From reading I have done, it seems that a the time of Jesus, Jewish culture considered marriage not merely as something to be honoured but considered it a sacred duty. The voluntary renunciation of marriage was a conception quite foreign to Judaism. Even in such heterodox, ascetic groups as the Essenes or Qumran community, sexual abstinence was partial and did not exclude marriage before joining or in the early stage of membership. As for ordinary Judaism, the father of a family considered it an important part of his parental role to arrange a suitable marriage for his sons and daughters at a comparatively early age. The fact that the Bible never makes a point of Jesus' lack of wife almost invariably prove he had one? Wouldn't for it to not to be mentioned at all, when not being married would have been an anomaly, be bizzare?
Why is the idea that Jesus may have been married so abhorrent to many Christians?
2007-06-07 23:40:28 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No, Jesus wasn't married.
Cheers :-)
2007-06-07 23:42:49 · answer #1 · answered by chekeir 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Like atheists like to say, lack of proof is not disproof. Jesus was not married. While it was not unheard of for rabbis to be married (look at Mary's cousin Elizabeth...), it wasn't necessarily commonplace.
Why do Christians not like the idea - its not supported in scripture. Its not even supported historically.
As for the idiot that said his resurrection is a lie, why is it that absolutely no one who wrote in that time frame disputes the empty tomb? They only offer things like, "the disciples stole the body," or "the got the wrong tomb." The problem is this: the tomb was a known location to Jews, Romans and Christians alike, so there would have been a huge outcry if the early believers were simply mistaken about the location. Secondly, why would anyone knowingly die horrific deaths (like cricuifixion) when they could have simply denounced that they saw Jesus alive after his death? No legitimate historian lends any credibility to either argument. Just because something doesn't fit 'natural' phenomena, doesn't mean it can't happen.
2007-06-08 06:53:22 · answer #2 · answered by capitalctu 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus could never have married, for His mission was to save all of mankind from their sins. Marriage would have elevated a human woman to a status nearly equal with God, a created being being equal with the Creator. Satan already tried that and look what happened to him.
Jesus' mission was to teach the New Covenant, not to have a family. John the Baptist never married, neither did some of the prophets.
In human mythologies (especially in Greek and Roman myths) a god marrying a human was a normal thing, but their gods also reflected very human personalities and made many mistakes.
God is a spirit, and Jesus only took on flesh so He could experience everytthing as we do, (hunger thirst, weariness, pain, temptation, etc.) and so that his flesh could be a receptacle for sin when it came time for Him to go to the cross.
Sin can only attack the flesh, but it is the spirit that pays the consequences. Without a body there is no greed, lust, envy, etc.
Thus Jesus took on a sinless body and all of the sins of the world were taken into His flesh on the cross, and when he died, the sins died with Him. But the price of sin still needed to be paid, so He went to Hell and suffered for our sins until God's justice had been satisfied.
If He had married, none of this could have happened. And how could God, who is pure, sinless and exalted above all things, marry a sinful human woman? That would violate everything that He is, and would make Him less than God.
2007-06-08 07:08:24 · answer #3 · answered by Foxfire 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The simple answer is no Jesus was not married.
First, in order to help the jewish nation realize that He was the saviour that they were waiting for like most but not all of the prophets of the past would be not married and to be married and not mention it would have made the nations reject him out right.
Second like you said the Father would have arranged a marriage for him and He did, Jesus came to court his bride who He will marry upon his second return to pick up his bride which is all of the followers that truly believe with in the church.
2007-06-08 07:03:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This question was replied by William Phipps in his Book "Was Jesus Married" in 1977.
It would have been Okay for Jesus to have been married since all prophets of God were married!
Mary Magdalene has been treated badly by the Church.
But the church is unable to clarify as to why she was always first!! Why she was so worried about Jesus when all the Holy Disciples decided to be at large - No one claimed to be the companion of Jesus?
Jesus had 12 disciples but none of them tell us about the personal life of Jesus. It is a question mark for the modren Christians! Why St.Paul and St.Peter are dominating the Bible?
The Bible is kept silent for the sake of his divine position as "son of God" although Jesus did not do anything like a God - He did not created life or new things for the benefit of his own believers.
As regards Saviour - all prophets were saviour in their times! Why Jesus is kept only for injecting your sins!
If Mary Magdalene and her daughter Sarah is now accepted as legitimate wife and daughter of Jesus
then you may immagine the fate of the Church...
God knows better!!
Blessings!!!
2007-06-08 09:12:37 · answer #5 · answered by aslam09221 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is marrying on a daily basis. The union of the Holy Spirit and man is the only marriage Jesus partakes of.
2007-06-08 07:28:39 · answer #6 · answered by Israel-1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He could have been married...or not. Truth is, he was a revolutionary force in his days. So why is it so difficult to see that he might have revel against his believes and duties and not marry at all? Or maybe he did marry and had a family, not because the bible is silent about it, it doesn't mean we should discart the idea that he might have form a family....
2007-06-08 11:08:22 · answer #7 · answered by NinfaLuna 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We know nothing of the "life of Jesus" from the time he was about 12 to the time he was 30, as far as the bible is concerned. Anything could have happened in the intervening years. However, the bible does say that when he rose from the dead, he told Mary Magdalene not to touch him, as he hadn't ascended yet. As if her touch would somehow keep him from getting to heaven or something... So I would have to think he (and this is assuming he existed - I don't think he did) did not marry. It doesn't fit a "son of god" story to have him act like an ordinary human.
2007-06-08 06:53:35 · answer #8 · answered by ReeRee 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Jesus was NOT married. One should learn to tell the difference between fact and fiction. It was not unusual for people to be unmarried in the first century and even in marriage relationships often they were marriages without sex such as Jesus' earthly parents. Then there is the example of St. Paul and others.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
2007-06-08 06:52:23 · answer #9 · answered by cristoiglesia 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
If you see marriage as a great bond in relationship other than the human sexual idea of marriage then yes Jesus is married.
Jesus has a great bond with the Catholic Church he build. He promised to be with the Church always.
In the eyes of God marriage is very sacred.
Because it means man and woman is not two but one.
So as Jesus is one with the Church.
2007-06-08 06:50:17 · answer #10 · answered by jerriel 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Some people seem to think that just because the Bible doesn't specifically mention something, that it means it didn't happen, and to suggest that something like Christ having been married is suddenly adding onto the words of God.
2007-06-08 06:45:29 · answer #11 · answered by Rynok 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