THE DAVINCI CODE:
TRUTH REVEALED
BY
PASTOR JONATHAN CONNER OF
ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN
CHURCH SANBORN/SHELDON
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TRUTH REVEALED
DVD Part 1: Why should I care?
To date The Da Vinci Code has sold millions of copies worldwide.
Dan Brown uses The Da Vinci Code as a platform to attack the Christian faith.
One reviewer described it as “the gleefully heretical notion that the entirety of Judeo-Christian culture is
founded on a misogynist [woman-hating] lie, evincing disgust for sex in general and the female body in
particular.” (quoted in Abanes, The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code, 6)
He writes the book with fictional characters while claiming the background information is fact.
“FACT… All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this
novel are accurate.” (1)
The Plot of The Da Vinci Code
“The complex story of The Da Vinci Code is one of intrigue and conspiracy. While in Paris on
business, a Harvard professor named Robert Langdon receives an urgent call. The curator of the
Louvre art museum has been found murdered. The police are baffled by an encoded message left by
the dead man and written with his own blood. Langdon follows the trail of this mystery, which leads
to clues left in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. He joins forces with cryptologist Sophie Neveu, the
curator's granddaughter, and together they discover that the dead curator was part of a secret society,
the Priory of Sion, whose members included Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Behind the scenes, a Catholic lay organization called Opus Dei is plotting to prevent the discovery
of an ancient secret about the Holy Grail, kept hidden by the Priory of Sion for centuries. If
discovered, the secret would shake the foundations of the church and the faith it has proclaimed for
millennia.” (http://rbcdavincicode.com/plot.php)
As summarized by Dan Brown:
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent latenight phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the
body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to
discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci…clues visible for all to see…and
yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.
Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late
curator was involved in the Priory of Sion—an actual secret society whose members included Sir
Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others. The Louvre curator has
sacrificed his life to protect the Priory's most sacred trust: the location of a vastly important religious
relic, hidden for centuries.
In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with
a faceless powerbroker who appears to work for Opus Dei—a clandestine, Vatican-sanctioned
Catholic sect believed to have long plotted to seize the Priory's secret. Unless Langdon and Neveu
can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's secret—and a stunning historical truth—
will be lost forever.
In an exhilarating blend of relentless adventure, scholarly intrigue, and cutting wit,
symbologist Robert Langdon (first introduced in Dan Brown's bestselling Angels & Demons) is the
most original character to appear in years. THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed
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of lightening-paced, intelligent thriller…surprising at every twist, absorbing at every turn, and in the
end, utterly unpredictable…right up to its astonishing conclusion.” (www.danbrown.com)
Characters Depicted in the Fictional World of The Da Vinci Code
Robert Langdon
As the lead character in The Da Vinci Code, Langdon is a Professor of Religious Symbology at
Harvard University. The Paris police consider him a key suspect in the murder of the Louvre curator.
Langdon partners with Sophie Neveu to crack the code. He also appears in Dan Brown's book
Angels and Demons.
Sophie Neveu
The granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere, who is murdered in the Louvre. Her name means "wisdom,"
and she is adept at solving puzzles. As a cryptologist, she partners with Robert Langdon to solve the
code.
Jacques Sauniere
Curator of the Louvre museum, secret Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, and grandfather to Sophie
Neveu. His murder sends Robert Langdon and Sophie on a quest to decipher the Da Vinci code.
Leigh Teabing
A charismatic and scholarly conversationalist who is secretly a devotee of goddess worship. Teabing
lives in the splendid estate called Chateau Villette near Versailles.
Bezu Fache
A French police captain who is responsible for investigating the death of Jacques Sauniere, curator
of the Louvre museum.
Silas
A member of Opus Dei, this character sincerely believes he is performing the work of God. He is an
albino possessing great physical strength and is a skilled assassin. His fanaticism reflects negatively
on Opus Dei, the Catholic lay movement he works for.
Manuel Aringarosa
The Opus Dei cardinal who is determined to keep the real identity of the Holy Grail from becoming
known.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Italian Renaissance genius who excelled in art, science, anatomy, and architecture. According to
Brown's story, Da Vinci was a member of the Priory of Sion (a secret society that believes in
goddess worship), and he secretly left clues about his beliefs in much of his art.
Constantine
In order to consolidate church power, Roman emperor Constantine suppressed Gospel accounts that
stressed Jesus' humanity, and included in the Bible only those accounts that emphasized Jesus' deity.
