April 30th, 2006
The Da Vinci Code, part 2
Coastlands Church, April 30th, 2006
The Da Vinci Code, part 2
This book and movie is more than just “silly” or a “fun read”. The ideas touted by Dan Brown through his characters reflect some of the worst anti-Christian bigotry every to sell more than twenty million copies and spawn a motion picture.
Text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
(www.JesusAndDaVinci.com for a completer list and much more info.)
How does one determine the authenticity of an ancient book? There are three basic tests used by historians and literary critics. These are the internal, external and bibliographic tests. (see notes below)
The Bible is a product of man...not of God." (Page 231) "The New Testament
is false testimony." (Page 345) "The New Testament is based on fabrications."
(Page 341) "The Bible... has evolved through countless translations, additions,
and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book."
(Page 231)
Dan Brown suggests that the Bible
represents a radically corrupted, maliciously edited collection of non-historical,
politically motivated writing. Compiled by a pagan emperor to promote his own
elevation of Jesus to a diving status, the Bible is a little more than the political
propaganda of a male-centered Catholic church.
The Bible is not the product of man but is God–inspired. The biblical
Greek word for inspiration literally means "God–breathed." Because
Scripture is breathed out by God—because it originates from Him—it
is true and inerrant.
“Biblical inspiration may be defined as God's superintending of the human
authors so that, using their own individual personalities—and even their
writing styles—they composed and recorded without error His revelation
to humankind in the words of the original autographs.”
2 Peter 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16
The Greek word for "carried along" in 2 Peter 1:21 is the same as
that found in Acts 27:15-17, a sailor needing God’s help, winds were too
strong...
"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." (Page 231)
History reveals there were only twelve other gospels in circulation during this
general time, and these were clearly not "inspired Scripture."
The four gospels in our present Bible were chosen for good reason. Early in
church history, four centers of Christianity emerged: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexander,
and Rome. These centers of Christianity used the four gospels in our present
Bible. Christian leaders who lived between A.D. 95 and 170 consistently point
to the reliability of the New Testament Gospels.
The rock on which Jesus built His Church ... was not Peter ... It was Mary Magdalene."
(Page 248) Jesus "intended for the future of His Church to be in the hands
of Mary Magdalene." (Page 248)
Matthew 16:18. In this passage Jesus was not even saying that Peter was the
rock upon whom the church would be built. Rather, He was saying that Peter's
previous confession that Jesus was the Christ (v.13-16) would be the rock upon
which the church would be built
Ephesians 2:20 affirms that the church is "built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone."
"Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which 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."
(Page 234)
Constantine helped to copy the scriptures, but had nothing to do with editing
the content of the Bible.
Many of the New Testament books were recognized as belonging in the canon right
there in New Testament times, hundreds of years before Constantine.
The basic rules that guided recognition
of the canon are as follows, listed in question format:
Was the book written or backed by a prophet or apostle of God?
Is the book authoritative? In other words, can it be said of this book as it
was said of Jesus?
Does the book tell the truth about God and doctrine as it is already known by
previous revelation?
Does the book give evidence of having the power of God?
Was the book accepted by the people of God?
Even if God were to have come down and write the whole Bible, we’d still reject it. Remember what happened with the ten commandments?
"Constantine and his male successors successfully converted the world from
matriarchal paganism to patriarchal Christianity by waging a campaign of propaganda
that demonized the sacred feminine, obliterating the goddess from modern religion
forever." (Page 124)
Constantine never did this. Historical studies have proven that in almost all
societies around the world, rule has been patriarchal in nature. (There have
been reigns of some queens in various cultures…)
To say there was a campaign to demonize the "sacred feminine"—a
view with ZERO historical support—is on a level of those who continue
to claim Elvis sightings today.
How did we get our Bible? (See outlines below)
Conclusion:
“Dan Brown’s attack on the Christian faith and the Bible has brought
him millions, but there will be a price to pay for those millions. One shudders
to consider what it will be like to stand before the God who authored the Scriptures
to explain this kind of money-driven slander of the Word that has been settled
forever in heaven.”
Psalm 119:89 “Your word, O Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
GOSPEL
How we got the Bible, ten key points.
1. The Bible is the inspired word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21)
2. The Bible is made up of 66 different books written over 1600 years by more than 40 kings, prophets, leaders and followers of Jesus.
3. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with some Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.
4. The books of the Bible were collected, arranged and recognized as inspired sacred authority by councils of rabbis and church leaders based on careful guidelines.
5 Before the printing press was invented, the Bible was copied by hand.
6. The Bible was the first book every printed on the printing press.
7. There is much evidence that the Bible we have today is remarkably true to the original writings. Of the thousands of copies made by hand before AD 1500, more than 5,300 Greek manuscripts from the New Testament still exist. The text of the Bible is better preserved than the writings of Caesar, Plato or Aristotle.
8. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the astonishing reliability of some of the copies of the Old Testament made over the years.
9. As the Bible was carried into other countries, it was translated into the common language of the people by scholars who wanted others to know God’s word. Yet today, there are still over 2000 people groups with no Bible in their own language.
