Transcript Debunking Dan Brown's 'Fact Based Fiction'

Debunking Dan Brown's
"Fact Based Fiction"
Note: Much of the information in this presentation is taken from an article written by James White
http://www.aomin.org
First Objection: It's Fiction, Dummy
• Question: Are we making a mountain out of a mole-hill?
Should we just laugh at the The Da Vinci Code, enjoy the story,
and ignore the statements it makes about the Scriptures, Christ,
the apostles, the Church, etc.?
• Answer: It is important to keep in mind that The Da Vinci Code
is presented as fiction based on facts. The book itself begins by
stating that what it says about art, architecture, and documents,
is accurate.
Note the
“fact”
page in
the front
Dan
Brown’s
work of
“fiction”:
First Objection: It's Fiction, Dummy
• Question: Are we making a mountain out of a mole-hill?
Should we just laugh at the The Da Vinci Code, enjoy the story,
and ignore the statements it makes about the Scriptures, Christ,
the apostles, the Church, etc.?
• Answer: It is important to keep in mind that The Da Vinci Code
is presented as fiction based on facts. The book itself begins by
stating that what it says about art, architecture, and documents,
is accurate.
• “Accurate” is not a word we normally use when we are talking
about "fiction“! And that brings us to the key issue: no one is
arguing Langdon or Teabing actually exist. They are the
fictional characters. But the assertions these characters make
in the story are presented not as fiction, but as unquestioned
historical facts.
First Objection: It's Fiction, Dummy
• On his web page, Dan Brown makes the following
statement which, I believe, shows that he fully
believes the things that the characters in his book
state. He said:
– "I am not the first person to tell the story of Mary Magdalene and
the Holy Grail. This idea is centuries old. I am one in a long line of
people who has offered up this alternative history. The Da Vinci
Code describes history as I have come to understand it through
many years of travel, research, reading, interviews, exploration."
• These are not the words of someone who is merely
offering fiction without factual basis. He presents his
assertions regarding the untrustworthiness of the
Scriptures as historical facts: and he clearly believes
this to be true, and the movie presents these
accusations as historical facts.
Some Background
Some Background
• The Da Vinci Code is not one big long attack
upon the Christian faith. In fact, if you fall asleep
for about ten minutes in the film...ok, and run to
the bathroom a little later for another couple of
minutes...you'll probably miss the main
objectionable portions.
• But the problem is that the anti-Christian
material in the book is absolutely central to the
plot.
• And since it is central to the theme, it is the main
thing the reader, or the movie-goer, takes from
the experience. "What if...?"
Some Background
• The main part of the book/movie in which this antiChristian material is found comes as Langdon and
Sophie are running from the police, bearing the
cryptex, the key to the location of the Holy Grail. They
go to Leigh Teabing's residence. Teabing is an
eccentric old man, an expert on the Grail legends, and
far more involved in the entire story than Langdon and
Sophie know.
• In any case, they enter into Teabing's library and there
“educate” Sophie, who we later find out is actually a
descendant of Mary Magdalene and Jesus and
therefore part of the “royal bloodline”.
• The fundamental nature of the book's attack upon the
Christian faith can be seen when Teabing and
Langdon begin weaving their conspiracy theory in an
attempt to “enlighten” Sophie.
Responses to Attacks
Made in The Da Vinci
Code Against the Bible
“The Bible did not arrive by fax
from heaven”
"And everything you need to know about the Bible can
be summed up by the great canon doctor Martyn
Percy." Teabing cleared his throat and declared, "The
Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven."
"I beg your pardon?"
"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 DaVinci Code,
p.231)
“The Bible did not arrive by fax
from heaven”
• “And everything you need to know about the Bible
can be summed up by the great canon doctor
Martyn Percy." Teabing cleared his throat and
declared, "The Bible did not arrive by fax from
heaven.” (p.231)
• He is not even arguing against the true Christian
view of the Scriptures! This is what we call a
“straw man” argument. God did not, in fact, "fax"
the Bible down. He did not produce it through
automatic writing, either. As Peter put it, "For no
prophecy was ever produced by the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried
along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
“The Bible did not arrive by fax
from heaven”
• "The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of
God. The Bible did not fall magically from the
clouds.” (p.231)
• Again, no Christian argues that the Bible fell
“magically from the clouds”. Nor does anyone
deny that God used men (apostles and
prophets) to produce the scriptures. But what the
Bible does claim is that God sovereignly
controlled the writing of these men in such a way
that the words which they wrote were the very
words of God – i.e. “God breathed” (2 Tim 3:16).
