According to prophetic statements concerning the Millennium, “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”[i] This is a clear declaration that the truth of the Lord has NOT been upon the earth in its fullest nor to its greatest extent. The Truth of God and His love for the equality of all is destined prophetically to establish a millennial reign of Peace.

It is time for tradition to be replaced with truth as prophesied. The internet with its freedom of speech is bringing forth long-suppressed knowledge, such as various preserved authenticated ancient records of Christ’s teachings. People are waking up to the Savior’s attitude concerning women and why He honored Mary above any other Apostle when He appeared to her first after His resurrection. These ancient records prove that the Lord was no respecter of persons and that women held key leadership roles in the early Christian Church. Women’s equality can not be stopped. The historical suppression of women by political men of religion contrary to the Lord’s teachings is being exposed. This is the day of the woman being truly equal to man even in religion as pure spokeswomen for the Lord!

In order for this unity and equality to occur, it will be necessary to replace the traditional omissions of truth and the commissions of lies perpetuated historically by controlling, fallible leaders who have been placed on pedestals of authority and who have effectively controlled the masses and suppressed women who are themselves guilty of omission.

For the most part, great care was taken in the rewriting of the Lord’s teachings. However, because of incorrect interpretations, destruction of gospels that would have lent greater understanding, and political maneuverings, erroneous beliefs crept into the recordings of the Lord’s teachings. This is shockingly evident in the area of women being considered inferior to men to preach and lead religious congregations. At times, control of the belief system was executed in the translation process with different nuances used to achieve incorrect interpretations.

But some versions don't interpret--they distort. Some are notorious for omitting references to Christ's blood, or for attempting to deny his deity. In these instances, the translators are neither faithful to the form or the meaning. They have perverted the Word of God. (Wallace 663)

However, translating the Bible into different languages was absolutely necessary for freedom and independence to evolve. This was the key issue for English translator, John Wycliff in 1382 AD to remove the religious control away from the leaders and make the knowledge of God available to the people for their independence and self-reliance.

 It is unfortunate, but historically proven that the spiritual teachings of the Savior as recorded in the Bible have been subjected to the manipulations and politics of man throughout recorded history. This control of religious belief and thereby, control of the people began in the early Christian community with different records, politically not spiritually, included and excluded from the initial compilation that helped to create our present day Bible.

This selection process was determined by different early Christian leaders which included the decisions made at meetings of religious/political leaders who came together at the Counsel of Nicaea beginning in 325 CE. These counsel meetings were fraught with debate and disharmony regarding theological beliefs which took decades to somewhat (if ever) resolve. This committee was under the direction of Christian convert, Constantine who politically needed a united Christian force. Constantine professed to have had a vision of a cross that helped him to win a battle and to gain tolerance for the persecuted Christians which, he had discovered, included his own Mother, a Christian. Constantine who felt he was a Disciple of Christ is also known to have executed his eldest son and murdered his wife after his so-called conversion.    

Another early Christian leader who determined the direction Christianity would take was Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria in 367 C.E. who gave the orders to burn all Gospel writings that he did not approve of, including the preserved Nag Hammadi records. Control is control even in religious settings with most religion leaders not understanding the true spiritual teachings of Christ. This will be evident even among the early Apostles as shown later in this discourse.

            Evidence will also support long-suppressed truth of the exemplary life of an important, courageous early church leader; an Apostle, a woman, and beloved wife, namely Mary Magdalene (also known as Miriam or Maria in the Pistis of Sophia, for instance, to distinguish from the Mother Mary). She was loved by Jesus as his eternal companion, above all others because of her pure heart. It will be shown that Mary Magdalene was the only Apostle to have evolved spiritually enough to understand the teachings of the Savior. It is apparent that Mary Magdalene has been slandered and omitted from history by men who acted in the name of God, but unfortunately, were not of God.

It is in the wisdom of the Lord that pure ancient works, unsoiled by the historic politics or misinterpretations of religious leaders are coming forth to refresh the truth of the Savior’s spiritual teachings. The beauty and simplicity of the Savior’s teachings as contained in the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Phillip, the Gospel of Thomas, etc., corroborated by other ancient records, touch the heart and make sense. For them to come forth in this age is another act of precision by the Lord to be distributed without hindrance or suppression using today’s technology of world-wide communications to be a second witness of the Bible and to cover the earth with the pure knowledge of the Lord.

            Thus, we will now look at the history of the ancient record known as the Gospel of Mary. It could be said that divine maneuverings prevented the Gospel of Mary coming forth until this day when the uncontrolled internet ensures full disclosure of truth without suppression. That, three independent copies of this controversial document from such an early date (0-300 CE?) survived is a profound attestation of this early Christian work.                  

