If you have heard about the new papyrus discovery that some area saying is proof Jesus was married then you really should read Alan Boyle’s article “Reality Check on Jesus and His ‘Wife'”. When I heard about this I had a few problems with it on the front end. First, there is no context to the words. It is a scrap of papyrus that would fit nicely in your wallet. It is hard to tell what is being said on a disconnected scrap of paper. We need more context. Second, this is removed from the life of Jesus by a few hundred years. There were all sorts of false teachings that spread from the very beginning. Paul is dealing with false teaching in some of his letters and you are only a few decades out from Jesus, much less a few hundred years. Somehow we think anyone who lived within 500 years of Jesus has extra special authority even if we don’t know the author, their agenda, etc. That makes no sense at all.
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Matt Dabbs
April 10, 2024
4 Responses
I saw this and had about the same reaction.
From the article I read, this is a 4th century papyrus that might point to a 2nd century original which is still 200 or so years removed from Jesus’ time. The most reliable and earliest sources don’t make any mention of Jesus being married or having a romantic relationship, nor do they exclude the possibility.
I’m dubious about any such find for the same reasons.
To ask – since I’m not a scholar….were any of the disciples married? (Before or after their time with Jesus?) Wondering what ‘alteral’ information there might be on it but not sure where to look for reliable information.
Thanks!
Peter was married (Matt 8:14)