Dan Brown seeks to deny this, but so far he has
offered no evidence.
“The Bible did not arrive by fax
from heaven”
• "Man created [the Bible] as a historical record of
tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless
translations, additions, and revisions.” (p.231)
• The Bible is a historical record – but it is much more
than that. The Bible has been translated into many
languages so that people can read it in their own tongue.
What he implies here is that somehow the Bible has
significantly changed (“evolved”) over time and that
somehow translations have something to do with that.
This is not the case. God has preserved thousands of
ancient manuscripts so that we can determine what the
original writings say with great accuracy. All good
translations are based on these manuscripts and are
therefore accurate representations of God’s words.
“The Bible did not arrive by fax
from heaven”
• "History has never had a definitive version of
the book.” (p.231)
• Christians throughout the world today all
use the same definitive version of the
Bible that was largely defined within less
than 100 years of when it was originally
written. By 367 A.D. it was explicitly
defined to the point that Athanasius lists
the exact books that we still have in our
Bibles today.
Before we go to the
next section of the
DaVinci Code, we
need to take a brief
look at. . .
Some Historical Background on the
Roman Empire and Early Christianity
Statue of Augustus Caesar,
first emperor of the Roman Empire
Icon depicting the
First Council of Nicaea
The Roman Empire:
Geographical Birthplace of Christianity
• The “birth” of New Testament Christianity (marked by the
incarnation and ministry of Jesus Christ) took place in
the Roman Empire.
• The initial spread of the Christian church (brought about
primarily by the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul
as recorded in the book of Acts) also took place in the
Roman Empire.
• The Roman Empire remained in place (though in varying
forms) throughout the first 1400 years of church history –
eventually becoming controlled by the Roman Catholic
Church – a gradual spin-off of true Christianity.
• Through much of its history, the Roman Empire was
ruled by a series of emperors. As we are about to see,
these emperors impacted the church in a variety of
ways.
The Roman Empire at its
Greatest Extent.
The Roman Empire Under the Reign
of Trajan (AD 117)
Persecution of
Early Christians
by the Romans
Persecution of Early Christians by
the Romans
• In its first three centuries, the Christian church endured regular
persecution at the hands of Roman authorities.
• But the persecution was not constant from the time of Christ until
300 A.D. Persecution came in waves.
• The Roman Empire was generally quite tolerant in its treatment of
other religions. The imperial policy was generally one of
incorporation - the local gods of a newly conquered area were
simply added to the Roman pantheon and often given Roman
names. Even the Jews, with their one God, were generally tolerated.
• But religious beliefs were valid only if they could be shown to be old
and in line with ancient customs; new and innovative teachings were
regarded with distrust.
 Because Judaism was so opposed to idolatry and were unwilling to
worship other gods – it seemed to outsiders (at first) that Christianity
was just another sect of Judaism. This provided Christianity with a
certain level of protection up until the middle of the second century.
 As it became more evident over time that Christianity was distinct
from Judaism (due in part to the large number of Gentiles coming
into the church), the Romans began to see it as an outside religion.
Persecution of Early Christians by
the Romans
• It has been customary to count ten major persecutions in
the early church. These ten persecutions are:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Persecution under Nero (64-68)
Persecution under Domitian (81-96)
Persecution under Trajan (112-117)
Persecution under Marcus Aurelius (161-180)
Persecution under Septimus Severus (202-210)
Persecution under Maximinus the Thracian (235-38)
Persecution under Decius (250-251)
Persecution under Valerian (257-59)
Persecution under Aurelian (270–275)
Severe persecution under Diocletian and Galerius (303-324)
• Christian persecution ended under the reign of
Constantine I
The Emperor Constantine I
Bronze statue of Constantine I in York, England, near the
spot where he was proclaimed Emperor in 306
The Emperor Constantine I
• Constantine I (AD 280-337), son of a Roman general
(who later became a Western Roman Emperor) was
proclaimed emperor by his troops in 306, and ruled an
ever-growing portion of the Roman Empire until his
death.
• His mother, Helena, was a Christian and played a very
influential role throughout her son's life. Scholars debate
whether Constantine adopted his mother’s Christianity in
his youth, or whether he adopted it gradually over the
course of his life.