In January of 1896, over one hundred years ago, an Achmim book dealer in central Egypt sold a fifth-century papyrus book to Dr. Carl Reinhardt, a German scholar. It was an incredible find and a miracle that it had been so well preserved! Dr. Reinhardt had the book placed in the Berlin Egyptian Museum where it was given the catalogue number of Codex Berolinensis 8502 (Berlin Codex). Later Carl Schmidt, an Egyptologist worked on the Berlin Codex for translation in German. It was ready for publication in 1912 and was sent to the printers, the PrieBchen Press in Leipzig, but a water pipe broke and the entire edition was destroyed. Further extensive delays were caused by WWI, Schmidt’s death, WWII and, finally, the Berlin Codex came into the stewardship of scholar Walter Till in 1941 who finally published it in 1955 as a German translation. (King 7-12)

Initially, Schmidt had found that the Gospel of Mary was missing the first six pages and four other pages from the middle. Because of the excellent, but disordered condition of the manuscript, Schmidt felt that this Gospel had been the victim of deliberate mischief. These same pages were also suspiciously missing in two other independent manuscripts of the Gospel of Mary whose existence further verify the authenticity of this gospel writing and raises the question, what knowledge did those missing pages contain? Many scholars have wondered if those pages were suppressed because they verified the leadership role of Apostle Mary. King 7-12)

In 1917, the Rylands Library in Manchester England acquired a Greek fragment of the Gospel of Mary which was published in 1938 by C.H. Roberts. This papyrus (PRyl 463 – catalogue number) was found in Oxyrhynchus in Northern Egypt and was written in the third century CE. The third papyrus (POxy 3525) of the Gospel of Mary also dating from the third century and found in Oxyrhynchus, was written in a cursive Greek script. POxy 3525 was published in 1983 by P.J. Parsons and is now in the Ashmolean Library at Oxford. (King 7-12)

The ancient book sold to Reinhardt was an ancient Coptic (late Egyptian language) record containing four unknown works depicting the Savior’s personal teachings to his Apostles after his resurrection. Two of these books (the Apocryphon of John and the Sophia of Jesus Christ) were later found after World War II with another major ancient manuscript discovery in Egypt near the village of Nag Hammadi. (King 7-12)

            The Nag Hammadi records existence and teachings further verify the Gospel of Mary’s authenticity. The spiritual knowledge contained in newly discovered authentic ancient records such as; The Gospel of Mary, the Apocryphon of John, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, The Act of Peter, The Gospel of Phillip and many other ancient scriptures are rocking the shaky foundation of organized religion.

Elaine Pagels, PhD., made this statement regarding documents at Harvard University that have the power to entirely change religious views regarding women.

“What I found out when I got to this city,” Pagels says of her time at Harvard, where she holds a Ph.D., “was that my professors had file folders full of gospels that I had never heard about[…] gospels that had been discovered in upper Egypt about 50 years before and went back to the beginning of the Christian movement. They completely changed, transformed, and complicated our picture of what Christianity is. […] Suddenly you find in the [Gnostic] Gospel of Thomas that six disciples are named: Matthew and Thomas, James and Peter, Mary Magdalene and Salome. […] The issue is authority—who has the authority to speak, whose experience is valid, whose vision, whose intuition, whose revelation is genuine, and who says who has the right to say. That’s what this text is about. It’s about Mary receiving visions and revelations and speaking, and others challenging her right and her capacity, and that challenges the possibility of your intuition or hers or anyone’s [having validity].” (Ford mary.html)

The true equality and the worth of women before God was suppressed and fallible men taught women to be silent and not to preach the gospel. Irenaeus of the second century was one of the many powerful church leaders who suppressed the prevalent women religious leaders as heretics (Ford mary.html). The inherent nature of women is to be more spiritually inclined than men so who better to preach of God’s spiritual teachings than women? Not only does this information and new perspective regarding Mary Magdala of Bethany and the role of women as equals to men in religion and in the eyes of God make sense but it is corroborated repeatedly by the Savior’s teachings.

