Article: The Apostle Mary Magdalene -- More Christo-Feminist Madness

Seriously? Beloved, let us not lose sight that these imaginations are being offered in place of the clear instructive Scriptures he already have in hand. I included all four accounts of this event from the four different Gospels. There is much agreement about the fact that Mary Magdalene along with the other women went to the tomb first. Why was this? Were the men supposed to take a secondary role? Was God setting up some deep gnostic knowledge that would stay hidden for thousands of years until Eddie Hyatt came along? Hardly. Every Gospel account agree that the women we going to the tomb early to anoint the body for burial. Why? Because this was their role. This is not some secret code to decipher. It is part of the historical narrative that the women were going to anoint the body for burial. So the notion that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene to make a very important statement is absolute nonsense. God is not shy in explaining Himself. If He wanted to make a statement, He would have made it. Perhaps the more ridiculous statement however is that Mary Magdalene received the first apostolic commission because Jesus asked her to tell the disciples! Now, the word apostle does mean sent one but to cheapen it down to this level is absurd. This is like if my pastor asked me to pick up pizza for the ministry meeting he dispatched me on an "apostolic commission." Hyatt's end game here is to blow up into significance that which is not significant at all. Jesus did not choose to appear to Mary Magdalene first as some grand sign to ignore Scripture nor was His intent when asking her to tell the disciples to commission her as an apostle.

"During the 40 days between His resurrection and ascension, Jesus appeared to different disciples at various times, and on one occasion appeared to over 500 of His followers at once (1 Cor. 15:3-8). The Gospel writers, however, are very explicit in noting that it was Mary Magdalene to whom He appeared first after His resurrection.This raises the question as to why Jesus did not tell the Twelve Himself that He was alive? He was in His resurrection body and could have stood in their midst at the speed of thought. Why does He require that they receive the message of His resurrection from this woman with a dubious past? It is obvious that, in appearing first to Mary, Jesus was challenging the biased thinking of His male disciples toward His female disciples. We must remember that neither Jewish nor Roman courts of law would allow the testimony of a woman as evidence. The ingrained cultural prejudice toward women was also expressed in a liturgical prayer that Jewish men prayed that included thanks to God that he was not born a Gentile, a slave or a woman. By appearing first to Mary Magdalene Jesus was cutting through all the disdain and prejudice of his male disciples toward his female disciples." -- Dr. Eddie Hyatt

Wow. Can you see how deceitful the human heart can be? Clear instructive Scripture in hand, Hyatt takes one factoid from the Gospel accounts and blows it up into one of the most consequential portions of the Gospel account. All so women can ignore God and become pastors. Look at the logical hoops he must jump through to get to his asinine conclusions. Just to be clear, not all of the Gospel writers have the same account. Yes Matthew and John both state that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene and told her to tell His disciples. While this also occurs in Mark it is contained in the portion of Chapter 16 that was not part of the original manuscripts and appears added by scribes or translators. The Gospel of Luke however does not say that the Lord appeared to the women but rather and angel did. The key verses from Luke make it clear that Mary decided on her own to go tell the disciples, as one would expect! This also throws some cold water on the whole "apostolic commission" nonsense. Does anyone think that Mary Magdalene would not have gone to tell the disciples unless Jesus instructed her to? I might add here that Luke technically bestows the great and signifying honor of "having appeared first" to the two men walking the Road to Emmaus. Two men whom we never even learn the names of. That was how significant this event was beloved. Only man centered thinking misses that the important fact is that He had risen! Not which man or woman He happened to appear first to. Instead, look at the ludicrous conclusions Hyatt jumps to because of his own deluded arguments. Is it obvious that in appearing to Mary first that He was challenging the biased thinking of His male disciples towards His female disciples? First of all He did not have female disciples. Eddie is conflating this word here to muddy the waters again. Yes, there were women that followed Jesus and were taught by Him. We refer to "His disciples" however as the 12 men referenced in every Gospel account. Hyatt had a mission here and that was to sell more of his books about how we should ignore clear instructive Scriptures in the name of Christo-feminism. As we close, let me just list some of the remaining absurdities from this article and respond as quickly as I can to them. I do not want anyone to be deceived by this charlatan.

"He showed his approval and respect for Mary, and all women, by sending her as the first herald to preach and bear witness to the most important event of human history.

It was not a "women's ministry" to which she was called, for Jesus instructed to "go and tell my brethren."

She was sent with a message to the male apostles; and this is why, throughout history, Mary has often been called "the apostle to the apostles."

