The existence of the Gospel of Mary of Magdala is interesting due to the reason it was left out of the biblical canon. There are many factors contained within the Gospel of Mary of Magdala that could contribute to the exclusion, however I would like to focus on two main aspects from the writing.
Within the text it is mentioned that some of Jesus’ disciples were wavering in their resolve to spread the gospel. The widely perceived view of the disciples is that they shouted the words of Jesus for all to hear. The words contained within the text tell the exact opposite in fact. The disciples were afraid to spread the gospel lest they suffer the same fate on the cross that Jesus himself did. This slightly negative view of the disciples, I believe, is a primary reason this text was left out of the Jesus’ mixtape, the Bible. This cowardly view of the disciples would not project well onto the rest of the Christian followers and casts a sense of doubt upon the gospel itself. If even the disciples were not confident enough to spread the gospel themselves, is the gospel worth spreading at that point?
Another reason of the exclusion of the Gospel of Mary of Magdala is the strong, central role that Mary herself plays in the spreading of the gospel. When the disciples showed signs of anxiety and fear, it was Mary that stepped up to attempt to reinforce the gospel within those disciples. Mary claimed to have received word from Jesus and proceeded to share that with the disciples, upon which her words were met with doubt. Mary, being the leader of the disciples at that point, was in contrast to the patriarchal way the world operated at this point. Within the biblical canon, Mary is described to be a prostitute. This is in direct contrast to the words of the Gospel of Mary of Magdala, so how are we to know which is the truth?
