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The canonical New Testament does not explicitly indicate that Jesus had any sexual relationships or desire and Christians have traditionally believed that he remained celibate until his death.
Divorce and eunuchs
In the Gospel of Matthew 19:3–12 Jesus condemns divorce (though an exception is given in cases of adultery), 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' 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. Some Christians (including, according to a few sources, Origen) went farther than this by interpreting Jesus' words literally and hence physically castrating themselves as an act of devotion. The early Church Father Tertullian, who wrote that Jesus himself lived as a eunuch, likewise encouraged people to adopt this practice.
The beloved disciple
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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..."). 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 New Testament although the two languages are separated by 2,000 years of linguistic evolution. Of the four Greek words for love, there is a separate word for sexual lust - eros.
The philosophers Denis Diderot and Jeremy Bentham gave voice to this interpretation of the relationship between Jesus and John.
"Beloved disciple"
Main article: Disciple whom Jesus loved
Since the 16th century, some have interpreted the relationship between Jesus and John the Apostle, the Disciple whom Jesus loved, as an erotic, homosexual romance.
One of the factors leading to the assumption that Jesus and John loved each other is the phrase the disciple whom Jesus loved or Beloved Disciple, which is used several times in the Gospel of John, but in none of the other accounts of Jesus. In John's gospel, it is the Beloved Disciple who asks Jesus during the Last Supper who it is that will betray him. Later at the crucifixion, Jesus tells his mother "Woman, here is your son", referring to the Beloved Disciple is the common interpretation. To the Beloved Disciple he says, "Here is your mother."
In art, the Beloved Disciple is portrayed as a beardless youth – the figure of the Student. He is usually shown in major scenes from the Gospel of John, especially the crucifixion and the Last Supper. Many artists have given different interpretations of John 13:23–25, in which the beloved disciple is resting his head against Jesus' chest.
Since the Beloved Disciple does not appear in any of the other New Testament gospels, it has been traditionally seen as a self-reference to John the Evangelist, and this remains the mainstream identification. An issue is the identification of the Evangelist with John the Apostle; that is, whether the apostle is the same man as the evangelist.
Historical references
Aelred of Rievaulx, in his work Spiritual Friendship, referred to the relationship of Jesus and John as a "marriage" and held it out as an example sanctioning friendships between clerics. The view that the two were lovers, considered a blasphemy, evolved during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries; it has been claimed that it was held by Francesco Calcagno, who was investigated on that account by the Venetian Inquisition in 1550. Christopher Marlowe was accused of it in 1593, as was Manuel Figueiredo in a Lisbon Inquisition trial of 1618, as well as many others.
James I of England may have been relying on a pre-existing tradition when he defended his (supposedly homosexual) relationship with the young Duke of Buckingham: "I wish to speak in my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had his son John, and I have my George."
Others who have given voice to this interpretation of the relationship between Jesus and John have been the philosophers Denis Diderot and Jeremy Bentham.
The theme has been perennial, having recently been raised from within the Christian establishment by Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, who has discussed the possible homoerotic inclinations of Jesus in his relationship with John in a sermon in 2005.
According to Robert Goss, assistant professor of comparative religion at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, in analyzing the interaction between Jesus and John, "What's being portrayed here is a pederastic relationship between an older man and a younger man. A Greek reader would understand."
Reception
The homosexual reading of the scriptures has been viewed as an intentional misreading. In Greek, the original language of the book of John, there are four words for love - "agape" (spiritual, unconditional love), "storge" (familial love), "philia" (love between friends) and "eros" (erotic love). All of the references to "the disciple whom Jesus loved" use the word "agape".
Some argue that, had the text intended to note an erotic love between Jesus and John, it would have used the word "eros".
Gene Robinson's claim has been widely criticised: for example, David Virtue stated it to be "appalling deconstructionism from the liberal lobby which will spin even the remotest thing to turn it into a hint that Biblical figures are gay".
Mary Magdalene
The Gnostic Gospel of Philip (believed to have been written in the 3nd century or later, and hence later than the canonical Gospels) states that Jesus kissed Mary Magdalene. Considering the gnostic nature of writing, most do not consider this a sexual remark and interpret it as a common Middle-Eastern cultural practice common between a teacher and his pupils.
The naked youth
The Secret Gospel of Mark, fragments of which were contained in the controversial, recently-discovered Mar Saba letter by Clement of Alexandria, has led to various interpretations concerning the views of an ancient group called the Carpocratians. The Secret Gospel of Mark states that Jesus taught the secrets of the Kingdom of God alone to a partially clothed youth during one night. Some modern commentators have suggested this represents a sexual encounter, while others interpret it as a baptism, or an allegory for a non-sexual initiation into a gnostic religion.
Some academic theologians 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 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 male lover of Jesus, and the same beloved apostle mentioned in John. None of these alternative theories are supported by most mainstream scholars The author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice, Robert A.J. Gagnon of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, responded to questions about this theory.
Gagnon says "the idea that Jesus was a homosexual or engaged in homosexual acts is complete nonsense" and "no 'serious biblical scholar' has ever proposed this."
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
- J. David Hester (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 also, following His example, made himself a eunuch..."
- Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem i.29.
- John 3:16
- For general information on Koine-Greek, see: http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/ Koine-Greek Lexicon
- Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization, p. 111.
- Illustration used in Louis Crompton's Homosexuality and Civilization p. 113.
- "In the Gospel of John, the disciple John frequently refers to himself in the third person as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." McCleary thinks this is highly significant." Crosswalk: Gay Jesus' Claim Draws Fire by Patrick Goodenough, Pacific Rim Bureau Chief, CNSNews.com.
- Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization p.180
- "I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else," James announced to his councilors, "and more than you who are here assembled." He compared his love for the earl to Jesus's affection for the "beloved disciple" John. "Jesus Christ did the same," the king said, "and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had his John, and I have my George." From Royal Panoply, Brief Lives Of The English Monarchs, Carrolly Erickson, St. Martin's Press (May 2, 2006). ISBN 0312316437
- Louis Crompton, Homosexuality and Civilization, p. 111.
- ^ "[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43618 Rev. Gene Robinson: Jesus might be 'gay]". The Telegraph, London: 2005-04-03.
- Hank Hyena, "Was Jesus Gay: A search for the messiah's true sexuality leads to a snare of lusty theories," 1998-04, Salon.com.
- ^ Crosswalk: Gay Jesus' Claim Draws Fire by Patrick Goodenough, Pacific Rim Bureau Chief, CNSNews.com.
- Gagnon, "The Bible and homosexual practice"
- Eric Lyons, "The Real Mary Magdalene", at Apologetics Press
- :: Jesus : expressions::
- Robert J. Miller, The Complete Gospels, Polebridge Press 1994, p. 411. ISBN 0-06-065587-9.
- Wilson, Jesus: the evidence, p. 87
- Was Jesus Gay?
See also
- Cultural and historical background of Jesus
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Immaculate conception
- Historical Jesus
- Homosexual readings of Jesus and John
- Religion and sexuality