Is the Gospel of Mary in the Bible?
No. It is not in the King James Version or in any Christian canon. It is a second-century Gnostic text that was never received by the church as apostolic Scripture.
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The Gospel of Mary — Free PDF Study Guide
A clear, honest introduction to the Gospel of Mary — the short second-century text preserved in the Coptic Berlin Codex in which Mary Magdalene comforts the frightened disciples and reports a vision of the Saviour, only to be challenged by Peter and defended by Levi. More than half the text is missing. This guide explains what actually survives, what it teaches, and how it relates to the four Gospels of the King James Bible.
An original Bible Sundays study companion. The Gospel of Mary survives in one incomplete Coptic manuscript (Berlin Codex 8502) and two small Greek fragments; pages 1–6 and 11–14 are lost. Scripture quoted from the King James Version.
What you get
What survives and what is missing from the manuscript
The dialogue with the Saviour and Mary's vision of the soul's ascent
The exchange between Peter, Andrew, Levi, and Mary
Its Gnostic framework and second-century date
Why the early church did not receive it as Scripture
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What is the Gospel of Mary?
The Gospel of Mary is a short second-century Christian text, most likely composed in Greek around AD 120–180 and surviving mainly in a fifth-century Coptic translation in the Berlin Codex. It is badly damaged: of roughly nineteen original pages, ten are lost. What remains falls into two parts — a closing dialogue between the risen Saviour and his disciples, and Mary's account of a private revelation she received, followed by the disciples' argument about whether to believe her.
What it actually teaches
The surviving text is thoroughly Gnostic in outlook. Matter is not the good creation of God but something to be dissolved back into its root; salvation is the soul's escape upward past hostile powers — Darkness, Desire, Ignorance, and Wrath — each of which must be answered as the soul ascends. The Saviour tells the disciples to seek the Son of Man within and warns them against laying down rules. Peter objects that the Saviour would not have spoken privately to a woman; Levi rebukes him and says the Saviour loved her more than the rest. That exchange, not the theology, is what made the text famous in modern times.
Why it is not in the Bible
The Gospel of Mary was never a candidate for the canon. It is a century or more later than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; it has no claim to apostolic authorship; and its teaching about the material world and about salvation contradicts the apostolic message that God made the world good, that Christ rose bodily, and that salvation is by grace through faith in him. The New Testament honours Mary Magdalene highly — she is the first witness of the resurrection in all four Gospels — but the book bearing her name comes from a different faith. Read it to understand second-century Gnosticism; read the four Gospels to know Christ.
Frequently asked questions
Did Mary Magdalene write the Gospel of Mary?
Almost certainly not. The text was written a century or more after her lifetime and, like other Gnostic works, was attributed to a famous figure to lend it authority.
What does the Gospel of Mary say?
In the surviving pages the Saviour commissions the disciples and departs; Mary encourages them and describes a vision of the soul rising past four hostile powers; Peter and Andrew doubt her, and Levi defends her before the disciples go out to preach.
How much of the Gospel of Mary survives?
Roughly half. Pages 1–6 and 11–14 of the Coptic Berlin Codex are missing, so both the opening and the central portion of Mary's vision are lost.
Does the Gospel of Mary say Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene?
No. It says nothing about marriage. The often-quoted line is Levi's statement that the Saviour loved her more than the other disciples, which the text presents as spiritual esteem, not marriage.
When was the Gospel of Mary discovered?
The Coptic manuscript was purchased in Cairo in 1896 and published in 1955; two small third-century Greek fragments were later found among the Oxyrhynchus papyri.
Should Christians read the Gospel of Mary?
It can be read as a historical window into second-century Gnosticism, but it should never be read as Scripture. Its teaching about the material world and salvation is at odds with the apostolic gospel.
Can I share this study guide?
Yes. This Bible Sundays study guide is free to share for any personal, ministry, or educational purpose.
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Biblical names and their meanings
Every name below appears in the King James Bible. Each page gives the meaning, the verse it appears in, and who carried it in Scripture.
- TimothyHonoring God
- UrielGod is my light; Fire of God
- ZaraDawn or brightness
- ZaraPrincess; Dawn; Brightness
- ZaraPrincess; Radiance; Blooming flower
- ZaraPrincess; Radiance; Dawn
- ZechariahThe LORD remembers
- ZionHighest point or fortress
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