Mary, Mary Trivia Quiz

Answer: No

Unfortunately, the New Testament says very little about Mary Magdalene's personal life. We don't truly know anything about her parents, brothers, sisters, marital status, age, or physical appearance.

Susan is a version of the name Susanna. Luke 8:1-3 mentions Susanna, another female follower of Christ and a possible friend of Mary Magdalene, but the verses don't describe her as her sister.

There are two Old Testament characters with the name Manasseh, with one a king of Judah and the other a son of Joseph.

Answer: Neither of these

People have theorized a lot about Mary Magdalene--everything from her being a repentant prostitute, to being Christ's wife; to even being the nameless adulteress that Christ saved from being stoned (see John 8:1-11 for that story). However, such beliefs are only conjectures and they have little, if any, Biblical evidence to support them.

*If*--and that's a big if--Magdalene was the woman caught in adultery, then I would like to know who her husband was. It would be really ironic if Christ was her husband and He saved His own wife from condemnation, but I think I heard someone give that idea on TV once. I'm serious.

BibleGateway.com proclaims the following in their article, "The Woman Who Had Seven Devils."

" . . . the Bible depicts Mary [Magdalene] as a pure, though deeply afflicted woman before she met Jesus. To suggest that she was dissolute [such as a prostitute or an adulteress] because she was possessed by seven devils, is to affirm that every insane person is depraved . . . Her demonic possession did not affect her morals, only her mind."

As for Mary of Bethany, similar to Magdalene, there is no indication that she was even married, let alone an adulteress. The Gospels normally mention her with her brother Lazarus and her sister Martha, but never with a husband.

Answer: Yes

Luke 8:1-3:
"Not long afterwards he began a tour of the cities and villages of Galilee to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God, and took his twelve disciples with him. Some women went along, from whom he had cast out demons or whom he had healed; among them were Mary Magdalene (Jesus had cast out seven demons from her), Joanna, Chuza's wife (Chuza was King Herod's business manager and was in charge of his palace and domestic affairs), Susanna, and many others who were contributing from their private means to the support of Jesus and his disciples" (from the Living Bible translation).

If one reads Luke chapters 8 through 10 and reads 10:38-39, then one can come to a conclusion: Mary Magdalene, along with the other women and disciples, was with Jesus when He visited Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany. Magdalene's name isn't specifically mentioned, but it seems to be implied. In fact, none of the travelers are mentioned by name here; only indirectly mentioned.

Luke 10:38-39 in the Living Bible state them like this:
"As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister Mary sat on the floor, listening to Jesus as he talked."

While the Living Bible uses the term "disciples", other translations, such as the Easy-to-Read version, uses "followers".

Luke 10:38-39 in the ERV:
"While Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house. She had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to him teach."

Medieval Roman Catholicism believed that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were the same person. Certain people still argue that they are the same, but this appears to be the minority view. From my perspective, the above verses are the greatest evidence for the side that they *aren't* the same. On a side note, according to Wikipedia, the Eastern Orthodox Churches *never* believed that they were the same. Some Protestants, like John Calvin, also rejected the suggestion that they were the same woman.

Answer: She stayed in her house.

John 11:18-23 in the Living Bible translation state,
"Bethany was only a couple of miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish leaders had come to pay their respects and to console Martha and Mary on their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed at home.

Martha said to Jesus, 'Sir, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. And even now it's not too late, for I know that God will bring my brother back to life again, if you will only ask him to.'

Jesus told her, 'Your brother will come back to life again.'"

Mary was too sad to come out and talk to Jesus at first. Possibly, she felt some resentment towards Him as well.

Answer: It occurred at Simon the Pharisee's house

According to Matthew 26:6-13, Jesus went to Bethany and ate a meal at the home of Simon the Leper. A woman, not named here, came and anointed Christ's head with perfume. The disciples disapproved of her action and said that the money spent on the perfume should have gone to the poor.

Mark 14:3-9 gives an account that is practically identical to the one in Matthew.

John 12:1-8 gives an account similar to Matthew and Mark, but there are a few differences. The woman is named as Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Jesus is still in Bethany, but instead of anointing His head, she anoints His feet. Also, it is specifically Judas who criticizes and says that the money should had been given to the poor.

Luke 7:36-50 tells a completely different message. Instead of the event occurring a few days before Christ's execution (that is, the end of His ministry) it appears to occur early on in His ministry. In addition, the nameless woman is depicted as someone who lived a very sinful life, such as a prostitute. The host is Simon the Pharisee, not the Simon the Leper, and he rebukes the anointing not because of the perfume's cost, but simply because he doesn't agree with the woman.

While Matthew and Mark don't include the anointer's name, several scholars believe that it was Mary of Bethany in all three because of the similarities between the accounts in Mathew, Mark, and John.

Some people have associated Mary Magdalene with the nameless prostitute in Luke 7:36-50, but the Bible doesn't teach this.

Answer: Mary of Bethany

Contrary to popular depictions and/or belief, Mary Magdalene never anointed Christ's feet or wiped them with her hair. Or, if she did at some point, then the New Testament doesn't record that she did.

John 12:1-3 state,
"Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus was-the man he had brought back to life. A banquet was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. Then Mary took a jar of costly perfume made from essence of nard, and anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance."