10. By AD 200 the Bible was translated into seven languages, by AD 500, 13, by AD 900 17, by AD 1400 28, by 1800, 57, by 1900, 537, by 1980 1,100.
How we got our Bible, a timeline.
2000BC Old Testament events are written down on leather scrolls in Hebrew (portions in Aramaic) over centuries.
Ezra, a priest and scribe collects and arranges some of the books of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, about 450 BC, according to Jewish tradition.
The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. It is translated in 250-100 BC by Jewish scholars.
200 BC the books are arranged by subject, historical, poetic and prophetic. It includes the Apocrypha (meaning hidden) referring to the seven books that were included in the Hebrew Bible until AD 90 when they were removed by Jewish elders.
Papyrus, a plant is cut into strips and pressed into sheets or writing material. The New Testament books were probably first written on papyrus scrolls.
AD 1– AD30 Jesus quotes the Old Testament often. He says he comes to fulfill these words.
AD 45-100 Followers of Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude write the gospels, history and letters to other Christians. These writing in Greek are copied and circulated so that by 150 AD there is enough use of them to speak of the “New Testament”.
AD 90 Council at Jamnia. Jewish elders confirm the Hebrew Bible canon, without the apocrypha.
AD 200-300 Earliest translations in Latin, Coptic (Egypt) and Syriac (Syria).
Church fathers accept the writings of the Gospels and Paul’s letters as canonical (from the Greek word meaning, “the rule of faith and truth”)
The New Testament books are collected and circulated throughout the Mediterranean about the time of Constantine, the Roman emperor who legalizes Christianity in AD 313.
By AD 400 the standard of 27 New Testament books is accepted in the East and West as confirmed by Athanasius, Jerome, Augustine and three church councils.
These 27 books were formally confirmed as canonical by the Synod of Carthage in AD 397.
Jerome starts translating the Scriptures into Latin in AD 410 and finishes 25 years later. This translation, called the Latin Vulgate, remains the basic Bible for many centuries.
AD 500 The Roman Empire declines. Germanic migrations cause new languages to emerge.
AD 500-900 The Masoretes are special Jewish scribes entrusted with the sacred task of making copies of the Hebrew Scriptures. The develop a meticulous system of counting the number of words in each book of the Bible to make sure they have it copied accurately. Any scroll with an error is buried under Jewish law.
AD 600 Christianity reaches Britain before AD 300 but Anglo-Saxon pagans drive Christian Britons into Wales (AD 45-600).
AD 596 Augustine of Canterbury begins evangelizing again.
AD 676 Caedmon, an illiterate monk, retells portions of the Scripture in Anglo-Saxon poetry and song.
AD 709 Aldhelm of Sherbone is said to have translated the Psalms.
AD 1300 Bede, a monk and scholar makes an Old English translation of portions of Scripture. On his deathbed in 735 he finishes John.
AD 871-901 Alfred the Great, King of Wessex translates portions of Exodus, Psalms and Acts.
AD 1382 First English Bible translated from Latin by John Wycliffe, a priest and Oxford scholar. He wanted the common people to have the Bible.
AD 1408 In England, it become illegal to translate or read the Bible in common English without permission of a bishop.
AD 1455 Printing press is invented by German Johann Gutenberg. This invention is perhaps the single most important event to influence the spread of the Bible.
The Gutenberg Bible is the first book every printed.
AD 1516 Erasmus, a priest and Greek scholar, published a Greek translation and more accurate Latin translation of the New Testament.
AD 1522 Martin Luther translates the New Testament into German.
1525 William Tyndale, a priest and Oxford scholar, translates the New Testament from Greek, but can’t get approval to publish it in England. He is called the “Father of the English Bible” because his translation forms the basis of the King James Version.
1535 Miles Coverdale translates the Bible in English and dedicates it to one of King Henry VIII’s wives. This is the first completer Bible to be printed in English.
1537 John Rogers translates the first Bible published with the King’s permission under the pen name “Thomas Matthew.”
1539 The Great Bible is place in every church by order of the archbishop under King Henry VIII. This Bible is chained to the church pillars to discourage theft.
1555 England’s Queen Mary bans Protestant translations of the English Bible. The two men who made the original English translations, (John Rodgers and Thomas Cranmer) are burned at the stake.
1560 Exiles from England flee to Geneva, Switzerland and print the Geneva Bible, a complete revision of the Great Bible with help from Protestant scholars. This is the Bible carried to America by the Pilgrims in 1620. The 1640 Bible is the first English Bible to omit the Apocrypha.
1611 King James commissions 54 scholars to undertake a new Bible translation. Over the next 6 years, six teams of scholars use the Bishops Bible, Tyndale’s Bible as well as available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. It becomes the most popular Bible for more than 300 years.
1629-1947 several of the earliest known copies of the Bible are found.
1870 scholars in England decide to revise the King James Version to reflect findings from the manuscripts discovered in the two previous centuries.
1947 The Dead Sea Scrolls are found that contain the oldest known copies of portions of the Old Testament. These copies were made between 100BC and AD 100.
1900’s During this period more than 100 New Testament manuscripts are found in Egypt.
1926-current many more versions written
including the Moffatt Bible, Revised Standard Version, J.B. Phillips, Jerusalem
Bible, New English Bible, The Living Bible, New American Standard, the Good
News Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation and The Message.
