Masculine and Feminine

One thing I want to make clear to my readers is that most of the names for God contain both masculine and feminine aspects. Now many scholars will put forth that God possesses these traits not because He is either male or female, but because He is neither and both. That God possesses the traits of both genders for no seemingly better explanation other than He is God. 

Now before I continue, let me make this perfectly clear. Male and female are not opposites. This conflicts with our modern western teaching that concludes that they are. Let me clarify. Light and dark come close the being opposites, apart from the fact that darkness is the absence of light, but darkness cannot exist without light. Positive and negative are also close representations of opposites, positive charges are caused by the absence of electrons, which bear a negative charge.  Good and evil are close representations of opposites as well, in that evil is really an absence of good.  The word opposite means two forces or things that are opposed. A common trend you will find in all opposites is that they are set against each other and an increase in one has a corresponding decrease in the other. 

But male and female are not opposites. Masculinity is not the absence of femininity, nor is femininity an absence of masculinity. Neither gender has any inherit negativity, nor is one more good than the other. What masculine and feminine are is better attributed to separate parts of a whole. They are complimentary, not opposites. An increase in one does not equal a decrease in the other.  Both male and female are good. I think a few passages of scripture can illustrate the meaning. 

“Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.  For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

1st Corinthians 11:11-12

“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

When man and woman become united, they become more than two individuals. The different attributes of the two genders are not meant to compete, they are meant to compliment. This is just as true here on earth as it is in Heaven. It goes well beyond the physical merging of the body. Men and women must learn how to be united mentally and spiritually as well. They must learn how to put aside their selfish interests and seek to serve one another. When they learn how to do this, they become greater than the sum of their parts. 

My point in this is to break down a mental barrier in which men and women are separate. They are intended to be joined and united. Together they form the whole. This simple truth is found in the scriptures and is repeated over and over again. God exists in plural. Often Christians refer to a Heavenly Father, it ought to occur naturally that there is a Heavenly Mother as well. And it ought to be plainly evident that the combination of a Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother collectively forms God. They are referred to as one and yet pluraly because they always act as one. 

YHVH

This brings us to the Hebrew name YHVH יהוה. Stripped of its vowels, its exact pronunciation is unknown.   But what is known is that the name itself has powerful meaning. 

Let us begin by examining the letters themselves. Let's start with the Hebrew letter Yod י. Firstly Yod represents the source of creation. Secondly the shape of Yod is also present in every Hebrew letter, symbolizing that it is always present in everything. The Yod also represents power of God, a Crown, and that everything comes from God. It is also symbolic of truth, since truth is present in everything. Interestingly enough, but very importantly, it represents humility. In fact humility is really its defining quality.  Also when used as a prefix, it denotes masculinity. 

Next we have the letter Hey ה. Hey is used twice and it represents creation. It represents light. When a word ends in Hey, it adds a feminine quality in that it represents reproduction and bearing fruit. It also represents a nurturing aspect. 

Then we have the letter Vav ו.   Vav acts a a symbol for man or mankind. It is also symbolic of a connection.  When placed between other letters it often strengthens the connections between those letters and emphasizes their meanings. 

So these concepts when put together form a very powerful meaning. It is representative of the all present, humble God of truth, creator of mankind. But the final Hey adds an important meaning. It adds a FEMININE quality and a nurturing quality. It's added value, again looking at the binding Vav, represents the bond between God and man, not as a vague distant creator, but as an intimate and loving parent. 

This feminine aspect is very important, but I do not wish to cover that just yet. This name begins with a masculine prefix and ends with a feminine form.

Jehovah

Now let us examine Jehovah. Jehovah is an interesting name. One of the first interesting points I will make is that it actually comes from a translational error. The error comes in two stages. 

The first stage comes from what I believe is a misunderstanding on the second of the Ten Commandments which reads:

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

Exodus 20:7

Many have interpreted this to mean that men are not permitted to say the name of God because it is too sacred to be uttered by mortal lips, and that by men speaking His name, they would take his name in vain. While this is an interesting interpretation, I believe it to be a serious distraction from what the Lord really intended. 

I believe that what God really meant is that He desires men to treat sacred things as sacred, and not to treat them lightly. This would include all the things that are considered to be of God such as: marriage, ordinances, scripture, etc. I also believe it includes authority. These matters I have previously discussed in my articles on the Ten Commandments. 

Because men believed that speaking the name of God was a transgression of law,  they would usually substitute a different word when reading the scriptures aloud. The most common word used is Adonai. So to remind readers to say Adonai, the scribes would inscribe the vowel symbols for Adonai on the name of God YHVH יְהֹוָה.   

This is where the second error in translation occurs. German translators tried to convert the Hebrew texts into German, but their lack of knowledge on the history of the word caused them to translate it and pronounce it with the incorrect vowel sounds. Thus YHVH becomes Yehovah. In the German they use the letter J to make the phonetic sounds for "ye", so their translation gets pronounced Jehovah in English. 

Now it is not fully known how YHVH is actually supposed to be pronounced. But just going with the four basic consonants, it tells a great deal about the name and what it means. 

Adonai

Next we will examine Adonai. Adonai אֲדֹנָי is a plural form of the word Adon אָדוֹן which means lord or master. 'Ad' אד means to gather, and in this word denotes a sense of ownership.  So a literal translation of Adon is 'my lord' or 'my master'. So this means Adonai translates as 'my lords'.

Closely related is the Hebrew 'eden' אדן which basically means foundation. This connection would strongly support that the Lord is "the Lord that can be relied upon".  It represents a strength. 

