coloradoatheist

Whether Jesus was married or not has been debated before especially with the release of the Tom Hanks film (Title slipped my mind). But has any of the mythical/historical debates centered why Jesus's single or married life was never mentioned. Paul definitely talked how it was better to be married than sin but he mentioned Jesus being celibate. And none of the gospel writers mentioned whether he was married or not. It's of significant theological importantance, but it's never mentioned once.

So the question, does the lack of any information lead add to Jesus being made up?


Mike

Toto

Actually, Paul does not mention whether Jesus was married or unmarried. This has been used as evidence that he did not know, since he surely would have used Jesus as an example, or would have had to have distinguished Jesus, when he praised celibacy.

It has been used as evidence for mythicism on these boards. A man's marital status was an important piece of information in those days, as much as a woman's is today.

ETA: You're thinking of the Da Vinci Code. But let's not get into that.

coloradoatheist

I had a typo in there and meant he did not say anything about it. It would have been an example and for someone to have supposedly persecuted Christians followed by meeting with them it certainly would have been a topic of discussion.

I'll try and not get into the DaVinci Code, had when I draw a blank when it's on the tip of the tongue.


Mike

Gullwind

I've read that the wedding he was at when he turned the water into wine may have been his own, since he and his mother were apparently in a position to give orders to the servants.

If you believe that sort of thing, anyway.

Antipope Innocent II

Er, yes. The Holy Blood Holy Grail/Templar Revelation-type of loon likes to argue this (though I don't think that talentless hack, Dan Brown, followed them down that particular kooky path in his mind-numbing, colour-by-numbers "thriller"). It's another argument that doesn't stand up very well. The gospel story of the wedding at Cana specifically says that Jesus, his mother and his disciples were all "invited". It's a weird sort of wedding where the groom is "invited". The same story has Mary ask her son to intervene when the wine runs out and he tells her that it's none of his business. Again, it's a very strange wedding where the groom isn't responsible for the feast.

Not that any of this deters the loons, who merrily take what they want from the evidence, ignore what doesn't suit them and make stuff up when they feel like it.

How Jesus being unmarried helps the "ahistorical Jesus" theories is something I'm afraid I don't see at all. If this made-up Jesus is given a made-up mother, father, brothers, sisters, followers and friends, why not a made-up wife? And why is he a celibate made-up Jesus, when this was unusual (though not almost unheard of, as the loons and the hack novelist try to pretend)?

squiz

You sometimes also hear the argument that non-marriage is frowned upon in Judaism, so Jesus, as a Jew, must have been married. Utter nonsense, when you consider that the main group of Essenes described by Josephus were celibate. (Just an example, I am not saying here that Jesus was an Essene).

dog-on

Could have been gay, I suppose.

Would explain running naked guy in Mark...

reniaa

I have to say after the 60TH time of someone saying to me after watching the movie or reading The Da vinci code "Oh didn't you know jesus was married" I feel like doing them real physical harm eeek and i'm a nice non-violent person normally, but really....sometimes I wonder if I live among a world of bleeting sheep unable to formalate their own minds it's quite scary how suggestable humanity can be.

No evidence suggests at all from biblical records that jesus was married and considering how focussed on his life the records where, why would something as important as that be left out?

dog-on

What did he look like?

reniaa

Erm the bible doesn't really describe physical looks of people as a rule, i'm struggling to find even one example so I fail to see the reason for your question?

BTW marrital staus is quite often mentioned I'e King David and King solomon whose wifes and concubines where listed.