Did Jesus marry Mary Magdalene?

Sincerely,
Wedding Bells?

Dear Wedding Bells,

There is ZERO reason to believe that Jesus had a relationship with Mary Magdalene… that is just apocryphal mumbo-jumbo.  Apocryphal books are books outside of the Bible that were written years after the Bible was completed… most of them hundreds of years after.  Read “Books of the Apocrypha” to better understand that topic.

Ever since Jesus lived, people have been trying to create stories to alter His life and smear His reputation.  However, when we go to the Bible, we see that Jesus was never married.  Mary Magdalene was one of many women that followed Christ and supported Him in His preaching, but He was not married to her (Lk 8:1-3).

     Please explain Mathew 25:31-46.

Sincerely,
Context Combing

Dear Context Combing,

Matt 25:31-46 is a description of what will happen on the Day of Judgment.  All mankind will be gathered before Jesus, the King of Kings, and judged for the choices they have made in this life.  Those who have lived wickedly and have not served Christ (the goats) will be cast into eternal punishment (Matt 25:41), and all those who have faithfully served Christ will enter into eternal life (Matt 31:46).  At the end of time, God will righteously separate the good from the bad, and there will be no mistakes.

     Today’s Bible reading took me to Obadiah 18. That verse reads, "So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.”  Reading the footnote, I go to Amos 9:12 and Acts 15:17.  Those verses refer to the remnant of Edom (Esau) that is absorbed into the church.  Can you suggest how to reconcile the inconsistency?  If there are no survivors, how do they who don't exist become part of the New Testament church?

Sincerely,
Tracing Trees

Dear Tracing Trees,

Obad 1:18 is dealing with the physical destruction of the nation of Edom, Amos 9:12 is discussing the enfolding of people with Edomite ancestry into the church, and Acts 15:17 doesn’t mention Edom at all – the word used there is just ‘gentile’, a generic term for all non-Jews.
In Obadiah, the prophecy is that Esau’s people, the nation of Edom, would be destroyed by the house of Jacob (Israel).  Historically, Edom’s destruction began with the Chaldean invasion under Nebuchadnezzar and was completed by the Jews in the second century BC.  The Edomites, as a nation, ceased to exist and were forced to accept circumcision and the Jewish religion.  By the time Jesus walked this earth, the Edomites had lost all national identity and had been completely absorbed into other nations and cultures.  However, their bloodline continued even when their nation didn’t.  Ironically, the most famous people of Edomite lineage were the Herods.
On the other hand, Amos 9:12 addresses the spiritual enfolding of the people of Edom into the family of David (Amos 9:11).  How did this happen?  When people with Edom’s bloodline converted to Christianity, they became a part of David’s family because they became followers of Jesus.  Jesus was a descendant of David.

     2 Timothy 3:6 says, "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts."  What does the word ‘divers’ mean?

Sincerely,
Scuba Steve

Dear Scuba Steve,

‘Divers’ is the old English way of spelling ‘diverse’, and it has nothing to do with aquatic spelunking.  The Greek word in 2 Tim 3:6 literally means ‘of various sorts, a variety’.  Paul is telling Timothy that there is a type of person that leads people astray in a variety of different ways, and they follow a myriad of different lusts.

     The New Testament reference to ‘being asleep’ before Christ returns means what?  I have a friend who thinks souls are asleep in the grave waiting until His return.

Sincerely,
A Little Tired

Dear A Little Tired,

The term ‘fallen asleep’ used in 1 Thess 4:14-15, as well as other places, means that the person has died.  ‘Fallen asleep’ is a metaphorical saying that even Jesus used.  In Jhn 11:11-13, Jesus said that Lazarus had fallen asleep, and then clarified that meant that Lazarus had died.  Just like we sometimes refer to death as the ‘big sleep’, the people of Jesus’ day used that kind of language to refer to death.  It has nothing to do with their souls literally sleeping in the grave.  When we die, we immediately go to Paradise or torments (Lk 16:22-23), and our soul is separated from our physical body (Jas 2:26).