I’m currently struggling with my entry on Mary Magdalene.
The issue is whether or not Mary M is the same as Mary L (sister of Lazarus). There is support for both views. The majority view is that they aren’t the same.
Another issue is whether or not the woman who anointed Jesus in Luke 7 is the same as the Mary in the other 3 gospels. There is support for both views, but the majority view is that this is two separate woman as well.
My problem with a majority view is this – if the disciples of Jesus went with majority view back in AD 30, they would have sided with the Pharisees or Sadducees. At one point most of the disciples did leave Jesus because of one of His teachings. But the 12 stayed with Jesus, and they were right.
I’m praying for discernment on this one… Or should I say these 2.
153 Fish 
Just to confuse you more, is it possible that Simon the Leper and Simon the Pharisee are the same person, assuming that Simon the Leper was no longer leprous?
Mary Magdalene may have been the “woman of the city, a sinner” at the house of Simon the Pharisee.
I believe that she was not Mary of Bethany because she is not identified as such.
I think it’s odd that the disciples (specifically Judas) commented on the waste of nard at the home of Lazarus and of Simon the Leper.
I wouldn’t fret about the majority opinion. The majority opinion here is a result of people examining the scriptures to discern the truth. Usually the majority results because the preponderance of evidence swings more heavily in one direction. As for the teachings at Jesus’ time, they were being modeled and taught by the man/God Jesus. The manuscript evidence, prophetic evidence, miracles, healings, exorcisms, wisdom of Jesus, love, and compassion swung the pendulum in His direction.
P.
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Actually I already came to the conclusion that Simon the Leper was the same as Simon the Pharisee. I knew that Matthew, Mark and John were talking about Mary of Bethany since she is named in John. Therefore, Simon the leper is inferred for John’s account.
Then, although Luke seems out of place, there are just too many similarities In Luke’s account that this had to be the same account. Simon is named, there’s an alabaster flask, perfumed oil or ointment, very costly (alabaster flask in Luke implies that), Poured out on Jesus’ head in Matthew and Mark, but feet mentioned in Luke and John (If a full flask is poured on someone’s head, it’s most likely going to get on their feet), Jesus did mention that the purpose was to anoint His body for burial in Matthew and Mark.
Far too many similarities to say that the Luke account was a different house of a different Simon, a different alabaster flask, and a different woman – at least those are the similarities I noticed. There are other instances in the Gospels of fewer similarities and we are told it’s the same instance.
But to infer that Luke names Mary Magdalene? I look at the fact that Luke calls her a sinner in Luke 7:37, 39. If you ignore the chapter break since none of the writers in the Bible used chapter or verse numbers, in Luke 8:2 the only woman specifically mentioned as a sinner is Mary Magdalene. I think this is a clue that was dropped.
We already know that Lazarus was in danger of being killed after his being raised from the dead, so maybe Mary had to go into hiding. The writers of the Gospels wanted to be careful of exposing who Mary was as she was the sister of Lazarus.
I also found that there are several times that the gospel writers did not follow the same chronology. See https://153-fish.org/comparing-chronologies/
That’s the logic I used in this.
Hope I didn’t ramble on too much, I’m using this as a rough draft of my post on Mary Magdalene.
PS – I’m also of the belief that the disciple whom Jesus loved is not the apostle John, but actually Lazarus. His name had to be protected as well. More on that when I get to his entry. See http://www.tdwjl.com for a preview of that thought.
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