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The distinction is important for preserving the newlywed condition, but not for this fragment. Joel Send a noteboard - 20/09/2012 11:21:52 PM
As I said:
There is a very good reason, too - the relationship between Christ and His Church is ever fresh and new, always a celebration and a feast; he is forever the bridegroom and the Church is forever the bride. The "honeymoon" never ends.

The authors of the various Biblical books were wise enough to know what most everyone else does: after the honeymoon is over, the marriage is a mixed bag. Some things are good, some aren't, and a lasting marriage has far more of the good things and far fewer of the bad, but there's never a "perfect" one.

By keeping the phraseology as "bride", the authors uniformly keep the relationship in its pristine and most joyous condition.

The distinction is a very important one, not a trivial one.

Right, but not in terms of the fragments meaning, because the canonical use of "bride" requires her to be a wife as well. The distinction is only relevant to the newfound passage as a further indication it is inauthentic, since it replaces the consistent and frequent canonical use of "bride" with "wife."

As for what Jesus says in the fragment that supposedly says, "My wife...", we don't know, because the fragment conveniently ends after that. The two letters that are present, "mn" with a line over them indicating a shewa-like vowel quantity, could be several things: (1) "with" (by itself), (2) "not" (as a prefix), (3) the first letters of words like mnout, "doorkeeper" or (more likely) mntre "witness" (or, in the Christian sense, martyr).

I have problems with the text, though, because the word for "wife" uses a non-standard spelling, the "my" part is darker and almost looks like it was added later, and more importantly the particle that usually sets off direct speech is missing. I just think that it might be:

peje IC nau je hime mn
Jesus said to them, "A woman with..."

or

peje IC je shime mn
Jesus said "A woman with..."

So it could mean anything or nothing even if is authentic (which there are several good reasons to doubt.) Not that that will prevent those convinced a smoking gun exists claiming this passage qualifies.
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So, about this silly "Jesus' wife" story making the rounds... - 19/09/2012 10:55:55 PM 1224 Views
That's right! Jesus' position on marriage was "One man, no woman." *NM* - 19/09/2012 11:05:55 PM 551 Views
What is the context? The canonical bible says Christ has a wife: The Church. - 19/09/2012 11:25:19 PM 855 Views
Oh please...don't confuse "wife" with "bride" - 19/09/2012 11:35:09 PM 825 Views
What word do the Prophets use for Israels relationship to God? - 20/09/2012 12:38:20 AM 817 Views
BRIDE - 20/09/2012 03:39:30 PM 794 Views
That makes sense for an eternal God, but sounds like a wife who remains a bride. - 20/09/2012 08:56:07 PM 869 Views
It's "bride" in the Old Testament as well. - 20/09/2012 09:48:37 PM 816 Views
The distinction is important for preserving the newlywed condition, but not for this fragment. - 20/09/2012 11:21:52 PM 859 Views
No, the fragment is either Gnostic or a forgery. - 20/09/2012 11:28:53 PM 800 Views
Fair enough; for my money it could easily be both. - 21/09/2012 12:10:57 AM 751 Views
Two things why it is important - 20/09/2012 04:24:37 AM 793 Views
There is a very good reason no one dismissed the illegitmate gospels as illegitimate until 180 AD: - 20/09/2012 09:15:05 PM 735 Views
The Gospel of Thomas was written before 180 AD. - 20/09/2012 09:33:44 PM 744 Views
What is the oldest extant text of or reference to it? - 20/09/2012 11:11:03 PM 816 Views
The Oxyrhynchus fragments were dated to c. 200 AD, and they are copies - 21/09/2012 12:18:33 AM 725 Views
I would buy 200 AD, of course. - 21/09/2012 12:58:32 AM 795 Views
It's not about "buying" it - it's essentially proven at that point. - 21/09/2012 03:26:50 AM 764 Views
Yes; all I meant was that I never disputed a date around 200 AD. - 22/09/2012 12:25:41 AM 775 Views
I don't think any of the gospels were written by their purported authors. - 22/09/2012 03:36:32 AM 705 Views
Not even Mark or Luke? - 22/09/2012 01:21:24 PM 732 Views
Well, but everyone knew Peter didn't speak Greek - 22/09/2012 09:46:57 PM 684 Views
What about those who postulate a mid-to-late 1st century composition? - 22/09/2012 02:21:18 AM 817 Views
Elaine Pagels ceased to be an impartial academic a long time ago. - 22/09/2012 03:41:41 AM 763 Views
Suspected as much, but wanted to see if you thought so as well - 22/09/2012 03:47:05 AM 906 Views
Let's not get started on Funk - 22/09/2012 09:48:05 PM 703 Views
So true - 22/09/2012 10:23:08 PM 815 Views
don't these people have anything better to do? - 20/09/2012 11:39:35 PM 740 Views
Clearly not. - 22/09/2012 12:27:29 AM 654 Views
then i'll escape this thread before anyone twigs - 22/09/2012 08:12:37 PM 816 Views
Too late, I have already twigged, branched and treed. - 22/09/2012 08:58:39 PM 799 Views
I know! - 21/09/2012 06:48:33 AM 926 Views
See, Tom, you made a mistake. - 22/09/2012 10:25:22 AM 778 Views

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