• Constantine was over 40 when he finally declared
himself a Christian. Writing to Christians, Constantine
made it clear that he believed he owed his successes to
the protection of the Christian God alone.
The Emperor Constantine I
• Constantine is perhaps best known for being the first
Christian Roman Emperor. His reign was a turning point
for the Christian Church.
• In 313 Constantine announced toleration of Christianity
in the Edict of Milan, which removed penalties for
professing Christianity (under which many had been
martyred in previous persecutions of Christians).
• Throughout his rule, Constantine supported the Church
financially, built various church buildings, granted
privileges (e.g. exemption from certain taxes) to clergy,
promoted Christians to high ranking offices, and returned
property confiscated during the Great Persecution of
Diocletian.
The Emperor Constantine I
• Although the changes put in place by Constantine were
a relief to the early Christians, Constantine set a bad
precedent for the relationship between church and state.
• To his credit, Constantine believed that the emperor did
not decide doctrine – he believed that was the
responsibility of the bishops. But Constantine believed
that it was his role to enforce, by the power of the sword
if necessary, the decisions made by the bishops.
• Constantine was mistaken in taking on this role: true
Christianity cannot be produced by the power of the
sword!
• In later centuries this power was greatly abused by the
so-called “church” and resulted in the persecution and
death of many true Christians by unbelieving religious
authorities.
The Council of Nicaea –
AD 325
Ruins of Hagia Sophia in present-day Iznik, Turkey, where the Council of Nicaea met
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
• Constantine is also known for having called the first
“universal council” (a meeting in which all the major
church leaders gather together to resolve serious issues)
since the council of Jerusalem that is described in Acts
15.
• The Council of Nicaea is often misrepresented by cults
and other religious movements.
• To understand why the first universal council was called,
we must go back to around A.D. 318.
• A popular preacher in the city of Alexandria by the name
of Arius began teaching that Christ, though highly
exalted, was nevertheless a created being and therefore
"there was a time when the Son was not”.
• About three years later (in 321), Arius was declared a
heretic by a local council.
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
• But this did not end the matter. Arius simply moved to
Palestine and began promoting his ideas there.
• Arius found an audience for his teachings, and over the
course of the next few years the debate became so
heated that it came to the attention of Constantine, the
Emperor.
• Constantine recognized that a major division like this in
the Christian church could cause problems in his empire.
• So in the summer of 325, Constantine called for a
meeting or council of church leaders from churches
throughout the empire to meet in Nicaea, (now known as
Iznik, in modern-day Turkey), a place easily accessible
to the majority of them.
• Leading bishops in the various churches agreed to come
because they recognized the serious nature of the issue
being discussed.
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
Nicaea
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
• Approximately 300 bishops attended the Council of
Nicaea, from every region of the Empire except Britain.
• Constantine had invited all 1800 bishops of the Christian
church (about 1000 in the east and 800 in the west), but
only 250 to 320 bishops actually participated.
• The participating bishops were given free travel from
their home churches to the council (and back), as well as
free lodging during their stay – courtesy of Constantine
and the Roman government!
• These bishops did not travel alone; each one had
permission to bring with him two priests and three
deacons; so the total number of attendees would have
been above 1500.
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
• While a few other minor issues were discussed
at the Council of Nicaea (such as what date they
should celebrate Easter) the major issue
discussed was the deity of Jesus Christ.
• Note it was only recently that Christ’s deity had
been questioned – Arius’ teacher Lucian (AD
240 – 312) is said to be the real author of idea
that Christ was a created being.
• Prior to this time the early church had believed
the teachings of scripture which tell us that
Christ is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.
And this was the majority view of the bishops
who attended Nicaea as the final vote on this
topic would later show.
The Council of Nicaea – AD 325
• Note also that a topic that was not in question at
the council of Nicaea was which books belonged
in the New Testament.
• When arguing over the deity of Christ, the
delegates at this council quoted from the same
books of the New Testament that we use
today! There is no record of this ever being
questioned during the council.
• Nor is there any record of delegates quoting
from the “Gnostic gospels” that have become so
popular among heretics in our day.
The Nicene Creed of AD 325
The Nicene Creed of AD 325
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων
ὁρατῶν τε και ἀοράτων ποιητήν.
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ,
γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς μονογενῆ, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς ουσίας
τοῦ πατρός, θεὸν εκ θεοῦ ἀληθινου, γεννηθέντα, οὐ
ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῳ πατρί
δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε ἐν τῳ ούρανῳ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς
γῆς
τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν
κατελθόντα καὶ σαρκωθέντα και ενανθρωπήσαντα,
παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τριτῇ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς
τοὺς οὐρανούς,
καὶ ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς.
