More Than Just The News
The DaVinci Code
The Da Vinci Code:
What you need to know
By David Roach
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"The Da Vinci Code" sounded a battle cry, and
evangelicals have responded by taking up their pens to combat a challenge to
some of the most central doctrines of the Christian faith.
"The Da Vinci Code," a movie from Sony Pictures set to debut in theaters May 19,
is based on a bestselling novel by Dan Brown and attacks such key doctrines as
the deity of Christ, the reliability of the gospels and the bodily resurrection
of Jesus. The movie also claims that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had
a child whose descendents are still alive.
Erwin Lutzer, senior pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago; Darrell Bock,
research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in
Dallas, Texas; and R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., are among the many evangelicals who
have refuted the movie's claims.
"[T]his is not merely any piece of fiction. The scope of what it claims as fact,
the impression it leaves making those claims under the 'cover' of fiction, and
the fact that it addresses a significant subject for our culture's own self
understanding make it important that its claims be assessed and/or appreciated,"
Bock writes in his book "Breaking the Da Vinci Code."
He continues, "[T]he issues of faith and relationship to God are too important
to be left to the confusing category of 'historical' fiction where the claim is
that despite being a novel the history is fact."
Brown's novel opens with the curator of the Louvre Museum found murdered. Paris
police call Harvard professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu to
interpret a strange symbol left on the victim's body. As they investigate,
Langdon and Neveu realize that the crime is linked to the legendary search for
the Holy Grail.
When Neveu warns Langdon that he is the prime suspect in the murder
investigation, the pair flees from police as they simultaneously attempt to
crack the case.
Langdon and Neveu meet Holy Grail fanatic Sir Leigh Teabing, who tells them
about an understanding of Jesus different from the New Testament's account. He
says that the Holy Grail -- rather than being a cup, as traditionally thought --
is actually the remains of Jesus' wife who bore His child.
Despite what everyone has been taught, Teabing says, Jesus was married to Mary
Magdalene and had a daughter. After Jesus' crucifixion, Mary and her daughter
went to France where they established the Merovingian line of French royalty.
This dynasty, according to "The Da Vinci Code," continues today in a mysterious
organization known as the Priory of Sion. Members of the Priory of Sion
supposedly included Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton and Victor Hugo.
Teabing and Langdon tell Neveu that the records of the true story of Jesus are
guarded and shrouded in mystery. The real story about Mary and Jesus, they say,
has been preserved in hidden codes and symbols in order to avoid the wrath of
the Catholic Church.
Leonardo da Vinci knew the real story about Jesus, we are told, and used his
painting "The Last Supper" to give hidden clues.
As the main characters continue their investigation, they learn that a powerful
Catholic organization called Opus Dei is prepared to use any means necessary to
keep the true story of Jesus from coming out. If the secrets are revealed, we
are told, Christianity, as we know it, will be exposed as a fraud built on
centuries of lies.
The movie advocates a false picture of Christianity, but believers can refute
the errors by noting the biblical picture of Jesus and the true history of the
faith, according to Lutzer, Bock and Mohler.
Following are some of the major heresies of "The Da Vinci Code":
-- Error: The Council of Nicea invented the deity of Christ in A.D. 325.
"The Da Vinci Code" argues that for the first 300 years after Christ, Jesus'
followers viewed Him as a mere human. Then the Council of Nicea invented the
deity of Christ for political purposes.
Mohler says the Council of Nicea did not invent the deity of Christ but
proclaimed what the Bible taught and what the church had believed for 300 years.
"The Council of Nicea did not 'invent' the divinity of Jesus," Mohler writes in
an Internet commentary. "This was already the declaration of the Church, claimed
by Jesus himself and proclaimed by the apostles."
The Roman Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicea so that the bishops of
his empire could settle disputes about Christ's nature. The disputes centered on
a man named Arius who gained a wide following by teaching that Jesus was a
created being and not fully God. Orthodox Christians opposed Arius.
After discussion, the bishops at Nicea issued a creed affirming Scripture and
declaring Jesus to be of the same nature as the Father and Arius a heretic. Only
two bishops out of more than 300 present did not sign the creed.
In response to the question of whether Nicea invented the deity of Christ,
Lutzer writes, "There is not a single shred of historical evidence for such a
notion. Not only was Christ's deity the consensus of the delegates, but as can
easily be shown, this doctrine was held by the church centuries before the
council met."
-- Error: Other gospels were banned from the Bible by people who wanted to make
the church a patriarchal community.
In what Bock calls perhaps "the most misleading statement of 'fact' in the
entire novel," Brown claims there were more than 80 gospels considered for the
New Testament but that only four were chosen. The "banned" books were suppressed
because they showed the truth about Jesus and allowed women to take leadership
in the church, according to "The Da Vinci Code."
Although there were not 80 of them, "The Da Vinci Code" refers to what are
called the Gnostic gospels, Bock says. These writings advocated an unbiblical
understanding of Jesus' life and ministry that the church rejected as heresy
beginning during the time of the apostles.
According to Bock, the Gnostic gospels taught that some Christians had secret
knowledge not available to all; that there is one spiritual, transcendent God
and one physical, wicked Demiurge who created the physical world; and that Jesus
did not actually suffer on the cross. The Gnostic gospels also allow women to
experience secret revelation and be leaders in the church, Bock says.
