LIBERTY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

MARY OF MAGDALA, THE DEVOTED:

A CHARACTER STUDY OF MARY MAGDALENE

Setting: Youth Group Chapel Service

Length of Delivery: 40 Minutes for each lesson

A Character Study Paper

Submitted to Dr. Johnny Jones
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For Completion of the Course
NBST 521 B18 LUO 201240
NEW TESTAMENT ORIENTATION I

By
Slim Pickens
L24828252

Suwon, South Korea

September 19, 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART 1: LESSON OUTLINES....................................................................................................1

LESSON 1: MARY MAGDALENE, FROM MAGDALA.......................................................................2
LESSON 2: MARY MAGDALENE, THE FAITHFUL..........................................................................4
LESSON 3: MARY MAGDALENE, THE APOSTLE............................................................................5

PART 2: LESSON NARRATIVES..............................................................................................7

LESSON 1: MARY MAGDALENE, FROM MAGDALA.................................................................TBD
LESSON 2: MARY MAGDALENE, THE FAITHFUL....................................................................TBD
LESSON 3: MARY MAGDALENE, THE APOSTLE......................................................................TBD
BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................TBD

ii

PART I
LESSON OUTLINE

Lesson 1
Mary Magdalene, from Magdala
I. Introduction
A. Key Verse
1. Luke 8:2-3
B. Background
1. Thoughts on the town of Magdala
2. The woman with seven demons
II. Biblical inconsistencies with the cultural Mary Magdalene
A. The cultural Mary Magdalene
1. Pope Gregory the Greats (mis)interpretation1
a. The woman with the alabaster jar (Mark 14:3-9)
b. The sinner who washes Jesus feet with her tears (Luke 7:36-50)2
c. The Samartian woman at the well (John 4)
d. Mary of Bethany3
e. The prostitute from Magdal
III. Conclusion
1

Lucy Winkett, Go Tell! Thinking About Mary Magdalene, Feminist Theology 10, no. 19 (Jan 1, 2002): 21,
http://fth.sagepub.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/10/29/19.full.pdf+html (accessed September 20,
2012).

Gerald O'Collins Mary Magdalene as Major Witness to Jesus' Resurrection, Theological Studies 48, no. 4
(December 1, 1987): 631-646,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0273eed-2afe-4bc1806a-201e10517ebf%40sessionmgr4&vid=3&hid=25 (accessed September 21, 2012).

Mary Ann Beavis, Reconsidering Mary of Bethany, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 74, no. 2 (April 1,
2012): 281-97,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f1813ec5-d4a3-4622b6cd-12caff64a87c%40sessionmgr15&vid=1&hid=25 (accessed September 21, 2012).

3
A. Application

Lesson 2
Mary Magdalene, the Faithful
I. Introduction
A. Key Verse(s)
II. The Biblical Mary Magdalene
A. Mary Magdalene, the transformed4
1. Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9; John 8:31, 32; John 8:12; Mark 5:12-20
B. Mary Magdalene, the follower and supporter
1. Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:41; Luke 8:3; Luke 23:49
C. Mary Magdalene, the faithful
1. Matthew 27:55; 56, Mark 15:40; Luke 23:48, 49; John 19:25
D. Mary Magdalene, the devoted (at the entombment)5
1. Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55, 56
III. Conclusion
A. Application

Kathryn Madden, The Dark Interval: Inner Transformation through Mourning and Memory, Journal of
Religion and Health 36, no. 1 (Spring 1997): 29-51,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=44366f4d-2220-4ab29b34-c822da1125cd%40sessionmgr12&vid=3&hid=25 (accessed September 20, 2012).
Ibid.

5
Lesson 3
Mary Magdalene, the Apostle
I. Introduction
A. Key Verse(s)
II. Mary Magdalene, the witness
A. Of Christs death
1. Matthew 27:55, 56; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:48, 49; John 19:25
B. Of Christs resurrection
1. Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-10; Luke 24:1-10; John 20:1-18
III. Mary Magdalenes Role
A. Her Apostolic commission6, 7
1. Witness to the resurrection (Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1-2)
2. Christs acknowledgement
B. The importance of her role as a major witness8, 9, 10, 11
6

Dorothy A. Lee, Partnership in Easter Faith: The Role of Mary Magdalene and Thomas in John 20, Journal
for the Study of the New Testament no. 58 (June 1, 1995): 37-49,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=33e6ef51-96f3-4e24-a7fd0f4de6982231%40sessionmgr10&vid=3&hid=25 (accessed September 19, 2012).

Kelli S. O'Brien Written That You May Believe: John 20 and Narrative Rhetoric, Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 67, no. 2 (April 1, 2005): 284-302,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=26549540-6b0b-4fde8353-6122dd344143%40sessionmgr14&vid=3&hid=25 (accessed September 20, 2012).

10

Ibid.
Gerald O'Collins Mary Magdalene as Major Witness to Jesus' Resurrection, Theological Studies 48, no. 4
(December 1, 1987): 631-646,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d0273eed-2afe-4bc1806a-201e10517ebf%40sessionmgr4&vid=3&hid=25 (accessed September 21, 2012).

Claudia Setzer, Excellent Women: Female Witness to the Resurrection., Journal of Biblical
Literature 116, no. 2 (Summer 1997): 259-72,
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ehost/detail?sid=9b7ae23d-4c77-464e-a905- a56f38acf93a
%40sessionmgr4&vid=2&hid=25&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=
rfh&AN=ATLA0001022087 (accessed September 20, 2012).

6
1. Among the major founders of the church (Acts 1)
2. First witness/evangelist
IV. Conclusion
A. Application

11

Everett Falconer Harrison, The Son of God Among the Sons of Men. 15, Jesus and Mary
Magdalene, Bibliotheca Sacra 105, no. 420 (Oct-Dec 1948): 433-42,
http://rx9vh3hy4r.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&
rft.atitle=Jesus+and+Mary+Magdalene&rft.jtitle=Bibli (accessed September 18, 2012).

PART 2
LESSON NARRATIVE