Again, biblical scholars insist that even though this word is plural in form, that it refers to a singular God. Now why the contradiction between what the scriptures clearly say and what the scholars say?  The answer to this question is really all too simple. It is because modern theologians are trying to make the scriptures conform to modern theology, rather than trying to make modern theology conform to the ancient teachings. Man has gotten into a nasty habit of trying to justify his own beliefs rather than trying to understand the truth. So even though the truth is plainly written in the ancient Hebrew texts, often man has to overlay his own traditions and interpretations.

Elohim

Let us start with one of the ancient Hebrew words for God. The first word we will examine is Elohim (אֱלֹהִים). To understand Elohim, we must break it down and look at its components. 

An interesting thing about Ancient Hebrew is that it is a very complex language with specific religious meaning built into the syllables and letters.  As few things to also remember when examining Hebrew is that you read from right to left and that ancient Hebrew did not have vowels, so when examining Hebrew we have to remind ourselves that often the original text may have used different vowels than what has been currently attributed. 

The first component of Elohim is the Hebrew 'El'  אל, which means God or diety and is synonymous to might and strength as well as leadership. The next component is 'hay' or 'oh' ה, which denotes goodness, grace, mercy, and also a feminine quality. The final part is 'im' ים which denotes  a masculine plural quality. So embedded in this Hebrew word for God are some interesting and descriptive qualities. It describes a being that is powerful, possesses authority, goodness, righteousness, virtue, mercy, justice, strength, femininity, and masculinity. 

Many biblical scholars will insist that the plural form doesn't mean anything because the word is used in a singular sense, or they will call it a plural of majesty, a way of referring to a singular as a plural to signify importance. But I believe the ancient scholars and scribes said what they meant and meant what they said. If the Hebrew God was a singular bring as the modern scholars insist, they could have called Him 'El' or 'Eloah'. That would denote Him as a singular being. In fact this is how the Muslim "Allah" came to be. 

On an additional note, I believe this representation of God as both masculine and feminine is important in its own right, and I will get to that in an upcoming article. 

The Plural God

I cannot continue to explain our relationship with God without explaining and clarifying a common concept in Christianity. This concept does apply to Judaism as well, but what follows is going to help clarify a common Christian misconception about God. 

In the Christian faith, it is most often taught, that Jesus Christ is God, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) are just different aspects of the same personage. That God himself came down and took mortal form as the Savior. But is this really the case?  Is this really what the scriptures teach?

In my last post I explained that we are God's children and He desires us to become like Him. Now immediately thus concept may come as a shock to many. That's because this view or statement may come across as a challenge to God's authority. After all, in the Bible it states:

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:1-3

So how can the idea of becoming like God be reconciled with this commandment?  The answer comes in the context combined with a better understanding of the ancient Hebrew religion. The ancient Hebrew religion is not to be confused with modern Judaism. 

Part of the context of this commandment that is given is that these ancient Hebrews were being brought out of Egypt. They had spent several centuries living among the Egyptians and as such had assimilated much of the Egyptian culture. Part of this assimilation included a mixing of Hebrew and Egyptian beliefs. This mixing produces a false god or gods. Think of it as an ancient political correctness, a way that the Hebrews and Egyptians could come up with an acceptable compromise. This mixing however produces a new god that is not very much like the  God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Many of the Hebrews made a practice of worshipping both their own God and the Egyptian gods, and this was not an acceptable practice. Also many Hebrews were taking the attributes of the Egyptian gods and mingling them with their own beliefs. So when God instituted the lower law that the Hebrews were required to obey, it included this commandment to worship only God, and not the gods of other religions.

That being said, this commandment neither teaches nor implies the monotheism that has come to dominate both Judaism and Christianity today. Now this may seem like a bold statement that contradicts what the scriptures say. But I wish to teach and show by the scriptures themselves that this concept was actually what the ancient Hebrews believed, and that the ancient belief was correct.  In my coming articles I am going to delve into the various names for God and show some powerful and deep meanings that are embodied into the letters and words themselves. 

God the Father

A common question often posed by both believers and unbelievers alike is this. "In this world we have so much pain and suffering. There are wars, famine, disease, abuse, poverty, etc. If God were real and was a loving God, why would He permit His creation to suffer so?"  Atheists and agnostics use this question to try to prove that God does not exist or that He is somehow detached from His creation. Those who claim to be believers ask this question when they see suffering either in their own lives or in the lives of others. 

And this is a good question to be asked. Now often many preachers give an explanation that God must want something better for us. That He has a plan and is in charge and that we just have to accept that and go with it. That we just have to endure. This explanation does have some truth in it, but it also comes across as a big "I don't know". And for those struggling with this question, "I don't know" isn't a very comforting answer. 

Now I won't claim to know everything or have all the answers, but I will tell you this. There is an answer to this question and the answer ought to give us a great deal of faith and hope. The answer hinges upon a concept that tells us who we actually are and why we are here on this earth. It hinges upon what God desires for us in our lives. The answer may offend some, and to those it offends, I ask that you take the question up in prayer and ask God to teach you the truth. This concept gives us a small glimpse into our true potential. But we have to approach it with humility and an open heart and mind. 

Who are you?  Do you really know?  The Judeo-Christian bible teaches us that we are God's creation. That God decided to create an earth and that He created man and placed Him on this earth. I am not going to disagree with this so far as it is scriptural, but I will state that the version that predominates the Judeo-Christian teaching is only a small part of the truth. I won't go into the full details here today, but I will state this: this earth was created to provide a mortal experience for God's CHILDREN.

When I say God's children, that means something more than simply God's creation. This means that He desires us to become like He is. How does this relate to my subject?  Well, in the simplest terms I can explain, this mortal experience is specifically designed to give us the opportunity we need to develop our characters to become more like God. This life is designed to help us become better people. 

