THEREFORE IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 (KJV)

ABSTRACT

This article unveils the unified identity of Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the woman caught in adultery as one soul transformed by Christ’s grace. Through scriptural harmony and inspired commentary, it reveals a narrative of redemption, showcasing God’s love that redefines sinners as saints, our responsibility to offer extravagant worship, and our duty to extend mercy to others.

A SOUL REBORN IN GRACE!

To the casual reader of the Gospels, they appear as separate souls, adrift in the turbulent sea of first-century Judea. First, there is Mary of Magdala, a woman tormented, her mind a battlefield for seven demons until Christ brought peace with a word. Then, there is Mary of Bethany, the quiet contemplative, sitting in rapt devotion at the feet of the Master, her heart a vessel of pure love. And finally, there is the nameless woman, dragged from the shadows of sin into the harsh glare of public judgment, a pawn in a deadly game, her life hanging by the thread of a single verdict. Are these, as many have concluded, three distinct individuals whose stories of grace happen to echo one another? Or, does a deeper, more profound truth lie just beneath the surface of the sacred text? Could these fragmented portraits—the tormented, the devoted, and the condemned—be, in fact, different chapters in the life of one redeemed soul? This article proposes that the harmonized testimony of Scripture, when illuminated by the divine commentary of the Spirit of Prophecy, reveals a single, breathtaking narrative of sin, forgiveness, and devotion. We will endeavor to show that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the woman caught in adultery are one and the same person—a living sanctuary, a tower of grace raised from the ruins of a broken life by the architectural power of Jesus Christ. The apparent fragmentation of her story across the four Gospels is not an oversight but a reflection of divine wisdom. Each writer, guided by inspiration, highlighted the facet of her experience most relevant to their unique theological purpose. Matthew, writing of a King, shows her loyal service. Luke, the compassionate physician, details her emotional healing. John, the apostle of love, presents her profound worship and rescue from condemnation. The complete, holographic picture only emerges when these accounts are synthesized, a task for which the writings of provide the inspired key. We are not creating a new story but uncovering the unified truth that has always been present in the inspired record, a truth that magnifies the grace of God beyond all measure. This claim is grounded in the scriptural accounts that, when viewed together, form a cohesive narrative. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, KJV). “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17, KJV). Sr. White confirms this unity: “The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts” (Education, p. 190, 1903). “The truths of the Bible, brought into connection one with another, make up a perfect whole” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 389, 1885). This unified narrative reveals a woman transformed by grace, a testament to God’s redemptive power. How does this singular identity reflect the transformative love of Christ?

FROM SIN’S SHADOWS TO A SAVIOR’S LIGHT!

The core issue is one of identity—how the world labels a person versus how Christ redefines them. The world assigns labels based on past sins, present circumstances, or geographical origins. We see this clearly in the three primary identities given to this one woman. She is introduced as Mary Magdalene, a woman delivered from profound demonic oppression, who then became a loyal and crucial supporter of Christ’s ministry. The Gospel of Luke states, “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance” (Luke 8:2-3, KJV). Here, her identity is tied to her past affliction and her subsequent service. While some have speculated that “Magdalene” refers to her hometown of Magdala, its Hebrew root, migdal, means “tower”—a fitting, prophetic title for one who would be built up from ruins into a fortress of faith. In contrast, she is also known as Mary of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, whose identity is tied to her family and her posture of quiet, studious devotion. John introduces her family’s story by linking her to an act of supreme love: “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick)” (John 11:1-2, KJV). Her identity here is relational and devotional, defined by her home in Bethany—a name meaning “house of misery” or “house of dates”—and her famous act of worship. The world saw a woman from a place of sorrow, but Christ saw a soul ripe with the sweetness of devotion. Finally, she appears as the anonymous woman caught in adultery, a figure defined purely by her sin and public shame. The scribes and Pharisees present her not as a person, but as a legal problem to trap Jesus, declaring, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act” (John 8:4, KJV). She is nameless, her identity consumed by her transgression. The world labels people by what they have done (“a sinner”), where they are from (“of Bethany”), or by a defining trauma (“Magdalene”). These are external, condemning identifiers. Christ’s work, as we shall see, is to erase these earthly labels and bestow a new identity defined not by her past, but by her relationship to Him: “forgiven.” “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:2, KJV). “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV). Sr. White writes, “Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence” (Steps to Christ, p. 52, 1892). “When Satan comes to tell you that you are a great sinner, look up to your Redeemer and talk of His merits” (The Faith I Live By, p. 302, 1958). This journey from worldly labels to divine identity showcases Christ’s transformative grace. How does this harmonized identity manifest in her acts of worship?

