Jesus came to earth to walk among us as a man, experiencing all the joys, pain, and challenges that come from living a mortal life.
Marriage is-and was-a central part of life, yet nowhere in the New Testament do we find direct evidence Christ married. Over the centuries, this led to the portrayal of Christ as a chaste virgin, above physical needs-a portrayal at odds with his reason for an earthbound existence.
As theologian and author Arthur H. Bishop points out, "Silence says nothing and never has." In a society where the vast majority of men married, why would Jesus's marriage even be considered worth noting? It would simply be expected and accepted.
Who was the wife of Christ, if she existed? Bishop argues, with convincing logic, that only one woman fits the bill. The wife of Jesus would have travelled with him. She would have stayed by his side, even as he suffered on the cross. And she, more than anyone else, would have had reason to keep vigil at his tomb.
Mary Magdalene was the bride of Christ.
About the Author: Arthur H. Bishop served congregations in North Carolina, Indiana, and Virginia as a Disciples of Christ minister before retirement.
Bishop earned his BA from Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina; a graduate degree from the Christian Theological Seminary; and a second graduate degree from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In addition to Jesus and Mary Magdalene, His Wife and Their Journey, Bishop's other books include Jesus: What He Was and What He Wasn't and Creating Religious Freedom-16th Century Revolution That Sparked Christian Dispersion.
Bishop has spoken publicly on many topics, and his lecture titles include "The Historical Jesus," "The Lasting Effects of Two World Wars," "Early Christianity," "The Protestant Reformation," "The First Four Centuries of Christianity," and "World War I."
Bishop and his wife, Nadine, live in Gainesville, Virginia.