InterVarsity Press

Conversations: So Many Doubts

Stephanie:

I'm so lost! I think I've given up on Christ, on truth! There are so many doubts blocking me from giving my life to Christ. I don't understand the Trinity. I'm starting to agree with the world's idea, that truth is how one sees it. Can anyone help me figure out the Trinity thing? And help me figure out whether or not Christ was married? Thanks.

Ruth:

I'm not sure I can say anything to help you figure out the "Trinity thing." It truly is a mystery. How is it possible that Jesus can be one with the God of the universe? I believe it is C. S. Lewis who suggests that only something so preposterous as this could bring God's transcendence down to our touch. Sometimes we have to suspend our rational thought to understand who Jesus was and is—and suspending rational thought is what faith is all about. But, you've hit the nail on the head. If we could somehow make logical sense out of the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ, we would have figured out the mystery of the Christian faith.

As to Jesus being married, that's an easier question. There is nothing in the Gospels that even hints Jesus was married. If he had been, the gospels would say so. From our standpoint today, it is a great scandal to hear someone say that Jesus was married. But it wouldn't have been for first-century Jews. In fact, they would have expected him to be married. I'm absolutely convinced that Jesus was not married, and that if he had been it would have been included in the narrative of the gospel stories. The biggest source today for the belief that Jesus was married is the Da Vinci Code. That book is fiction, based on some reliable history, but most of what is written about Jesus and the early church councils has only enough truth to make it sound believable.

I hope this has helped.