But the church never even considered including the Gnostic gospels in the Bible,
Lutzer said.
"To put it mildly, there is no reason to accept the Gnostic gospels as
historically worthy; their value lies in telling us what the Gnostics believed,
even though the writings shed no now new light on Jesus, Mary Magdalene, or
early Christianity," Lutzer writes.
The 27 books of the New Testament were affirmed by Christians as Scripture based
primarily on their ties to an apostle, as well as their impact on the church and
their internal qualities.
-- Error: Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
In his novel, Brown claims that "the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is
part of the historical record."
But Bock and Lutzer point out that the Scripture and other historical documents
give no reason to believe Jesus was married.
Scripture says that Mary was a disciple of Jesus out of whom Jesus cast a demon,
that she was present at the cross and that she was a witness to the
resurrection, according to Bock. The early church fathers also refer to Mary as
"a faithful disciple, a follower of Jesus who witnessed Jesus' death, burial,
and resurrection," Bock says, noting that Scripture never indicates that Jesus
and Mary were married.
Two Gnostic gospels mention Mary's relationship with Jesus, Lutzer writes. "The
gospel of Philip," written in the fourth century, says Jesus "loved" Mary "more
than his students" and kissed her often. But the poor quality of the manuscript
prevents scholars from reading where Jesus supposedly kissed Mary.
Lutzer observes that the text might have said "the hand" or "the cheek" and is
not an accurate account anyway.
The Gnostic "gospel of Mary" says Mary had a special relationship with Jesus and
a rivalry with Peter. Lutzer notes, "Even if these accounts from the Gnostic
Gospels were accurate, it is a stretch to say that Mary had a romantic
relationship with Jesus, much less that she was married to him."
Bock notes additional evidences that Jesus was single. If Jesus was married,
Paul likely would have referred to Jesus in 1 Corinthians 9 in defense of a
minister's right to marry, he writes. Jesus also showed no special concern for
Mary while He hung on the cross -- an act that we would expect from a husband.
-- Error: There is no agreed-upon and authoritative version of the Bible.
"The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds," says Teabing in "The Da
Vinci Code." "Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it
has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History
has never had a definitive version of the book."
Lutzer explains that there were books -- in addition to the Gnostic gospels --
written around the time of the New Testament books that were excluded from the
canon, but the teaching of these books was sometimes vastly different from the
New Testament Gospels. For example, one book claims that when Jesus was a child,
he killed another child by pushing him off a room and when accused, responded by
raising the boy from the dead.
The Old Testament books were gathered by the nation of Israel as God gave
authoritative revelation over the centuries, Lutzer writes. The last book of the
Old Testament -- Malachi -- was completed around 400 B.C. Christians' confidence
in the authority of the Old Testament books comes from the fact that they were
accepted by the Jews and by Jesus.
The New Testament books were written in the first century, but "because of
limitations of communication and travel, some time passed before the number of
books regarded as authoritative was finally settled," Lutzer writes.
By the end of the first century more than two thirds of the present New
Testament was viewed as inspired, and the remaining books were known and quoted
as authoritative.
A mutilated fragment from A.D. 175 lists books that were accepted as canonical
by that time and contains 23 of the 27 New Testament books. The books that
Christians today recognize as the New Testament first appeared together on a
printed list in A.D. 367 but were recognized as the authoritative rule of the
church for more than 250 years prior to that date.
"The Da Vinci Code" also argues that the Council of Nicea decided on the books
of the New Testament. Mohler said that is not true.
"The early church did not establish the canon ... at Nicea, though general
consensus was already evident at that gathering. The New Testament writings were
recognized and set apart because of their authorship by one of the apostles and
by their clearly orthodox content -- in harmony with the other New Testament
writings as recognized by the churches spread throughout the Greco-Roman world."
--30--
"Da Vinci Code" resources are available at LifeWay Christian Stores and online
at www.LifeWayStores.com
Most Americans believe Bible
over 'Da Vinci,' poll shows
By Mickey Noah
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--While "The Da Vinci Code" has sold more than 40 million
books and hits movie theaters worldwide May 19, most Americans are not buying
its key theological premises, according to a poll commissioned by the North
American Mission Board.
The complex plot of Dan Brown’s fictional suspense-thriller revolves around a
central theme alleging not only that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene,
but also that the couple produced a child. Tom Hanks stars in the movie version.
NAMB commissioned Zogby International, a well-known research firm, to conduct
the poll, which involved a sample of 1,200 adults surveyed by telephone in
March.
Twenty-three percent of Americans have read it while 43 percent said they had
not read the book but were familiar with the content.
Among those who had read it, more than 60 percent believed that the Bible is
closer to the truth, while 10 percent believed "The Da Vinci Code" is more
truthful. Thirty percent of those who had read the book believed neither was
truthful or were not sure.
Among the entire sample, 72 percent believed that the Bible was closer to the
truth; six percent accepted the novel’s account as the truth; and 22 percent
were not sure or believed neither.
“The most striking result from the survey is that after either reading or
hearing about The Da Vinci Code, 44 percent of respondents were more likely to
seek the truth by studying the Bible, while only 20 percent were less likely to
study the Bible,” said Ed Stetzer, missiologist and director of NAMB’s Center
for Missional Research near Atlanta.
