Outline for Special MTN Lecture:
“Cracking the DaVinci Code"
Dr. David Gadoury,
Description:
A review of the anti-Christian nature and
influence of the novel and film The DaVinci Code, identifying its
principle deceptions and preparing the student to respond to the evangelistic
opportunities presented by is notoriety.
I.
What is the DaVinci Code:
A.
Plot Summary: “Page Turner” murder mystery.
1. Characters:
a. Harvard
"symbologist" - Robert Langdon
b. Female police
investigator- Sophie Nevue
c. British Royal
Historian- Leigh Teabing
d. Albino “opus
Dei” devotee (assassin)- Silas.
2. Setting: Paris/Rome/
a. “Priory of
Sion” centuries old secret society that is preserving the secret of the Holy
Grail.
b. “Sacred
feminine” element of Christianity (Mary Magdalene)
c. Mary Magdalene
and Jesus married and had a child.
d. Descendants: Merovingian royal live in
southern
e. “Priory”
members include DaVinci.
f.
Sophie the lineal descendant herself
B.
Why popular?
1. Well written,
exciting read
2. Contemporary:
a.
Issues of
failing in the Catholic Church
b.
Controversies
about Opus Dei.
c.
Interest in
feminine theology, paganism (Wicca)
3.
Why Notorious?
a.
Attacks the
foundations of Christianity ("The Big Lie")
b.
Slanders/vilifies
the Roman Catholic Church (today's punching bag)
C.
Examples of controversial passages (handouts)
D.
Its claims of “Fact”
II.
Historical Inaccuracies:
A. Playing loose with facts:
1.
2.
Christianity
the official Roman religion- p 314
3.
Crusades- p 340
4.
Gospel of
Philip- p 331
5.
Jesus marriage
= " matter of record" - p. 329
6.
Nag Hammadi =
“oldest Christian records”- p 331
B. Major Errors:
1.
"Earliest
Christians believed in a human Jesus"
a.
Proof is
supposedly in 35 non-canonical gospels
(claims 80)
b.
Gnosticism =
later heretical development (late 2nd centuries)
2.
Jesus must
have been married because he was a Jew- False!
a.
Essenes
(celibacy = commonplace) -
Josephus
b.
John the
Baptist not married?
c.
Jesus
said: “some have made themselves eunuchs
for the sake for the kingdom
3.
Jesus was
married to Mary Magdalene and had a child:
(note: this is a straw
man: this is not a problem, even if he was!)
Mary not portrayed as a prostitute. (Not in NT record)
1)
Confusion with
the woman who anointed Jesus feet.
2)
First
portrayed this way by Gregory the Great (900 ad)
b.
Gospel of
Philip does not prove this
1) "Companion" = (koinonos) sister, pastor, associate
2) Kiss on the mouth not significant (even if accurate)
a)
Text
=smudged/destroyed:
[ Kissed her...on her.... ]
b)
Common and
chaste “kiss of fellowship”
c.
DaVinci’s Last
Supper irrelevant
1) Typical of the times re: John the apostle portrayed
as younger man
2) Also, if “Mary”, where is John? (only
12+Jesus)
4.
Emperor
Constantine invented/manufactured the NT, allowing only those books that proclaimed
a divine Jesus.
a.
Canon of
Scripture established long before 325 ad
b.
Antiquity of 4
gospels attested voluminously!
c.
Council of Nicea
assembled to deal with Arian heresy
(only a human Jesus)
d.
e.
(Only
evidence: he "ordered 50 copies of NT to be created")
5.
Earlier
apocryphal gospels (which portray a human Jesus and advance “sacred feminine”) were suppressed by power
hungry patriarchal officials?
a.
No
suppression, just not recognized
b.
Gnostic
Gospels misogynist
III.
Impact on Ill-informed Readers:
A. The attacks
on the Bible, it is:
1. Inaccurate
2. Distorted
3. Fraudulently
manufactured
4. Of uncertain
origin
5. The product
of “winners” who could rewrite history
B. The attacks
on the deity of Christ:
1. Supposedly
contradicted by earlier texts
2. Blasphemed by
allegation of marriage to Mary M.
3. Supposedly
created by later-church officials
C. The integrity
of the Christian belief systems (doctrines)
1. Misrepresents
the role of the church councils (325-500)
a. Not deciding
doctrine
b. Developing a
consensus re: Apostolic doctrine vs. Heresies
c. Analogy:
George Washington not “the father of our country” (group of Ivy League history professors)
1)
Instead: armies led by Benedict Arnold
2)
Ben Franklin 1st president
3)
World historians' conference to debunk theory
4)
Conclusion: George Washington the 1st president
(Question: Did they
"invent" this?)