"How can any well-educated person believe the New Testament? It was written
so long after the events it records that we can't possibly trust it as historically
reliable." This is a common question on the university campus and deserves
an honest answer.
How does one determine the authenticity of an ancient book? C. Sanders, a military
historian, outlines three basic tests used by historians and literary critics.{1}
These are the internal, external and bibliographic tests. Let's consider briefly
how the New Testament stands up to each one.
1. The Internal Test
Here our question concerns the trustworthiness of the writers as revealed by
the text itself. One of the chief issues is whether or not we have eyewitness
testimony. The New Testament accounts of the life of Christ were written by
eyewitnesses or by people relating the accounts of the eyewitnesses of the actual
events. John wrote, "what we have seen and heard [concerning Christ], we
proclaim to you also."{2} Peter stated that he and his associates were
"eyewitnesses of His majesty."{3} Luke claimed that his gospel was
based on accounts compiled from eyewitnesses.{4} In a court of law, eyewitness
testimony is the most reliable kind.
Another issue in the internal test is the consistency of the reports. If two
writers present testimony that is contradictory, doubt is cast on the integrity
of one or both records.
Many have charged that the New Testament contains contradictions. To deal with
such charges, it is important to understand that "contrary" is defined
by Webster as "a proposition so related to another that, though both may
be false, they cannot both be true." Thus, the statement, "Joe and
Bill are in this room" contradicts the statement, "Only Joe is in
this room." It does not, however, contradict the statement, "Joe is
in this room." Omission does not necessarily constitute contradiction.
With this in mind, consider several alleged New Testament contradictions. Some
observe that Luke writes of two angels at the tomb of Jesus after the resurrection{5}
while Matthew mentions "an angel."{6} The observation of the statements
is accurate, but the interpretation of them as contraries is not. If Matthew
explicitly stated that only one angel was present at that time, the two accounts
would be dissonant. As it is, they are harmonious.
Others note an apparent discrepancy in the accounts of the birth of Jesus. Hans
Conzelmann, a German theologian, writing of Matthew's and Luke's accounts of
the nativity, states that "in every detail they disagree."{7} He focuses
on apparent geographical inconsistencies.
Simple observation shows that the two accounts do differ. Luke tells of Joseph
and Mary starting in Nazareth and traveling to Bethlehem (for the census and
the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem). He then records the family's return to Nazareth.{8}
Matthew's account begins with the couple in Bethlehem (and Jesus' birth there)
and records their flight into Egypt to escape King Herod's wrath, and relates
their travel to Nazareth after Herod's death.{9}
Contradictory vs. Complementary
Conzelmann regards these details as contradictory, but are they? The Gospels
never claim to be exhaustive records of the life of Christ. Any biographer must
of necessity be selective. Could not Matthew have chosen to omit the census
journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Luke the flight into Egypt? As such,
the accounts are complementary, rather than contradictory.{10}
Often such critics seem unable to carefully discern the content of biblical
texts because of their own negative presuppositions and lofty speculations.
One is inclined to agree with C. S. Lewis' criticism of these skeptics when
he writes, "These men ask me to believe they can read between the lines
of the old texts; the evidence (that they cannot) is their obvious inability
to read (in any sense worth discussing) the lines themselves."{11} Consider
a final (and more difficult) example of alleged inconsistency. Many have noted
a difference between the synoptic accounts (those in Matthew, Mark and Luke)
and John's account of the dating of the death of Jesus. Specifically, the issue
concerns the chronological relationship of the crucifixion to the celebration
of the Passover meal by the Jews. Mark refers to some Jews observing the Passover
the evening before the crucifixion.{12} John seems to indicate a Passover celebration
after the crucifixion.{13} In a recent definitive article, Dr. Harold Hoehner
of Dallas Theological Seminary solves the puzzle.{14} Citing evidence from the
Mishnah and the scholars Strock-Billerbock, Hoehner shows that the Pharisees
and Sadducees (two contemporary religious parties) disagreed about the day of
the week on which the Passover should fall. The result was that the Pharisees
celebrated the Passover one day before the Sadducees did. This makes it entirely
plausible that the synoptics use the reckoning of the Pharisees, while John
presents that of the Sadducees, thus accounting for the difference.
2. External Test
This test asks whether other historical and archaeological materials confirm
or deny the internal testimony provided by the documents themselves. Several
authors of antiquity wrote of Jesus as a person of history. Among them were
Tacitus, Josephus, Seutonius, and Pliny the Younger.{15} Sir William Ramsey,
an eminent archaeologist, once held that Luke's writings were not historically
sound. His own subsequent investigation of near-eastern archaeology forced him
to reverse his position and conclude that "Luke is a historian of the first
rank."{16}
Nelson Glueck, former president of Jewish Theological Seminary in Cincinnati,
one of the greatest archaeologists, and a Jew, wrote: "It may be stated
categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical
reference."{17}
Archaeological Evidence
Consider a few examples of archaeological confirmation of the New Testament.