I must emphasize the word opportunity because we are rational intelligent beings, just like God, and as such we must exercise our ability to make choices based upon the circumstances that surround us. This earth creates an ideal environment where we can experience a wide variety of circumstances. And in those situations we can make choices, and every choice has a naturally occurring consequence. When we see a child in need of food, or love; a family struggling to make ends meet, we have an opportunity to awaken the divine heritage within us, and do as God would do. 

A good way to explain this is learning to perform a job in the workplace. You can learn somewhat by observing others work, and you could learn some by reading about the theory, but you will never learn to be proficient at that job in this way. But when the master steps back and let's the apprentice do the work, then the apprentice gains the hands on experience. When we learn by doing we learn far better than we could ever learn by simply observing. 

This world provides ample opportunity for us to do as God would do and learn by real experience. Sure God could feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, give rest to the weary, comfort those that are sad, etc. but He would rather that we have the opportunity to learn to do these things for others. He would rather that we learn to bless those around us. If He did the work for us without our being engaged in the process, we won't learn the lesson. Since learning is why we are here, then it would be very unloving of Him to spare us those experiences. If He created and maintained this world as a Utopia, we would not be able to learn the lessons of love and compassion. We wouldn't be able to learn from difficulties and struggles. And if we can't learn those things, then we would never be able to become like God. 

“Jesus said: If those who lead you say unto you: Behold, the Kingdom is in heaven, then the birds of the heaven will be before you. If they say unto you: It is in the sea, then the fish will be before you. But the Kingdom is within you, and it is outside of you. When you know yourselves, then shall you be known, and you shall know that you are the sons of the living Father. But if ye do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty, and you are poverty.”

Thomas 1:3

The Great Debt

There was once a farmer who desired to leave the home of his father and start his own farm. So he found a beautiful and green valley where he figured he could start his path. However, this young man did not have means of his own to purchase the needed land, tools, or seed. So he had to borrow in order to obtain what he needed. 

His plan was simple, to clear a plot of ground, plant it, and reap a harvest. But as often happens in life, things don't always work so smoothly. Weather often does not cooperate, mistakes are made, opportunities are missed, and when the harvest was finally brought in, it was substantially less than the farmer anticipated. When he takes his crop it to market, he is scarcely able to bring in enough to cover his expenses. 

He says "I will do better next year". The following spring his tries to better anticipate the weather based upon what he experienced previously. But again things did not cooperate so well. He planted earlier to anticipate the early rains, but his fields flooded and the first planting was lost. In order to obtain more seeds he had to borrow more money.  Then his farm equipment began to break down and needed costly repairs. This required him to incur further debt. 

Now he eventually began to learn from his mistakes, but found himself deeply in debt. He asked himself if there was any way he would ever be able to get himself out of the debt he found himself in. 

As time continues on, the farmer continues to struggle along scarcely able to cover his basic expenses. The payments on his debts consume so much of his income. He falls into despair as a terrible storm comes along and destroys much of his crop. When harvest time comes he finds that he is not able to raise enough money at the market to be able to make his payments. 

When he is unable to satisfy his lenders, they decide that they are going to take the property from him and force him to sign an agreement that he will work the land for them in order to pay the debt. The agreement amounts to little more than slavery, for once the debt is paid he will not own the land, and will continue to be in bondage. 

Then along comes a man, a fellow farmer, who agrees to pay the farmers debts. This satisfies the lenders. But the young farmer is confused and still filled with despair. Now he is simply indebted to another lender. But he asks the stranger what his payment terms are and the stranger responds that he doesn't want money. Perplexed, the young farmer asks what the stranger does want, for surely some form of payment is required. The stranger then tells the young farmer, that the only payment that is required is to help others as he has been helped and to forgive the debts that others might owe him. Still confounded, the young farmer asks the stranger why he would do such a kind deed. 

The stranger responds "When I was a young man, I like you purchased a farm and had to go into debt to do so. When my crops failed, it seemed as though I was destined to lose everything and be forever trapped in bondage. But the kindness of a stranger saved me from that fate. You see none of us possess the means of ourselves to succeed. We all need one another, and we have to put our cares aside and help one another and care for one another. And in the process, we gain something that is far more valuable. We obtain the character and attributes of pure love and we obtain true friendship."  

The young farmer took the message to heart and from that day on helped all who were in need. 

So it is with this life. We all incur a debt in this life. Every time we sin, which is to draw away from God and seek to gratify our selfish desires at the expense of others we incur a debt. How is this?  Let me explain. If I lie to you, there is a damage done. Our friendship and trust is damaged, and I become indebted to you because I have wronged you and the eternal justice demands that that wrong be righted. If I steal, it's not just about the value of the stolen item. I have lost confidence amongst my fellow men, and that damage must be made right. Every sin has a natural consequence, and those consequences can reach far beyond what we ever expected, and whether we see the full results or not, our actions are the cause and we are responsible to make things right. And the weight of this seems overwhelming and unbearable.

This is where the atonement of our Savior comes in. He takes our debt upon Himself on the conditions that we will strive to become like Him and do as He has done. That we will start to learn to love as He loves. That we forgive as He forgives, and that we give of our means as He does. This is the only path that can make us like God to be an heir to His kingdom. 

Covering Sins

Today I am going to talk about this concept of covering sins. Many people are under the perception that Christ died to pay the price for our sins. That by his death the price has been covered and our sins are covered by that. 

Let me tell a story. A certain man had a son, who in his young developed an addiction to gambling. The son would spend his free time traveling to casinos where he could try his luck. Soon the son found himself in debt. 

So the son returns to his father and admits his problem and asks for help. The son hopes that his father will help him pay off his debts, but instead the father simply offers his advise on how to overcome the addiction. 

In this example the father has a choice. He could bail his son out by paying off the debts, or he can teach his son not to gamble and how to get himself out of his situation. And my point is that one option is more loving than the other. 

