Who is Mary Magdalene?

[cmoran]

I’m a member of a women’s Bible study reading the Gospel of St. John. We just finished reading chapters 11 and 12, which talk about Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus.

We were wondering if this Mary is the same as Mary Magdalene, because we all associated Mary Magdalene with the woman who anoints the feet of Jesus. Or, were they two different people? Along those lines, why do most people think of Mary Magdalene as a great sinner, when all Scripture says about her is that 7 demons were driven out of her?

thanks!

 

[kamaan]

This is what the Catholic Encyclopedia says:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09761a.htm:

The Greek Fathers, as a whole, distinguish the three persons:

the “sinner” of Luke 7:36-50;
the sister of Martha and Lazarus, Luke 10:38-42 and John 11;
and Mary Magdalen.

On the other hand most of the Latins hold that these three were one and the same. Protestant critics, however, believe there were two, if not three, distinct persons. It is impossible to demonstrate the identity of the three; but those commentators undoubtedly go too far who assert, as does Westcott (on John 11:1), “that the identity of Mary with Mary Magdalene is a mere conjecture supported by no direct evidence, and opposed to the general tenour of the gospels.” It is the identification of Mary of Bethany with the “sinner” of Luke 7:37, which is most combatted by Protestants. It almost seems as if this reluctance to identify the “sinner” with the sister of Martha were due to a failure to grasp the full significance of the forgiveness of sin. The harmonizing tendencies of so many modern critics, too, are responsible for much of the existing confusion.

I’m not sure if we still believe this, though…

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Note that the Catholic Encyclopedia is about 100 years old. Current Catholic teaching is that she was deliverd from seven devils by Jesus and she was at the cross and the first to the tomb on Sunday. There is no proof to connect her to the others.

 

[dconklin]

I recall hearing/learning she may have been a ‘financier’ of Jesus and the Apostles - as she was from a wealthy family. I have also read that she is responsible for the tradition of coloring Easter eggs. After the death of Jesus she went to Rome to speak to the Emperor. She brought an egg in as a prop to explain the Christian beliefs. He commented about only believing if that egg turned to a color. It did. - or something like that.