Καὶ εἰς τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα.
Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας, ὁτι ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ πρὶν
γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ὅτι ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας
φάσκοντας εἶναι, ἢ κτιστόν, τρεπτὸν ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν υἱὸν
τοῦ θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ
ἐκκλησία.
The Nicene Creed of AD 325
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible
and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father
the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God,
Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one
substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth;
who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate
and was made man;
he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
And in the Holy Ghost.
But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was
not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is
of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or
'changeable,' or 'alterable' — they are condemned by the holy catholic
and apostolic Church.
According to the DaVinci Code:
“The Bible, as we
know it today, was
collated by the
pagan Roman
emperor
Constantine the
Great” (p.231)
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
"Jesus Christ was a historical figure of staggering influence,
perhaps the most enigmatic and inspirational leader the world
has ever seen. As the prophesied Messiah, Jesus toppled kings,
inspired millions, and founded new philosophies. As a
descendant of the lines of King Solomon and King David, Jesus
possessed a rightful claim to the throne of the King of the Jews.
Understandably, His life was recorded by thousands of
followers across the land….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
among them.
“Who chose which gospels to include?” Sophie asked.
“Aha!” Teabing burst in with enthusiasm. “The fundamental
irony of Christianity! The Bible, as we know it today, was
collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great.”
(The DaVinci Code, p.231)
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• As the prophesied Messiah. . .
• Brown says Jesus was the “prophesied Messiah”. Is
Brown admitting here that the OT contains valid
prophecy - divine prediction of future events - and that
Christ fulfilled those prophecies? Would it not follow
then that God could protect the New Testament as
well? Brown needs to listen to the words Jesus spoke
to his disciples soon after His crucifixion:
– And [Jesus] said to [his disciples], "O foolish men and slow of
heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not
necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into
His glory?" Then beginning with Moses and with all the
prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in
all the Scriptures. (Luke 24:25-27)
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• As the prophesied Messiah, Jesus toppled kings,
inspired millions, and founded new philosophies.
• Jesus “toppled kings”? As sovereign God He
has certainly done so, but Jesus' earthly ministry
was only noticed by men as high as Pilate and
Herod, surely not Caesar in far away Rome.
• Jesus has indeed inspired hundreds of millions,
but only through the testimony of His teachings
as recorded in the very documents Brown has
already undercut and will soon identify as little
more than politically-motivated lies.
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• "Understandably, His life was recorded by thousands of
followers across the land…..” (p.231)
• While at other points Brown will compete with the worst
liberal scholars in promoting the most radical viewpoints
of the corruption of the text of the New Testament, here
he goes the other direction and goes far beyond
anything the most conservative Christian would ever say
regarding the ministry of Christ: specifically, he claims
that Jesus' life was recorded by “thousands” of His
followers. We need to realize how utterly outside the
realm of any kind of published scholarship this
perspective is. Thousands of literate, writing followers of
Christ recording His ministry? Where is the historical
evidence for this? There is none, of course.
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• "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 among them.” (p.231)
• This is an utterly bogus claim – the four Gospels that we have
in our NT are the only ones written in the first century. Even if
we count all the Gnostic gospels (written after the first century),
there were far less than this. But still, one wonders what
happened to the “thousands” of others recorded by these
anonymous followers of Jesus? Brown here seems to
contradict his own claims!
• We have to almost chuckle at the next line: “yet only a relative
few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
among them.” Matthew, Mark, Luke and John among them?
Hmm...what others once were in these relative “few” that were
“chosen” outside of the four canonical gospels? We aren't told.
This is probably just a mistake that the copy editors did not
catch (since it would require some level of biblical knowledge to
recognize it, and that is surely not something that marks off The
Da Vinci Code).
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• “Who chose which gospels to include?” Sophie asked.
“Aha!” Teabing burst in with enthusiasm. “The fundamental irony
of Christianity! The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great.” (p.231)
• Between the death and resurrection of Christ (appx. AD 33) and
the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) almost a full three centuries
passed. During the vast majority of that time the Christian
church was an illegal or banned religion, under the persecution
of the Empire.
• But early Christians were writing during this time, and we have
sufficient amounts of their writings to get a pretty good idea of
what they believed and what they viewed as Scripture.