Stetzer said Christians should view "The Da Vinci Code" as an opportunity for
outreach.
“Perhaps an invitation to Bible study would be a more effective response to the
hype and hoopla surrounding The Da Vinci Code than protesting at the theater,”
Stetzer said. “Since there’s not wide acceptance for the book’s premise or since
many are unsure of the truth, Southern Baptists’ best response would be to bring
them to the Word of God. We Christians believe we can trust the Word and the
Spirit to work in people’s lives.
“So rather than protesting The Da Vinci Code, why not invite people to read a
better book –- the Book that tells the dramatic story of God who sent His son,
who lived a perfect life, died on the cross and who rose again to break a curse,
not a code. That’s an opportunity we Christians shouldn’t miss,” Stetzer said.
More information about the study can be found online at
www.namb.net/cmr.
--30--
'Da Vinci' full of errors &
inaccuracies, Union profs say
By Tim Ellsworth
JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” is full of half-truths,
distortions and historical inaccuracies, a group of Union University professors
said May 2 in a panel discussion.
Christian studies professors George Guthrie and Hal Poe, English professor Gene
Fant and art professor Chris Nadaskay addressed Union students and community
members about the book and the way Christians should respond to it. A major
movie about the book is scheduled to be released in theaters May 19.
“Dan Brown has given us a fun read, an interesting counter-history and an
exciting opportunity to clarify the real history of the first Christian
centuries, but he should not be seen as providing a greater clarity on what
really happened in the life of Jesus or the early church,” Guthrie said. “For
that we must still look, with study and thoughtful reflection, to our earliest
texts, the books of the New Testament.”
Guthrie gave an overview of Brown’s claims regarding the historical facts about
the life of Jesus and the validity of the New Testament. For starters, Guthrie
disputes the book’s claim that thousands of ancient documents exist that present
a picture of the life of Christ.
In reality, Guthrie said, there are only four such sources –- the books of the
New Testament, the second century church fathers (such as Clement of Rome,
Ignatius and Polycarp) who had personal relationships with Jesus’ disciples, the
New Testament Apocrypha and the Nag Hammadi Library.
“Is it possible that there could be a trove of thousands of documents out there
that were not mentioned anywhere in ancient literature, for which there is
absolutely no evidence at all?” Guthrie asked. “Perhaps, but the point is, there
is absolutely no evidence to support the idea. It is fiction in every sense of
the word.”
Guthrie argued that the early church didn’t consider more than 80 gospels for
inclusion in the New Testament, as Brown suggests, and he refuted Brown’s claim
that Christians didn’t consider Jesus to be divine until the fourth century.
Scripture references such as John 1:1, John 20:28, Philippians 2:6-8 and Titus
2:13 clearly attest to the fact that Jesus’ divinity was an accepted fact from
Christianity’s outset, Guthrie said.
Poe called the book “pretty shaky historiography.” Nadaskay examined some of the
artwork found in “The Da Vinci Code,” such as “The Last Supper. He called
Brown’s view of art “misguided.” Art as a means of propaganda is hardly new,
Nadaskay said, and it’s not unusual “that Dan Brown looks for a set of art works
to support his views.”
Nadaskay pointed out that artists often did with their paintings what they or
their patrons wanted (sometimes even including the patron in the painting), so
“using a painting as a historical record is a dangerous thing.”
Fant explained the success of the novel by showing how Brown had succeeded in
crossing over into multiple genres to become the “king of genre fiction.” The
book is so popular that “The Da Vinci Code” is now its own genre.
The danger in reading such books –- or any book, for that matter -– is accepting
its truth claims uncritically, Fant said.
“Readers who uncritically accept Brown’s manipulations are not reading
actively,” Fant said.
He encouraged those in attendance to “read redemptively” by thinking about what
truths the book contains, what half-truths and what fabrications. He also said
that rather than being worried about the effects of “The Da Vinci Code,”
Christians should instead embrace the opportunities it provides to talk to
people about the truth of historic Christianity.
“We are surrounded by a culture that has read this book and is getting ready to
see this movie,” Fant said. “God always redeems these opportunities. God is not
afraid of these things.”
DVDs of the panel discussion, “Decoding ‘The Da Vinci Code,’” are available for
$5. Copies of the discussion can be ordered by sending a name and address, along
with $5 to the Union University College of Arts and Sciences, 1050 Union
University Dr., Jackson, Tenn., 38305. For more information, call 731-661-5356.
--30--
Da Vinci 'Fact or Fiction' DVD
available through La. convention
By John L. Yeats
ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Did Jesus Christ have a wife? Is the Bible a mere
compilation of ancient manuscripts? Will the upcoming Sony release of "The
DaVinci Code" create a panic in the Christian community?
To confront these questions regarding "The DaVinci Code," the Louisiana Baptist
Convention formed a cooperative partnership with Louisiana College to produce a
DVD titled, "The DaVinci Code: Faith, Fact or Fiction?" The DVD -- which is
available to Southern Baptist pastors both inside and outside Louisiana --
features Charles (Chuck) Quarles of Louisiana College in Pineville, La., who
previously served on the faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as
associate professor of New Testament and Greek. Quarles is the vice president
for integration of faith and learning and associate professor of religion at
Louisiana College.