If the father removed the consequences of his sons actions, his son will not learn how to overcome his weakness. He will not learn how to resist the temptation, and he will not learn the hardships and struggles that his course leads to. In fact the son may learn a very negative lesson, that he can trust that no matter how bad things get, he can turn to his parents to bail him out. The result is a person who is a leech, never responsible for his own actions. Removing the consequences is not a loving thing to do because it doesn't help us to grow. Truly loving parents should want their children to do better than they did. They way to do that is to teach them correct principles, and allow them to learn from their mistakes. 

So it is with Christ. He did not come to save men in their sins. He came to teach men how to overcome their sins and be made clean. Returning back to my story. If the son overcomes his gambling problem, then his father will vouch for his integrity, and could in confidence trust him with many things and not have to worry about his son abusing it. Even if he still has debts to pay and things to make right, he will be placed into a better path where he can overcome all things. So it is with Christ. If we overcome our sins, then they will be forgotten by Him. This does not take away the consequences, but it allows us the opportunity to move forward without being burdened down by the guilt. Just as the son with a gambling problem may overcome his addiction, he must still work off his debts. And when we sin, if we overcome that sin, there will still be reminders and consequences that linger on.    We still have to deal with those consequences. 

A good example a friend of mine likes to use involves food and exercise. If I eat lots of calorie rich foods and don't exercise, I'm going to gain weight. That is a natural consequence to that kind of behavior. Now the savior could be like a trainer. He can teach us how to get back in shape, and because he is a good trainer he doesn't mock or judge us. But we have to admit our problem and accept his help or he can't help us. He is there to help us overcome. He us there to teach us the way. But we still have to do our part.

Love and Forgiveness

In my previous articles I attempted to show and differentiate between different perceptions of God and the way He really is. In my last article I showed how God possesses this unconditional love, known as agape in Greek. I briefly showed that our English words for love don't do the concept justice and we will continue to explore that concept in greater depth. Let us begin by returning to the full story of the Prodigal Son. 

“And He said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." And he divided unto them his living.  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said, "How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."

But the father said to his servants, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." And they began to be merry.

Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

And he said unto him, "Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound."

And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.  And he answering said to his father, "Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:  But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf."

And he said unto him, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."”

Luke 15:11-32

Now let us examine a few important concepts in this parable. We see this young son receive his inheritance. We have an opportunity do use our time on this earth as we please, and we ought to use it for the best good. In this story the son squanders his inheritance.  

Now the next concept is that all actions have consequences. In this story one of the consequences is that the son no longer had any money in consequence of his having wasted it. Had he saved his money to buy his necessities, he might have weathered the rough times. Or had he used his inheritance productively he might have had an increase and ended up with more than he had started with. So it is in life. If we cultivate negative habits, and indulge in sinful or selfish behavior, we waste away our time which could be spent in improving and growing.  If we work on improving our character and growing spiritually we gain an increase. 

Next in the story, through his suffering he comes to realize the reality of his situation. It is through his suffering that he realizes he has made mistakes, and realizes that only by owning up to that and making some resolve to change, is his situation going to improve. This is often the case with us, that only when our actions catch up with us do we realize the seriousness of our actions. 

Realizing it was his own deeds that caused his troubles, and remembering that his fathers house was a place of refuge, he next determines to return to his father. So it is with us.  However because of his misdeeds he no longer feels worthy to return to his father as a son. Instead he desires to be a hired servant. We must humble ourselves and return to Him, with full intent to right our wrongs and correct our mistakes. But don't let the perceived seriousness of your sins prevent you from doing so. Many will feel so unworthy because of their guilt and shame that they will not even try. No matter what you have done, moping about it or trying to pretend is not going to change anything. Just try to do better and keep trying. 

Now despite the son's feelings of unworthiness and his plea to be a servant, notice the loving father's reaction.  There is no judgement, no condemnation. He instead runs towards his son who has returned home. He embraces him. And he celebrates that his son has come back by having a feast.  He responds with understanding and compassion.  He knows what his son has been through and he knows what his son will yet have to go through. 

Now the other son returns home to find his brother has returned, but that he had lost his inheritance. He initially feels saddened that his father is celebrating. He feels as though his efforts have not been justly rewarded. So his father comes out to comfort him. The good son bears out his feelings, so the father explains to him this important principle. 

The father explains to him that he has received his inheritance. The father tells his son that all that the father possesses, he will possess. Recall, the rebellious son has already received his inheritance and squandered it. He cannot get it back. Though he is forgiven and accepted back into his fathers home, he cannot regain what was lost. All he can do is move forward. 

Now God is loving like unto the father in this parable. But His love and His forgiveness will not take away the consequences of our choices and actions. There is a place in his kingdom for all that choose to return to His presence. But it is so much better that we not squander our inheritances. We will have to deal with the consequences whether we return to Him or not. And justice demands that He cannot take the glory that His righteous servants have and give it to those who have lost theirs. If God could or would take away the consequences then He would be robbing us of our opportunities. It would be as as though to say that "It doesn't matter what you choose, I will override your choice and reward you regardless." Much of this is a topic for another time.  

But my main point I want to leave with my readers is that love and forgiveness do not take away the consequences. If we sin we must still deal with the results. If I rob a bank and then say that God forgives me and do not return the money, I am still a theif, and the law will still hold me accountable. Every sin must be made right. That's where the atonement comes in. Till next time. 

The Loving God

The third type of diety people perceive is a loving being.  This is the version of God that loves mankind unconditionally. Of the three versions of God this version is the most accurate. 

However, in order to understand a loving God, you have to understand what kind of love He possesses and exhibits.  I will attempt to explain what I mean in the simplest terms I can. 