• Brown will ignore all of this material and simply make things up
as he goes along when it comes to this topic and especially to
the issue of the deity of Christ.
“The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great”
• “Who chose which gospels to include?” Sophie asked.
“Aha!” Teabing burst in with enthusiasm. “The fundamental irony
of Christianity! The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the
pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great.” (p.231)
• The claim that Constantine “collated” the Christian Scriptures,
though tremendously common, is likewise just as tremendously
wrong. There isn't a shred of historical basis for making such a
claim. The closest you can possibly come is to note that
Constantine paid to have a number of Bibles copied. The fact of
the matter is the canon was not an issue of discussion at
Nicaea – the Deity of Christ was. And this issue was settled
using the New Testament as we know it today – not the
Gnostic writings.
• Brown calls Constantine a pagan. But Constantine did not
remain a pagan - he converted to Christianity and put a stop to
Christian persecution that had been going on for centuries prior.
Review Questions
Review Question #1
• Who did God use to produce the New
Testament?
– The apostles and those working in close
association with them.
Review Question #2
• When was the New Testament written
(what century and approximately what
years)?
– The first century
– From about AD 45 to about AD 90.
New
Testament
Written
B.C.
A.D.
45
90 100
200
300
400
Review Question #3
• What is Gnosticism?
– Gnosticism is an ancient heresy that
developed and took root early in church
history.
– The term Gnosticism is taken from the Greek
word gnosis which means “knowledge”.
– An early form of Gnosticism appears to have
developed in the during the first century.
– During the second century Gnosticism began
to infect Christians in growing numbers.
Review Question #4
• What are some of the false beliefs held by most
Gnostics?
– That we must be initiated into a secret gnosis or
“knowledge” in order to be saved
– That the universe is governed by two equal opposing
gods – one who is good and one who is evil. This
idea is known as “dualism”.
– That all physical matter is evil and “spirit” matter is
good.
– That there are “layers” of gods and spirit beings
between us and the good god.
Review Question #5
• During what time period did the so-called
“Christian” Gnostics begin to produce their own
literature in order to promote their false “gospel”
(what century)?
– Beginning in the second century and continuing for a
couple of hundred years after that.
New
Testament
Written
B.C.
Gnostic
Gospels
Written
A.D.
45
90 100
200
300
400
Review Question #6
• Name some specific Gnostic writings.
– The Gospel of Thomas (AD140-200)
– The Gospel of Phillip (AD180-350)
– The Infancy Gospel of Thomas (AD 140-170)
– The Gospel According to Mary Magdalene
(AD 120-180)
Review Question #7
• What was the three fold test the early Christian
churches used to determine if a document in
question was to be considered a genuine part of
scripture?
– Apostolic Origin – It had to have been produced by
an apostle or in close association with an apostle.
– Harmony with Scripture – It must be in harmony
with other known NT or OT literature. If the teachings
of the document contradicted other well established
scripture, it would be doubted.
– Truthfulness – If it contained things which were
absurd or otherwise out of character with the Truth, it
would be rejected as part of the Canon of Scripture.
Review Question #8
• Why did the early Christian churches reject the
Gnostic writings and exclude them from the New
Testament?
– None of them were written by an apostle, since all the
apostles were already dead by the second century
when the Gnostic writings were produced.
– The Gnostic writings contradicted the Bible (Old and
New Testament) in numerous places.
– The Gnostic writings were filled with statements that
are obviously untrue and/or absurd.
Review Question #9
• Give an example of an assertion made in a
Gnostic writing that contradicts the Bible
– Adam came into being from two virgins (Gospel of
Phillip v.90)
– Mary did not conceive by the Holy Spirit (Gospel of
Phillip v.18)
– When Jesus was a child He murdered another in
anger (The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Ch.3)
– Jesus did not die first and then rise from the dead
(Gospel of Phillip v.22)
Review Question #10
• Give an example of an absurd statement made
in a Gnostic writing.
– Simon Peter said to them: “Let Mary go away from us, for
women are not worthy of life.” Jesus said: “Lo, I shall lead
her, so that I may make her a male, that she too may
become a living spirit, resembling you males. For every
woman who makes herself a male will enter the kingdom of
heaven” (The Gospel of Thomas par.114)
– The soul of Adam came into being by means of a breath.
