The Da Vinci Code

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Dan Brown I like to learn. Ive been a
student my whole life and Ive been a teacher an
d my dads a teacher I like to learn. And for
me the most interesting books are the ones that
you learn from. And so I wanted to write a book
that, you know, while it entertained, at the same
time you closed that last page and you go Wow!
Do you know how much I just learned? Thats
fascinating. Now that was really what I set out
to do.
The Chronicle, interview by Mary Richardson
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Teabing cleared his throat and declared, The
Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven.
I beg your pardon. Sophie
The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of
God. The Bible did not fall magically from the
clouds. 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.
The Da Vinci Code, page 231
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More than eighty gospels were considered for
the New Testament, and yet only a relatively
few were chosen for inclusion Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John among them.
The Da Vinci Code, page 231
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The twist is this, Teabing said, talking
faster now. Because Constantine upgraded Jesus
status almost four centuries after Jesus death,
thousands of documents already existed
chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite
the history books, Constantine knew he would need
a bold stroke. From this sprang the most profound
moment in Christian history. Teabing paused,
eyeing Sophie. Constantine commissioned and
financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels
that spoke of Christs human traits and
embellished those gospels that made Him godlike.
The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up,
and burned.
The Da Vinci Code, page 234
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Fortunately for historians, Teabing said,
some of the gospels that Constantine attempted
to eradicate managed to survive. The Dead Sea
Scrolls were found in the 1950s hidden in a cave
near Qumran in the Judean desert. And, of course,
the Coptic Scrolls in 1945 at Nag Hammadi. In
addition to telling the true Grail story, these
documents speak of Christs ministry in very
human terms. Of course, the Vatican, in keeping
with their tradition of misinformation, tried
very hard to suppress the release of these
scrolls. And why wouldnt they? The scrolls
highlight glaring historical discrepancies
The Da Vinci Code, page 234
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and fabrications, clearly confirming that the
modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who
possessed a political agenda to promote the
divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His
influence to solidify their own power base.
The Da Vinci Code, page 234
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• Tonight well consider
• Ancient Gnosticism
• The Gnostic writings and the claim they predate
  the N.T. books (especially the gospels)
  
• How they determined which books to include in our
  New Testaments

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From Greek gnosis meaning knowledge
Valentinus (100-153 AD) Combined Greek myst
icism with Christianity to produce Gnostic
system Marcion (110-160 AD) God of OT diff
erent than God of NT Arius (256-336 AD) t
he Son of God was not eternal addressed in the
Council of Nicea
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• From Greek gnosis meaning knowledge
• The Gnostic Writings (Nag Hammadi Scrolls)
• 13 leather bound codices
• 52 mostly Gnostic treatises titles
• Four gospels Truth / Thomas / Philip /
  Egyptians
  
• Date to the 2nd and 3rd century

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• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A secret knowledge available only to an elite
  few
  
• The Gospel of Thomas These are the secret
  sayings that the living Jesus spoke
  
• Contrast that with statements in the true
  Gospels
  
• Matt.1026,27 1125 1914 Mk.421,22
• Gods word CAN be understood by all
• Eph.34 Deut.2929

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• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• The Gospel of Thomas (4530-33) If you bring
  forth what is within you, what you bring forth
  will save you. If you do not bring forth what is
  within you, what you do not bring forth will
  destroy you.

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• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Now we can see how Johns message contrasts
  with that of Thomas. Thomass Jesus directs each
  disciple to discover the light within (within a
  person of light there is light) but Johns
  Jesus declares instead that I am the light of
  the world and that whoever does not come to me
  walks in darkness.

Elaine Pagels, in Beyond Belief The Secret
Gospel of Thomas
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• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• to know oneself, at the deepest level, is
  simultaneously to know God this is the secret of
  gnosis... Self-knowledge is knowledge of God the
  self and the divine are identical.

Elaine Pagels, in Beyond Belief The Secret
Gospel of Thomas
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• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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Dual nature of God and of the physical world
Physical is evil only spirit is good
Contrast Gen.131 1 Tim.41-5

• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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Dual nature of God and of the physical world
Dual sexual nature to God There is both a divine
mother and divine father God is genderless Jn
.424 The Gospel of Thomas Simon Peter said to
them the disciples, let Mary leave us, for
women are not worthy of Life. Jesus said, I
myself shall lead her, in order to make male, so
that she too may become a living spirit,
resembling you males. For every woman who will
make herself male will enter the Kingdom of
Heaven.

• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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Dual nature of God and of the physical world
Dual sexual nature to God Dualism in Jesus Christ
The true (spiritual) Jesus did not suffer on th
e cross, but only His physical substitute
Apocalypse of Peter The Savior said to me,
He whom you saw being glad and laughing above
the cross is the Living Jesus. But he into whose
hands and feet they are driving the nails is his
fleshly part, which is the substitute. They put
to shame that which remained in his likeness. And
look at him, and look at me!

• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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Dual nature of God and of the physical world
Dual sexual nature to God Dualism in Jesus Christ
The true (spiritual) Jesus did not suffer on th
e cross, but only His physical substitute
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth It was
another who drank the gall and the vinegar it
was not I. They struck me with the reed it was
another, Simon, who bore the cross on his
shoulder. It was another upon whom they placed
the crown of thorns. But I was rejoicing in the
height over their error And I was laughing at
their ignorance.

• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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Dual nature of God and of the physical world
Dual sexual nature to God Dualism in Jesus Christ
The true (spiritual) Jesus did not suffer on th
e cross, but only His physical substitute
This is what apostle John was battling 1
Jn.11-3 222 42,3 2 Jn 7

• Central theme Gnosis (knowledge)
• A knowledge found within ones self and through
  experience
  
• Dualism

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• Characterized by feminism and goddess worship
  (the goddess Sophia)
  
• Emphasis on experience and direct revelation from
  the Spirit
  
• Rejection of authority of scriptures

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Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Muratorian Canon (170 A.D.) Names only the
four Irenaeus (180 A.D.) Four accepted, inspir
ed Gospels Against Heresies It is not possible
that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in
number than they are. For since there are four
zones of the world in which we live, and four
principal winds, while the Church is scattered
throughout all the world, and the pillar and
ground of the Church is the Gospel and the
spirit of life it is fitting that she should
have four pillars, breathing out immortality on
every side the gospel is quadriform
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Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Muratorian Canon (170 A.D.) Names only the
four Irenaeus (180 A.D.) Four accepted, inspir
ed Gospels Justin Martyr (160 A.D.) Mentions the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke as the
memoirs of the apostles and those who followed
them Tatian (180 A.D.) Diatessaron (lit. thro
ugh the four) A harmony of the four gospels
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• Four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
• Matthew 55-63 A.D.
• Mark 60,61 A.D.
• Luke 62 A.D.
• John 60-64 A.D.
• The Gnostic gospels date no earlier than the
  middle of the second century (some much later)

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Apostolic Approval Was it written by an apostle
or other inspired writer? Genuineness Is it the
product of those for whom it is claimed?
Authenticity Is it factual? Their policy was,
If in doubt, throw it out Testimony Was it rec
eived, collected, read and used by early
Christians?
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