“The Son of Man is within you, look it up there and find him.”

1) What it is and why it matters

The “Gospel of Mary is an apocryphal gospel of the centuries II–V that preserves teachings of the “Savior” in dialogue with his disciples, and, centrally, with Mary, who transmits a private revelation that leads to a controversy with Peter and Andrew. The text is key to study: (i) authority and leadership of women in corrientes, early christian, (ii) mystique of the “vision” and the “mind” (nous), (iii) a soteriology of ascent of the soul that exceed “Powers” hostile, and (iv) the tension between charisma and regulations (“do not impose rules beyond those that say”). The outlines of the content is read in the translations of critical preserved by the Early Christian Writings, that also recorded the famous passage “there is sin” in the sense that the human being generates the sin when it acts “according to the nature of adultery” (ethical interpretation and not antinomista simplistic).

2) Manuscripts and transmission

• Support main (coptic, s. V): Papyrus Berolinensis 8502 (“Berlin Codex”), in sahídico. The codex also includes Apocryphon of John, Sophia of Jesus Christ and an epitome of the Acts of Peter. Missing ten pages: 1-6 and 11-14; that is why the text preserved starts in “cap 4” and suffers a great hiatus before the “hold 8”.
• Greek fragments (s. III): two witnesses, P. Rylands 463 and P. Oxy. 3525, confirming the existence of the text already in the third century and show variations with respect to the coptic.

“Any kind, any shape and any creature exist in the other and dissolve back into its roots.”

3) Date, language, and place of composition

The majority of specialists situates the composition in the second century (with proposals ranging from c. 120-180 d. C.). The original was Greekwith translation coptic later. The transmission and findings placed your circulation in Egypt (Oxyrhynchus; Akhmim).

4) Structure and content

Given the fragmentary character, it should be read by blocks:

A. Speech of the Savior (start lost; 4:22-39 preserved)
— Answers on “matter”, and their resolution to the “origins”; I urge you to not be distracted by false guides because “the Son of Man is within you”; and warning: not to impose more rules the given.

B. Intervention of Mary (5:1-10; then lost 6-7)
— Mary encourages the disciples and tells a vision; the Savior explains that the vision perceives the mind (nous) “that is between the soul and the spirit.” From here missing four pages are crucial.

C. Ascent of the soul and battle with the “Powers” (cap 8)
— The soul exceeds on Desire e Ignorance, and faces seven ways the power of the Angerdarkness, desire, ignorance, agitation of the death, kingdom of the flesh, wisdom foolish of meat and wisdom angry. It is an outline of inner liberation and cosmic typical of the “dialogues” christian mystics of the period.

D. Controversy of the church (cap 9)
— Andrew questioned the teaching by “strange”; Peter objects if the Savior spoke to her “in private with a woman”; Levi defends Mary (“if the Savior made her worthy, who is you to reject it?”) and commanded to preach without adding another law. Close querigmático.

“Do not impose any rule beyond what I have given you, and do not give laws as the legislature, that ye be not dominated by them.”

5) theological Themes main

• Sin and anthropology: “There is No sin” does not deny the morality; redefines the origin of sin as a by-product of our actions disordered (metaphor of the “adultery”), in a framework where the creation returns to its “roots” (restoration).
• Inner knowledge (nous), and revelation: The mind as the organ of spiritual vision articulates a mystical interiority (“the Son of Man is within you”), with echoes of learning traditions and dialogales of christianity in egypt.
• Soteriology of climbing: The journey of the soul that conquers powers hostile, similar to currents related (Sophia of Jesus Christ, Pistis Sophia), although the text of the Gospel of Mary not directly dependent on Nag Hammadi.
• Ecclesiology and gender: The story legitimizes the authority of Mary in front of the male leadership (Peter/Andrew) and complaint normativismos that suffocate the charism (“do not give a law like the lawgiver”). It is a window to dispute of authority in communities of s. II.

6) what Is “gnostic”? The state of the debate

For decades, it is framed as a “gnostic” by their lexicon (powers, ignorance, promotion). Recent studies nuanced: share topics with traditions gnostic, but they don't fit cleanly in a gnostic system rigid; his ethics, and ecclesiology are own of a gospel of dialogue christian.

“Where is the mind (nous), there is the treasure.”

7) Identification of Mary of the text

The title of coptic and the subsequent receipt have led to identify it with Mary Magdalene; the Greek fragments speak of “Mary”, and a broad tradition in sources of the s. II–III presents Mary Magdalene as a host of revelations easter, which reinforces the identification (although the text does not offer a self-explicit identification beyond the name).

8) why is not in the canon

Criteria such as old apostolic testable, liturgical use extended and accordance doctrinal majority were not met for this writing; in addition, its circulation was limited and his theology discussed. The material witness (Greek s. III; coptic s. V) show actual reception, but bounded, without weight canonical in the churches that defined the New Testament. (Synthesis of introductions, reviews and catalogues of manuscripts.)

“Do not let the fear paralyze you: the truth is in your interiors.”

9) How to read the text today (keys and precautions)

• Fragmentary: remember that almost half lack (1-6 and 11-14), so any reconstruction of the “core doctrinal” is hypothetical. Use translations that indicate gaps and guesses.
• Compare witnesses: the Greek fragments are not identical to the coptic; it is useful to contrast the parallel sections.
• Avoid anachronisms: do not confuse this gospel with controversial modern (e.g., the controversial “papyrus of the wife of Jesus”, now widely identified as a forgery; different theme of the Gospel of Mary).

10) key Passages (for exegetical work)

• 4:22-41: resolution of the matter to its roots; “do not impose more rules”; “the Son of Man is within of you.”
• 5:1-10: Mary as cheerleader and visionary; centrality of the nous.
• 8:18-24: seven ways the power of Anger; triumph of the soul (“what I chain has been killed”).
• 9:2-10: conflict Peter-Mary and defense of Levi; mission without adding laws.

“The matter will dissolve in its roots, and the root will return to what is yours.”

11) literary Relations

Share and gender issues with other “conversations with Jesus” (e.g., Sophia of Jesus Christ, Dialogue of the Saviour), and in his polemic on standard/spirit reminds traditions joánicas and pauline. The Berlin Codex where it travels to the text, in fact, brings together works related to it.

12) Editions and translations recommended

• Karen L. King, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala (2003): historical-critical introduction of reference.
• Christopher Tuckett, The Gospel of Mary (OUP, 2007): analysis philological and discussion of dating/content.
• Lance Jenott (trad.), The Gospel of Mary (2018): translation with introduction and clear notes on the witnesses. (PDF available).
• Early Christian Writings: text/translation in line with indication of gaps and chapters.
• Catalogues and tokens of manuscripts: Berlin Codex (BG 8502), and descriptions of P. Ryl. 463/P. Oxy. 3525.

13) research Questions open

1. The extent to which the work reflects the communities where Mary Magdalene embodied authority catechetical? 2) Is it correct to speak of “gnosticism” in the strong sense, or of a christianity sapiential egyptian with gnostic motifs? 3) What is contained lost pages (1-6; 11-14) and how it would affect his recovery to the interpretation of the set? (See recent discussions that problematize the label “gnostic”.)

Conclusion

The Gospel of Mary it is a gospel of dialogue whose theological centerpiece is the interiority transformative (nous), the freedom in the face of legalisms and the legitimation of the testimony of Mary as the bearer of revelation. Transmission fragmentary (Greek s. III; coptic s. V) and its flow egyptian located in the heart of the debates of the second century on authority and orthodoxy. Read critically —aware of their gaps— allows you to better understand the diversity of primitive christianity.

“The soul ascends when she knows herself.”