were chosen because they made Jesus godlike Jesus was

1
Christianity in Pagan Culture

• So who was Jesus really?

2
Opening Question

• How was your day this past Tuesday?

3
Opening Question

• How was your day this past Tuesday?
• What is your definition of superstition?

June 6, 2006 6/6/6
4
What is a superstition?

• Dictionary.com definition
• An irrational belief that an object, action, or
  circumstance not logically related to a course of
  events influences its outcome
• A belief, practice, or rite irrationally
  maintained by ignorance of the laws of nature or
  by faith in magic or chance

5
Superstition vs. Faith

• What is the distinction between superstition
  and faith?

6
Faith

• Dictionary.com definition
• Confident belief in the truth, value, or
  trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing
• Belief that does not rest on logical proof or
  material evidence

7
Faith

• Hebrews 111
• Faith is being sure of what we hope for and
  certain of what we do not see.

8
Faith, according to DVC

• Dr. Robert Langdon (DVC, Ch. 82)
• Sophie, every faith in the world is based on
  fabrication. That is the definition of faith
  acceptance of that which we imagine to be true,
  that which we cannot prove.
• Every religion describes God through metaphor,
  allegory, and exaggeration, from the early
  Egyptians through modern Sunday school.

9
Faith, according to DVC

• Metaphors are a way to help our minds process
  the unprocessible. The problems arise when we
  begin to believe literally in our own metaphors.
• Those who truly understand their faiths
  understand the stories are metaphorical.
• Religious allegory has become part of the fabric
  of reality. And living in that reality helps
  millions of people cope and be better people.

10
Todays Focus

• Is Christianity a fabrication?
• Is Christianity just a hodge-podge of pagan
  practices predating Jesus Christ?
• Who is Jesus really?

11
Christianity, a copycat?

• Teabing and Langdon (DVC, Ch. 55)
• Nothing in Christianity is original.
• The pre-Christian God Mithras called the Son
  of God and the Light of the World was born on
  December 25, died, was buried in a rock tomb, and
  then resurrected in three days.
• By the way, December 25 is also the birthday of
  Osiris, Adonis, and Dionysus. The newborn
  Krishna was presented with gold, frankincense,
  and myrrh.

12
Christianity, a copycat?

• Even Christianitys weekly holy day was stolen
  from the pagans.
• Originally, Christian honored the Jewish
  Sabbath of Saturday, but Constantine shifted it
  to coincide with the pagans veneration day of
  the sun.
• By fusing pagan symbols, dates, and rituals into
  the growing Christian tradition, he Constantine
  created a kind of hybrid religion that was
  acceptable to both parties.

13
Christianity, a copycat?

• Summary of DVCs claims
• Fundamental Christian beliefs about Jesus are the
  result of identity theft
• Sunday worship originates from the pagan sun
  gods worship (Sun-day)
• Reason
• Marketing strategy Constantines attempt at
  solidifying power by unifying Rome under one
  official religion Christianity

14
About Constantine

• From Class 3 (http//sermons.cmtx.org)
• First Christian Roman emperor, conversion in 312
  AD (at Battle of Milvian Bridge)
• The Edict of Milan (313 AD) removed penalties for
  professing Christianity
• However, Christianity (or any religion) was never
  the official religion of Rome

15
Evidence for Sunday Worship

• Originally, Christian honored the Jewish
  Sabbath of Saturday.
• Biblical References (1st century)
• On the first day of the week we came together to
  break bread (Acts 207)
• On the first day of every week, each one of you
  should set aside a sum of money in keeping with
  his income, saving it up, so that when I come no
  collections will have to be made. (1 Corinthians
  162)
• In Revelations 110 records that the first day of
  the week had come to be called The Lords Day
  to distinguish it from the Sabbath.

16
Evidence for Sunday Worship

• Justin Martyr (100165 AD)
• And on the day called Sunday, there is a
  gathering together to one place of all those who
  live in cities or in the country, and the
  memories of the apostles or the writings of the
  prophets are read, as long as time permits.

17
Veneration Day of the Sun?

• Constantine shifted it the Sabbath to
  coincide with the pagans veneration day of the
  sun.
• Sunday was the feast day of the Sol Invictus cult
• Sol Invictuss worship of the pagan sun god had
  appeared in the Roman world around the middle of
  the 2nd century
• It was strongly supported by Emperor Aurelian
  (270-275 AD)

18
Jesus Mithras?

• Mithraism
• Conflicting beliefs are associated with the cult
  of Mithras
• Followers did not keep written documents but
  passed on their religion through secret rituals
• Mithras is generally believed to be the god of
  the ancient Persians and Aryans of India
• Available evidence shows it did not gained a
  foothold in Rome until after 100 AD

19
More on Mithraism

• Richard Gordon, Mithraic scholar
• There is no death, burial, and resurrection of
  Mithras. None
• No Mithraic literature claims that Mithras is
  Light of the World or Son of God
• Dr. Edwin Lutzer, The Da Vinci Deception
• The cult of Mithras was continually evolving,
  adapting itself to the needs of a particular
  group or culture
• Justin Martyr,
• Referred to the Mithraic meal as a satanic
  imitation of the Lords Supper

