Here is a summary of this blog post addressing the Gospel of Mary, the issue of man-made rules in Christianity, and the importance of not leaving the church over disagreements with traditions, but only if one rejects the core teachings of Jesus:
A few years ago, an exciting textual discovery reopened discussions about one of early Christianity’s most provocative texts – the ancient Gnostic Gospel of Mary. This gospel, believed to have been written in the 2nd century, is not included in the traditional Christian canon but offers a unique perspective on the life and teachings of Jesus. While still being analyzed by scholars, a purported new fragment may shed further light on this intriguing gospel, which portrays Mary Magdalene as someone to whom Jesus imparted profound spiritual wisdom.
In the accepted passages of the Gospel of Mary, we find the disciple Levi defending Mary’s words by stating: “The Savior knows her very well…let us be ashamed and acquire [Christ] for ourselves as He commanded us, and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said.”
This idea that Jesus did not intend for his followers to create additional man-made rules, traditions, and hierarchies beyond his core teachings is a powerful reminder of how Christianity has developed over the centuries. By ‘man-made rules ‘, we refer to those rules and traditions that were not directly taught by Jesus but were added by human interpretation and institutional practices.
Based on the search results, various man-made rules, traditions, and doctrines have been added to Christianity over time, despite Jesus’ teachings focusing more on following him than adhering to an extensive set of rules and regulations. These include rules around gender roles, strict rules around sexual purity, dietary restrictions, requirements for salvation beyond faith in Christ, and complex hierarchies and church structures.
Some examples of man-made rules or traditions that appear to have been introduced into Christianity include:
1. Separation and rules around gender roles/interactions [2]
– Rules about men and women being separated during services or activities
– Restrictions on women’s roles in leadership or teaching based on interpretations of biblical passages
2. Strict rules around sexual purity and dating/courtship [2]
– Prohibitions on any physical contact before marriage
– Emphasizing an unrealistic standard of never having any sexual thoughts or desires
3. Dietary restrictions and ceremonial purity laws [2]
– Continuing to follow Old Testament purity rituals and food restrictions that Jesus did not reiterate under the new covenant
4. Requirements for salvation beyond faith in Christ [1][4][5]
– Adding works, sacraments, or adherence to church traditions as requirements for being “truly” saved
– Promoting the idea that salvation comes through human effort rather than by grace through faith
5. Complex hierarchies, titles, and church structures [3][5]
– Developing elaborate ecclesiastical hierarchies and offices not present in the early church
– Placing greater importance on human traditions and councils than on Scripture
The key point in [4] is that Jesus still needs to come to give a new set of rules and regulations to follow. Rather, he called people to follow him and his teachings, which fulfilled the spirit of the Old Testament law through love for God and neighbor.
As [5] states, authentic Christianity is about a personal relationship with Christ by faith, not a man-made religious system of rules and rituals one must follow to earn salvation.
While some structures and practices can be helpful, the search results suggest that many extrabiblical rules and traditions have been introduced over time that can obscure the simplicity of following Christ, which the New Testament portrays. Jesus warned against this complex tradition-making in places like Mark 7:8 – “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
So, in summary, while well-intentioned, numerous man-made rules around gender, sexuality, dietary laws, salvation requirements, and church hierarchies appear to have accumulated in Christianity over the centuries in tension with Jesus’ teachings focused on an authentic relationship with God through him rather than rigid rule-keeping.
Reclaiming the Core Gospel
However, the Gospel of Mary’s message is not necessarily to abandon the church altogether because of these accumulated human traditions. Jesus himself predicted the human tendency to make God’s commands void with man-made rules (Mark 7:8:” You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”)
Rather, this gnostic gospel calls us to recenter our faith in Jesus’s core teachings—his message of radical love, humility, spiritual rebirth, and making disciples who spread the good news.
We are reminded that authentic Christianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not a religious system of rules and rituals we follow to earn God’s favor. It’s about loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
So, if you find yourself disillusioned by the structures, politics, or traditions of the institutional church, don’t discard your faith over those human baggage items. Instead, refocus your life on studying and applying Jesus’ revolutionary teachings in the Gospels. Prioritize cultivating an authentic relationship with God through Christ.
The Gospel of Mary encourages us to look past the human rules, hierarchies, and politics and fix our eyes on following the Savior himself. Remain firmly rooted in the church, but allow the words of Christ to prune away the accumulated traditions and recenter your faith in the core gospel message.
Only if you come to reject Christ’s divinity and his radical teachings on spiritual rebirth, unconditional love, and making disciples should you consider leaving the church. But if you believe Jesus is the Son of God who showed us the way to the Father, remain committed to the church while continually re-aligning your life with the heart of Jesus’ teachings.
The Gospel of Mary is a powerful call to reclaim Jesus’s simplicity and countercultural way without forsaking the church over disagreements with human traditions. As long as we hold firmly to the truth of who Jesus is and what he taught, we can be a force for recentering the church on the fundamentals of the gospel.
Citations:
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/comments/6ur7rm/some_weird_silly_rules_in_christianity/
[3] https://conciliarpost.com/theology-spirituality/there-are-no-rules-in-christianity/
[5] https://pursuingthetruth.org/christianity-is-not-complicated