The Louisiana Baptist Convention produced the DVD in its studio and mailed a
copy April 4 to each of the convention’s 1,456 churches in order to equip
pastors and members for the release of the movie, which is based on the major
themes of Dan Brown’s work of fiction and best seller, "The DaVinci Code."
Brown’s novel was listed for months as No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller
list, and its popularity led to Brown being named one of the 100 most
influential people in the world.
Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard, the movie will be released May
19, and given the popularity of the book, almost certainly will be a box office
hit.
The book and the upcoming film are a concern to the Christian community
primarily because of a dialogue between characters Langdon, Sophie, and Sir
Leigh Teabing. Teabing is described as a “religious historian” whose life’s
passion is research of the Holy Grail. In this dialogue, Teabing claims that the
Gospels are unreliable accounts that pervert the true story of Jesus. He insists
that Jesus was a mere mortal prophet who was deified by Constantine as part of a
political ploy for consolidating his own power. Teabing also asserts that Jesus
was married to Mary Magdalene and that they conceived and bore children and that
this sacred bloodline is the true Holy Grail.
“Since this dialogue is fictional and contained in a novel, we might be tempted
to ignore Teabing’s challenges to our faith,” Quarles said. “Unfortunately, many
readers are taking Teabing's remarks very seriously. Since Brown claims that all
descriptions of documents are accurate, many have concluded that Brown has
carefully researched the issues that Teabing discusses and since this dialogue
is from the lips of a Harvard professor and British Royal historian it must
surely be an accurate presentation of the real facts about the origins of the
Christian faith.
"This fact, coupled with the enormous popularity of the book and the expectation
that the upcoming film will be a box office smash, requires thoughtful believers
to prepare to respond intelligently to the claims of the Code.”
Wayne Jenkins, director of the LBC evangelism/church growth team, said the movie
could open doors for Christians to share their faith.
“People are already talking about the book and now the movie,” Jenkins said.
“Questions raised by the film provide believers an excellent opportunity to
present the historical evidence for our Christian faith.”
The DVD includes an extended version (approximately one hour) and a condensed
version that’s a few minutes shorter. Each one ends with an invitation to
receive Christ. The DVD also includes a message to pastors.
“The DVD will allow people in the church to engage unbelievers in discussions
about spiritual matters and the potential for sharing the Gospel," Jenkins said.
Quarles is an avid researcher and has articles published in New Testament
Studies, Novum Testamentum, the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus
and the Bulletin for Biblical Research. Last year, Quarles was involved in two
different debates with John Dominic Crossan, co-founder of the Jesus Seminar, on
the issue of the historical reliability of the Gospels.
The Louisiana Baptist Convention is making "The DaVinci Code: Fact, Faith or
Fiction" DVD available for a cost recovery fee of $5. Discounts are available
for bulk orders.
The DVD can be purchased by calling 318.449.4254, during business hours.
--30--
John L. Yeats is director of the communications team for the Louisiana Baptist
Convention and is the recording secretary for the Southern Baptist Convention.
‘Da Vinci Code’ worldview called
‘irreconcilable’ with Christianity
By Rob Phillips
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--It’s only fiction.
That’s Dan Brown’s final line of defense when the author of runaway bestseller
“The Da Vinci Code” is confronted about shoddy research or challenged about his
Gnostic beliefs, according to the authors of a new book to set the record
straight about Brown’s postmodern worldview.
“The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code: The Truth Behind the Writings of Dan
Brown” by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner will be released May 1.
The new book, from Broadman & Holman, refutes the worldview behind The Da Vinci
Code, the best-selling hardcover adult novel of all time and soon to be major
motion picture. Boa and Turner also look at Dan Brown’s other books, most
notably “Angels and Demons,” to form a clearer picture of the spiritual
relativism that guides his writing.
The Da Vinci Code, however, may do for orthodox Christianity what the movie
“Inherit the Wind” did for the debate over religion and education -– replace
fact with fantasy, Boa and Turner warn. Inherit the Wind was a fictional account
of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial and inaccurately cast evolutionists as
reasonable men and women of science, while creationists were depicted as
bumbling simpletons. “Monkey Business: The True Story of the Scopes Trial,”
released last year by Broadman & Holman, sets the record straight on that
historic event.
“Dan Brown says that faith is a continuum and that he is a Christian -– in his
own way,” Boa and Turner write. “But the views Dan Brown showcases through his
characters’ discussions are irreconcilable with traditional, orthodox
Christianity.
“We’re not terrified by Dan Brown or his ideas and we’re certainly not asking
you to be either. However, ideas have consequences.”
According to the authors, Brown promotes a postmodern worldview akin to the
age-old heresy of Gnosticism, which became the greatest doctrinal challenge to
the church in the second century.
Gnosticism, while taking on many complex forms, is basically a philosophical
approach to the Gospel that promotes secret “knowledge” (“gnosis” in the Greek),
resulting in a denial of both the full deity and humanity of Christ, among other
false teachings. Paul, John, Peter and Jude all addressed the germ of Gnosticism
in their New Testament writings.
