near Jerusalem.” It also reveals the following tantalizing tidbit: 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. This text has led many to surmise a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.”9
Once again, more subtlety, the ‘so-called non-canoncial Gnostic texts’. This statement immediately seeks to discredit the recognized canon of Scripture. The fact that they are ‘so-called’ indicates that these texts should be considered canon. The canon of Scripture was closed by the end of the 1st Century when God breathed out the last words of Revelation to John the Apostle.
The producers of this documentary based their idea of Christ being in love with Mary Magdalene on the 2nd Century fictional work – The Gospel of Mary. Upon review of this work, no mention is made of any type of sexual relationship between Mary and Christ. The text does allude to the fact that she was loved by Christ more than other women. Keep in mind though, that the New Testament states that Jesus ‘loved’ Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:5, 36). Christ ‘loved’ the Apostle John (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). Christ even ‘loved’ the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21). In each of these passages there is not a hint of anything sexual.
The producers have also tried to make a 4th Century work of fiction (The Gospel of Philip), relevant to 1st Century historical facts. Nowhere does The Gospel of Philip refer to or identify ‘Mariamne’ as Mary Magdelene. In fact, Mary Magdelene is not mentioned in The Acts of Philip. As well, the text of The Acts of Philip is misrepresented by stating that Mary Magdelene (who is never mentioned) would be buried in Jerusalem. What the text does state is that Mariamne would die in the Jordan River.
The real ‘historical’ Mary Magdalene is mentioned twelve times in the New Testament. Neither the idea that she was a former prostitute (made popular thanks in part to Pope Gregory 1) nor the idea that she was married or romantically linked to Christ was ever in the Scriptures. Scripture does say that Christ cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:0), that she financially supported the ministry of Christ (Luke 8:2-3) and that she clung to Him following His resurrection (John 20:17). According to a quote from The Gospel of Philip, ‘there were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one who was called his companion.’ Those behind The Lost Tomb of Jesus assume that ‘companion’ means ‘wife’. However, The Gospel of Philip is written in Coptic and “the word here for companion (koinonos) is actually a loan word from Greek and is neither a technical term nor a synonym for wife or spouse. It […] is an umbrella term, but it does not specify this fact. There was another Greek word, gune, which would have made this clear. It is much more likely that koinonos here means “sister” in the spiritual sense since that is how it is used elsewhere in this sort of literature. In any case, this text does not clearly say or even suggest that Jesus was married, much less married to Mary Magdalene.”10
Though Mary Magdalene was a faithful disciple of Jesus, there is absolutely no evidence, Biblical or extra-biblical, to suggest that she was a lover or wife to Christ or mother to any children of Christ. The Bible speaks of Christ’s mother, his brothers and sister, but no mention is made of a wife… because there was no wife. Christ did not come to earth to fall in love, to marry or to sire a child. Christ came to do the will of His Father (John 4:34). Christ came as a Servant to go to the cross to die for mankind (Philippians 2:5-8).
The Lost Tomb of Jesus (both film and book) present dualistic claims that seek to undermine the basic tenants of Christianity and thus show Christianity to be a false religion. The ‘facts’ it does present are often misstated and are askew. Furthermore, they accept some of the facts of the New Testament only to turn around and reject others without logical reasoning as to why they are rejected. The Lost Tomb of Jesus is just another scheme of the Devil to distort and cast doubt upon the Word of God. Believers must beware of such ‘fable’ and ‘so-called science’ and be ready to present sound evidence against such in order to give answers to those who ask.
Reference:
1 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/the_tomb/mariamene_e_mara.html
2 www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic2.htm
3 www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/gnosis/secret.html
4 www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view..jsp?artid=280&letter=G&search=gnosticism
5 Strong’s Concordance, No. 1108
6 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/theological_considerations/resurrection.html
7 www.http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/alleged
8 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/theological considerations/ascension.html
9 www.jesusfamilytomb.com/the_tomb/mariamene_e_mara/historical_mary.html
10 Ben Witherington III, Biblical Archaeology Review, (2004, 30[3]:60)
- GGCJr., copyrighted 2007