Dr. Michael Peppard

It doesn't have to be quite so misogynistic in its sound when we look later at like early Christian martyr stories, many of which are women, right? Who are women who are going to the death for their faith, such as Perpetua and Felicity in North Africa. And when we read these martyr stories of early Christian women, a lot of them are presented as male.

It doesn't have to be quite so misogynistic in its sound when we look later at like early Christian martyr stories, many of which are women, right? Who are women who are going to the death for their faith, such as Perpetua and Felicity in North Africa. And when we read these martyr stories of early Christian women, a lot of them are presented as male.

They're not men biologically, but their virtues, their characteristics are presented as male in the course of telling their story as a way of showing that they are fully embodying Christ. They are fully taking on his form. And it's almost a criticism of men who aren't doing that.

They're not men biologically, but their virtues, their characteristics are presented as male in the course of telling their story as a way of showing that they are fully embodying Christ. They are fully taking on his form. And it's almost a criticism of men who aren't doing that.

oh right because if a woman is doing it why what excuse do you have and the word the ancient greek word for courage is manliness the actual word andrea is like like andrew is so to to say like perpetua is shows courage before her captor it actually says she's shows her manhood like she's manly interesting

oh right because if a woman is doing it why what excuse do you have and the word the ancient greek word for courage is manliness the actual word andrea is like like andrew is so to to say like perpetua is shows courage before her captor it actually says she's shows her manhood like she's manly interesting

That's interesting. And they have a lot of kind of militaristic imagery too in these martyr stories where, you know, just to take Perpetua for the example. I mean, at the end, she guides the executor's knife to her own throat. He's afraid to do it. And she's like, she brings, I mean, it's pretty goth. Whoa. I've never heard that before. Yeah.

That's interesting. And they have a lot of kind of militaristic imagery too in these martyr stories where, you know, just to take Perpetua for the example. I mean, at the end, she guides the executor's knife to her own throat. He's afraid to do it. And she's like, she brings, I mean, it's pretty goth. Whoa. I've never heard that before. Yeah.

She also has a whole bunch of dreams before when she's awaiting her martyrdom that may potentially be first-person accounts of her dreams and visions before she goes. This is taking us far afield from your question, but I mean, that's fine. We're here at camp and when you're late night around a campfire sometimes.

She also has a whole bunch of dreams before when she's awaiting her martyrdom that may potentially be first-person accounts of her dreams and visions before she goes. This is taking us far afield from your question, but I mean, that's fine. We're here at camp and when you're late night around a campfire sometimes.

That's right.

That's right.

So circle all the way back. So there are conflicting accounts about Jesus' siblings. in the canonical New Testament, right? So in the Gospel of Mark, we have a list that potentially includes, if this person's name was Judas Didymus Thomas, it could include, you know, a sibling who goes by the name of Thomas later, which could make sense.

So circle all the way back. So there are conflicting accounts about Jesus' siblings. in the canonical New Testament, right? So in the Gospel of Mark, we have a list that potentially includes, if this person's name was Judas Didymus Thomas, it could include, you know, a sibling who goes by the name of Thomas later, which could make sense.

Now, the Protestant tradition has no problem with Jesus having a bunch of siblings because they don't have a virgin birth or perpetual virginity. Whereas the Catholic tradition has a perpetual virginity doctrine. And so they argue that these others are like cousins or family, other kinds of family members, which is also linguistically defensible. I don't think we're ever going to resolve that one.

Now, the Protestant tradition has no problem with Jesus having a bunch of siblings because they don't have a virgin birth or perpetual virginity. Whereas the Catholic tradition has a perpetual virginity doctrine. And so they argue that these others are like cousins or family, other kinds of family members, which is also linguistically defensible. I don't think we're ever going to resolve that one.

Yeah. But if Jesus had a twin and twins are especially close, then the argument would go that this twin would have special knowledge, just like biological twins in our lifetime often have special knowledge of one another. Telepathy. They feel very, very, very bonded. I mean, I can't imagine what it would feel like to have an identical twin like that. Right. And so that then...

Yeah. But if Jesus had a twin and twins are especially close, then the argument would go that this twin would have special knowledge, just like biological twins in our lifetime often have special knowledge of one another. Telepathy. They feel very, very, very bonded. I mean, I can't imagine what it would feel like to have an identical twin like that. Right. And so that then...

does kind of close the loop of this little conversation where you think if these texts, these mostly second, third century texts that you're talking about, which come to be called Apocrypha, if the genre is mostly like special revelations that particular disciples had, right? The gospel of Mary, the gospel of Thomas, these are things that Jesus said to me that he didn't say to the rest of you.

does kind of close the loop of this little conversation where you think if these texts, these mostly second, third century texts that you're talking about, which come to be called Apocrypha, if the genre is mostly like special revelations that particular disciples had, right? The gospel of Mary, the gospel of Thomas, these are things that Jesus said to me that he didn't say to the rest of you.