MARY MAGDALENE AND BETHANY: ONE HEART UNITED!

The connection between the tormented soul from Magdala and the devoted sister from Bethany hinges on a singular act of worship. The Gospel of John, in introducing the story of Lazarus’s resurrection, makes a crucial parenthetical statement that serves as a key. He identifies Mary of Bethany as “that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick” (John 11:2, KJV). This act is the narrative linchpin. John later describes this very event in detail: “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment” (John 12:3, KJV). This scene of profound, costly devotion by Mary of Bethany runs in perfect parallel to the account in Luke’s Gospel, where an unnamed woman, identified only as a “sinner,” performs an almost identical act of worship. Luke records, “And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment” (Luke 7:37-38, KJV). The parallels are too striking to be coincidental: the alabaster box, the costly ointment, the anointing of His feet, and the wiping with her hair. The declaration is clear: these acts reflect one woman’s devotion. “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you” (1 John 2:27, KJV). “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:9, KJV). Sr. White confirms, “Mary’s act was in marked contrast with the selfishness that cursed the Jewish nation” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 192, 1900). “Her faith in Christ was strong, and her love deep” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3, p. 545, 1875). This unified act of worship binds her identities, revealing a heart transformed by grace. How does this unified identity extend to the woman caught in adultery?

THE ACCUSED AND ANOINTED: REDEEMED FROM DUST!

The connection between Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, and the woman caught in adultery is supported by narrative and geographical clues. The dramatic scene of accusation in John 8 unfolds in a specific location: “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives” (John 8:1, KJV). This was not just any location; it was the very place where Jesus often lodged, the place intimately connected with the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. Luke confirms this, stating, “And in the day time he was teaching in the temple; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives” (Luke 21:37, KJV). The setting itself places Mary of Bethany in the immediate vicinity of this traumatic event. Beyond geography, the characterological link is compelling. Dragged into the temple court, she stands silent, overwhelmed by guilt and public shame, her eyes likely fixed on the dust at her feet as her life hangs in the balance. This posture of silent, broken humility is the perfect psychological precursor to the posture we later see in Mary of Bethany. In Luke 10, she “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (Luke 10:39, KJV). When her brother dies, she comes to Jesus and “fell down at his feet” (John 11:32, KJV). The claim is that her transformation began in shame and culminated in worship. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18, KJV). “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26, KJV). Sr. White writes, “Jesus looked upon the distressed and heart-burdened, those whose hopes were blighted, and who with earthly joys sought to still the longing of the soul, and He invited all to find rest in Him” (The Desire of Ages, p. 328, 1898). “Through His grace, the possibilities of the divine nature were to be developed in her” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 400, 1900). Her journey from public shaming to public worship illustrates Christ’s redemptive power. Why was she not recognized at Simon’s feast?

SILENCE AT SIMON’S FEAST: GUILT AND GRACE!

The silence at Simon’s feast regarding Mary’s identity stems from a web of guilt, fear, and Christ’s moral authority. The first layer is the personal guilt of the host, Simon the Pharisee. Sr. White reveals: “Simon had led into sin the woman he now despised. She had been deeply wronged by him, and he thought himself righteous” (The Desire of Ages, p. 566, 1898). Simon’s internal monologue, recorded by Luke—“This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner” (Luke 7:39, KJV)—was not righteous indignation, but hypocritical judgment. To expose Mary would be to expose himself. The second layer was legal. The accusers who had brought Mary before Jesus invoked the law of Moses, which commanded, “that such should be stoned” (John 8:5, KJV). When Jesus declared, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11, KJV), He dismissed a capital charge. To challenge this would risk reviving a lost legal battle. The testimony is that silence protected both Simon and the accusers. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13, KJV). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him” (Isaiah 55:7, KJV). Sr. White notes, “The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized” (The Desire of Ages, p. 568, 1898). “The Saviour’s words had awakened in her soul a hope that she might be forgiven” (The Desire of Ages, p. 462, 1898). Christ’s presence and Mary’s transformation silenced accusation, elevating grace. How does this reflect God’s love?