Jesus
The Da Vinci Code portrays Jesus as a charismatic religious teacher who espoused pagan
Gnosticism, wed Mary Magdalene, and had children with her.
Mary Magdalene
The Da Vinci Code alleges that she was in line to head the newly established church of Jesus, and
that she and Jesus were lovers and had a child. Mary is considered to be the Holy Grail because she
carried in her womb the bloodline of Christ.
Peter
According to The Da Vinci Code, Peter was a prominent follower of Jesus who became outraged with
jealousy when Mary Magdalene was chosen to lead the newly established church. His original opposition to
Mary Magdalene triggered centuries of anti-female policies by the Roman Catholic Church.
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Sources: Cracking the Da Vinci Code by Simon Cox and The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code by Richard
Abanes. (http://rbcdavincicode.com/characters_dvc.php)
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
“almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” (235)
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they had a child who escaped to France.
Mary Magdalene was to be head of the church, but Peter and the other disciples took over.
Jesus was turned into “God” by a vote in order to protect the Patriarchal system.
The Catholic Church and the rest of Christendom has worked together to conceal this 2000
year old cover-up.
The secret of Jesus’ “True identity” is maintained by a group known as the “Priory of Sion”
that has existed since 1099.
Secret documents (Les Dossiers Secrets) found in Paris’ Bibliotheque National in 1975
supposedly confirm its existence.
Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo Da Vinci were Grand Masters in
this organization.
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DVD Part 2: The Council of Nicea
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. “Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…
a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless…” (DVC, 233)
B. It was at the Council of Nicea in 325 that Church leaders
decided by vote to make Jesus divine. “[U]ntil that moment in
history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…
not the Son of God… Jesus’ establishment as the ‘Son of God’
was… a relatively close vote.” (DVC, 233)
Truth Revealed
A. The council of Nicea in 325 did not debate whether Jesus was God; this had been acknowledged
by the end of Jesus’ earthly Ministry.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his
very own, eager to do what is good.
2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and
Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Justin Martyr (about 150 A.D.)
“being the first-begotten Word of God, is even God; “both God and Lord of hosts” (First Apology, chapter 63 in The
Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 1, 184 and Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 36, Vol. 1, 212)
Irenaeus (about 185 A.D.)
“our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King” (Against Heresies, book 1, Ch. 10, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 1, 330)
Clement of Alexandria (about 200 A.D.)
“truly most manifest Deity, He that is made equal to the Lord of the universe; because He was His Son.”
(Exhortation to the Heathen, ch. 10, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 2, 202)
B. Among other things, the Council of Nicea in 325 discussed whether Jesus was coeternal with the
Father.
1. Eusebius of Caesarea, the great early Church historian, describes the scene:
There were gathered the most distinguished ministers of God, from the many churches in Europe,
Libya [i.e. Africa] and Asia. A single house of prayer, as if enlarged by God, sheltered Syrians and
Cilicians, Phoenicians and Arabs, delegates from Palestine and from Egypt, Thebans and Libyans,
together with those from Mesopotamia. There was also a Persian bishop, and a Scythian was not
lacking. Pontus, Galatia, Pamphylia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Phrygia sent their most outstanding
bishops, jointly with those from the remotest areas of Thrace, Macedonia, Achaia, and Epirus. Even
from Spain, there was a man of great fame [Hosius of Cordova] who sat as a member of the great
assembly. The bishop of the Imperial City [Rome] could not attend due to his advanced age; but he
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was represented by his presbyters. Constantine is the first ruler of all time to have granted such a
garland in the bond of peace, and to have presented it to his Savior as an offering of gratitude for the
victories he had won over all his enemies. (Eusebius of Caesarea, Life of Constantine, 3.7) (from Gonzalez,
Justo, The Story of Christianity, 162-163)
2. The Arian Controversy
Arius was a presbyter in the city of Alexandria (Egypt). Like all of Christendom, he
acknowledged that Father was ingenerate, unbegotten, and everlasting and the Son was
pre-existent. Arius, however, taught that before anything else was made, God created the
Word (Jesus). As such, he believed the Father alone was God and the Son was the first
and greatest of His creatures. Jesus could be considered divine, but not as the Father was
divine. Arius’ motto became: “There was a time when He was not.” In short, the Son
was not coeternal with the Father.
Arius taught Jesus was “like in substance” (homoiousios) but not “identical in substance”
(homoousios) to the Father.
In Summary:
There is only one Being to whom beginningless existence can be ascribed:
God. He alone was ingenerate, unbegotten, and everlasting.