In the English language there are really only two words for love. There is first the very ambiguous word "love", which can mean anything from lust, sexuality, or desiring-preferring one thing over another. It can be applied to people, possessions, foods, feelings, entertainment, etc. Then there is the word "like" which is a lesser form. The problem is these words are so ambiguous that you have to derive the meaning from the context in which it is used, and even then the meaning is often lost. 

By contrast, the Bible was written in other languages, namely Hebrew and Greek. Both languages have words for love that define specific types of love for which there are no English equivalents. Greek has four words for love. Hebrew has at least three, but we are going to focus on the Greek. In Greek three of the four words for love are natural loves which we more or less need. There are part of our natural order and in and of themselves are neither good nor evil. 

It is not my goal at this time to explore the differences in the meanings of these words. Rather we will focus on the forms used to describe the love of Christ, which is agape. Agape (pronounced agápē) is unconditional love. It is the love God has for man. It is free from pride or selfishness. A most excellent example is found in the writings of Paul. 

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not agape, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape, it profiteth me nothing.

Agape suffereth long, and is kind; agape envieth not; agape vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Agape never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, agape, these three; but the greatest of these is agape.”

1st Corinthians 13:1-13

In the KJV (and other versions) this passage translates agape as charity. This is undoubtedly because the translators realized that love was too ambiguous of a word and could not convey the proper meaning. However I feel that charity does not properly convey the meaning either, since charity means to give, but that act in itself is not agape. We can give out of eros, pride, selfishness, necessity, etc. Charity on its own has no motive, but it can have either good or bad motives behind it. If I give to the poor I can do it out if a genuine compassion, or out of guilt.

Most natural lives are conditional. For example, a mothers love for her child, which some say is unconditional but it is not so, can be turned into bitterness if the child does not reciprocate that love. Likewise with romantic love which also turns into an ugliness if it is not returned. Or a friendship that crumbles into dust when a misunderstanding is introduced or trust is betrayed. Not so with agape. God loves us very deeply regardless of what mistakes we make.

“... A certain man had two sons:  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 

 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

Luke 15:11-24

In an upcoming article we can discuss the meaning of agape, forgiveness, and the atonement. But for now I just wish to show that God's love for us is not conditional, and does not diminish when we make mistakes. He values our souls and desires give us all that we desire that is good. 

The Indifferent Creator

The next type of god I wish to discuss is the indifferent creator. This belief seems to arise among a type of people who on one hand see that the world around them could not have come about by random chance or circumstance, therefore there must have been an intelligent being who created it or somehow guided and molded the formation of the universe. But on the other hand they do not see His guiding influence in their day to day lives. In other words they believe in a being powerful enough to create the universe, and that we happen to be a very small part of that universe, but that He can't be bothered with our day to day lives and struggles. That He created mankind then left them to figure things out on their own. 

This type of doctrine can be very popular with people. It can act as a bridging gap between aetheism and creationism. It attempts to explain how the universe came to be, but one doesn't need to be bothered with the finer points of religion. It's popular because it does not carry with it a inherent concept of either heaven or hell. It positions us as merely a part of the created universe, and that the actions of men are of little real consequence in that universe. It is popular because it's convenient to those that want to believe there is a god, but do not want to be held accountable for their actions.

This type of belief is in contradiction with the scriptures. However those that subscribe to this type of thinking are not likely to think anything of the scriptures. In their view, God, Buddah, Allah, Jupiter, etc. are really not all that different. In their view the teachings about them are just myths and legends, just stories meant to teach the moral values of a particular culture. In this view the so called prophets are just teachers or wise men, nothing more. So it would do little good to use references from the scriptures to show the folly of such a view unless we first show that this type of belief is deeply flawed. Instead we will first turn to reason. 

Ultimately reason begs the question "why?".  Surely why would a being who has power and knowledge to create order from chaos or from nothing, create a universe and not take an invested interest in that creation?  If you were to create some type of sandbox virtual world and create truly complex and intelligent beings in it, would you care what those beings chose to do with their free will?  Why go through the trouble of creating something if you don't care how it turns out?  Does a baker create a cake with no interest in how it will taste?  If the outcome is not a concern, then why bother creating at all?  

Because creating intelligent beings is no accident and is not a small feat. Creating intelligent beings such as humans suggests a level of dedication and investment in the creation. Would a parent invest in a child, giving them a fine education, feeding and nurturing and providing a suitable environment for them with no concern wether that child becomes a successful businessman or a dying drug addict?  Think upon these things. Ask these questions. A belief in a disinterested god is really do different than a belief in no god. 

Now, let us examine a few passages of scripture that show us more what kind of God our creator really is. 

“Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians...”

Exodus 3:6-8

This doesn't sound like a disinterested God to me. In fact on a side note, why did it take the Israelites so long to realize the predicament they found themselves in and ask for help?

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” 

Matthew 7:7-12

And then there is the teaching that God sent His own son, Yessuah, to teach mankind His gospel. To teach men how to be loving and kind and selfless. He sent His son, knowing that He would have to give His life for this cause. I could go further into this, but that is for a later discussion all its own. My point is that, according to the scriptures, God is very invested and very interested in what we do. And not just collectively as mankind. He is interested in you. He cares about your struggles, failures, victories, success, heartaches, and happiness. He created this world for a purpose, and He created you for a purpose. 

The Vengeful God

The first type I will call the Vengeful God. This is the version of God that is mighty and self-righteous. He just sits up in Heaven and looks down upon His creation. When people do well and obey Him, He rewards them with a place in Heaven and they get to be eternally happy. If they disobey Him, He waits to cast His judgement and toss the wicked sinners into the coals of hell. This view is advocated by many groups including atheists. They state that only a vengeful God would destroy mankind with a flood or destroy Egypt with plagues. 