             It is time for organized religion to be cleansed of their erroneous beliefs limiting women’s spiritual/religious leadership roles based upon traditional precepts of men who have misinterpreted the teachings of Christ. For instance, in 591 CE, Pope Gregory issued a Missal with no divine knowledge or scriptural foundation to proclaim that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute in order to silence women. The church also said that this prostitute, i.e., Mary Magdalene was also known as Mary of Bethany. Then in 1969, the Catholic Church officially retracted their previous erroneous Missal and publicly stated that Mary Magdalene was NOT a prostitute which, of course, is true. However at this time of being “truthful” they also, once again, deluded the truth by saying that Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene were SEPARATE individuals. It is believed by many scholars, which makes sense with the supporting evidence, that Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdala or Magdalene were one and the same. This political maneuver by the Roman Church was another attempt to diffuse the true role of Mary Magdalene and to continue the historical suppression of women.  

            [...] Mary's full title was Sister Miriam Magdala or, as she is better known, Mary Magdalene. Gregory I, Bishop of Rome 590-604, St Bernard, the Cistercian Abbot of Clairvaux 1090-1153, both confirmed that Mary of Bethany was synonymous with Mary Magdalene.” (Gardner, Mary.html)

            The Jews wanting to rid themselves of the spiritual direction and followers that listened to Mary Magdalene after the death of Christ shipped her off with others in a rudderless, oar-less boat. This group survived by the will of God. The French Church and possibly the entire Western Church, upholds the story that Mary Magdalene of Bethany was put to sea with her brother Lazarus (who the authorities had wanted to arrest), her sister Martha, and other Christian friends, in a sailboat without oars, which carried them to the coast of southern France. There they became the first spokesmen of Christianity.  

            Magdalene or Magdala does not indicate a location as Bethany does but in Hebrew the word, Magdal-eder means “tower of the flock” and the title Magdala means tower or elevated, or of great magnificent. You will see in reading the Gospel of Mary how this title of great respect was earned by Mary as the only Disciple/Apostle of Christ who did not deny him or hide in fear as most of the other Apostles did and seemed to be the only Apostle to understand Jesus’ spiritual teachings.

Another erroneous belief to dispute is the celibacy of Christ. It’s a matter of knowledge of the traditions at the time of the life of the Savior and common sense to know that as a Rabbi, Jesus Christ had to fulfill the laws and customs of the Jewish people. It would have been unheard of and not allowed in Judaic Law for a Rabbi to be unmarried. Most certainly Jesus as a Rabbi was married as were the Apostles (even though, some had absolutely no regard for women). No word exists for “bachelor” in the Jewish tradition at that time period.

Further evidence to support Jesus having been married is found in the New Testament, the Fourth Gospel Chapter 2 at His own wedding feast! At the marriage feast at Cana of Galilee in Jewish tradition the Host or Governor of the Feast would have initial authority. The secondary level of authority would go to the Bridegroom and his mother, the Hostess. This is why Mary when informed of the wine shortage went to Jesus, the Bridegroom, with the problem. It seems that Mary as the Hostess at Jesus’ marriage feast knew the Divine nature of her Son. Changing the water into wine was the first Miracle performed by Jesus at His own wedding to Mary Magdalene who was of the tribe of Benjamin.

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?  Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. (New Test. 4^th Gospel 2:3 - 5)

In the Gospel of Phillip, and other newly found early Christian records, we are given further insight regarding Mary Magdalene:  

As for Wisdom who is called “the barren,” (she is valued for herself and not because she is needed to bear children) she is the mother [of the] angels and the companion of the S[avior Ma]ria the Mag[da]lene—(she is the one) the S[avior loved] more than [all] the disciples, [and he] used to kiss her on her [mouth of]ten. The rest of [the disciples [...]They said to him “Why do you love her more than all of us? The Savior replied; he said to them, “Why do I not love you like her? If a blind man and one who sees are both in the dark, they do not differ from each other. When the light comes, then the one who sees will see the light, and the one who is blind will remain in the dark.(Isenberg gop.html)

It would have also been unheard of for Mary, being single, to travel with single men. We know that many, if not all, of the Apostles were married. Jesus in accordance with the early Jewish custom and time had to have been married. Jesus fulfilled the Jewish laws and taught that marriage is a holy, sacred union between a man and a woman ordained by God. Jesus taught this emphatically and frequently kissed Mary on the mouth as a passionate, pure adoring husband as recorded in early Christian writings. The words “woman” and “companion” as Mary was called are also the words for “wife.” Following are further teachings of Christ regarding marriage:

Great is the mystery of marriage! For without it, the world would not exist. Now the existence of the world [...] and the existence of [...] marriage. Think of the [...] relationship, for it possesses [...] power. (Isenberg gop.html)

The erroneous thinking that celibacy was a “holy” state and that Jesus was celibate was not contrived until the late 2^nd century by Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria to refute the teachings of that time period that Jesus was married. These individuals strangely believed that sexuality in marriage was sinful and that Jesus was too spiritual as the Savior of the world to participate in such base activities. Our bodies were made in the image of God. The sexual union in a marriage is a God-given fulfillment of man and woman becoming one physically as a type and shadow of becoming one spiritually. Both unions; physically and spiritually are of God and only those of base natures would deem otherwise. Jesus lived with passion in all that he did on this earth including kicking the moneychangers out of the temple. And as stated previously, God incarnated as a man, fulfilled all of the traditional laws of the Jewish Religion which included marriage. Jesus also gave us powerful teachings regarding the sanctity of marriage with the man and the woman, equally yoked, as one unto God, living the higher spiritual laws.

