The first real mention we have of Miriam of Magdala in the New Testament is found in a brief passage in Lk. 8.1-3: "Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources." She is not mentioned in the earliest Gospel (Mark) prior to the stories about the last week of Jesus’ life, nor in the second earliest Gospel (Matthew), also prior to the last week of Jesus’ life, nor in John’s Gospel prior to the crucifixion.

Notice that Lk. 8.1-3 says Jesus cast seven demons out of Miriam. Seven was the number of completion or perfection. We are meant to understand that she was particularly captivated by the dark presence in her life and required deliverance by an external power. Demonic possession controls the personality and leads to voices speaking through the person, fits, and acts of unusual power. Jesus delivered Miriam from this condition, which apparently prompted her to drop everything and follow him around Galilee. We are also told in Lk. 8.1-3 that she and other women helped provision the traveling disciples, which may mean she was wealthy. We cannot be sure of this however, because she could have also simply cooked or cleaned for others.

One church father called Miriam “the apostle to the apostles.” Jesus commissioned Miriam to tell the male disciples where he was going, once he was risen. It is not surprising that many in the Jesus movement thereafter saw this as precedent for women to proclaim the Gospel. In fact, John’s Gospel depicts Miriam as not only the first to see the risen Jesus, but the very first to proclaim the Easter message.

The New Testament tells us nothing more of the story of Miriam. Later conjecture about her seems to have little or no historical basis. But we have more than enough to say that she was an important early disciple and witness for Jesus. And we can say with equal certainty that there is absolutely no early historical evidence that Miriam’s relationship with Jesus was anything other than that of a disciple to her Master teacher.

ERROR NO. 4-- Jesus was married, in fact he was married to Mary Magdalene. Since the NT is completely silent and does not support these ideas, of course one has to turn to other and later sources for them, in particular the Gospel of Philip probably written sometime in the late third century A.D. Unfortunately the relevant portion of this text has gaps and it reads (63.33-36) “And the companion of the... Mary Magdalene... her more than ...the disciples.. kiss her... on her…” A parallel passage in the Gospel of Philip 58-59 seems to suggest a kiss on the mouth.

ERROR No. 5-- Jesus must have been married since he was an early Jew (p. 245). This argument over looks the fact that there were already exceptions to this sort of rule in early Judaism. Josephus (Ant. 18.1.5.20-21; Jewish War 2.8.2) Philo (Hypothetica 11.14-17) and the Dead Sea Cemetery all attest to the fact that some early Jews felt a calling to celibacy. There is no reason why Jesus could not have been one of them. In fact, it would appear that his cousin John the Baptist set such a precedent for this kin group.