But is this version of God really what He is like?  Rather than listening to the opinions of man, let's turn to the scriptures for clues. 

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, "Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true."

Jesus answered and said unto them, "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.  Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.  And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.  It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."

Then said they unto him, "Where is thy Father?" Jesus answered, "Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."”

John 8:12-19

“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

Matthew 11:27

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

John 5:18-30

These passages should make one thing perfectly clear. If looking a Christ's works, and seeing that He is not vengeful, spiteful, or unloving in any way, how can one then think that God is not exactly the same?

Jesus Christ states that He came to save mankind. That is God's great work also. When the priests brought a woman taken in adultery before Jesus to test Him, after they had left He told the woman to go and sin no more. Notice that He didn't say "woman you have committed a terrible sin and for that you will spend eternity in the darkest depths of burning hell."  Christ desires us to repent. It is the sin itself that keeps us away from Him. 

Back to the instance of the flood. Many will say that God destroyed mankind with this mighty flood. But is that the whole story?  God did not want to destroy them, He wanted them to repent and gave them many many opportunities to do so. But the people continued to grow increasingly wicked. In so doing they pushed God away. When the earth itself could no longer bear the wickedness of man, God could not save those who had rejected Him. 

What of the plagues upon Egypt?  Plagues, pestilence, famine, and disaster have happened all throughout history and affect the righteous and the wicked alike. But those that are faithful talk to and counsel with God and can exercise faith in Him and learn how to receive help. The wicked are determined to deal with the situation using their own wisdom and understanding and refuse to ask for help from the source.  It is not God's will that we suffer. He wants to help us, and teach us, and love us. But He cannot spare us the consequences of our choices and actions. And He cannot help us if we refuse to ask. 

Egypt once honored the God of Isreal, but they grew proud of their own achievements and forgot how God had once delivered them from a famine.  Then they began to persecute those that did honor God. Soon the Isrealites were turning away from God as well. They feared being persecuted, and they grew to enjoy the wealth and culture of the Egyptians.  It was reaching a critical point.  

I will go into it more in a future article, but I will say at this point, these things are part of a great and grand plan for mankind, a plan that we are part of. God sorrows and weeps when we choose a path that will destroy us, and He may have to stop us if our choices infringe on the rights and opportunities of others. That's where the plagues and destructions really come in. They are tools to refine and benefit us. If we persevere through these things, we become stronger, kinder, more loving, and we gain an empathy we never could have known otherwise. If we gain these things, then it doesn't matter if we lose our mortal lives because we will still live on. But if we are rebelling against God and we get caught in these plagues and destructions, it will be terrible. We will become bitter instead of better, and we will know that we are not justified. 

What Is God Like?

In order to apply faith in God, we need to know what kind of a being He is, and what our connection with Him is. 

There are several views about God. Many of these views are in great contrast with each other. While people see God in many different ways, I am going to classify God as people see Him into one of three groups. 

The first I will call the Vengeful God. 

The second I will call the Indifferent Creator

The third I will call the Loving God

Power Through Faith

In my previous article I showed through other biblical examples that Christ was not able to perform His mighty miracles simply because He was the messiah. Other mighty prophets were also able to do mighty works. And it wasn't simply because they were prophets. Rather a lot has to do with how they became prophets. 

One of the keys that is required is this principle of faith. 

“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit"; and they cried out for fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water."  And He said, "Come." And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me." And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"”

Matthew 14:25-31

This story is an excellent example of faith. But in order to begin to understand how this is done, we need to have a correct understanding of what faith is and what it is not.  To gain a greater understanding of faith and how to apply it into our lives we first need to understand a bit about the God we are to put our faith in. Only by understanding what kind of God we are trusting in can we begin to exercise faith in Him. 

Christ's Authority

Another area of interest is the power or authority Christ had which enabled Him to perform the mighty miracles which He did, ranging from blessings, prophecies, blessings, healings, casting out devils, and miracles. 

Many have taught that Christ was able to do these works because of who He was. They teach that because He was the Son of God that He had access to divine powers that mortal men do not possess. Later His apostles learned how to do many of these same works because He granted them His power. These same teacher then by reason propose that the reasons why men today cannot do such things is that the power was lost. 

So let's examine this with what the scriptures teach. 

“And when He was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?"

And Jesus answered and said unto them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John, whence was it? from Heaven, or of men?"

 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we shall say, 'From Heaven'; he will say unto us, 'Why did ye not then believe him?'  But if we shall say, 'Of men'; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet."

And they answered Jesus, and said, "We cannot tell." And he said unto them, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."”

Matthew 21:23-27

From this passage it makes it clear that authority was a serious issue among the men of the day just as it is with many today. Now Christ's response not only confounded the Jewish priests, but it gives us a very real insight and a serious question for us to ponder and think upon. Where did John The Baptist get his authority?  The priests may not have followed John and his teachings, but the feared and respected him. Many of them acknowledged the power of his teachings and many acknowledged him as a prophet of God. For that matter, going back further in history, where did Noah obtain his authority? Abraham? Isaac? Jacob? Joseph? Moses? Aaron? Joshua? Samuel? Elisha? Elijah? Isaiah?  

Were any of these men the Son of God as Jesus was?  And yet did they not have power to heal the sick?  Prophecy? Bless? Command the elements? Raise the dead? The definitive answer if the scriptures are to be believed is yes!  If these men were not Jesus and yet were able to do many of the same works, then the reason Christ could do what He did must not have been a result of who He was. One must by reason alone conclude that there is another important key here. Something that all these mighty prophets had in common. 

Was Mary A Prostitute?

Many have claimed to have heard that Mary of Magdalene was a prostitute who became one of Christ's disciples. In this article, lets us explore this idea so we can come to a better understanding of the truth. 