The knowledge that Jesus was married had to be suppressed (in the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries) to further the traditional evil belief labeling women as “unclean” and inferior to men spiritually, physically, and emotionally. This deplorable attitude is seen in the present day Muslim customs when it is the women’s fault when men sexually assault them! 

In the early 3^rd century, it was deemed a political safeguard by the newly organized dysfunctional church to have the leaders of the church celibate for control and to prevent succession by the offspring to positions of authority. (Green) Celibacy, in my opinion, is living an incomplete life and omitting a holy union which provides opportunities of growth that can facilitate the spiritual growth necessary to know God. However, a person first needs to be true to themselves in this decision (and timing) and have God in their lives before committing to a holy union of equality and ONLY with someone they truly respect and love. No one can judge for others.

A few influential early church leaders, as researched by author Vivian Green, such as Athenagoras felt marriage was a “respectable form of adultery” and Tatian and Tertullian called marriage “a defilement and fornication” with deplorable anti-feminism hatred which also led to the requirement for clergy to be celibate.

However, celibacy led to many interesting twists in the so called “perfect church leadership” as further exposed in Green’s “A New History of Christianity.” The Dictatus Pape of March 1075 declared: “The Roman Church has never erred and never will err till the end of time.” We also read this outrageous entry from the Christian church records. “In 1127 provision was made for disciplining and even enslaving clerical concubines. While some of the bishops themselves had mistresses […]” (Green 10-11, 75, 112, 118).

Now for further proof regarding the marriage of Jesus Christ which has been omitted from history by the deplorable attitudes of men who twisted history and the beliefs of God:      

This betrothal communion (wedding feast at Cana) (6 June AD 30) took place three months before Mary first anointed Jesus’s feet at Simon’s house (3 September AD 30). The rules were strictly defined: only as Jesus’s bride would Mary have been permitted to perform this act. With her first Marriage duly completed in the September, she would also have wept for her husband ( as in Luke 7:38) before they were parted for their statutory separation. Prior to this, as a betrothed almah, she would have been classified as a sinner and ranked as a crippled woman. Note: See Barbara Thiering, Jesus The Man, Appendix III, pp..366-71. The couple would then not have come together for any physical union until the following December. (Gardner, Mary.html)

            The further actions of Mary Magdala of Bethany as depicted in John 11:21-45 are explained here from the Shekinah Web Site by Lady Elizabeth:

            It would be plausible enough for Mary to be sitting in the house when Jesus arrives in Bethany. In accordance with Jewish custom she would be "sitting shivah"--sitting in mourning. But why does she not join Martha and rush to meet Jesus on his return? There is one obvious explanation. By the tenets of Judaic law at the time a woman "sitting shivah" would have been strictly forbidden to emerge from the house except at the express bidding of her husband. In this incident the behavior of Jesus and Mary Magdala of Bethany conforms precisely to the traditional comportment of a Jewish husband and wife. (Lady Elizabeth.05.html)

Many authorities agree that Mary of Bethany, sister to Martha and Lazarus was also Mary Magdalene. The sacred ritual of washing of the feet and anointing of the Savior’s head by Mary of Bethany, i.e., Mary Magdalene would suggest that she had the authority of the priesthood to perform this action. The fact that she used the sacred oil spikenard and used her hair to dry the feet is an intimate and sacred act that would be accorded to a wife and a priestess.

            The DaVinci Code, Secrets of the Code by Dan Brown has rocked the nation with his best-selling novel based upon historical fact. The heart of this work is the eye-opening realization that in Leonardo DaVinci’s picture of the Last Supper (which took place in the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary Magdala of Bethany), the disciple known as the Beloved is a woman! The scriptural account in John 13:23-25 say that this Beloved Disciple is “lying on Jesus breast.” This behavior would be perfectly normal for a loving wife, but not for another man! People are shocked to realize that their traditional belief system has blinded them to the obvious. This is why the Savior commanded us to seek after truth. Once this knowledge is acquired, it’s difficult to look at the Beloved disciple without seeing a woman (her head is much smaller and feminine than any other depicted disciple) dressed in the same, but contrasting color scheme as the Savior.

