Exposing The Da Vinci Code1
Exposing The Da Vinci Code, Pt.1
1 John 2:22-26 (NIV)
22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.[1]
1) You may be asking, “Why does all this matter?” 2 words – “Mass Marketing”. In today’s diverse society and brilliant technology, a lie can spread around the world before you can even tie your shoes! This is certainly true with the slick selling of this book, “The Da Vinci Code”.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 (NASB95)
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
a) The times that we live in are full of people that have departed from the truth and are actively deceptive with truth. More than ever do we need truth detectors that expose the deceivers and distorter for who they are – liars and antichrists! 1john 2:22
b) Attempts to demolish the Christian message are nothing new. But what’s amazing with these times we live in is how much mileage a very small group of scholars, authors and theologians get peddling their new brand of Christianity!
You might say that they are getting great gas mileage from their vehicle of deception!
2) The newest vehicle that these theological heretics and theological lunatics are traveling in is what I call - “Gospel Replacement”. The traditional gospels in their view can no longer be trusted. So let’s throw out 2000 years of trusted scholarship and depend on the “new gospels” for our understanding of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Daniel Brown says that there where 80 gospels but only 4 chosen. That’s strange because the Nag Hammadai Library discovered in 1945 has only 45 Gnostic books.
Ireaneous writes Against Heresies 3 says that Matthew published his gospel among the Hebrews while Peter and Paul were preaching the word in Rome and founding the church there . Paul was in Rome around 60-64 A.D.
This is now being done on a regular basis on college campuses and seminaries across this nation.
a) A group in the United States called “The Jesus Seminar” is pressing their brand of Christianity on a regular basis every chance they get. They have become the “media’s darling” because it fits with their mostly non-existent theology.
According to the Jesus Seminar and Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John can no longer be trusted as the historical records of Jesus, instead “The Gospel of Thomas” and others now present authentic scholarship for Christianity!
Over the past 40 years much of Christianity has been subject to a diet of mushrooms. If you want mushrooms to grow, you keep them in the dark and feed them garbage. What millions of Christians believe today is the result of having been fed religious garbage in the name of Jesus!
b) As I speak, “The Da Vinci Code” has been on the New York Times Best Seller List for most of 2004.
In this book, we hear of a secret society made up of Sir Isaac Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci, Victor Huge and the Opus Dei, a Catholic organization, that have uncovered the centuries old cover up of true Christianity.
But on one hand Dan Brown says that his book is just fiction, and like those pesky “pop-up ads” on your computer, on the last page and the last sentence Dan Brown writes, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”
In an interview on “Good Morning America” Brown said before millions of viewers, “I began as a skeptic. As I started researching “The Da Vinci Code” I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and Holy Blood and all that. I became a believer.”
The Los Angeles Times Book Review said of this book, “…Seriously challenges many traditional Christian beliefs, if not alter them.”
So kind of like Indiana Jones, we’re going on an adventure for truth, a journey that takes us through virtual reality to end up with historical reality.
3. False Code #1: Mary Is Jesus’ Wife.
In This book, she is the secret wife of Jesus and the mother of His children!
On page 244, this book also says that Mary Magdalene is in Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper”. By putting her there Jesus is giving her honor. It’s as if Da Vinci was giving us a clue to this special lady in Jesus life. Break out the holy Polaroid.
So Who Is This Woman? Let’s find out.
a. Mary is one of 7 with this name in the Bible.
Luke 8:2 (NIV) and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
In Luke 8:2 we find that she is from the city of Magdela. A small city located near the Sea of Galilee.
b. Mary had a demon cast out of her by Jesus.
Luke 8:1-3 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
c. Mary was present at the cross.
Matthew 27:55-56 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
She was there with Jesus mother, John and others.
d. Mary was at the tomb as Jesus was buried.
Matthew 27:61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
e. Mary was a witness of the resurrection.
Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
She returned with the other woman to anoint his body but he was raised from the dead already. Then they run back to the apostles and no one believes them. For several reasons, but the most important is the fact that in Jesus day Woman were not allowed to be a witness in a court of law, because they were seen as not reliable!
f. Mary clings to Jesus after He appears to her.
John 20:11-18 (NASB95)
11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
Key: This is the only account of Jesus and Mary being alone together.
There was certainly nothing sexual about this encounter. Nor did Jesus treat her any differently than any other women, except his own mother.
This is the entire inventory of Mary Magdalene from the biblical record!
pels?
· The Gospel of Philip.
In this 3rd century writing, there is a famous passage that involves Jesus kissing Mary. (300 years after the original event)
William F. Albright, who in his day was the world's foremost biblical archaeologist, said: "We can already say emphatically that there is no longer any solid basis for dating any book of the New Testament after about A.D. 80. This means that the apostles where alive and eyewitnesses to the death and resurrection of Jesus where alive.
We have 24,000 original new testaments.
- \\ So What About Mary In The Gnostic Gospel?
63:32-64:10 “And Mary the companion of […] Mary Magdalene. […loved] her more than all the disciples [and used to] kiss her on her […].
The brackets indicate broken spots in the manuscript because of damage. Talk about a mystery to solve!
2 Things Come To Mind:
> There is too little text to work with.
>In bible days there was a kiss of greeting fellowship) that was give to one another. That fill in could very well be her cheek!*
Romans 16:16 (NASB95) Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
1 Thessalonians 5:26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.
(This is weak evidence)
· The Gospel of Mary.
It implies that Jesus showed favoritism to her.