20
Who Copied Whom?

• Dating is the key
• The Old Testament predicted Jesus birth, death
  and resurrection well before any of the pagan
  mystery religions
• With Christianity gaining popularity, it is
  evident that other religions adopted Christian
  teachings or practices to attract or win back
  adherents

21
December 25?

• No one knows for sure it Jesus was really born on
  December 25th
• Many believe He was born on the 25th of a month,
  but the month is uncertain
• The Roman church fixed this day as the birthday
  of Jesus in 310 AD
• Because it was already a holiday, a pagan feast,
  in ancient times
• Christ Mass (later called Christmas) was first
  celebrated in 354 AD
• It did not become universal until the 5th century

22
Christian-Pagan Integration

• Integration of Christian observances and pagan
  customs most likely did take place
• It goes both ways
• It happens even today consider contemporary
  Christian music, media, art etc
• Key question Has this affected our view of who
  Jesus really was?

23
Jesus A Hot Commodity?

• Austin-American Statesman (May 28, 2006)

24
The Chronicles of Narnia
25
Who was Jesus Really?

• Why is the Da Vinci Code so successful?
• Well-written novel
• People love conspiracy theories
• Resonates with popular post-modern beliefs of
  neopaganism, do-it-yourself spirituality in
  Gnosticism, the scholarly quest for the
  historical Jesus
• The Jesus Seminar

26
Jesus according to DVC

• Jesus was a mortal prophet, a great powerful man,
  but only a man
• Jesus divinity was the result of a close vote at
  the Council of Nicaea
• The reason for making Jesus divine was for church
  and political power
• The four Gospels in the Bible were chosen because
  they made Jesus godlike
• Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had
  children

27
Build-a-Jesus

• St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD)
• If you believe what you like in the gospel and
  reject what you dont like, its not the gospel
  you believe, but yourself.

28
Who was Jesus Really?

• Discussion Question
• We have shown the evidence against DVCs portrait
  of Jesus
• What evidence or reasoning would you give for the
  Christian belief of the divine and resurrected
  Jesus Christ?

29
Jesus Divinity

• Claims by Himself
• Matthew 2818-20
• Mark 25-7
• Luke 2342-43
• John 523-24, 819, 858-59, 141, 166-11, 197,
  1029-34
• Claims by His followers
• Thomas John 2028
• John John 11-14, 1 John 520
• Paul Romans 95, Philippians 26-11, Colossians
  115-17, 2 Corinthians 1314

30
Jesus Resurrection

• Jesus predicted it
• Matthew 1238-40, 1621, 179, 1722-23,
  2018-19, 2632, 2763
• Mark 831-91, 910, 931, 1032-34, 1428, 58
• Luke 922-27
• John 218-22, 1234, chapters 14-16
• Messianic Prophecy
• Micah 52, Matthew 21, Zechariah 99, Matthew
  212, Psalm 419, Matthew 2649, Zechariah 1112,
  Matthew 2615, Isaiah 5312, Matthew 2738,
  Isaian 539, Matthew 2757-60

31
No Middle Ground!

• Based on Jesus claims in the Bible, one can
  never conclude that He is simply a great moral
  teacher
• He is either
• Who He claims to be
• A greatest liar or lunatic who ever lived
• C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

32
Superstition vs. Faith

• Superstition (Blind Faith)
• A belief, practice, or rite irrationally
  maintained by ignorance of the laws of nature or
  by faith in magic or chance.
• Faith
• Confident belief in the truth, value, or
  trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

33
Wrapping Up

• The Da Vinci Code Discover Group

34
Purpose-Driven Course

• What was the reason you took this DG course?

35
Review of Topics

• The World Premiere So what is the big deal?
• Cloak and Dagger Conspiracies, legends secret
  societies
• The Constantine Bible Was the Bible created by
  one man?
• Jesus on Trial Did the Council of Nicea vote to
  make Jesus God?
• The Holy Grail Was Jesus married to Mary
  Magdalene?
• Christianity in Pagan culture So who was Jesus
  really?

36
Why Should We Care?

• If we do nothing, then it says
• We virtually concede that Dan Brown was right
• We are unwilling to be relevant and to engage in
  a pressing dialogue about our faith.
• We need to prepare Christians to intelligently
  and graciously present the evidence concerning
  Browns claims about Christianitys integrity
• We have an unprecedented opportunity to talk to
  many many people about the evidence for
  Christianity

37
Starting Spiritual Dialogues

• Rev. Dr. David Geisler
• Key Questions Concerning the Da Vinci Code to
  Use in Evangelism
• www.meeknessandtruth.org

38
Resources

• Books
• Josh McDowell A Quest of Answer The Da Vinci
  Code
• Erwin W. Lutzer The Da Vinci Deception
• Web Sites
• Dave Geisler www.meeknessandtruth.org
• Josh McDowell www.pcgmedia.org/davincianswers.htm
  l
• Darrell Bock www.nbctexas.org/media/davinci.htm
• Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Vinci_Code
  (Spoilers alert!)
• Google www.google.com, search for Da Vinci Code