In I Corinthians, Paul refers to the meat market in Corinth.{18} An inscription
from ancient Corinth has been discovered which refers to the "meat market."{19}
Luke refers to the temple of Artemis in Ephesus and speaks of a riot that occurred
in a theater in the same city.{20} The temple was excavated in 1803 and measured
100 by 340 feet.{21} Twentieth-century Austrian archaeologists unearthed the
theater and found it could hold nearly 25,000 people.{22}
Mark writes of Jesus healing a blind man as He left Jericho.{23} Luke, apparently
writing of the same event, says it happened while Jesus was approaching Jericho.{24}
Excavations in 1907-09 by Ernest Sellin, of the German Oriental Society, showed
that there were "twin cities" of Jericho in Jesus' time--an old Jewish
city and a Roman city separated by about a mile.{25} Apparently Mark referred
to one and Luke referred to the other, and the incident occurred as Jesus traveled
between the two.
William F. Albright, one of the world's leading biblical archaeologists, adds
a helpful comment: "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,
two full generations before the date of between A.D. 130 and 150 given by the
more radical New Testament critics of today."{26} This statement is crucial
because it means that some of Christ's opponents, who were living when He was
on earth, were undoubtedly still around when the New Testament books were penned.
Their presence would have prompted the New Testament writers to give careful
attention to the veracity of the statements. And we can be certain that if any
errors were made in their accounts the opponents of Christ (of which there were
many) would have been quick to expose them.
3. Bibliographic Test
This final test is necessary because we do not possess the original manuscripts
of most ancient documents. The question that must be asked, then, is: "How
many early copies do we have and how close in time are they to the original?"
A. T. Robertson, author of one of the most comprehensive grammars of New Testament
Greek, wrote, "...we have 13,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New
Testament."{27} Many of these copies are dated only a short time (80-400
years) after the original.
When the New Testament documents are compared with other writings of antiquity
for the numbers of early copies and the chronological proximity of the copies
to the original, the New Testament is far superior. (For instance, we have only
10 good copies of Gallic Wars and they are 1,000 years after the original; seven
copies of Plato's Tetrologies, 1,200 years after the original. Similar results
hold for the writings of Thucydides, Herodotus and a host of others.){28}
The late Sir Frederic Kenyon, former director and principal librarian of the
British Museum, was one of the leading authorities on the reliability of ancient
manuscripts. He drew this conclusion:
"The interval then, between the dates of original composition and the earliest
extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation
for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they
were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity
of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established."{29}
If one concludes that the New Testament documents are historically reliable,
it stands to reason that he should seriously consider the message they present.
In the Old Testament and the New, the message of the Bible is the message of
Jesus Christ. And He offers an abundant and eternal life to anyone who will
consider and respond to His claims: "I am the light of the world; he who
follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life...and
you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."{30}
Endnotes
{1}Sanders, C. Introduction to Research in English Literary History (New York:
MacMillan, 1952), pp. 143ff; quoted in Montgomery, John. "History and Christianity,"
His Magazine reprint, Chicago, December 1964-March 1965, PP. 6-9
{2}I John 1:3.
{3}11 Peter 1:16.
{4}Luke 1:1-3.
{5}Luke 24:1-4.
{6}Matthew 28:1-8.
{7}Conzelmann, Hans. Jesus. The classic article from the RGG expanded and updated
(Philadelphia: Fortress Press), pp. 26-27.
{8}Luke 1:26, 2:40.
{9}Matthew 2:1-23.
{10}Cheney, Johnston. The Life of Christ in Stereo. (Portland, OR: Western Seminary
Press, 1971), pp. 6-14, 243.
{11}Hooper, Walter (ed.). Christian Reflections (William B. Eerdmans) quoted
in McDowell, Josh. More Evidence That Demands a Verdict (San Bernardino, CA:
Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc., 1975), p. 342.
{12}Mark 14:12ff.
{13}John 18:28.
{14}Hoehner, Harold W. "Chronological Aspects of the Life of Christ, Part
IV" Bibliotheca Sacra (Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, July, 1974),
pp. 241-264.
{15}Bruce, F. F. Jesus and Christian Origins Outside the New Testament. {Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), pp.19-41.
{16}Ramsay, W.M. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the
New Testament. (1915), p. 222; quoted in Bruce, F. F. The New Testament Documents
- Are They Reliable? (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1968), p. 91.
{17}Glueck, Nelson. Rivers in the Desert History of Negev. (Philadelphia: Jewish
Publications Society of America, 1969); quoted in McDowell, Josh. Evidence That
Demands A Verdict. (San Bernardino, CA: Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc., 1972),
p. 68.
{18}1 Corinthians 19:25.
{19}Bruce, Christian Origins. p 200.
{20}Acts 19:27-29.
{21}Free, Joseph P. Archaeology and Bible History. (Wheaton: Scripture Press,1951),
p.324.
{22}Ibid.
{23}Mark 10:46-52.
{24}Luke 18:35 43.
{25}Free, op cit, p. 295; the old Jewish Jericho may have been a "ghost
town" or merely a mound in Jesus' day.
{26}Albright, William. Recent Discoveries in Biblical Lands. (New York: Funk
and Wagnalls, 1955), p. 136; quoted in McDowell, op. cit., p. 65.