To begin with I will state that this idea does NOT come from the scriptures. There are no passages found in the gospel that state that Mary of Magdalene was a prostitute. 

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”

Mark 16:9

“And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”

Luke 8:1-2

We are not given a definition of what these devils were. But based upon other example that can be found in scripture these can range to be anything from seizures, chronic illness, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. It would not be typical to say that a prostitute was a prostitute because she had a devil. So I think it's safe to say that this passage means that Christ healed her of a serious mental disorder or some kind of illness and I feel it very safe to say that this passage does not suggest that she was unvirtuous. 

“And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat.  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.  And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.”

Luke 7:36-40

Now in this passage, we are not told who this woman was, nor what her sins were. For some reason, we seem to associate the word sin with sexual immortality. But in the context the scriptures use the word, sin does not necessarily mean what we think it means. In fact this passages does give some clues. Christ was visiting a Pharisee. The Pharisees were historically know among Christians and even many Jews to be self righteous. So sin may have only been sin from the Pharisees perspective. In fact, Christ says "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee."  This tells us that this mans point of view was in error. The Saviour then tells a story about forgiveness. See Luke 7:41-50. 

Now some might associate that because this woman washed the Lord's feet with her tears and that Mary anointed the Lord's feet with oil that this woman is Mary. But the scriptures do not say so, nor imply so. So to assume that this woman is Mary is a stretch, and is pure speculatation, and to assume this woman was a prostitute is also speculation. 

“Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

They say unto him, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?"

This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?"  She said, "No man, Lord." And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."”

John 8:1-11

Again in this passage, no name is given as to who this woman is. In fact, when Christ addresses her, He calls her woman. This seems to indicate that He does not know her personally. Again to suggest this woman is Mary of Magdalene is a stretch at best, and there is enough evidence contained within the text itself to tell us this woman is NOT Mary. 

Next let's look at Mary's name as given in Scripture. She us referred to as Mary of Magdalene, or Mary Magdalene, or Miriam of Magdala. So what is the Magdalene part, why is it important?  In the time these things were written, Magdalene was a known term. It is used because it indicated what family she was descended from. Magdala refers to a town along the Sea of Galilee, of which Mary's family were prominent members, perhaps even leaders. In Hebrew Magdala also has a meaning of "tower", so poetically Magdala means exalted. Mary was descended through a powerful family, descended from the bloodline of David (House of Bethul) and at the time of Christ it was a well known and well respected family line. The scriptures do in fact support this view.  For example:

“And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.”...“The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.”...“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,”...“Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!  And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”...“Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.  But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.”

John 11:19, 31, 33, 36-37, 45-46

From these versus one can readily see that Mary's family was quite respected among Jewish society. When Mary's brother died the entire community came to weep with them. These people were not there to see Jesus, they did not believe in Jesus. They came to mourn for the family of Lazarus and to comfort them in their time of loss. 

So now that we have established that Mary's family was of some importance, we can reason out another principle. If Mary was a prostitute, as the Catholics claimed, she would have been disowned from such a notable Jewish family. It would not have been typical for a promiscuous daughter to tarnish the good name of such a respected family. So based in the fact that she was still allowed to carry on the name Mary of Magdalene, this tells us today that she was an honorable and well respected individual in the Jewish community, not a harlot. 

Christ's Example In Marriage Pt 2

Now that I have shown using some examples of canonical scripture that Christ was married, let us look at some less known works. 

“There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother; the sister of his mother; and Miriam of Magdala, known as his companion [koinonos]; for him, Miriam is a sister, a mother, and a wife [koinonos].”

Gospel of Philip 32

In this sampling, this outright states that Mariam (Mary) of Magdala (Magdalene) was His wife. In Greek the word koinonos means companion, partner, spouse. 

“The Wisdom [Sophia] thought to be sterile [steira] is the mother of angels.  The companion [koinonos] of the Son is Miriam of Magdala.  The Teacher loved her more than all the disciples; He often kissed her on the mouth.

When the disciples saw how He loved Miriam, they asked Him: 'Why do you love her more than us?'

The Teacher answered: 'How can it be that I do not love you as much as I love her?'”

Gospel of Philip 55

This passage even more clearly illustrates to the reader the nature of the relationship between Mary and Jesus. 

“This is how it is with those united in marriage. The mystery which unites two beings is great; without it, the world would not exist.  What gives substance to the world is Anthropos.  What gives substance to Anthropos is an intimate and enduring relation [gamos]. Seek the experience of the pure embrace [koinonia]; it has great power; contemplate the Presence in this impermanent body.”

Gospel of Philip 60

In this passage it refers to Anthropos, which translated from Greek in this context means Son of Man, the same word used in the canonized New Testament to describe Jesus.  This passage makes it clear not only that Christ was married, but that it was an essential part of His holy mission.  

“Peter said to Mary, Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman.

Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.

Mary answered and said, 'What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.'”

Gospel of Mary 23-25

In this statement it shows us that Christ would have told His wife things which He may not have told others.  This is a very natural idea, and should not come as a stretch that the Apostles and other disciples would consider Mary to be a reliable source of information regarding Christ and His teachings since she was His wife and would know Him very intimately. 

“Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries.  But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well.  That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the perfect Man, and separate as He commanded us and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said.”

Gospel of Mary 51-53

Again this passage shows that Christ was not a respecter of a person by gender, social status, wealth, or any of the things we consider important. He judged people by their true worth. A good sign of that is shown by how faithful we are and by our willingness to set aside our pride and be humble. Do we reject things that are true because it goes contrary to our own ideas and understanding?  Or are we willing to listen to and trust the Lord. 