The Son has a beginning – there was a time when He was not.
The Father created the Logos out of nothing by His own will.
The Logos has no true humanity for he possessed no human soul.
The Logos has no true divinity for he was without the essence and attributes
of God.
The Logos is the first and greatest creature of God and as such is changeable
in nature. He remains good by his own free will.
God created the Logos as the medium through which He made the world.
3. Implications of Arius’ teaching
Jesus could no longer be the Mediator because in principle he shared nothing of
the divine nature, except by grace. He was not essentially one with God.
As a creature, the Logos is foreign to the divine substance and therefore cannot
reveal the Father to us.
The assertion of Christ’s deity and the denial of the unity of his essence with the
Father leads to polytheism.
If Jesus was a creature, He was then potentially changeable, and therefore
temptable, and therefore able to prove that the conquest of sin and the attainment
of righteousness are within creaturely grasp.
If Jesus was a creature of God, the very essence of Christianity would be
destroyed which asserts that redemption from sin and death and union with God
in faith demand that God has become man, has become incarnate.
4. The council decided Arianism had to be rejected. The following is the formula they
agreed upon:
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, the only-begotten of the Father, that is, from
the substance of the Father, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not
made, of one substance [homoousios] with the Father, through whom all things were made,
both in heaven and on earth, who for us humans and for our salvation descended and became
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incarnate, becoming human, suffered and rose again on the third day, ascended into the
heavens, and will come to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Spirit.
But those who say that there was when He was not, and that before being begotten He was
not, or that He came from that which is not, or that the Son of God is of different substance
[hypostasis] or essence [ousia], or that He is created, or mutable [changeable], these the
catholic church anathematizes. (Eusebius of Caesarea, Epistle to the Caesareans. In Gonzalez, Justo, The Story of
Christianity, 165.)
5. The vote was 300 to 2.
The two dissenting bishops were Secundus of Ptolemais and Theonas of Marmarica, both of
whom were sympathizers with Arius.
C. This council gave us the Nicene Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted creed
in the world.
What is a creed?
A summary of faith.
A compendium of Scripture.
A creed tells who God is and what He has done.
A summary of the Christian story.
D. Orthodox Christianity confesses:
1. There is no division of the divine essence.
“There is no God but one.” (1 Cor. 8:4)
2. There are three Persons in the Trinity and
each possesses the same divine essence,
attributes, and works. Therefore, one and
the same divine worship is due each Person.
3. Jesus does call the Father “greater” than Him
in John 14:28-29. Christ is inferior only
according to the human nature in the
State of Humiliation.
Luther explains John 14:28-29 in this way, it is as
if Jesus said, “The Father is greater than I, because
now I am a Servant; but when I return yonder to
My Father’s, then I shall become greater, namely,
as great as the Father, that is, I shall rule with Him
in equal Power and majesty.”
(Luther’s Works, St. L. VIII: 477)
4. The Nicene Formula, “the Son is of the same
essence with the Father,” condemned
Arianism, which called Christ the first
creature through whom God created the
world.
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
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;
who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the
virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under
Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And he will come again with glory to judge
both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is
worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and
apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the
remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen
Luther comments on the Council of Nicea: “The Council did not discover this article or set it up as
something that was new and had not existed in the Church before, but only defended it against the heresy
of Arius…Otherwise what would have become of the Christians who, before the Council, for more than
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three hundred years, since the days of the Apostles, had believed and had prayed to the dear Lord Jesus and
called upon Him as true God and had died for it and had been miserable persecuted?” (St. L. XVI:2211)
Priory of Sion
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. The Priory of Sion is “one of the oldest surviving
secret societies on earth.” (DVC, 113) According
to The Da Vinci Code it was founded in Jerusalem
in 1099 by a crusading French King named
Godefroi de Bouillon.
B. The Priory learned of “a stash of hidden documents” buried beneath the ruins of the
Temple in Jerusalem that not only told the true story of Jesus and Magdalene, but also
traced their holy bloodline. (DVC, 158)
Truth Revealed
A. Three organizations have used the name “The Priory of Sion.”
i. A Roman Catholic monastic order founded in Jerusalem at the monastery
of Our Lady of Mt. Zion in about 1100. This group of monks, known as
the Orde de Notre Dame de Sion (Order of Our Lady of Zion), ceased to
exist in 1617, when it was absorbed by the Jesuits.
ii. The second and third Priories can be traced to the Frenchman Pierre
Plantard (1920 – 2000), who, in 1942, founded an anti-Masonic and antiJewish group known as Alpha Galates. In 1953, he was sentenced to six
months in jail for fraud and embezzlement.