{27}Robertson, A T., Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament.
(Nashville: Broadman Press, 1925), p. 70; quoted in Montgomery, op. cit., p.
6.
{28}McDowell, op. cit., pp. 46-56: Montgomery, op. cit., p. 6: Bruce, op. cit.,
pp. 10-20.
{29}Kenyon, F. G. The Bible and Archaeology. (New York and London: Harper, 1940),
pp. 288, 89; quoted in Montgomery, op. cit., p. 6.
{30}John 8:12, 32.
Copyright © 1976 Rusty Wright and Linda Raney Wright. All rights reserved.
April 23rd, 2006
The Da Vinci Code, part 1
Intro… ”Truthiness”
Why is this such a big deal? Dan Brown is going after the real deal, Jesus,
God, Christianity, the Bible etc..
The divinity of Jesus (part 1)
The validity of the Bible (part 2) Next week
Text: I Cor. 8:5-6
www.JesusAndDaVinci.com (at least 18 books) (endless sites)
The basic premise of the book:
The Da Vinci Code, debuts May 19..
Based on the bestselling novel of the same title by Dan Brown, the story is
part action, part mystery.
Robert Langdon , a professor who is in Paris for a conference, becomes swept up in a murder, religious intrigue, and a hunt for clues revolving around paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci.
As he and Sophie Neveu run from the police and follow clues, they meet Sir Leigh Teabing who tells them they're on the trail of one of the most ancient coverups ever perpetrated by the Church: the true nature of Jesus and the Holy Grail.
According to Teabing, the Grail secret is that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and still has royal descendants today.
And, Teabing says, the Church has been wrong all along about who Jesus really was. According to the earliest, Gnostic Gospel writings, Jesus was a wise man who lived in Palestine, but he never claimed to be God.
No one believed Jesus was divine, Teabing says, until another faction of Christians believed in his divinity and rose to leadership in the Catholic Church.
The Roman emperor Constantine, in order to bring peace to the Empire, called the council of Nicea in A.D. 325, where members of the council voted to make Jesus the divine Son of God.
Teabing then says that at the same time, the Church declared that Gnostics were heretics, and refused to allow the other, earlier gnostic Gospels, (numbering around 80) to be included in the New Testament.
As the action progresses, Robert, Sophie and Sir Teabing find out just how far the Church will go to hide its secrets.
Brown can be challenged in at least two areas: (1) There are things he claims
to be historical which, in fact, are not historical at all; and (2) he completely
misrepresents biblical history.
Is the Priory of Sion a valid organization
that proves Jesus was married to Mary Magdelene?
This organization is said to guard the secret of Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene.
They are watching over Jesus and Mary's descendants, and waiting for the perfect
time to reveal its secret to the world. Because of constant threat of danger
from the Roman Catholic Church, the organization has allegedly hidden its message
in literature, paintings, and even architecture such that only learned people
can decipher the meanings.
This is bogus information based on some found parchments, The book, Holy Blood,
Holy Grail, and a Frenchman named Pierre Plantard. Who under oath admitted he
made the whole thing up, thoroughly documented by several French books and a
BBC special.
Matthew 3:17, John 5:17-18
Was Jesus Married To Mary Magdalene?
"The marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is part of the historical record."
(Page 245)
Never, anywhere in the Bible is there
a mention of Jesus being married. If he was, how could that have not been included?
Jesus' marriage is yet future. He will one day marry the "bride of Christ,"
which is the church. Revelation 19:7-9
This assertion is based on the gospel of Philip, a non-canonical book written
several hundred years after the canonical gospels.
Zechariah 9:9, Acts 16:31, Romans 6:23,
Did Constantine “upgrade” Jesus’ status to be divine for political
purposes?
"Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." (Page
235)
Jesus was a "mortal prophet... a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless.
A mortal." (Page 233)
"Jesus' establishment as the 'Son of God' was officially proposed and voted
on by the Council of Nicea.... [and it was] "a relatively close vote at
that." (Page 233)
The New Testament writers themselves
fully recognized that Jesus was absolute deity. One point of evidence is the
Apostle Paul's assertion in Colossians 1:15-17
Hebrews 1:10-12
We’ve spent the last few months clearly showing how the entire Old Testament
points to the coming Deliverer, Jesus.
The Council of Nicea convened in A.D. 325 to settle a dispute regarding the
nature of Christ.
One school of thought (led by an Alexandrian theologian named Arius) was that
Jesus was a great leader, but not God.
Dan Brown jumps on this, Arius is his representative for all pre-Nicene Xianity.
I Cor. 8:5-6 The term used for Lord
in the Greek is “Kyrios”. It denoted divinity. In the Greek translation
of the OT (The Septuagint) this became the preferred substitution for “Jahweh”
the holy name of God. (More on that in a minute).
The Christians took over this usage of kyrios and applied it to Jesus.
Philippians 2:9-11
Is all religion based on fabrication?
"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." (Page 341)
While there are some world religions
based on made up stories, Christianity is based on historical God–sent
revelation—both general revelation and special revelation.
God reveals himself through history, Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Is Christianity rooted in paganism?
