Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

[Pastor Isaac Peters]

From the JYT:

A Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A historian of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School has identified a scrap of papyrus that she says was written in Coptic in the fourth century and contains a phrase never seen in any piece of Scripture: “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife …'”

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She repeatedly cautioned that this fragment should not be taken as proof that Jesus, the historical person, was actually married. The text was probably written centuries after Jesus lived, and all other early, historically reliable Christian literature is silent on the question, she said.

The only "historically reliable Christian literature" that we need is the King James Bible, and if God had wanted that manuscript included in His Word, He would have seen to it that it was included. We True Christians™ understand that lots of ancient religious fanatics wrote lots of fanciful things and that we can't believe something just because it's in an ancient manuscript.

[Redeemed Papist]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Oh for goodness sake! Do we have to consider that a historically rigorous document like the New Testament could be in error in favour of some scrap of totally uncorroborated hearsay?

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Let us not panic – let us approach this calmly and with the inspiration of The Lord Himself!

Consider this:

Book: 23:19 “And the Pharisees approached Him and one amongst them spake unto him and did say, “My wife says that you are no more than a deluded fraud!”
Book: 23:20 “Jesus said to him, ‘My wife … My wife?! What are you? Man or mouse? Why are you listening to your wife? Have not I said, “1st Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1st Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.”?
Book: 23:21 And the Pharisees departed thence and did weep.

[Levi Jones]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Of course it isn't real! I'm already claiming that the papyrus is too old to have been from the time of Jesus just like all the other "discoveries" in the last century or so.

To quote Dr. Bart Erhman, who is usually a God mocking fool, but on this he is correct.

With respect to Jesus, we have numerous, independent accounts of his life in the sources lying behind the Gospels (and the writings of Paul) -- sources that originated in Jesus' native tongue Aramaic and that can be dated to within just a year or two of his life

If it comes from paper that is too new, we can throw it out unless it comes from paper that is older than manuscripts of the New Testament, which are corroborated by early church fathers that may not be on papyrus from the time they were written. We can accept those because they speak of one another.

I have never heard of any early church fathers say that Jesus was married. In fact, they say Mary Magdeline was a whore. So people who knew people who knew people that knew the disciples of Jesus wrote that she was a whore, even though their writings are not the originals from the time of their writing, we can determine this to be true.

It's all so simple!

[Bjorn Jensen]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Coptic "Christians" are not Christians, does this look like a Christian to you?

[Rev. M. Rodimer]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Coptic "Christians" are not Christians, does this look like a Christian to you?

It looks like a Vulcan with a beard.

[Cranky Old Man]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Yes, it's really amazing how some people can take value in a piece of paper that is thousands of years old and has an unclear origin. I will gladly ignore it and spend time on studying my Holy Bible instead.

Jesus having a wife, what will they make up next? Jesus having gay orgies with his 12 disciples? Jesus committing quackery? Jesus voting for Obama? Does the endless stream of baseless attacks on Jesus ever stop?

[John Scopes]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Coptic "Christians" are not Christians, does this look like a Christian to you?

Snazzy bicycle helmet, shows a higher level of evolution.

[Pastor Ezekiel]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

I have a scrap of papyrus that says I'm the President of Hong Kong that I bought in Japan for $5000 in chinkmoney. Does that make it true?

[Zechariah Smyth]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Maybe it's referring to one of those messican Jesus guys who mispronounce it "Hey Zeus!"



Yours in Christ (NOT SOME FRUIT-PICKER),

Z. Smyth

[WilliamJenningsBryan]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Weren’t the Coptics a bunch of ganja-smoking nut bags that believed that marijuana was given to them by God, or was that the Rastafarians – I can never remember.

[Pastor Rune Enoe]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

From the JYT:The only "historically reliable Christian literature" that we need is the King James Bible, and if God had wanted that manuscript included in His Word, He would have seen to it that it was included. We True Christians™ understand that lots of ancient religious fanatics wrote lots of fanciful things and that we can't believe something just because it's in an ancient manuscript.

That's ridiculous. The Greek text doesn't even have a word for "wife", since the Greek word "gunê" can mean both wife and woman (link to concordance). This is precisely why you need God's inspired word (KJV1611) to tell you, whether "gunê" is to be interpreted as "wife" or "woman".

For all we know, the learned professor might be holding a scrap of John 2:4 in her womanly (wifely?) hands:

John 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, [i.e. "gunê"] what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

[Hannah Davis]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Weren’t the Coptics a bunch of ganja-smoking nut bags that believed that marijuana was given to them by God, or was that the Rastafarians – I can never remember.

That was Rastafarians- the crazy nut jobs.

[Titus Templeton]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

Harvard = Obama.

[Redeemed Papist]

Re: Does ancient Coptic papyrus show that Jesus had a wife?

I think what we're dealing with here is a problem with trying to make head nor tail of texts written in archaic and foreign languages written in a way that is not really used today so even basic phrases can be misunderstood. What is good job we have the KJV which is not open to such confusion.