Jesus Christ's sexuality
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The subject of Jesus's sexuality, like most areas of his life, is much debated; but the vast majority's stance on the subject is that he remained celibate until his death. The New Testament does not explicitly indicate that Jesus had any romantic relationships or sexual desire.
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[edit] Divorce and eunuchs
In the Gospel of Matthew 19:3-12 Jesus condemns divorce, quoting Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, and explains himself with these words:
- Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.
- The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.
- Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage (or have made themselves eunuchs) because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it. (NIV)
Jesus's praise for those who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven has, for many centuries, been interpreted by Christian theologians as a metaphor for chastity, since the term "eunuch" normally referred to a castrated man.[1] Some Jewish groups of his time, such as the Essenes, are thought to have also promoted strict sexual abstinence; some members of the early Christian church (such as Origen) went farther than this by interpreting Jesus' words literally and hence physically castrating themselves as an act of devotion.[2] The early Church Father Tertullian, who wrote that Jesus himself lived as a eunuch,[3] likewise encouraged people to adopt this practice.[4]
[edit] The beloved disciple
Some contrary interpretations are based on the references in the Gospel of John to "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23, 19:26, 21:7,20). The most common interpretation of this phrase is that it refers to John the Apostle, and that it simply refers to an especially close friendship or a father-son type relationship. This interpretation is supported by the particular verbs chosen in the Greek text, φιλέω (phileo) or ἀγαπάω (agapao), which refer, respectively, to human friendship, and to pure love. Christians interpret the latter as spiritual, divine love—the love that God has for people, citing usages of the term in passages such as John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world...").[5] People holding the opposite opinion point out that the term agape in modern Greek is used for I love you, which they then apply to the ancient Koine-Greek of the Bible although the two languages are separated by 2,000 years of linguistic evolution.[6] Of the four Greek words for love, there is a separate word for sexual lust - eros.
[edit] Mary Magdalene
The notion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers has been put forward in a few recent books. It has been suggested in some marginal scholarly works and novels such as Jesus the Man and Holy Blood, Holy Grail, as well as in a number of popular fictional works, such as The Da Vinci Code and the Last Tempation of Christ, that Jesus married Mary Magdalene.
The Gnostic Gospel of Philip (believed by most scholars to have been written in the 2nd century or later, and hence considerably later than the canonical Gospels) states that Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene. Many scholars read this claim, and similar claims in other books (such as the Second Apocalypse of James, in which the recipient is James the Just), as a transfer of gnosis.[citation needed] According to one source, it was also a common cultural practice to kiss, even on the mouth, in the Middle East at this time.[1] Note also the kiss between Judas and Jesus.
[edit] The naked youth
The recently rediscovered Mar Saba letter by Clement of Alexandria, containing fragments of a Secret Gospel of Mark, has led to various interpretations concerning the views of an ancient group called the Carpocrations. The Secret Gospel of Mark states that Jesus taught the secrets of the Kingdom of God to a youth during one night. Some modern commentators have suggested this represents a sexual encounter, while others interpret it as a baptism,[7] or an allegory for a non-sexual initiation into a gnostic religion.
Some scholars see a connection between the youth of the "Secret Gospel of Mark" and the mysterious youth following Jesus during his arrest, who loses his cloak while trying to escape, mentioned in the Canonical Gospel of Mark; and the young man or angel clad only in white that Mark mentions was found in the Empty Tomb. While some scholars have seen this as allegory for the process of initiation into religious knowledge, and many have dismissed the youth(s) in Mark as insignificant, others have seen them as the boyfriend of Jesus, and the same beloved apostle mentioned in John.[citation needed]
None of these alternative theories are supported by most mainstream scholars[8] or Christian churches.
Another interpretation is that "The disciple whom Jesus loved" is a different person to the above people; that this disciple is John, the author of John.[9] The man who lost his cloak while trying to escape could instead be Mark, the author of Mark, placing himself in his book in the manner that a modern day director would cast himself in their movie in a cameo role, or in the manner that John referred to himself in the book of John (assuming the preceding).
[edit] Quotations from Jesus on the issue of sexuality
Jesus' own quotations on the subject of sex include statements such as "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[f] But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."[10] and "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."[11]
[edit] References
- ^ In the ancient Middle East and Asia, eunuchs often served as officials overseeing harems, or in other Royal positions. See:Encyclopaedia of the Orient
- ^ Hester, J. David (2005). Eunuchs and the Postgender Jesus: Matthew 19:12 and Transgressive Sexualities. Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Vol. 28, No. 1, 13-40 (2005)
- ^ Tertullian, On Monogamy, 3: “...He stands before you, if you are willing to copy him, as a voluntary spado (eunuch) in the flesh.” And elsewhere: "The Lord Himself opened the kingdom of heaven to eunuchs and He Himself lived as a eunuch. The apostle [Paul] also, following His example, made himself a eunuch..."
- ^ Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem i.29.
- ^ ... ersion=NIV&passage=John+3%3A16 John 3:16
- ^ For general information on Koine-Greek, see: http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/ Koine-Greek Lexicon
- ^ Miller, Robert J. The Complete Gospels 1994 Polebridge Press ISBN 0-06-065587-9. p 411
- ^ Wilson Jesus: the evidence, p. 87
- ^ http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1328
- ^ Matthew 5:31-5:32
- ^ Matthew 5:27-5:28
