The Pistis Sophia
The Pistis Sophia (Faith Wisdom or sometimes translated as Faith of Sophia) dates to A.D. 250–300 and is one of those Gnostic scriptures that was once thought to have been destroyed by the orthodox early church but has survived. The text suggests that Jesus did not ascend to the Pleroma but stayed on earth for 11 years, teaching his disciples until he had brought their knowledge up to the first level of the mystery.
The text explains the falling and rising of the soul, Gnostic cosmology, and desires that must be overcome for one to achieve salvation. Sophia's descent symbolizes the descent of the power of redemption in the divine feminine. Three Biblical female images express this power. They are Eve, the Virgin Mary, and Mary Magdalene.
In the Gospel of Philip, a text that covers the topic of marriage as a sacred mystery, Mary Magadalene is called the “companion” of Jesus. It states that there were three Marys who always walked with him: his mother Mary, her sister (presumably the Virgin Mary's sister or sister-in-law), and Mary Magdalene, “the one who was called his companion.”
Patristic Christian leaders in the fourth century banned the Pistis Sophia. The British Museum acquired a copy from a doctor in 1795 who got it from an unknown source. Written in Upper Egyptian Sahidic dialect translated from Greek, the text shows Jesus instructing his disciples in esoteric mysteries, in particular, Sophia's fall and repentance, symbolic of the predicament of individuals.
Peter Challenges Mary Magdalene
In the Pistis Sophia, Jesus' last teaching takes place on the Mount of Olives 12 years after his death and resurrection. Here, he teaches his disciples (Martha, Matthew, Philip, Peter, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome, among them) about many realms of the invisible world. He instructs them in esoteric mysteries.
At one point during the discourse, Peter, Jesus' hot-tempered, impulsive disciple (whom some have labeled a mysogynist and others have called tender-hearted), complained to Jesus that he and the other disciples cannot endure Mary Magdalene because she talks too much, depriving them of the opportunity to speak.
Two things are notable about this passage. The first is that Jesus treated his female disciples as equal participants with the men in his discourse sessions. The second reveals Peter's intolerance of Mary Magdalene. Her questioning of the Savior and her ongoing discourse is not to Peter's liking, nor would it have been tolerated by the orthodox Christian fathers who followed Peter after Jesus' death.
Mary Magdalene tells Jesus that she is afraid of Peter, because he threatened her and because he hates her sex. The Pistis Sophia, along with the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of the Egyptians, and the Gospel of Mary, illustrate tensions between these two important disciples of Jesus. The tensions between these two echo outward into the earliest groups of Christians, before the orthodoxy had established itself and ordered the destruction of any texts offering competing viewpoints.
References in Sophian teachings of the holy bride usually mean the presence and power of the Divine (Sophia) as embodied in each human, with Christ as the masculine counterpart. Mary Magdalene has been called the Sophia or “Divine Wisdom” of Jesus Christ.
The conflict between Mary Magdalene and Peter indicates differences in viewpoints and interpretations of Jesus' esoteric teachings by two of his closest disciples. Both of them possessed an understanding of what the Lord had taught them. But Mary Magdalene was a mystic and visionary and Jesus empowered, emboldened, and magnified her while he often rebuked Peter for his brashness and cowardess. Nevertheless, in Peter, he saw a tender-hearted man, someone who was solid and courageous (especially after the Pentecost).
Mary Magdalene spoke boldly and in openness about her fear of Peter. But Jesus made the ultimate promise to Mary when he told her that because her heart was pure and strained toward heaven more than her brother and sister disciples, he would complete her, bestowing upon her all the divine mysteries.
Mary Magdalene as Jesus' Elect
In the Pistis Sophia, Jesus calls Mary Magdalene “blessed.” He praises her spiritual understanding, saying that she is more spiritual than the others. Jesus tells Mary Magdalene that she will inherit the whole Kingdom of the Light. Some feminist theologians believe that Jesus, in his enthusiastic support of Mary Magdalene, intended for her to be his spiritual heir over his ministry.
They say that Mary Magdalene occupied a special place in his heart, and that he told her she was blessed beyond all the women upon the earth and would be the “perfection of all perfections.” Some translations say she would be the “completeness of all completions.” Mary Magdalene asked him if she could speak directly and he told her to speak in openness and not be afraid. He told her to ask him any question and he would reveal the answer to her.
According to the Gospel of Mary, after Jesus had been put to death Peter asked Mary Magdalene to share some words or teachings that Jesus had given her but not the others. This indicates that Peter knew that Jesus and Mary Magdalene shared a close, intimate friendship.
Mary Magdalene may have served in many roles in the life and ministry of Jesus, but only her role as the victim of demon possession that Jesus healed and her role as the eyewitness to the Resurrection are recorded in the New Testament Gospels. However, mention is made that she was among a group of women followers who supported Jesus' mission out of their means (finances).
Was Mary Magdalene the leader of a sect of early Christianity?
Some feminist theologians and religious scholars say that she stood out as a likely candidate. In widely circulated early Christian writings, Mary Magdalene was depicted as a mystic, someone close (perhaps closest) to Jesus, who grasped his most esoteric lessons, had visions, and articulated his teachings to others.
According to John's Gospel, after death Jesus chose to appear to a certain woman, his pre-eminent female follower. Her testimony that he had risen inspired hope in the Christians. Her words of comfort turned their minds toward God and away from grief. It would have been difficult to downplay or erase Mary Magdalene's central role in the Resurrection, and, indeed, there are fourteen references to her in the canonical Gospels. But there is no mention of other roles that she may have had, such as leader of one important branch of Christianity, or of her teaching and preaching.
