I believe that Jesus was the greatest moral teacher who ever lived. Much of what he said was truly revolutionary - "Love your enemies" ... "Go the extra mile" ... "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". For two thousand years Christians have tried to follow his teachings.

Naturally we want to know more about him. But even expert biblical scholars don't know exactly what happened at certain points in his life. In fact, despite countless hours of study, certain mysteries have never been completely cleared up.

This website is designed for people who want to learn about some of these unsolved gospel mysteries. But visitors to the site should realize that many of the topics are controversial, and that people often disagree about the most basic matters. In my opinion, no one really knows the final answers. Because of the uncertainties, on most topics I've tried to give different sides of the various arguments.

Many of the discussions pertain directly to the life of Jesus. These include articles about his birth, his teachings, his death on the cross, and his resurrection. Other articles focus on various New Testament figures such as Judas Iscariot, Barabbas, Pontius Pilate, and Mary Magdalene. Finally there are discussions of the location of Golgotha, the Nazarenes, stigmata, the atonement, speaking in tongues, lost gospels, demonic possession, and various other topics.

Because the articles are written for general readers, and are meant to be introductions, they can't cover every aspect of a subject. That would require much longer articles. For anyone who wants to pursue further studies of these and other mysteries about events described in the bible, ample material can be found on other websites and in numerous books and religious journals.

Note:
I want to thank everyone who has sent me suggestions for improving various articles on the site. Some of the suggestions have been very helpful, and I hope to get more of them in the future.

I also occasionally get hate mail. Evidently some people don't want certain subjects to be discussed. One such person called me a "slime-begotten Satan-worshiper", and several people have told me that I will burn forever in the fires of hell. Apparently these individuals hate anyone who doesn't share their own particular beliefs.

Unfortunately, some of this mail upset my wife and caused her to worry about the safety of our family. As a result, I decided to remove my name and other personal information from the site. It's sad that we live in a world where that would be necessary.

List of Topics

• Mary Magdalene
  Did other followers of Jesus try to ostracize her?

• Why Was Jesus Crucified?
  What was the real reason he was put on the cross?

• The Ending of Mark
  Was the original ending of this gospel accidentally lost? Was a new ending added later?

• Lost Gospels
  Why were some early Christian gospels left out of the bible?

• Golgotha
  Jesus was crucified at a place called Golgotha. But where was it located?

• The Nazarenes
  What happened to the original followers of Jesus after he left them?

• Stigmata
  What causes these mysterious wounds?

• The Virgin Birth
  Is there a natural explanation?

• Judas Iscariot
  Why did he betray Jesus?

• First Witness to the Resurrection
  Who was the first person to see Jesus after he left the tomb?

• Barabbas
  Why was he released instead of Jesus?

• The Family of Jesus
  Did other members of his family initially disapprove of his activities?

• Resurrection Theories
  Are there other possible explanations for the belief in the resurrection?

• Pontius Pilate
  Did he believe that Jesus was innocent?

• Speaking in Tongues
  Are some people able to speak in a divine language?

• The Beloved Disciple
  Can this mysterious disciple of Jesus be identified?

• The Teachings of Jesus
  Why do some of his teachings seem so radical?

• Secret Gospels
  Why were some early gospels kept hidden from outsiders?

• Demonic Possession
  Can people be possessed by evil spirits?

• More Topics

This website explores some important mysteries of the bible, with a special emphasis on mysteries which relate to the life of Jesus. Unless otherwise noted, all biblical quotations are from the New International Version of the Bible.

The images on the site are public domain works reproduced courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.

In web directories, this site is usually listed in the categories of Religion, Christianity, Bible Studies, or Society.

Gospel Mysteries is a non-commercial ad-free site.