            This fictional book based on fact has caused people to rethink the spin of religion and ask, “Why aren’t women religious leaders?” “Why are only men worthy to preach?” “Are women to be suppressed because of the attitude of men contrary to the attitude of God?” “Does God really see women as inferior to men?” “Did God intend men to be controllers and suppressors of women?” And as Elaine Pagels asked; “With the suppressed Gospels coming forth, what else has been hidden from us by the leaders of religion?” (Burstein 137-142)

All who seek truth may research the spirit and teachings of Christ and his relationship with his Beloved wife and Apostle Mary Magdala of Bethany.  To maintain status quo, the so-called authorities provide a loud clamor to do everything they can to discredit the truth and to continue the suppression of women, but to no avail especially when the track record of controlling, murdering, lying, and hypocritical control of religion throughout the ages is also researched. It makes too much sense and provides such a relief to know that women are equal to men, especially in religion, responsible for their own sins, and not for the sins of Eve.

But, people will argue and say, “She isn’t numbered among the original 12 called men Apostles.” They need to take into account the rewriting of history by men. Also, just as a man and woman following the example of Jesus and Mary acted as one in leading and teaching early Christian groups as recorded in Gnostic records, the Savior and Mary, His wife were ONE.  This is probably why Mary in the Gospels was called the “Apostle to the Apostles!” Many other men AND women were historically called to be apostles as research has shown. It seems that the Lord's spiritual teachings is that any man or woman touched by His Spirit were called to preach of Him and the Good News!   

* The Dialogue of the Savior not only includes Mary Magdalene as one of three disciples chosen to receive special teaching but also praises her above the other two, Thomas and Matthew: ‘[...] she spoke as a woman who knew the All.’ From the Dialogue of the Savior 139.12-13; Nag Hammadi Library, p. 235 (Jackie gnostic.asp).

At the website of www.womenpriests.org/magdala/gnostic.asp we find this quote; “Another gnostic leader, Marcion, appointed women on an equal basis with men as priests and bishops.” This further proves the equality of women as spiritual leaders at the early time of Christianity (Jackie gnostic.asp).

Reverend Emma McCarthy has provided further research on the true status of Mary Magdalene of Bethany:

There are many depictions in art of Mary's role as witness to the Resurrection, of her discovery of the empty tomb and subsequent role as bearer of the good news to the other disciples. Her witness, rather than her mission to anoint the dead Christ, is emphasized and St Augustine described her visit to the tomb as "ocular proof" of the Resurrection. [Augustine, Commentary of John] Her witness was brought into Hippolytus' exposition on the Song of Songs (aka Song of Solomon, Canticle of Canticles) where he identified the Shulamite searching for her lover with Mary seeking Jesus. After she found Christ, Mary became the new Eve.

        Hippolytus was the first to give Mary the title of Apostle in his exposition, saying "Eve  has become apostle[...] So that the women did not appear liars but bringers of the truth, Christ appeared to the [male] apostles and said to them: It is truly I who appeared to these women and who desired to send them to you as apostles." [quoted in Dictionnaire de Spiritualite, Ascetique et Mystique, Doctrine et Histoire ed M Viller et al. Paris (1932) 1978 col 565]

            Mary's association with Song of Songs is still with us - Songs 8:6-7 is used as a part of the liturgy for her saint’s day.

            Mary's title of apostle (or "apostle to the apostles") may sound strange to us, for female apostles disappeared quite early in the life of the church. There were still women apostles during the writing of the New Testament, however, and it is not incongruous to see Mary Magdalene as an apostle too. We know of these female apostles from Paul, who speaks in Romans 16:7 of Junia (or Julia) who was pre-eminent among the apostles, and even the misogynistic commentator St John Crysostom admitted this when he wrote:

            "And indeed to be apostles at all is a great thing. But to be even amongst these of note, just consider what a great encomium this is! But they were of note owing to their works, to their achievements. Oh! how great is the devotion of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!" [Crysostom, Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans Homily XXXI in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series I Vol XI, obtained from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library]

            Mary was also called "apostle to the apostles" by Gregory of Antioch (d595ad) when he recorded Christ as saying: "Be the first apostles to the apostles. So that Peter...learns that I can choose even women as apostles." [Dict. Spirit. ibid.] (McCarthy) © Rev Emma McCarthy, 2003.