The Repentant Woman, Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene: One Figure?

[Rockerduck]

I understand your position that the two women were different. But that still doesn't explain my question. In John 11:2, John identifies Mary as the woman who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair before narrating the anointing in John 12.

If John is referring only to John 12, why does he use an event that his readers have not yet been told about as Mary's identifying marker?

And why does he choose the very distinctive combination of anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, which is otherwise found in Luke 7?

Whether the women are the same or different, John 11:2 still requires an explanation.

The Apostle John is recounting a story many years later. This is the Apostle John's writing style for detail as he writes. The Apostle John always puts a detail that shows he was present and saw these things. After all, only a witness can tell these things. To be fair, John does recount specifics and chances are, he either was not present in the Luke parable or he did not think it was important for his Gospel. The woman's name in Luke 7 is intentionally left out by Dr. Luke.

 

[Moonwood]

The Apostle John is recounting a story many years later. This is the Apostle John's writing style for detail as he writes. The Apostle John always puts a detail that shows he was present and saw these things. After all, only a witness can tell these things. To be fair, John does recount specifics and chances are, he either was not present in the Luke parable or he did not think it was important for his Gospel. The woman's name in Luke 7 is intentionally left out by Dr. Luke.

I agree that Luke never names the woman in Luke 7. But that's not unusual. The Gospel writers sometimes identify a person by name in one place and leave them unnamed in another, even when they are clearly referring to the same individual. So the fact that Luke does not name the woman in Luke 7 does not by itself prove she was not Mary.

I agree that John often includes details that suggest eyewitness testimony. But John 11:2 is serving a different function. It's not presented as an eyewitness detail. It's presented as an identifier while John is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair." Normally, when an author introduces a character, he identifies them by something the audience already knows, not by an event he has not yet narrated.

If John is referring only to the anointing in John 12, then he is introducing Mary by a future event that the reader has not yet read about.
So why use that description as her identifying marker?

And why choose the distinctive combination of anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, a combination otherwise found in Luke 7?
John 11:2 seems to assume the description is already meaningful to the reader, which is what needs to be explained.

 

[Rockerduck]

I agree that Luke never names the woman in Luke 7. But that's not unusual. The Gospel writers sometimes identify a person by name in one place and leave them unnamed in another, even when they are clearly referring to the same individual. So the fact that Luke does not name the woman in Luke 7 does not by itself prove she was not Mary.

I agree that John often includes details that suggest eyewitness testimony. But John 11:2 is serving a different function. It's not presented as an eyewitness detail. It's presented as an identifier while John is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair." Normally, when an author introduces a character, he identifies them by something the audience already knows, not by an event he has not yet narrated.

If John is referring only to the anointing in John 12, then he is introducing Mary by a future event that the reader has not yet read about.
So why use that description as her identifying marker?

And why choose the distinctive combination of anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, a combination otherwise found in Luke 7?
John 11:2 seems to assume the description is already meaningful to the reader, which is what needs to be explained.

I guess only Jesus can answer your question then.

 

[Moonwood]

I guess only Jesus can answer your question then.

I'm not asking because I don't know the answer. I'm asking because you don't think the answer is Luke 7.

My point is that John 11:1-2 is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

An identifier normally points the reader to something already known. If John is referring only to the event in John 12, then he's introducing Mary by an event he has not yet narrated.

So when I ask why John uses that description, I'm not claiming there is no answer. I'm asking what your explanation is, since you reject Luke 7 as the answer.

To me, Luke 7 naturally explains why John can identify Mary by the distinctive act of anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair. Since you think that's not the explanation, then what is?

 

[Rockerduck]

I'm not asking because I don't know the answer. I'm asking because you don't think the answer is Luke 7.

My point is that John 11:1-2 is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

An identifier normally points the reader to something already known. If John is referring only to the event in John 12, then he's introducing Mary by an event he has not yet narrated.

So when I ask why John uses that description, I'm not claiming there is no answer. I'm asking what your explanation is, since you reject Luke 7 as the answer.

To me, Luke 7 naturally explains why John can identify Mary by the distinctive act of anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair. Since you think that's not the explanation, then what is?

In Luke 7:37 the lady is identified as a woman sinner. This location is in the town of Nain. She opened an alabaster box of ointment, not perfume, on Jesus's feet, while crying, using her hair to wipe her tears off Jesus' feet and then used the ointment on His feet, no odor noted.

Ok now, in John 12:3, Mary is from Magdala, lives in Bethany, was never referred to as a sinner and used a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, an anointed Jesus's feet, Mary wasn't crying, an used her hair to wipe His feet. The spikenard filled the room odorously.

Matthew 26:7 and Mark 14:3 are most likely Mary of Magdala, because the same M.O. dumping perfume on the head of Jesus and both were in Bethany, where Mary and Martha lived.

John 12:3, , Matt. 26:7, and Mark 14:3 all occurred in Bethany.

Luke 7:37 occurred in Nain, so out of the 4 times Jesus was anointed only one was in Nain, by a woman identified as a sinner, was known to Simon the Pharisee in Nain, and had a different M. O. than Mary. the only commonality is the hair for wiping.
This had to be a different woman than Mary.

 

[Moonwood]

In Luke 7:37 the lady is identified as a woman sinner. This location is in the town of Nain. She opened an alabaster box of ointment, not perfume, on Jesus's feet, while crying, using her hair to wipe her tears off Jesus' feet and then used the ointment on His feet, no odor noted.