2. Confusion for
those unfamiliar with Church history
2.
IV.
What we must know and be prepared to share:
A. About the
development of the “Canon” (list of books viewed as “Scripture”)
1. Internal
evidence of early developments:
a. Gospel
accounts shared (synoptics)
b. Peter’s
reference to “letters” for Paul as a source of authority (and regarded as Scripture)
2. The
importance of apostolic office:
a. Gospel of
John: Holy Spirit will bring all things to your remembrance.
(“Apostle” = authorized messenger.)
b. Ephesians
c. Acts 1 -
"all that Jesus began to do and teach"
d. Heb 1 -
"God has spoken in these last days"
e. I Tim
3. Marcion
(Gnostic heretic) 140 A.D. - proposed a
new “canon” (removed Matthew, Mark and “Jewish influenced” letters, response? )
4. Muratori's (1740) “Fragment” (late 2nd century)
a. Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John, 13 letters of Paul, Jude, 1 & 2 John, Revelation
b. Others
known/read:
1)
Shepherd of Hermas
2)
Epistles of Barnabas
3)
Didache
4)
1 & 2 element
5. 115 A.D. Ignatius refers to “the Gospel” (singular,
for all 4)
6. 170 A.D. Tatian calls 4 gospels “harmony of the
gospels” (diatesseron)
a. Assyrian
churches' preferred manuscript
b. Greek version
discovered in 1933
7. Ireneus
(Bishop of Lyon) 180 A.D. refers to the “four-fold gospel” (quote from F.F.
Bruce, p 24)
8. Origen
(185-294) mentions 4 gospels
9. Athanasius
(367) lays down list of 27 books followed by Jerome, Augustine
10. Earlier:
Ignatius/ Polycarp were familiar with “collections” of Paul’s writings.
11. 150 ad Justin
Martyr classes “memoirs of the apostles” with the OT prophets
Summary: NT (27 books) not
authoritative because “church” included them in a list.
Church included them because they were already
considered divinely inspired
Criteria:
§
Apostolic authorship (or closely associated)
§
Antiquity (widespread use and acceptance)
§
Evidence of authenticity (innate worth)
Made official in
Councils of 393 & 397- Nothing to do with Emperor Constantine
B. About the
Deity of Christ
(based on the antiquity of the NT)
1. NT testimony
to it:
a. Regarding the
gospel of John (“I am” , John 5,
b. Synoptics:
"authority to forgive sins";
baptismal formula
c. Charge of
blasphemy ("making himself equal with God" and the crucifixion)
d. Confession of
Jesus as Lord
2. Writings of
the church fathers (2nd century)
a. Ignatius
(110) “our God, Jesus Christ”
b. Tatian(170)
“we report that our God was born in the form of a man”
c. Clement of
d. Tertullian
(210) “Christ also is God”
e. Origin
“Although he was God, he took flesh, and having been made man he remained what
He was, God.”
3. Pagan
observers: Pliny the Younger (112) to Emperor Trajan: “Christians were in the
habit of meeting on a certain fixed day...when they sang a hymn to Christ...as
to a God.
C. About the
development of “orthodoxy”
1. Sequence:
a. NT writings
b. Rise of
heresies to challenge “universal” or “catholic” teaching:
c. Question:
True or False?
d. Synodical
Councils:
1)
Person of Christ
2)
Doctrine of the Trinity
Example: Ireneus (2nd Century) wrote "Against
Heresies"
"heresy" label
not coined by
3)
Church councils:
§
Nicea
§
§
§
2. Question: Were these "Catholic" church
things? How do we Protestants related to
them?
NOTE: Our conflicted feeling about
the DaVinci Code is this: We are
inclined to believe the unflattering descriptions of the Catholic Church, but
not able to discern our own heritage within it.
V. Evangelistic
Opportunities
A. Discussions
about the Jesus
Questions to ask:
1. How did it affect
your understanding of Jesus?
2. Did you know
that Christians from the very beginning have worshipped Jesus as Lord and God?
3. Can I share with
you what Jesus means to ME?
B. Discussions
about the Bible
(Note: witnessing is NOT
about defending the Bible, BUT
We are called to "give
a reason for the hope that is within us.)
1. Explain:
a. "Jesus
named them "apostles" for a very important reason: to transmit & bear witness to what he
said. That is why the Bible matters to
us."
b. "I have
found the evidence for the trustworthiness and accuracy of the New Testament to
be persuasive and convincing."
2. Ask: “I have observed
the power of God's word to change lives, especially my own. Could I share with you how the Bible has made
a difference in my life?