Comments on: New Testament Gospel Doctrine Lesson #27

By: juliemariesmith

juliemariesmith — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 15:32:57 +0000

Sariah, no, it does not.

I presume that underlying your question is the question of whether Mary was married to Jesus. There is no canonical evidence for that idea. The belief often stems from a line of thinking that basically amounts to the idea that if she had a close relationship to Jesus that that must indicate marriage, but that thinking, in my mind, unfairly limits women (as if all they were good for was marrying) by not acknowledging her role as a key disciple. So I am not sympathetic to it. Other arguments for the marriage work backwards from the current emphasis on marriage in LDS thought and/or historical LDS readings of certain events in the gospels that, I think, are foreign to their original context.

By: Sariah Wilson

Sariah Wilson — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 04:08:24 +0000

Julie – it doesn’t apply to what you’ve written here, but I’m curious as to your take on Mary Magdalene and her importance to the Savior. Does anything that happens in the Garden of the Tomb in the Gospels indicate to you a closer relationship than master/disciple?

By: Leonie

Leonie — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 09:57:56 +0000

Thank you. I’ve found your comments empowering. It is a really useful for reflection o start with a question or fresh framing. I hope you will keep sharing.

By: Walter van Beek

Walter van Beek — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 12:45:50 +0000

It is an important question, Julie, and I like your options. Throughout, I think, Marc is more a manual for prospective martyrs than someone who exudes tidings of comfort and joy. The rather dismal ending might be tied into that.
Walter van Beek

By: Lee Williams

Lee Williams — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 22:28:49 +0000

What happened to Lesson 25: “Not My Will But Thine Be Done?”

By: Ardis

Ardis — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 21:21:32 +0000

I lean on your posts for understanding and teaching ideas. Perhaps at some point you would put together a directory of the posts you once wrote about Revelation so that we’d have easy access to them when the curriculum gets that far?

By: Anarene Holt Yim

Anarene Holt Yim — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 20:44:55 +0000

These have been wonderful, Julie. Thanks!

By: James

James — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:51:14 +0000

Sorry, posted before I saw Terry’s comment…

By: James

James — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:50:18 +0000

Or at least pick it up again when we get to Revelation. I second the ‘it would be appreciated’. Either way, thanks for all your work on this, Julie.

By: Terry H

Terry H — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:48:59 +0000

I shouldn’t speak for Julie, Jader3rd, but this is where her book ends. The rest of the year, we’re on the rest of the NT and you could pick up with James Faulconer’s “New Testament Made Harder” (Maxwell Institute 2015) for a similar but different take. On another note, you could just try working in N.T. Wright’s Faithfulness of Paul (Fortress 2014), which is Volume IV of his Christian Origins and the Question of God. For a separate take on Hebrews (which Wright didn’t address to my satisfaction), try Attridge or Koester.

Julie needs to continue her slog on the BYU NT Commentary volume for Mark, if I’m not mistaken (unless the release is to drift to 2020, which she, more than anyone, doesn’t want to happen). Hi Julie.

By: jader3rd

jader3rd — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:40:18 +0000

Are you tempted to change your plans? It is only June after all. It would be appreciated.