The partner of his soul is the spirit. His mother is the thing
that was given to him. His soul was taken from him and
replaced by a spirit. When he was united (to the spirit), he
spoke words incomprehensible to the powers. (The
Gospel of Phillip verse 87)
Review Question #11
• Who was Constantine I and what are some of
the impacts that he had on the early Christians?
– Constantine I was emperor (supreme ruler) of the
Roman empire from 306-337
– He was the first Christian Roman Emperor and did
much to benefit Christians of his day:
• In 313 he put an end to Christian persecution that had been
going on for a couple hundred years prior to his reign.
• Throughout his rule, Constantine supported the Church
financially, built various church buildings, granted privileges
to Christians, etc.
• He called the Council of Nicaea and then financed travel and
lodging for Christian leaders to attend.
Review Question #12
• What was the major topic of the council of
Nicaea?
– The deity of Jesus Christ
Review Question #13
• What was decided at the Council of
Nicaea concerning which books would or
would not be included in the Bible?
– There is no evidence that this topic was ever
even discussed at the Council of Nicaea!
– But they did quote from the Bible to support
the Deity of Christ – and when they did they
quoted from the same books that we have in
our Bibles today!
Review Question #14
• What influence did Constantine exert on
which books would or would not be
included in the Bible?
– Constantine never attempted to exert his
influence in such areas – he left these kinds
of issues to be argued out among leaders of
the churches.
“Jesus' divinity was the result
of a vote?”
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
“Constantine needed to strengthen the new Christian tradition, and
held a famous ecumenical gathering known as the council of Nicaea.”
Sophie had heard of it only insofar as its being the birthplace of the
Nicene Creed.
“At this gathering,” Teabing said, “many aspects of Christianity were
debated and voted upon – the date of Easter, the role of bishops, the
administration of sacraments, and, of course, the divinity of Jesus.”
“I don’t follow. His divinity?”
“My dear,” Teabing declared, “until that moment in history, Jesus was
viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet. . .a great and powerful
man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal.”
“Not the Son of God?”
“Right,” Teabing said. “Jesus’ establishment as ‘the Son of God’ was
officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea.”
"Hold on. You're saying Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?"
"A relatively close vote at that," Teabing added. (The DaVinci Code,
p.233)
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Until that moment in history (A.D.325). . .
Jesus was viewed by his followers as a
mortal prophet?
Not the Son of God?
Huh?!
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Council of
Nicaea
(A.D.325)
New
Testament
Written
B.C.
A.D.
45
90
200
300
400
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
“Until that moment in history (A.D.325), Jesus was viewed by his
followers as a mortal prophet. . . Not the Son of God?”
• Matthew 14:33 Then those [Jesus’disciples] who were in the boat worshiped
him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (written between A.D. 50-70)
• Mark 14:61-64 the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the
Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high
priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You
have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as
worthy of death. (written between A.D. 50-70)
• Luke 1:34-35 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God.” (written between A.D. 50-70)
• John 1:32-34 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down
from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except
that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you
see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” (written no later than 85
A.D.)
• John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
• John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word [=Jesus cf. vs.14] was God.
• John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,
who is at the Father's side, has made him known
• John 20:28 Thomas said to him [Jesus], "My Lord and my God!"
• Romans 9:5 Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!
• Titus 2:13b Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ
• Hebrews 1:8 But about the Son he [the Father] says, "Your
throne, O God, will last for ever and ever
• 1 John 5:20 And we are in him who is true-- even in his Son Jesus
Christ. He is the true God and eternal life
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Ignatius
Epistle to the
Ephesians
(A.D.108)
New
Testament
Written
B.C.
The First
Apology of
Justin Martyr
(A.D.150-155)
Council of
Nicaea
(A.D.325)
A.D.
45
90
Polycarp
Epistle to the
Philippians
(A.D.120-140)
200
Irenaeus
Against
Heresies
(A.D.180)
300
400
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
“Until that moment in history (A.D.325), Jesus was viewed
by his followers as a mortal prophet. . . Not the Son of
God?”
•
A.D. 108 - Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David according to the flesh, being
both the Son of man and the Son of God. . . that we should live for ever in Jesus
Christ. (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians – Chapter 20)
• A.D.120-140 - But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus
Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you
up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering,
forbearance, and purity; (The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians - Chapter 12)
• A.D.150-155 - In these books, then, of the prophets we found Jesus our Christ
foretold as coming, born of a virgin, growing up to man’s estate, and healing every
disease and every sickness, and raising the dead, and being hated, and
unrecognised, and crucified, and dying, and rising again, and ascending into
heaven, and being, and being called, the Son of God. (The First Apology of Justin
Martyr – Chapter 31)
• A.D. 180 - And others39 of them, with great craftiness, adapted such parts of
Scripture to their own figments, lead away captive from the truth those who do not
retain a stedfast faith in one God, the Father Almighty, and in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. (Irenaeus Against Heresies – 3:6)
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
New
Testament
Written
B.C.