And therein lies the rub, Boa and Turner point out in their book. Dan Brown
claims, on the first page of The Da Vinci Code, that “all descriptions of
artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”
In other words, he insists that he has built a work of fiction on solid church
history. But in fact, his scholarship is slipshod and his sources have long been
proven spurious, Boa and Turner note. Still, because the church today lacks
doctrinal depth and often ignores its historical roots, many Christians have
gullibly swallowed Brown’s alternative gospel.
For example, some of the “secrets” that the characters in The Da Vinci Code
claim to know include:
-- Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they had a child whose descendants
may still be alive.
-- This made Peter jealous, so he covered it all up after Jesus died.
-- The early church engaged in a massive cover-up to conceal Jesus’ marriage and
His humanity in order to put men, rather than women, in control.
-- Jesus was not considered divine until centuries after His death when the
Emperor Constantine suppressed the ancient documents that tell the real story so
that the Council of Nicaea could cobble together what we have today in the New
Testament.
All of these “secrets” are in fact unbiblical falsehoods, Boa and Turner note.
“Saying that Dan Brown’s book is about Christianity is like saying ‘Finding Nemo’
is about marine biology,” the B&H authors write. “We have just as much evidence
to suggest that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene as we have that clown fish
talk.”
--30—-
Broadman & Holman is the publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources of the
Southern Baptist Convention. “The Gospel According to the Da Vinci Code: The
Truth Behind the Writings of Dan Brown” by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner will
be available at LifeWay Christian Stores or online at
www.lifewaystores.com.
FIRST-PERSON:
Who selected the books in the New Testament?
By Mike Licona
Editor's note: This column is the last in a five-part series examining the
claims of "The Da Vinci Code," which hits theaters today.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--"More than eighty gospels were considered for the New
Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion -- Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John among them.... The Bible, as we know it today, was collated
by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great ... [who] omitted those gospels
that spoke of Christ’s human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him
godlike. The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up, and burned."
Such is the claim of "The Da Vinci Code" by author Dan Brown.
Were there more than 80 gospels as Brown claims? Bart Ehrman is an atheist New
Testament critic who specializes in the Gnostic writings. In his book "Lost
Scriptures," Ehrman lists 17 gospels not included in the New Testament. When we
add the recently revealed gospel of Judas and the four New Testament Gospels, we
come to a total of twenty-two, rather than the “more than eighty” stated in The
Da Vinci Code. We know of a few others, such as the gospel of Barnabas. But
these are much later than even the Gnostic gospels. For example, a gospel of
Barnabas may have circulated in the latter part of the fifth-century. But we
know nothing of it, except that it was rejected by the church. A gospel of
Barnabas appealed to by some Muslims appears to be a different text altogether
and written around the 15th century.
This brings us to Brown’s next claim: The Roman Emperor Constantine was
responsible for the approving of the writings we find in today’s New Testament,
since he omitted earlier gospels which spoke of Jesus in human terms and
embellished the four New Testament Gospels in order to make Him divine. Four
major assertions are here made. The first is that the Gnostic gospels in the Nag
Hammadi library are earlier than the four New Testament Gospels. Except for a
very few scholars on the far left, nearly every scholar in the world holds that
the four Gospels in the New Testament are the earliest Gospels and that the
Gnostic gospels in the Nag Hammadi library were written later.
Brown also asserts that the Gnostic gospels spoke of Jesus in far more human
terms than the New Testament Gospels. This, too, is inaccurate. One of the major
differences between Gnosticism and what Jesus taught is that Jesus said one
could find the truth in Him and that He is the light. Gnosticism taught that
truth and light are found in oneself. Accordingly, Gnosticism did not speak of
Jesus in human terms, but rather spoke of Gnostic humans in divine terms.
Brown’s assertion that the four New Testament Gospels were embellished by
Constantine to speak of Jesus’ divinity is likewise mistaken. A number of
manuscripts which predate Constantine contain passages that clearly refer to the
divinity of Jesus. For example, a manuscript dated c. A.D. 200 (known as P46)
contains at least four texts where Jesus is spoken of as divine: a prayer to
Jesus addressing him as divine Lord and asking him to come, Maranatha (1
Corinthians 16:22); an early creed referring to Jesus as YHWH (Romans 10:9, 13);
an ancient Christian hymn that says Jesus existed in the form of God, was given
the name/title above all names/titles, and will be honored one day when every
knee will bow before Him (Phil 2:6-11); a text where Jesus is referred to as
“the exact representation” of God’s nature (Hebrews 1:3). What makes these
passages all the more interesting is that all four come from letters which
predate the four New Testament Gospels. Therefore, even if Brown wa
s correct on this point -- and I challenge him to find a single bona fide
scholar in agreement -- we have Christian writings even earlier than the four
New Testament Gospels that clearly speak of Jesus as divine.
The fourth and final major assertion of Brown is that Constantine selected the
writings to be included in the New Testament. Canonicity was a lengthy process
that involved much debate and disagreement. Always beyond dispute were the four
Gospels and all of Paul’s letters. It was not until A.D. 367, more than 40 years
after the Council of Nicea, that we find in the writings of Athanasius a list of
the 27 books and letters which are included in today’s New Testament. In short,
the writings had to have apostolic authority and have received widespread and
long-term acceptance from the universal church to be included in the New
Testament canon.