By appearing first to Mary Magdalene and giving her an apostolic commission, Jesus was saying that His death and resurrection had ushered in a new era of freedom for all of humanity. He was saying that in Him the walls of separation and exclusion between the races and the sexes had been removed. Paul echoes this in his letter to the Galatians, saying that in Christ "There is neither Jew nor Greek ... there is neither male nor female" (Gal. 3:28)." -- Dr. Eddie Hyatt

I think it is quite hyperbolic to suggest that because the women went to the grave first to anoint the body for burial that Mary Magdalene became a "herald to preach and bear witness." Relax, she was instructed to do what she would have done anyway -- tell the disciples what you have seen. How does Eddie explain away that just a few verses after Matthew 28:10 Jesus calls the male disciples together and gives them the Great Commission? There is no need to denigrate women's ministry efforts here either. As for the Apostle to the Apostles -- this is true but who said this about Mary Magdalene throughout history? The Roman Catholic Church who also deifies Mary mother of Jesus and claims she is "co-redemptrix." So Jesus did not give Mary Magdalene an apostolic commission. The new era of freedom had to do with a freedom from sin, not some imaginary gender based oppression. Galatians 3:28 beautifully displays that in Christ, as sons of God, we are all even. No one is arguing anything less here. That said, it does not wipe away roles, or ordinances God set up based on gender. Man is still the head of the family for example, even though there is no distinction in Christ Jesus.

"But," some will ask, "what about Paul's admonition in I Corinthians 14:34 and I Timothy 2:12 for women to be silent?" First of all, anything that Paul said must be interpreted and understood in the light of what Jesus said and did, not the other way around. Jesus is Lord; not Paul! Secondly, a doctrine should not be formulated without giving equal consideration to the many Scriptures that show women functioning in leadership roles. Finally, it is more than likely that the restrictions of these two verses are related to local, cultural situations and are not universal edicts pertaining to the whole Church (See my book, Paul, Women and Church). These restrictions are, rather, on the same level as Paul's instructions concerning the wearing of veils in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and his admonitions for believers to greet one another with a holy kiss (a handshake or hug will do just fine in most cases)." -- Dr. Eddie Hyatt

Eddie is too smart to not address the glaring Scriptural problems his position has so he waits until the end and tries to dismiss them with a magical wave of his hand. His first point is so vacuous I almost fell out of my chair. Memo to Eddie Hyatt -- Jesus wrote the Bible. So when Jesus writes very plainly what to do and not to do, that does not mean we get to scour the historical narratives and create reasons and rationales to dismiss what He has already clearly instructed. This has nothing to do with Paul. Nice try. The second point is extremely poor hermeneutics. You do not give "equal consideration" for historical narratives that force you to draw conclusions from your wickedly deceitful heart when you already have clear instructive verses. Even if you feel you must however -- there is only one example in 6000 years of the history recorded in the bible that has a woman exercising authority over men and that was Deborah. We should celebrate Deborah but realize that she is not normative to make doctrine out of. She is the one outlier in all of recorded history. The third point here has been addressed already. Paul says as in all the churches. The bible transcends time and culture beloved. Hyatt concludes:

'The authority to minister is thus rooted in one's possession of a divine call or gift. Ordination is simply the church's recognition of that gift.

Much of the church has refused to recognize the gifts of its female members and has, thereby, violated Paul's command in I Thessalonians 5:19 not to quench the Spirit.

You don't have to be weighted down with all the bureaucratic, religious politics of the modern church to obey God. You don't need a title, an office or a position. You don't need someone's covering or alignment. Like Mary, you only need to hear the voice of the risen Lord sending you on a mission to "go and tell."' -- Dr. Eddie Hyatt

No Eddie, just no. the Bible goes to painstaking details about who is qualified to be a pastor or elder. You do not just throw them away because someone thinks they have a "calling." The possession of the gift of public speaking is not the same thing as being called to preach either. Paul was not much of a public speaker at all and said that he did not want human eloquence to rob the cross of its power. So it is not that the church has refused to recognize the perceived gifts and calling of women but rather it has relied on the verity of the bible as its only arbiter, thus removing the Eddie Hyatt's of the world from consideration and their unbiblical agendas. That is not bureaucratic -- it is scriptural. It is not religious politics -- it is biblical. Women all you need to do is follow the words of Almighty God found only in Scripture. Do not let Satan distract you from being obedient by showing you things that he says you deserve or have been cheated out of. That is what he did to Eve in the garden which established the very restrictions Eddie Hyatt wars against so vociferously today. Do not forget the words of the serpent -- surely God did not say.

Yes beloved, yes He did.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- March 5, 2018

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