Christ's Example In Marriage Pt 1

Now another belief held by many Christians is that Christ lived a celibate lifestyle. That he was perfectly clean and pure in his life, and that He could not have a wife as a distraction from His holy work. 

This belief is interesting to look at. It reveals several things that have permeated Christian beliefs about marriage. But these beliefs are not backed by scripture. One of these beliefs is that celibacy is superior to matrimony. So when did this practice of celibacy first start becoming a require among the priests?  It turns out that until around 1000AD that priests could be married and have children.  Then the policy began to be changed because of abuses in the church. By about 1100 one could not be ordained to any position in the church unless one had publicly made a vow to abstain from marriage for life. 

So what did Christ say and teach about marriage. 

"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

Let us analyze these teachings. Firstly God created make and female. Two parts that go together to form a whole. Ok, let this idea sink in. God created both man and woman.  

"And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." 

Genesis 2:23-24

God created a companion for Adam because man needs woman and in turn woman needs man. Now I could point out further scriptures in this matter (Ephesians 5:22-33, 1st Corinthians 7:1-16) but my focus is on the teachings of Christ Himself both His words and example.  

Now we know that Jesus, being recognized by the Jews as a great teacher was often called Rabbi. 

"Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?" 

John 1:38

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." 

John 3:1-2

"When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.  And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?" 

John 6:24-25

So that he was called Rabbi is very clear. What many people do not know is that in order to be called Rabbi, one was typically married. Now I have found no clear indication that marriage was required, but Rabbis were considered to be great teachers, and in order to be great teacher they had to have both learning and experience. They were frequently consulted in regards to marriage and children.  If a man did not have the experience, he was not regarded as a Rabbi.  The Jews had no laws encouraging celibacy (outside certain Essene sects, even among them it was rare), and on the contrary, men were encouraged by law to have children to carry on the family line. Those who had no offspring often felt shame among Jewish society.

"And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.  And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:"

Genesis 30:22-23

Now reevaluating Matthew 9:4-6 we see that Christ is clearly giving advice related to marriage and divorce. He clearly states that the union between man and woman is ordained of God. Now Christ came to fulfill the law, and the law states that man and woman are made for each other. Therefore, one can readily conclude that if Christ was not married yet gave advice on marriage, He would be considered a hypocrite. 

Now more information can be found in examining further scripture. Let us look at the following story of Christ. 

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

Now look at this connection that exists between these two women and Jesus. Let us examine this story with an open mind by putting ourselves in Christ's place for a moment. If you were a great teacher, and you went to visit someone's home, and teach them, and one of the people at the home is busy with serving you and the other guests. Now suppose one of the people at this home was expected to help serve, but us instead listening to you as you teach. Would it not be proper for a complaint to be filed with the head of the household?  When have you ever heard of a matter like this passage being brought before a guest?  

The story sounds quite odd to say the least that Christ as a guest would be asked to resolve the matter. But if Christ was the head of household, in other words the husband, then the story makes far more sense. In this story you see several important points. Mary sat at Jesus feet. This would indicate a closeness between them. She is sitting exactly where Christ is. If she was a random person, such a placement would be inappropriate.  But as Christ's wife that position would be natural. She would desire to be near her husband. 

This next bit may anger some, but I cannot stop at revealing that Jesus was married to Mary, but that Martha was also His wife. Polygamy was not considered sinful in scriptural times. It is commonplace in the Old Testament, and was still widely practiced in the New Testament period among the Jews. We tend to think of it as sinful only because of centuries of Christian tradition wherein celibacy is presented as superior to marriage, and monogamy in like manner would be better that polygamy for the same reasons.  

In these passages, Martha clearly deals with Jesus as head of household yet it states that it was Martha's home.   This connection is further affirmed by the fact that Christ states Martha's name twice "Martha, Martha". To speak to someone in that matter is a term of endearment. Further He stated that she is "careful and troubled about many things". This statement affirms that Christ knows Martha very well. 

I will not quote it here but I recommend my readers see John 11. This chapter actually shows that Christ was particularly close to this family. Why?  Because Martha and Mary were His wives, and Lazarus was His brother in law. 

"There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 'Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?'  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Then said Jesus, 'Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.'"

John 12:2-7

Again Martha is serving because she is Christ's wife, He is hosting this Passover supper. Then Mary anoints the feet of her husband. Random strangers do not behave this way. Then when Judas criticized her for using expensive oil in this way, Jesus defends her, as a husband defends his wife. And when He explains her reasons for doing this anointing, we learn that she had purchased it and kept it for this day, so that she could perform this ordinance unto her husband. 

"And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary (Christ's mother), sitting over against the sepulcher.  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation,..."

Matthew 27:61-62

"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciples, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him."

John 20:1-2

"But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.  And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, 'Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?' She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, 'Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.'

Jesus saith unto her, 'Mary'. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  Jesus saith unto her, 'Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God'.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her."

John 30:11-18

Now a question to my readers. Why was Mary present before He was prepared to be buried at a ceremony that only the closest members of the family were permitted to attend?  Why is Mary at the tomb of Jesus? Why did Mary return to the sepulcher after they discovered that Christ's body had been taken?  Why did she have so much concern about where the body had been taken?  The answer is obvious. He was her husband, and not only had she just had to go through the devastating loss of her dearly beloved, but upon arriving at the tomb, to dress the body (recall that He had been buried promptly to avoid breaking the Sabbath), they discover He is gone, so she is struggling with the added grief that now His body is missing. 

My hope is to show using the scriptures that are commonly accepted by Christians to show that Christ was married, that marriage was an important part of who he was and what he taught, that marriage did not detract from his holy calling, and that Christ in His mortal state was fully human. Ladies and gentlemen, marriage is not sinful. In fact, according to scripture, it was one of the first commandments God gave to men.