"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." (Page 232)
If you look at Greek mythology and
paganism, is that their male gods would come down and have sex with human women
and give birth to hybrid beings.
The virgin birth of Jesus was prophesied (Isaiah 7:14) hundreds of years before
these pagan religions were setting forth their versions of a virgin birth.
The mysticism of the mystery religions was essentially nonhistorical. The religion
of Christianity is grounded in history
Psalm 93:1, Romans 4:11
Did The God of the Bible Have A Female Goddess Companion?
"Early Jews believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple housed
not only God but also His powerful female equal, Shekinah." (Page 309)
The Bible steadfastly argues for
monotheism (belief in one God); and the "Shekinah" refers only to
the glory of God, not to some "powerful female equal."
"Shekinah" comes from a Hebrew word literally meaning "to inhabit."
Romans 14:8-9, Ephesians 4:4-6
Does God's Name "Yhwh" Derive From the Term "Jehovah"?
"The Jewish tetragrammaton YHWH—the sacred name of God—in fact
derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between the masculine Jah
and the pre–Hebraic name for Eve, Havah." (Page 309)
The term "YHWH" was not
derived from "Jehovah"; rather, "Jehovah" was derived from
"YHWH." Brown gets it backward!
The Old Testament contains the name YHWH (the original Hebrew had only consonants).
However, the ancient Jews had a superstitious dread of pronouncing the name
YHWH. They felt that if they uttered this name, they might violate the Third
Commandment, which deals with taking God's name in vain (Exodus 20:7).
So, to avoid the possibility of breaking this commandment, the Jews for centuries
substituted the name Adonai (Lord) or some other name in its place whenever
they came across it in public readings of Scripture. Eventually, the fearful
Hebrew scribes decided to form a new word (Jehovah) by inserting the vowels
from Adonai (a–o–a) into the consonants, YHWH. The result was Yahowah,
or Jehovah.
Revelation 17:14
Conclusion:
Even though Dan Brown claims his book is based on fact, his "facts"
turn out to be sheer fiction. His theory is based on bogus documents; he misrepresents
and misinterprets history and theology; he is woefully guilty of revisionism;
he uses poor logic; he often makes misstatements; he engages in wild exaggerations
and speculations; and hence—understandably—he draws flawed conclusions.
The reason I had us read so many passages
from the Bible is that I hope you would bank on the historical accuracy of the
Bible vs. a fictitious work by Dan Brown.
April 16th, 2006
Easter
Luke 24:1-12 “The search for Jesus”
Intro... “Jesus and Mary world
tour”…images of Jesus found on tortillas, toast etc.
If you are here this morning, I’m going to assume that we don’t
need to debate the fact that Jesus lived or not…I do know that many of
us are on a search for Jesus…
Text: Luke 24:1-12
I’d like to talk about three types of people from this text. Three types of people and their search for Jesus. See where you fit in…
Those who see the miracles/evidence
and believe. (We’ll call this group the Joanna’s.)
For Mary, Mary and Joanna!?, they had no trouble believing these miracles: Stone
rolled away,
Jesus gone, two angels appear, (hint as to the them being angels: end of vs.
4…no wonder they bowed down) A risen Jesus (just as he had said, Luke
9:22)
Three women who searched for Jesus and found him via the angels sent from God.
They were willing to believe. Vs. 8
What is it that keeps people from
believing in Jesus today?
Now I realize that joining a church on a regular basis is tough for some.
Those who doubt despite the evidence/miracles.
23:11
(We’ll call this group the Thomas’... why? John 20:24-28 )
V. 11 Couldn’t believe because
“their words seemed like nonsense.”
I realize that resurrection is preposterous. It makes no sense. I’m ok
with that... Like the virgin birth, God does things his own big way.
What’re some miracles we see today that clearly point us to God?
1 Cor. 15:12-19 from The Message
Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers
because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead,
how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection?
If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ. And face it—if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything we've told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you've staked your life on goes up in smoke.
Not only that, but then we’d be guilty of telling a string of straight-up lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there's no resurrection.
If corpses can't be raised, then Christ wasn't, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever.
It's even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they're already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we're a pretty sorry lot.
The Resurrection of Christ reminds
us that:
Jesus is Lord and Christ. Acts 2:32 & 36
He is the Son of God with power. Romans 1:1-4
Jesus is the Head of the Church Ephesians 1:19-23
He is the Resurrection and the Life John 11:25
Those who half believe, not sure they
want to commit all the way. (We’ll call this group the Peters.) Luke 24:12
I realize there are many people today in this category.
Grammy-winning soft rock musician
Sheryl Crow, (reportedly a one-time Christian youth group leader) today embraces
a broader religious view:
“I believe in God, she told the New York Post in September of 2005. I
believe in Jesus and Buddha and Mohammed and all those that were enlightened.
I wouldn’t say necessarily that I’m a strict Christian. I’m
not sure what I believe.”
It all may sound good, but then they
look at Christians in the media...
The importance of life of Jesus (as compared to the Da Vinci Code…)
SLIDE of painting, the “V”
VIDEO
Remember where you buy it in the bookstore….FICTION
(My upcoming sermons series, “Picking apart The Da Vinci Code”.