GOD’S LOVE: SEEING THE SAINT WITHIN!

Mary’s story reveals a love that is creative and restorative. The Pharisaical model demanded sinners become worthy before approaching God, but Christ’s love seeks the sinner first. Christ did not wait for Mary to climb out of despair; He lifted her out. Sr. White explains, “God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 114, 1896). This is a love that invests in ruins. While others saw a woman to be stoned, Christ saw a soul to be saved. The affirmation is that God’s love transforms. “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3, KJV). “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, KJV). Sr. White writes, “Christ delights to take apparently hopeless material, those whom Satan has debased and through whom he has worked, and make them the subjects of His grace” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 308, 1900). “The soul, bruised and wounded by the enemy, Jesus restores, and makes a channel for His grace” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 115, 1905). This love redefines sinners as saints, building towers from ruins. What is our response to such love?

AT THE MASTER’S FEET: DEVOTION UNLEASHED!

Mary’s response to grace defines our responsibility: total, costly devotion. When she broke her alabaster box, she poured out her life in gratitude. Judas saw it as waste, but Jesus called it a “good work.” The assertion is that our worship must be sacrificial. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1, KJV). “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15, KJV). Sr. White states, “The desire that Mary had to do this service was of more value to Christ than all the precious ointment in the world, because it expressed her appreciation of her Redeemer” (The Youth’s Instructor, July 12, 1900, cited in From the Heart, p. 283, 2010). “All that we have and are is to be surrendered to God, that He may use it for His glory” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 216, 1902). Our duty is to offer extravagant worship, breaking our alabaster boxes at Christ’s feet. How do we extend this grace to others?

FROM JUDGMENT TO MERCY: OUR SACRED CALL!

Mary’s story contrasts the Pharisees’ condemnation with Christ’s mercy. Our responsibility is to reject judgment and embrace compassion. When we see a sinner fall, we must stoop with Christ, refusing accusation. The claim is that we are called to protect the repentant. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness” (Galatians 6:1, KJV). “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12, KJV). Sr. White warns, “Often the ones whom they meet with sternness and severity are under the stress of temptation. Satan is wrestling with these souls, and harsh, unsympathetic words discourage them and cause them to fall a prey to the tempter’s power” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 163, 1905). “We are to go to our fellow men, touched, like our merciful High Priest, with the feeling of their infirmities” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 164, 1905). We must move from judgment to mercy, shielding others with Christ’s grace. How does this transform us?

A LIVING SANCTUARY: REBUILT BY GRACE!

Mary’s story is our story. Each of us has known sin’s torment and the need for a Savior. The assertion is that her transformation mirrors our potential in Christ. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, KJV). “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, KJV). Sr. White writes, “The grace of Christ purifies while it pardons, and fits men for a holy heaven” (Our High Calling, p. 53, 1961). “Through the transforming power of His grace, the image of God is reproduced in the believer” (The Desire of Ages, p. 391, 1898). We are called to surrender our alabaster boxes, becoming living sanctuaries for Christ. How does Mary’s final act seal this truth?

FIRST AT THE TOMB: FOREVER AT THE THRONE!

Mary’s unified identity is a testament to the gospel. She was rescued from demonic control, pardoned from shame, and elevated to intimate communion. Her love held her at the cross and drove her to the tomb, earning her the privilege of seeing the risen Lord. The declaration is that her transformation proves God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, KJV). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, KJV). Sr. White states, “Christ’s love for His children is as tender as it is strong” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, p. 125, 1904). “The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Him” (The Desire of Ages, p. 832, 1898). Her journey from ruin to resurrection herald is our promise of redemption.

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV).

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