We have seen in this article that, contrary to the claims of "The Da Vinci
Code," the writings in the New Testament were selected after much reflection and
debate over the course of hundreds of years and that the writings that made it
are not only the earliest, but also those which contain the original traditions
about Jesus and the early Church. Moreover, Jesus was thought of in divine terms
from the earliest time in Christianity. Nothing spoils the creative statements
found in "The Da Vinci Code" like the facts.
--30--
Licona is director of apologetics and interfaith evangelism at the North
American Mission Board.
FIRST-PERSON:
Did Christianity
'borrow' from other religions?
By Mike Licona
Editor's note: This column is the third in a five-part series examining the
claims of "The Da Vinci Code," which hits theaters Friday, May 19.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--I recall reading in 1988 of an ancient religion older than
Christianity in which a pagan deity was said to have been crucified between two
thieves, wore a crown of thorns while on the cross, was regarded by his
followers to be the good shepherd and savior of the world, and then rose from
the dead three days later. The story shocked me. The details were too similar to
have been a coincidence. Had Christianity copied from another religion?
In "The Da Vinci Code," author Dan Brown claims that Christianity borrowed
extensively from pagan religions. Nothing in Christianity is original, he says.
The pre-Christian god Mithras -- called the son of god and the light of the
world -- was born on Dec. 25, died, was buried in a rock tomb, and then
resurrected in three days, Brown tells us.
Even Christianity’s weekly holy day was stolen from the pagans, we're told.
"Originally,” Da Vinci Code character Robert Langdon says, “Christianity honored
the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it to coincide with the
pagan’s veneration day of the sun. To this day, most churchgoers attend services
on Sunday morning with no idea that they are there on account of the pagan sun
god’s weekly tribute -- Sunday.”
Can we find any truth in what Brown claims? Did Christianity borrow from other
religions? Let’s take a look.
In 1988 I discovered after further review that there are indeed claims of dying
and rising gods in other religions -- some of which are very similar to the
Christian records. What is of great interest is that every single one of those
accounts postdate Jesus by more than 100 years! While in a number of instances
the religion in which the dying and rising god appears predates Jesus, the
account itself, where we find the dying and rising god, postdates Jesus. It
appears that it was these other religions that were influenced by Christianity
rather than the other way around. A prime example is Brown’s mention of Mithras.
The religion of Mithras predates Christianity. But we do not have an early
report of Mithras with all of the details mentioned by Brown. I am unaware of
any account, even a late one, of a Mithras who dies, is buried in a rock tomb,
then resurrected in three days.
T.N.D. Mettinger is a senior Swedish scholar who has written what is perhaps the
most recent academic treatment of dying and rising gods in antiquity. He states
that the scholarly consensus is that none of these pre-date Christianity and
that the few who think differently are viewed as an “almost extinct species.”
Although Mettinger himself admits to going against the consensus, believing
there are as many as five pre-Christian accounts of dying and rising gods, he
admits that two of the five are uncertain. Of the remaining three, one is said
to live again but is never seen by anyone including the gods, while another
appears in a report that is unclear. According to Mettinger, only one clear
account of a dying and rising god predates Christianity. However, he adds that
this account is so different from the Christian account that no parallel can be
said to exist.
In summary, the consensus of today’s scholars agree that there are no
pre-Christian accounts of dying and rising gods, and the most recent treatment
of the subject is from a scholar who disagrees but adds that none are parallels
to the resurrection of Jesus.
What about the day for Christian worship -- Sunday? Was the change from the
Jewish Sabbath of Saturday to the Christian day of worship on Sunday the result
of Constantine? This is quite impossible. Constantine lived in the fourth
century and Christian worship on Sunday started long before then. For example,
around A.D. 55 the Apostle Paul mentioned meeting on the “first day of the week”
(1 Corinthians 16:2). Luke mentions a similar practice (Acts 20:7). These were
written more than 200 years prior to Constantine’s birth!
Brown’s historical inaccuracy is stunning. So apparent is this to scholars that
even the atheist New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman concludes, "[Brown’s] a
novelist, not a scholar of history.... Even though he claims that his
'descriptions of ... documents ... are accurate,' in fact they are not."
Some of Brown’s claims are easier than others for the layperson to answer.
Although this is one of the more difficult to answer without further study, the
above has been provided for you. And remember that your friends making the claim
shoulder the responsibility of supporting it. Accordingly, anyone claiming that
Christianity borrowed its major doctrines from pagan religions of its day
shoulders the responsibility of supporting it, not just with a claim to the
effect as Brown has done, but also by supplying references to the pre-Christian
ancient writings which would lead to such a conclusion. Demand these references
from your friend and take heart. They do not exist.
--30--
Licona is director of apologetics and interfaith evangelism at the North
American Mission Board.
1 in 5 Americans has
read 'Da Vinci,' poll says
By Michael Foust
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--One out of every five Americans has read "The Da Vinci
Code," and 2 million of them have changed their religious beliefs because of it,
a new Barna Group poll indicates.
The poll was released May 15, just four days before a movie based on the novel
hits the big screen. According to the poll, roughly 45 million people -- 20
percent of those polled -- have read the book "cover to cover." Among those who
have read the book:
-- Twenty-four percent said the book was "extremely," "very" or "somewhat"
helpful to them in relation to their "personal spiritual growth or
understanding." That's some 11 million people, an online analysis on Barna's
website notes.