Ignatius of
Antioch
(A.D.108)
Council of
Nicaea
(A.D.325)
A.D.
45
90
200
Melito, Bishop
of Sardis
(A.D.180)
300
400
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Ignatius of Antioch – A.D. 108
• Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to her who has been blessed in greatness through
the fulness of God the Father, ordained before time to be always resulting in permanent
glory, unchangeably united and chosen in true passion, by the will of the Father and of Jesus
Christ, our God, to the church which is in Ephesus of Asia, worthy of felicitation: abundant
greetings in Jesus Christ and in blameless joy. (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians –
Chapter 1)
• For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived by Mary according to a dispensation of God,
from the seed of David, yes, but of the Holy Spirit as well. (The Epistle of Ignatius to the
Ephesians - Chapter 18)
• Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, unto her that hath found mercy in the bountifulness of the
Father Most High and of Jesus Christ His only Son; to the church that is beloved and
enlightened through the will of Him who willed all things that are, by faith and love towards
Jesus Christ our God; (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans – Chapter 1).
• I give glory to Jesus Christ the God who bestowed such wisdom upon you; for I have
perceived that ye are established in faith immovable, being as it were nailed to the cross of
the Lord Jesus Christ, in flesh and in spirit, and firmly grounded in love in the blood of
Christ, fully persuaded as touching our Lord that He is truly of the race of David according
to the flesh, but Son of God by the Divine will and power, truly born of a virgin and baptized
by John that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him, truly nailed up in the flesh for our
sakes under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch (of which fruit are we--that is, of His most
blessed passion); that He might set up an ensign unto all the ages through His resurrection,
for His saints and faithful people, whether among Jews or among Gentiles, in one body of His
Church....Let no man be deceived. Even the heavenly beings and the glory of the angels and
the rulers visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ [who is God],
judgment awaiteth them also (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrneans - Chapter 6).
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Melito Bishop of Sardis, Sermon – A.D. 180
• And so he was lifted up upon a tree and an inscription was attached
indicating who was being killed. Who was it? It is a grievous thing to
tell, but a most fearful thing to refrain from telling. But listen, as you
tremble before him on whose account the earth trembled!
• He who hung the earth in place is hanged.
• He who fixed the heavens in place is fixed in place.
• He who made all things fast is made fast on a tree.
• The Sovereign is insulted.
• God is murdered.
• The King of Israel is destroyed by an Israelite hand.
• This is the One who made the heavens and the earth,
• and formed mankind in the beginning,
• The One proclaimed by the Law and the Prophets,
• The One enfleshed in a virgin,
• The One hanged on a tree,
• The One buried in the earth,
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
Melito Bishop of Sardis, Sermon – A.D. 180 (continued)
• The One raised from the dead and who went up into the heights of
heaven,
• The One sitting at the right hand of the Father,
• The One having all authority to judge and save,
• Through Whom the Father made the things which exist from the
beginning of time.
• This One is “the Alpha and the Omega,”
• This One is “the beginning and the end”
• —the beginning indescribable and the end incomprehensible.
• This One is the Christ. This One is the King.
• This One is Jesus. This One is the Leader.
• This One is the Lord.
• This One is the One who rose from the dead.
• This One is the One sitting on the right hand of the Father.
• He bears the Father and is borne by the Father.
• “To him be the glory and the power forever. Amen.”
“Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?”
"Hold on. You're saying Jesus' divinity was the result of a
vote?"
"A relatively close vote at that," Teabing added.
– Here are the facts:
• Almost all the bishops agreed with and signed the creed
affirming the deity of Jesus Christ.
• Only two Egyptian bishops, Theonas and Secundus,
persistently refused to sign, and were banished with Arius
to Illyria.
• We do not know exactly how many bishops were at
Nicaea, but estimates range from about 250 to 320.
• If we take the smallest number, 250 – that would make
the vote 247 to 3
• That would be 98.8% for, 1.2% against!
• This is "relatively close"?