Ok now, in John 12:3, Mary is from Magdala, lives in Bethany, was never referred to as a sinner and used a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, an anointed Jesus's feet, Mary wasn't crying, an used her hair to wipe His feet. The spikenard filled the room odorously.

Matthew 26:7 and Mark 14:3 are most likely Mary of Magdala, because the same M.O. dumping perfume on the head of Jesus and both were in Bethany, where Mary and Martha lived.

John 12:3, , Matt. 26:7, and Mark 14:3 all occurred in Bethany.

Luke 7:37 occurred in Nain, so out of the 4 times Jesus was anointed only one was in Nain, by a woman identified as a sinner, was known to Simon the Pharisee in Nain, and had a different M. O. than Mary. the only commonality is the hair for wiping.
This had to be a different woman than Mary.

You're treating Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8 as three separate anointing events, but they're actually three accounts of the same anointing in Bethany:

• "when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Matthew 26:6)
• "while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Mark 14:3)
• "Jesus came to Bethany..." (John 12:1)

All three accounts describe:

• Bethany as the location (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3; John 12:1)
• costly ointment (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; John 12:3)
• criticism over the "waste" (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:4)
• the suggestion that it should have been sold and given to the poor (Matthew 26:9; Mark 14:4; John 12:5)
• Jesus defending the woman (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6; John 12:7)
• reference to His approaching death and burial (Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:8; John 12:7)

So there are not four anointings in the Gospels. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12 are parallel accounts of the same Bethany anointing.

That leaves two Gospel anointings:

1. The anointing recorded in Luke 7.
2. The anointing in Bethany recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12.

And we're back to my question.

John 11:1-2 is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

An identifier normally points the reader to something already known. If John is referring only to the event he narrates later in John 12:1-8, then he's identifying Mary by a future event that the reader has not yet read about, namely the event where she anoints Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair in Bethany.

So why use that description as her identifying marker?

The only other Gospel account featuring that distinctive combination of actions, a woman anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, is Luke 7.

To me, that naturally explains why John could use it as an identifier before narrating John 12. If you reject Luke 7 as the referent, what do you think John expected his readers to recognize from that description?

 

[Rockerduck]

You're treating Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8 as three separate anointing events, but they're actually three accounts of the same anointing in Bethany:

• "when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Matthew 26:6)
• "while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Mark 14:3)
• "Jesus came to Bethany..." (John 12:1)

All three accounts describe:

• Bethany as the location (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3; John 12:1)
• costly ointment (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; John 12:3)
• criticism over the "waste" (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:4)
• the suggestion that it should have been sold and given to the poor (Matthew 26:9; Mark 14:4; John 12:5)
• Jesus defending the woman (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6; John 12:7)
• reference to His approaching death and burial (Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:8; John 12:7)

So there are not four anointings in the Gospels. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12 are parallel accounts of the same Bethany anointing.

That leaves two Gospel anointings:

1. The anointing recorded in Luke 7.
2. The anointing in Bethany recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12.

And we're back to my question.

John 11:1-2 is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

An identifier normally points the reader to something already known. If John is referring only to the event he narrates later in John 12:1-8, then he's identifying Mary by a future event that the reader has not yet read about, namely the event where she anoints Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair in Bethany.

So why use that description as her identifying marker?

The only other Gospel account featuring that distinctive combination of actions, a woman anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, is Luke 7.

To me, that naturally explains why John could use it as an identifier before narrating John 12. If you reject Luke 7 as the referent, what do you think John expected his readers to recognize from that description?

I plainly said all three were Mary in Matthew, Mark, and John. I didn't treat them as separate. :Read it again, and you are beating a dead horse. You know and see my position, and apparently, everyone sees this as two separate events. You will never convince me otherwise.

 

[Moonwood]

I plainly said all three were Mary in Matthew, Mark, and John.

I didn't say that you said otherwise.

...everyone sees this as two separate events.

Except you. According to you, Jesus was anointed on four separate occasions, not two:

"...4 times Jesus was anointed"

then you cited these verses:

1. Luke 7:36-50
2. Matthew 26:6-13
3. Mark 14:3-9
4. John 12:1-8

But Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8 are actually three accounts of the same anointing that occured in Bethany:

• "when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Matthew 26:6)
• "while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper..." (Mark 14:3)
• "Jesus came to Bethany..." (John 12:1)

All three accounts describe:

• Bethany as the location (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3; John 12:1)
• costly ointment (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; John 12:3)
• criticism over the "waste" (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:4)
• the suggestion that it should have been sold and given to the poor (Matthew 26:9; Mark 14:4; John 12:5)
• Jesus defending the woman (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6; John 12:7)
• reference to His approaching death and burial (Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:8; John 12:7)

So there are not four anointings in the Gospels. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12 are parallel accounts of the same Bethany anointing.

That leaves two Gospel anointings:

1. The anointing recorded in Luke 7.
2. The anointing in Bethany recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 12.

And we're back to my question.

John 11:1-2 is introducing Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. In that introduction, John identifies Mary as "the one who anointed the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair."

An identifier normally points the reader to something already known. If John is referring only to the event he narrates later in John 12:1-8, then he's identifying Mary by a future event that the reader has not yet read about, namely the event where she anoints Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair in Bethany.

So why use that description as her identifying marker?

The only other Gospel account featuring that distinctive combination of actions, a woman anointing Jesus' feet and wiping them with her hair, is Luke 7.

To me, that naturally explains why John could use it as an identifier before narrating John 12. If you reject Luke 7 as the referent, what do you think John expected his readers to recognize from that description?