After Mary of Bethany anointed His feet, Judas Iscariot complained that it cost too much and the money should have been given to the poor. It reports, though, that Judas didn't actually care about the poor; he was only a greedy thief, which I find interesting because he later turned Christ in to the authorities for money. Christ defended her actions.

John 12:4-8 continue,
"But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples-the one who would betray him-said, 'That perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.' Not that he cared for the poor, but he was in charge of the disciples' funds and often dipped into them for his own use!

Jesus replied, 'Let [leave] her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You can always help the poor, but I won't be with you very long'" (from the Living Bible translation).

Answer: False

Madeleine is a version of Magdalene, but Luke 8:2 doesn't say that this was her middle name. In fact, most theologians or Bible scholars believe that "Magdalene" was a title rather than a real name, and she was given it because she came from Magdala. Magdala was a town near the Sea of Galilee. Alternative titles for her are Mary *the* Magdalene, Mary of (or from) Magdala, or simply (the) Magdalene. Sometimes it is spelled "Magdalen."

In a way, though, it still is a beautiful feminine name. From Magdalene came not only the French and English Madeleine, but other versions as well, including (but not limited to) Madeline, Madlyn, and Madoline.

Bethany is, in fact, another feminine name based on a town.

Source: BehindtheName.com

Answer: They didn't believe her.

Mark 16:9-11 state,
"It was early on Sunday morning when Jesus came back to life, and the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene-the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She found the disciples wet-eyed with grief and exclaimed that she had seen Jesus, and he was alive! But they didn't believe her!" (from the Living Bible translation).

In Mark 16:7, an angel, but not Christ Himself, told Magdalene, Salome, and Mary, the mother of James to inform Peter and the other disciples that Christ had risen. These women brought spices and intended to anoint His body.

Answer: The other Mary

Matthew 28:1 in the Living Bible translation:
"Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to the tomb."

For the sake of this quiz, I wish I could say that the other Mary was Mary of Bethany. Perhaps she was. However, the other Mary was probably Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, because Matthew 27 references her.

Verses 9-10 continue:
"And as they were running, suddenly Jesus was there in front of them!

'Good morning!' he said. And they fell to the ground before him, holding his feet and worshiping him.

Then Jesus said to them, 'Don't be frightened! Go tell my brothers to leave at once for Galilee, to meet me there.'"

At first glance, this seems to contradict what the other Gospels state about the resurrection, especially John 20. Some people could argue this, but I think that there might be some other things going on here too.

1) It is possible that Jesus made a second appearance to Mary Magdalene and this time the other Mary was there. Possibly, other women were with them as well.

2) Even though verse 1 mentions Mary Magdalene at the tomb, perhaps verses 9-10 actually describe Jesus appearing to other women, including the other Mary, after He already appeared to Mary Magdalene.

Certainly, there are other interpretations as well, but those are my thoughts.

Interestingly, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all report other women at the tomb with Magdalene, but angels tell these women that Christ is no longer in the tomb. Mark and John state that the first person to actually *see* and *talk to* the risen Christ was Magdalene.

Answer: Because He still needed to ascend to God the Father

John 20 states that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early Sunday morning and discovered that Christ's body was gone. She ran to tell it to Peter and to the so-called disciple that Jesus loved, who is traditionally believed to be John (the author of the Gospel). They came and also saw that His body was gone. But Peter and John just went back to their homes after that, leaving poor, heartbroken Mary Magdalene. She was crying outside the tomb when Jesus appeared to her.

Verses 13-17 in the Living Bible translation:

"'Why are you crying?' the angels asked her.

'Because they have taken away my Lord,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.'

She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her. It was Jesus, but she didn't recognize him!

'Why are you crying?' he [Jesus] asked her. 'Whom are you looking for?'

She thought he was the gardener. 'Sir,' she said, 'if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.'

'Mary!' Jesus said. She turned toward him.

'Master!' [or 'Rabbi'] she exclaimed.

'Don't touch me,' he cautioned, 'for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"

GotQuestions.org says in their article, "After His Resurrection, Why Did Jesus Tell Mary Not to Touch Him, but Later Tell Thomas to Touch Him?" that Christ told this to her because she needed to learn to let go of the physical, human Jesus. That part of Him was leaving and she needed to understand that He was no longer going to be living as a man with her or with anyone, but He was going to be in Heaven with the Father instead.

After He delivered her from demonic possession and changed her life forever, Mary Magdalene had traveled with Jesus since pretty early on in His ministry. She literally followed Him everywhere. Apparently, she grew very attached to Him. While this doesn't mean that Christ was married to her, there are, interestingly, some similarities between Magdalene looking for and finding Christ and Solomon's bride looking for and finding her beloved in the Song of Solomon.

Song of Solomon 3:2-4:
"I got up to look for him but couldn't find him. I went out into the streets of the city and the roads to seek him, but I searched in vain. The police stopped me, and I said to them, 'Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?' It was only a little while afterwards that I found him and held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my childhood home, into my mother's old bedroom" (in the Living Bible translation).

Based on the original Greek word, the touch that John 20:17 refers to was more than a little touch. She was trying to cling to Him. Synonyms include hug, hold; embrace. Actually, some commentaries argue that she was already clinging to Him, so that He actually said or meant, "Stop touching Me."