2 weeks)
Read all about it for yourself. Take one of our bibles...
Where do you find yourself in this
story?
Ready to believe and follow Jesus...
Not ready to believe ...
Stuck somewhere in between...
I can guarantee that if you make a valiant search for Jesus, he can be found.
GOSPEL
Jesus gives us true meaning.…not like the
Conclusion:
Just coming to church may be a struggle for some of you. Past or present hurts...
Sweet Jesus Roll song slides
You may find yourself in these pictures. My prayer is that you will find the
peace of Jesus on this Easter as we celebrate his resurrection.
April 9th, Palm Sunday, 2006
“Make a way for Jesus” Luke 19-23
Intro…
Reader article…”Diary of a Diva, Contrary Godmother”
By Barbarella
I was raised Catholic. For years I spent Sunday mornings trying to avoid eye contact with my sister Jenny because when our eyes met, we couldn't help but burst into laughter. This would earn us painful pinches and chilling glares from Mom, who sat between us in an attempt to stave off the inevitable cacophony of two energetic children forced into silence on an unforgiving wooden pew so some old guy could read aloud from an antiquated book. I hated church, hated the strained smiles and reproachful stares that only the most pious of women could fuse into one discomforting facial expression. I hated the poorly written hymns and the fact that we had to sing the same few over and over when the book was filled with so many. While living in Rhode Island, my sisters and I attended a private Catholic school. The only thing I learned there (not counting the first commandment beaten into the head of each young lamb: Thou shalt not question the word of God, or those who teach it) was that nuns and priests creep me out.
She needs a fresh encounter with Jesus,
not the church! My prayer is that we will make a way for Jesus today, just as
they did on Palm Sunday many years ago.
Last week we talked about John the Baptist...what did he do? Prepared the way
for Jesus. The crowds in today’s story did everything they could to prepare
the way for Jesus. Got him a donkey, laid down their cloaks/palm branches, cheered
him on...what’s keeping you from letting Jesus into your life?
Text: Luke 19:28-40
Key things to remember about Palm
Sunday:
Mt. of Olives
The Mount of Olives had a significant place in prophecy as the place of the
Jesus’ initial appearance here, as well as in the second coming. Zechariah
14:3-4.
These verses describe one of the last battles during Armageddon (Rev. 16:4).
Jesus will personally appear on the Mt. Of Olives, causing it to split and provide
a valley through which survivors may flee.
Why a colt/donkey?
I’m sure the people would’ve love to see him on a big white horse...Humility...just
like Jesus, always doing things in the way we don’t expect. “First
will be last…, turn the other cheek…, sell everything you have an
give to the poor…”
Jesus approached Jerusalem willing to make a public display of his identification
with the OT prophecy of the Messiah. Ready to face what lay ahead…
Spreading their cloaks/palm branches
Mark 11:7-8
This was a gesture of honor and respect for Jesus.
Waving palm branches/twigs was often done to celebrate military victories. Their
mindset was more military than spiritual, because as we know...
Why the celebration?
They shouted “Hosanna” which literally meant “save now”
and was originally a cry for help. They were quoting Psalm 118:25-27, originally
sung at the Feast of Tabernacles.
This crowd wanted salvation from the oppression of the Roman government.
The salvation Jesus offered was different, but what they really needed.
Same for us today. We may think we need to be saved from __________, but what
we really need is what only Jesus can save us from. Make room for Jesus...
Why the Pharisees paranoia? 19:39
These “religious elite” the Pharisees (staunch keepers of the law
and so very religious) had been accustomed to Jesus keeping his “messianic
secret.” He was a threat...
They helped pressure these same people who were wildly celebrating here, to
bow to political pressure and crucify him a few days later.
Messianic fervor was high, and perhaps this contributed to Jesus' desire to
present himself as Prince of Peace, yet more paradox.
There was no stopping this event. Even the stones would cry out if the people
hadn’t.
The Judas document...
Even if this is true...no big deal. Why? Because his birth, life, triumphal
entry, death and rez. Were foretold by God through the prophets.
Palm Sunday leads into the events of what we now call Holy Week, all part of
God’s plan.
A time to commemorate and enact the suffering (Passion) and death of Jesus through
various observances and gatherings during this week. (Some churches have many
services this week.)
Monday: Luke 19:45-48
Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple.
Clear out anything dishonoring to God... Listen to the teaching of Jesus
Tuesday: Luke 20-21
Jesus was teaching in the temple and had his authority questioned. where to
pay taxes, proper perspectives on money, end times.
In typical Jesus fashion he answers their question with a parable (which always
makes ‘em think twice as hard…) 20:9-18
Wednesday: Luke 22:1-6
As Passover approached, Judas agreed to turn in Jesus.
Thursday: Luke 22:7-53
Celebrating Passover/The Lord’s supper
Maundy Thursday, ceremony of washing the feet John 13
The name is taken from an anthem sung in Roman Catholic churches on that day:
“Mandatum novum do vobis” (“a new commandment I give to you”;
John 13:34).
The focal point of Passover is a communal meal, called the Seder (which means
"order," because of the fixed order of service), which is a time of
rejoicing and celebration at the deliverance for the Hebrews that God accomplished
in the exodus.