-- Five percent said the book led them to change some of their beliefs or
religious perspectives. That translates to 2 million people.
A murder mystery/thriller, “The Da Vinci Code” casts doubt on both the deity of
Christ and the reliability of the Bible. Although its claims have been refuted
by both liberal and conservative scholars, some readers nonetheless have
embraced them. The first page of "The Da Vinci Code" states that much of the
background of the story is true, when, in fact, it is not. The documents that
serve as the basis of the story are forgeries.
"[A]ny book that alters one or more theological views among two million people
is not to be dismissed lightly," Christian researcher George Barna said in an
online analysis. "That’s more people than will change any of their beliefs as a
result of exposure to the teaching offered at all of the nation’s Christian
churches combined during a typical week.”
The controversy likely will only increase with the movie, which is rated PG-13.
According to Barna's research, more than 30 million people likely will see the
movie in the theater, with 10 million of those viewing it having never read the
novel. If the polling data for the book proves to be true for the movie, then
roughly 500,000 people will change some of their religious beliefs after seeing
it.
The DVD version of the movie -- likely months out -- also could add to the
hoopla. Barna said the DVD version could have a particular impact on teens and
young adults.
"We know that in a home setting, young people frequently watch movies over and
over, memorizing lines and absorbing ideas that they might not have caught
during their first viewing," Barna said.
Nevertheless, Barna said, most people do not change their beliefs upon reading
the book.
“Before reading The Da Vinci Code people had a full complement of beliefs
already in place, some firmly held and others loosely held," Barna said. "Upon
reading the book, many people encountered information that confirmed what they
already believed. Many readers found information that served to connect some of
their beliefs in new ways.
"But few people changed their pre-existing beliefs because of what they read in
the novel.... The book generates controversy and discussions, but it has not
revolutionized the way that Americans think about Jesus, the Church or the
Bible.”
The telephone poll of 1,003 adults was conducted in May.
--30--
FIRST-PERSON:
Was Jesus married?
By Mike Licona
Editor's note: This column is the first in a five-part series examining the
claims of "The Da Vinci Code," which hits theaters Friday, May 19.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--In Dan Brown’s book "The Da Vinci Code," Jesus is said to
have been married to Mary Magdalene. Is it possible to know Jesus’ marital
status? The historian will need to consider any evidence suggesting Jesus was
married as well as evidence that he was single.
Brown provides two strands of evidence. He first cites the gospel of Phillip and
describes a Jesus who loves Mary more than all the disciples and kisses her
often on the mouth. He adds that the gospel of Phillip refers to Mary as “the
companion of the Savior” and that every Aramaic scholar agrees that the word
"companion" means "spouse."
But there are a number of problems with this claim. First, the gospel of Phillip
is a Gnostic gospel that is dated to the late second century at the earliest.
That is about a hundred years after the last of the New Testament Gospels had
been written. Moreover, the lone existing manuscript of the gospel of Phillip is
dated to the fourth century and, due to a number of holes in it, words are
missing. In order to get a text that supports his thesis, Brown reconstructed
the text, adding words which actually are absent from the manuscript. A second
problem concerns the word "companion." The gospel of Phillip was written in
Coptic, not Aramaic. And the Coptics had borrowed the Greek word employed here
for companion (koinonos), which usually meant “friend, colleague” rather than
"spouse."
The other strand of evidence Brown provides is Leonardo da Vinci’s rendition of
"The Last Supper," in which the person standing next to Jesus, usually thought
to be the disciple John, instead is said to be Mary Magdalene. Leonardo
supposedly is clueing his viewers to the marital relationship between Jesus and
Mary. Numerous problems plague using this as evidence for a married Jesus. It is
widely recognized that the disciple John was often portrayed during the
Renaissance period with feminine characteristics, due to his youth. Moreover, if
the character standing next to Jesus is indeed Mary Magdalene, then we are left
with one of the 12 disciples missing. Furthermore, even if Leonardo believed
Jesus had been married to Mary Magdalene, how much weight should a sober
historian award to the unsupported belief of a Renaissance artist who lived more
than 1,500 years after Jesus? It certainly should not be preferred over
historical reports written within a generation or two of Jesus
.
So what is the evidence for a single Jesus? Ancient documents make no specific
statement that Jesus was single. Is what is written about Jesus more consistent
with a married or single Jesus? Although Jesus is said to have a mother, father,
brothers, sisters, a cousin (John the Baptist), and 12 disciples, he never is
mentioned as having a wife.
Moreover, according to John's Gospel, while on the cross Jesus entrusted the
care of his mother to his beloved disciple. John also reports that Mary
Magdalene was there, too. However, no further plans were made for her care. This
would be very odd if she was Jesus’ wife.
The most powerful evidence that Jesus was single comes from a deafening silence.
In 1 Corinthians 9:5 Paul writes, “Do we [i.e., Paul and Barnabas] not have a
right to take along a believing wife, as do the rest of the apostles, the
brothers of the Lord, and Peter?” It appears that all of Jesus’ disciples, all
of his blood brothers, and even the lead apostle, Peter, were married. If Jesus
had been married to Mary, we certainly would expect for Paul to have mentioned
it here, since it would have provided the ultimate example for his point.
