Who is Mary Magdalene?
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Salome, the easiest way to find answers to your questions is to learn to search them out yourself. I recommend Biblegateway.com, where you can search any combination of keywords in any of over 40 English translations. I suggest using terms such as "Mary" and Magdal" in this case, so you can get verses that include "Magdala" and "Magdalene".
Mary Magdalene (ἡ Μαγδαληνή; literally "the Magdalene") most likely means that she came from Magdala, a village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee that was primarily known in antiquity as a fishing town. She is sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and its aftermath.
Although the gospel of Mark, reputed by scholars to be the earliest surviving gospel, does not mention Mary Magdalene until Jesus's crucifixion, the gospel of Luke (8:2-3) provides a brief summary of her role during His ministry: She is mentioned by name twelve times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other woman in the gospels, other than Jesus's family.
The Gospel of Luke 8:2–3 lists Mary Magdalene as one of the women who traveled with Jesus and helped support his ministry "out of their resources", indicating that she was probably relatively wealthy. The same passage also states that seven demons had been driven out of her, a statement which is repeated in Mark 16. In all the four canonical gospels, Mary Magdalene was a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus and, in the Synoptic Gospels, she was also present at his burial. All the four gospels identified her, either alone or as a member of a larger group of women which includes Jesus's mother, as the first to witness the empty tomb, and the first to witness Jesus's resurrection.
Unlike Paul the apostle, Mary Magdalene has left behind no writings of her own. She was never mentioned in any of the Pauline epistles or in any of the other epistles. The earliest and most reliable sources about her life are the synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which were all written during the first century AD.
Mary was the first person sent by Jesus to testify of His resurrection. A Bing search supplied the above info
Although the gospel of Mark, reputed by scholars to be the earliest surviving gospel, does not mention Mary Magdalene until Jesus's crucifixion, the gospel of Luke (8:2-3) provides a brief summary of her role during His ministry: She is mentioned by name twelve times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other woman in the gospels, other than Jesus's family.
The Gospel of Luke 8:2–3 lists Mary Magdalene as one of the women who traveled with Jesus and helped support his ministry "out of their resources", indicating that she was probably relatively wealthy. The same passage also states that seven demons had been driven out of her, a statement which is repeated in Mark 16. In all the four canonical gospels, Mary Magdalene was a witness to the crucifixion of Jesus and, in the Synoptic Gospels, she was also present at his burial. All the four gospels identified her, either alone or as a member of a larger group of women which includes Jesus's mother, as the first to witness the empty tomb, and the first to witness Jesus's resurrection.
Unlike Paul the apostle, Mary Magdalene has left behind no writings of her own. She was never mentioned in any of the Pauline epistles or in any of the other epistles. The earliest and most reliable sources about her life are the synoptic gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which were all written during the first century AD.
Mary was the first person sent by Jesus to testify of His resurrection. A Bing search supplied the above info
That may be an allusion to the belief held by some that Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus. Popular works of fiction further spread this idea, such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. The Bible gives no hint that Mary Magdalene was Jesus’s wife. The four canonical gospels do not suggest that sort of relationship, even though they list the women who travel with Jesus, and in some cases include their husbands’ names.
How Early Church Leaders Downplayed Mary Magdalene's Influence by Calling Her a Whore
Other early documents portray her as Jesus's companion—and even mention kissing. What's really known about the Bible's most mysterious woman?
Sarah Pruitt
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Mary Magdalene as Jesus's wife
While some early Christians sought to downplay Mary’s influence, others sought to accentuate it. The Gospel of Mary, a text dating from the second century A.D. that surfaced in Egypt in 1896, placed Mary Magdalene above Jesus’s male disciples in knowledge and influence. She also featured prominently in the so-called Gnostic Gospels, a group of texts believed to have been written by early Christians as far back as the second century A.D., but not discovered until 1945, near the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi.
One of these texts, known as the Gospel of Philip, referred to Mary Magdalene as Jesus’s companion and claimed that Jesus loved her more than the other disciples. Most controversially, the text stated that Jesus used to kiss Mary “often on her ____.” Damage to the text left the last word unreadable, though some scholars have filled in the missing word as “mouth.”
The point being, if you feel led, research for your own satisfaction as God leads you. Remember, Judaism and Christianity are grounded in a Patriarchy. That has everything to do with everything about the formation of the canon and the "orthodoxy". It is why we're led to believe women are less than, when we're not at all.
God empowers. Man devours.
Trust God. He'll show you the way if you feel encouraged to seek beyond what is approved.
Some opponents of Mary Magdalene may insist the text referred to is 2nd century and therefore able to be dismissed as non-Canonical and uninspired.
We have to remember, the oldest text used in our New Testament today was :
The earliest extant fragment of the New Testament is the Rylands Library Papyrus P52, a piece of the Gospel of John dated to the first half of the 2nd century.
One of the most important Dead Sea documents is the Isaiah Scroll. This twenty-four foot long scroll is well preserved and contains the complete book of Isaiah. The scroll is dated 100 B.C. and contains one of the clearest and most detailed prophecies of the Messiah in chapter fifty-three, called the "Suffering Servant."
Quotations/Allusions to the Old Testament book of Isaiah in the New Testament (<= link)
With all due respect, I'm aware I could google or look on Wikipedia...however, I come here to hear perspective of my fellow Christian.
It was not downplayed. It has been rejected as false. The documents are not part of christian scripture and never where.
Why would someone claiming to be christian read and believe gnostic writings. That would be my question.
Falsehoods are usually backed up by a false claim that the "early church' hid something or changed something in scripture. With the manuscript evidence we can know this is blatantly false.. However, some evil men have tried to add to scripture. Claiming it to be true.
Its often asked what is wrong with Christianity today, some blame certain movements.. One of the reasons I would say is that its christians willing to bed fellow with any idea, theory or fad in the name of 'peace'. Remember that truth does indeed divide!
Let your mind be renewed by God's word. Especially not writings proven to be false religion. Or secular theories.
It's not exactly false when the books included in the Biblical canon are there almost arbritarily, some would argue. For example the Revelation was not originally to be included, but since it is, it's validated in a respect that the Gospel of Thomas, for example, is not.
Understandable; however, you provided no hint of that in your opening post. We can help you better if you ask for what you want.
None of the Apocryphal writers claim to be inspired by God. They were all written during a time (400 years) between the two testaments when it was acknowledged there were no prophets, and no direct revelation from God. The New Testament Jews never included them in any Jewish collection of Scriptures, so contrary to people believing that books have been removed from the Bible, the opposite is actually true: books have been added. The Apocrypha contains a great variety of errors – historical, geographical, chronological, and moral, and promotes doctrines which contradict the Bible. Without these apocryphal books, the Roman Catholic Church would have absolutely NO support for their doctrines of purgatory, praying for the dead and offering sacrifices for the dead (indulgences was a significant reason for the reformation). The Gnostics held a totally different view of the Bible, of Jesus Christ, of salvation, and of virtually every other major Christian doctrine, which is why Paul preached against them and their false teachings.
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I say false in the sense that it is not christian scripture. I don't know where you would get the idea that the canon of scripture was done in an arbitrary fashion?
But, simply put - is Gnosticism Christian? Of course not! Maybe that would be the reason the gospel of Mary, or the gospel of Thomas is not included in scripture.
If your definition of 'Christian' is 'follows a doctrine developed in 17th cenutry Europe', sure
Ah yes, as 'claiming' to be inpsired by God makes it so.
Catholicism is effectively Christianity as the Romans practiced it, Romans being previously religously pantheistic.