Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MARY, GOSPEL OF

A 2nd- or 3rd-century gnostic Gospel, which survives in a severely damaged Coptic translation of the original Greek (P. Berolinensis 8502,1), as well as a Greek fragment (P. Rylands III 463). It presents Mary Magdalene as a revealer of secret wisdom in the post-Resurrection era. This wisdom is cosmological and soteriological in essence.

The text begins with a discourse between the Savior and the disciples on nature, sin, and ethics (1:1–9:5). Unity with the spiritual realm is central; an illness metaphor is used to explain this concept, and may reflect the Sophia myth so common in gnostic thought. The section ends with a peace wish, a warning, and an admonition to preach.

After a brief transition (9:6-24), the third section contains Mary’s visions (10:1–17:7). Following the command to go preach, the disciples “wept greatly” over the suffering that they expected. Mary is then called on to speak. Her first vision discusses the nature of visions, and then, after a gap, a second vision presents a discourse on the ascent of the soul past the cosmic powers.

When Mary finishes her discourse, she is immediately challenged by Andrew and Peter (17:7-22). Her authority, as a woman, is questioned in this fourth section. In the fifth section Peter is rebuked by Levi (18:1–19:5). Peter is equated with “the adversaries” (i.e., the powers). Levi states that “the Savior made her worthy,” thereby substantiating Mary’s authority (thus rendering this Gospel important for feminist dialogue). After his retort, Levi instructs the group to “proclaim and preach.”

Bibliography. K. L. King, G. W. MacRae, R. McL. Wilson, “The Gospel of Mary (BG 8502,1),” in The Nag Hammadi Library in English, ed. J. M. Robinson, 3rd ed. (San Francisco, 1988), 523-27; K. Rudolph, Gnosis (San Francisco, 1987); R. M. Wilson, “The New Testament in the Gnostic Gospel of Mary,” NTS 3 (1957): 236-43.

Philip L. Tite

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MARY, GOSPEL OF

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)