Friday 22:54-23:55
Peter’s denial 22:54-62
Christ mocked, beaten and before the Sanhedrin 22:66-71
Christ before Pilate 23:1-5, 23:13-25
Christ before Herod 23:6-12
The crucifixion 23:26-49 (Friday’s topic)
Saturday 23:56
Prepared spices and perfumes for the burial
Rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment
Sunday 24:1-12
Easter’s sermon, Resurrection Sunday
There’s your review of Holy Week. Will you make room for Jesus each day
of this week and every day of the year? What’s stopping you from letting
him have a grand entrance? GOSPEL…
Conclusion: Max Lucado from “The
greatest sacrifice.”
April 2nd, 2006
The Deliverer has arrived! John 1
Intro…We all need to be saved, from Gilligans Island to Lost to Survivor…
The entire OT points to this event,
the birth of Jesus. We see that God did indeed fulfill his promise about Jesus.
Nothing is too hard for God.
(Even though he’s stuck working with us rebellious, sinful human beings...
Sometimes I’m amazed that God gets anything done, in spite of us…)
Text: Luke 1:26-31
Why is the concept of the virgin birth such a big deal? (Why is it so vital?)
To accept that fact opens up the possibility of so many other God-things.
The world we live in is very humanistic. “I can make it on my own.”
“I did it my way.” For what is a man, what has he got? If not himself,
then he has naught To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one
who kneels The record shows I took the blows and did it my way! Yes, it was
my way
It’s fun to put yourself first, huh?
To think about God, holiness etc. is confronting...you have to confront your
own sinfulness, inadequacies…
Yet, as we read the Bible, we are obligated to teach God’s truth. The
virgin birth is just one of the key truths...albeit a HUGE one to understand
and believe
Another key truth? Jesus being the
only capable savior. Why is this critical?
By reading the OT first, we have the distinct privilege of building a foundation
of truth through the OT. Now it all comes together in the NT!
Review:
Last week we talked about the prophets (can you name a few we talked about?)
Who is the last prophet mentioned in the OT? (hint: last book) Malachi.
Malachi reminded the Jews that God’ promised deliverer was coming…
He also reminded the people that before the Deliverer (Jesus) would come, there
would be another prophet (who would that be??) John the Baptist. Malachi 2:17-3:4
His work would be to teach the people so that they would be ready for the coming
Savior.
This was a 400 year time frame though. 400 yrs. where God did not speak through
any prophets...
Into the NT, and our story today begins
with and elderly Jewish couple who believed God and were waiting for the fulfillment
of His promises.
Luke 1:5-7 Look at their qualifications: Upright in God’s eyes, following
God’s commands and regulations blamelessly. What a bio!
God promises Zacharias and Elizabeth they would have a son. 1:11-15a
God gave John the work of preparing the way for Jesus. 1:15-17
God knew they were going to have a son long before (400 years before, like we
read in Malachi) Elizabeth got pregnant.
It’s no different today. The value of life, every life...nothing is a
mistake to God.
John was able to speak with just passion and conviction because his parents
had heard directly from God what his job was to be! Mark 1:6
God blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth in their old age. Luke 1:24-25. Their shame
of not having children was gone...in a big way!
God promised Mary a son. Luke 1:26-31
Once again, God uses an angel to communicate to man an important message.
Mary was just an ordinary woman, chosen by God for this special task...1:47
Mary’s son was to be the deliverer, named Jesus, which literally means
Savior or Deliverer.
Here is the promise God made many generations ago...God loves us so much that
he makes a way for us sinners to be delivered from eternal punishment.
GOSPEL…
Jesus would be both man and the son
of God. Luke 1:32
The God/man, indeed a mysterious plan that God set up. Before you dismiss it
as too crazy...imagine the ant analogy...
Jesus was Mary’s son, but also son of the most high, that is God.
Six hundred years earlier, God had announced this to the prophet Isaiah 9:6-7
The angel also told Mary that because the Deliverer would be a direct descendant
of David the king, He was to be king over Israel...king forever. Luke 1:33
God is faithful, he keeps his promises...
As a result of Jesus being both man
and the son of God, he would not have a human father…
Of course this confused Mary...1:34
The angel assured her that this would be a miracle of God….1:35
The virgin birth allowed God to be sinless. No descendant of Adam is sinless.
We sin because Adam sinned. Jesus didn’t sin because he was born of God.
This all may sound kind of crazy...1:37
Yes, it is (humanly) impossible for a virgin to give birth...
Same thing for Elizabeth who was “too old”…
When God wants to accomplish something, we can never rule out any possibility
for that to happen in any way he wants it to happen!
God created Adam out of the dust
I like the fact the Jesus, the Savior of the world came into the world in such
a spectacular fashion… makes sense to me…
Finally Mary trusted in the Lord and
accepted that is was God’s will.. Luke 1:38
What a great place to be in your life…”OK, God this is your will,
I accept it…”
Conclusion:
The Deliverer has arrived, Jesus the Savior.
The one announced back in the Garden of Eden
The descendant of David
The holy son of God
God the son
God in human body, holy, sinless