It describes Mary as a “companion” of Jesus and of all the passages, this is the most used to prove their point. Remember we only have one copy of this and it is only a partial fragment.
Karen King names the manuscripts available for the Gospel of Mary, "Only three fragmentary manuscripts are known to have survived into the modern period, two third-century fragments (P. Rylands 463 and P. Oxyrhynchus 3525) published in 1938 and 1983, and a longer fifth-century Coptic translation (Berolinensis Gnosticus 8052,1) published in 1955."
The Gospel of Mary exalts Mary Magdalene over the male disciples of Jesus.
17:10-18:21 “And Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. He questioned them about the Savior: Did He really speak with a woman without our knowledge and not openly? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her (Mary Magdalene) to us?...Then Mary wept and said to Peter, My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think I thought this up myself in my heart? Levi (Matthew) answered and said to Peter, Peter, you have always been hot tempered. Now I see contending against the woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That is why He loved her more than us…”
So there you have it! Only 2 texts outside of the Bible indicating a special relationship between the two!
So Was Mary a Prostitute? No!
The Da Vinci Code states on page 254, “This was a secret that the Vatican had tried to bury in the 4th century…in order to defend itself against Magdalene’s power, perpetuated her image as a whore and buried evidence of Christ’s marriage to her, thereby defusing any potential claim that Christ had a surviving bloodline and was a mortal prophet.”
They try to make Jesus out as a normal man
Martin Scorsese’s controversial 1988 film “The Last Temptation of Christ” is one of those perilous movies that use these false gospels to portray un-biblical material to millions.
One scene that had many Christians up in arms depicts Jesus sitting all afternoon in a room outside the bedroom of a Mary Magdalene the prostitute, where he can see and hear her servicing a long line of customers. And it gets even worst later in the film!
Then we have the play that has been viewed in virtually every major media market called “Corpus Christi”. Where Jesus hanging on the cross is having sexual fantasies about Mary Magdalene! Did you know that this play was partly funded by our TAX DOLLARS? NEA is a tax-funded organization spewing this kind of a gospel!
Why don’t these kinds of groups ever defame Mohammad and Buddha? Because Jesus is alive and changing people’s lives! How do you persecute a dead man? You can’t!
And it’s a fulfillment of Psalm 2, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves and…take counsel together, against the Lord and His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”
I’ve heard it said that she was the woman in Luke 7:36-50. The text does not call her by name; this woman could have been an adulteress.
Key: Luke 8:1-3 introduces Mary Magdalene as a new person to the reader. Luke makes no effort to connect her to the woman in chapter 7!
We can solve that mystery and move on!
4. False Code #2: Jesus Was Married With Children.
In The Da Vince Code, Dan Brown tries to convince the reader that Jesus was married and had children that eventually moved to France. And that the church over 200 years tried to cover up this part of Jesus’ life!
A Catholic society called “The Opus Dei” knew the truth of Jesus and fought hard to cover it up.
What is this group about? A 28 yer old priest founded it in 1928. It helps promote holiness among its priest. Criticism comes to Opus Dei because of their intense dedication to the Pope, the bishops and a strict Catholic faith.
You Ask, What Does The Book Base Its Claim On?
a. Not Being Married Would Make Him Un-Jewish.
On page 245, this book implies that Jesus virtually had to be married because He was a Jewish man.
Is this a historical fact? Or Dan Brown myth?
By the 1st Century, there were exceptions to this rule. And we know that Jesus did not follow Jewish protocol in every area. He was serious about his dedication to the Father’s work! Marriage did not add to a man’s Jewishness!
b. As a Rabbi He Would Be Married.
3 Facts Make This A Weak Argument:
-Technically Jesus was not a rabbi and He never referred to Himself as one.
Jesus was not a rabbi in the official role, or in the traditional role. He held no position in the Temple of His day. In fact, the Jewish leaders never thought of Him as one either.
It is true that the Disciples called Him “Rabbi” in Matthew and Mark, but in Luke, he describes Jesus as a “teacher”.
Key: This title is interchangeable with “teacher”.
-His Commitment To The Teaching on Eunuchs.
Matthew 19:10-12 (NASB95)
10 The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” 11 But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 “For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”
- Essenes Men and Woman lived together in Celibacy.
Archaeological evidence point to the Qumran community at the Dead Sea lived together in celibacy.
Josephus, a famous 1st Century Historian states, “It also deserves our admiration, how much they (Essenes) exceed all other men that addict themselves to virtue, and this in righteousness; and indeed to such a degree, that as it has never appeared among any other man…there are about four thousand men that live in this way, and neither marry wives, nor are desirous…”
What Is Our Best Rebuke?
a. 4 Major Arguments Against This Code:
- Jesus Shows No Affection To Mary at The Cross.
In John 19:26,27, Jesus only mentions his concern for His mother and put her into John’s care.
John 19:26-27 (NASB95) When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
- There’s No Claim of A Wife At The Resurrection.
After His death, Jesus mentions his brothers, sister and mother – some more than once! Why not His widow?
How does one argue from silence?
- Paul Makes No Mention Of Jesus In 1 Corthinians.
This is probably the best argument against this false code!
1 Corinthians 9:4-6 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working?
This passage shows:
a. The church was not ashamed to show that its leaders were married.
b. If Jesus was married, Paul could have used Him as an example.
c. No Other Gnostic Gospel Discuss This Subject As A Fact.
d. If this was a 250-year-old secret, why not record this cover up in more of these false gospels as a fact for the entire world to know?
1 John 2:22-26 (NIV)
22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.[2]
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[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Zondervan: Grand Rapids