The sober historian must go where the evidence points. When asked whether Jesus
was married, we have seen that the data used to support the conclusion that
Jesus was married is very poor. We likewise have seen that the evidence for a
single Jesus is strong. Therefore, when reconstructing a biography of Jesus, the
historian is forced to write the following: Marital Status: Single.
--30--
Licona is director of apologetics and interfaith evangelism at the North
American Mission Board.
Q&A: Author says ‘Da Vinci’
doesn’t stand up to history
By Staff, Southern Baptist Texan
DALLAS (BP)--The Southern Baptist Texan’s managing editor, Jerry Pierce,
interviewed Darrell Bock, author of “Breaking the Da Vinci Code,” recently
before Bock spoke at an SBC church in Dallas.
A New Testament professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, Bock discussed
evangelicals’ readiness in using Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” book and the
upcoming movie as a springboard to explain and defend the New Testament canon
and the divinity of Jesus. The movie will be released in theaters May 19.
Bock penned his book in 2004 as a response to Brown’s blockbuster fiction book,
making The New York Times bestseller list for non-fiction. Bock has a new book
due out in August called “The Missing Gospels,” which weighs the extra-biblical
gospels, such as the recently publicized “gospel of Thomas,” against early
church history and the New Testament canon.
Following is a transcript of the interview with Bock:
TEXAN: What is your biggest concern about the whole “Da Vinci Code” phenomenon?
BOCK: That many people in the church are utterly unprepared to deal with the
issues that the book is going to raise, and not just the book but the discussion
that has swirled around the book and other kinds of things that have arisen over
the last few months as we have approached the opening of the movie. I’m talking
about the “gospel of Judas.” I’m talking about the general history of the
development of the Bible, particularly the New Testament. I’m talking about the
history of the way in which the divinity of Jesus has been presented through the
biblical materials and what is said about that. I’m talking about people not
knowing what went on in the second hundred and third hundred years in the
history of the church. So we’re talking about the year 100 to the year 325 or
so, up to the Council of Nicea. We’re also talking about the Council of Nicea
itself.
TEXAN: Specifically, what is the most potentially damaging aspect of “The Da
Vinci Code” story?
BOCK: Well, I think there are probably two things that are about equal. One has
to do with the idea that the four Gospels were chosen out of 80 gospels. And
also, just the whole representation of how the Gospels became a part of the New
Testament. And I also think evangelicals have problems (in being equipped at
explaining the New Testament canon), and Dan Brown has problems with this
question on the other end of the spectrum. So there’s that.
And then there’s the whole issue of recognition of the divinity of Christ, which
is not a problem with evangelicals, but it is a problem with the novel. So those
two issues are about equally problematic. The idea that Jesus was married (which
the book asserts), we have no evidence or source of any kind anywhere. No Jesus
scholar of any stripe really embraces that idea. So that’s just kind of a rogue
idea. But those other two areas are more complex in terms of their discussion.
TEXAN: Why is the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) important in this discussion?
BOCK: The reason the Council of Nicea is important is because in the novel, the
Council of Nicea is basically where Jesus’ divinity becomes established in the
church, and it’s also the place where the exercise of church power over
alternatives is decisively expressed. And of course, what all that ignores is
the history leading up to that period. That is a problem. And then the second
part that is important in that discussion is that if one essentially understands
what Nicea is about, they’ll recognize Dan Brown’s description of what Nicea was
is erroneous.
TEXAN: So do you see the "Da Vinci Code” phenomenon as more of a problem or more
of an opportunity?
BOCK: I think it’s both a problem and an opportunity simultaneously. It’s a
problem to the extent the church hasn’t prepared people for it, but it’s an
opportunity to the extent that once people gain hold of the facts and what’s
really going on, there’s a lot of affirmation that follows about what this early
church history actually is.
TEXAN: What would you recommend churches do to prepare people for things like
“The Da Vinci Code” and other challenges to the faith?
BOCK: I would encourage them to urge their people to read the resources that are
produced as a result of the movie. There are numerous websites where they can
get very good, compact information -- all the way from the Da Vinci challenge (www.thedavincichallenge.com)
site, which has a lot of articles written by Christians, to the site that
Westminster Seminary just launched (www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com). Then there
are several good books that deal with issues related to “The Da Vinci Code” that
are not very difficult to read. They are written at the level of the average
person. I would really recommend to ministers that they get those resources into
the hands of their people. Then people can research at their leisure. But I do
think it is important that people be able to talk about this with some facts at
hand, not just simply reacting.
TEXAN: Some groups have asked people not to see the movie or read the book. What
is your opinion on such advice?
BOCK: My opinion is that they are asking for trouble. This movie and this book
have already hit the cultural nerve. So it is out there. The amount of money you
spend buying your copy or your ticket to the movie is not going to significantly
alter the monetary impact of what is going on here. What I would recommend is
that you borrow the book from someone who already has it, if you are worried
about spending the money on it, or go see the movie. So when you go to critique
this and someone asks you, “Have you read the book or have you seen the movie?”
you can say “yes” and not lose your credibility in the process. So I think
having some direct exposure to what the book is about is important for this
particular kind of dialogue.
--30--