In 1956, he and some friends formed a social group dedicated to
affordable housing. They called their group “The Priory of Sion.” This
group dissolved shortly after its organization.
iii. The third Priory can be traced to Pierre in the 1960s when he became
obsessed with being an occult master and a descendant of kings. He
recruited followers to help him restore the French monarchy. He hoped to
accomplish this by promulgating the idea that a royal bloodline existed in
France. They sought to achieve their plans by placing forged papers in
libraries. One of these libraries was the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.
The document placed in the Bibliotheque Nationale
in Paris was called Les Dossiers Secrets d’Henri
Lobineau (The secret records of Henri Lobineau).
It contained an alleged list of grand masters of
the Priory of Sion. In 1993, however, Pierre Plantard admitted to
fabricating the whole thing. His secret documents were phonies.
(Abanes, The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code, 52, 54)
B. The reference to “hidden documents” comes from a popular myth from the French town
of Rennes-le-Chateau and a priest named Sauniere (1852-1917) (the same name was
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given to the murdered art curator in Brown’s novel.) In reality, Sauniere was dismissed
from the priesthood for selling masses (performing masses for a profit).
The man who purchased Sauniere’s estate (Noel Corbu) converted the guesthouse into a
restaurant and invented a story about the survival of the Merovingian bloodline to attract
customers. While this story did attract customers and several treasure hunters, nothing
was ever found. The myth, however, lives on due to the books Holy Blood, Holy Grail
and The Messianic Legacy. The former book was the primary source used by Dan Brown
for The Da Vinci Code.
Plantard heard about these myths and embellished them with the hope of furthering his
French monarchy related goals. (Abanes, The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code, 51-52)
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The Knights Templar
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. After the King of France, Godefroi of Bouillon,
conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and established the
Priory of Sion, he “created a military arm – a group
of knights…known as the Knights Templar” in order
to retrieve the Magdalene documents “from within
the ruins” of the temple (DVC, 158)
B. One point on which “all academics” agree is that the Knights Templar “discovered
something” beneath the ruins of the Temple and that this discovery “made them wealthy
and powerful beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.” (DVC, 158). The Knights took
their find to Europe “where their influence seemed to solidify overnight.” (DVC, 159)
C. Pope Clement V “decided something had to be done” about the Knights Templar, so
working in concert with France’s King Philip IV, the Pope “issued secret sealed orders to
be opened simultaneously by his soldiers all across Europe” on October 13, 1307. The
“letter” said that all the Knights were to be rounded up and executed. “On that day,
countless knights were captured” and killed, though some, “managed to escape the
Vatican purge.” (DVC, 159-160)
Truth Revealed
A. Dan Brown’s claim about the founding of the Priory is taken directly from Plantard’s
spurious documents. The Knights Templar was founded as a military religious order
circa 1118, by Hugh des Paynes (a knight from Burgundy) and Godfrey of St. Omer (a
knight from Northern France).
In reality, after King Godefroi defeated Jerusalem (circa 1099), an abbey was established
by the name of Notre Dame de Sion (Our Lady of Zion). The earliest possible reference
to knights being associated with the abbey appears in 1698 by a man named Father
Vincent who said, “There were in Jerusalem during the Crusades…knights attached to
the Abbey of Notre Dame de Sion who took the name of Chevaliers de l’Ordre de Notre
Dame de Sion [Knights of the Order of Our Lady of Zion.] Their name shows that they
were dedicated to the Virgin Mary, not Mary Magdalene. (Abanes, The Truth Behind the
Da Vinci Code, 56)
B. “All academics” don’t agree on this assertion and no substantive documentation exists to
support the Code’s claim. The Knights grew wealthy via gifts and donations from
pilgrims to the Holy Land. And it took roughly 170 years (1118 – 1290) for their
influence and wealth to grow. Even more, they became wealthy while still in Jerusalem,
not after returning to Europe (They returned to Europe in 1291 because all Christians
were expelled from the Holy Land).
C. In truth, King Philip IV moved against the Knights to acquire their land and money. He
gathered spurious witnesses to testify that the Knights were engaging in blasphemous
activities. King Philip then ordered his soldiers (not the pope’s) to arrest the knights on
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October 13th, 1307. On this date the Knights were taken into custody, not executed, and
thereafter they were forced to confess via torture. Only Knights in France, under Philip’s
power, were executed (52 on May 12, 1310 – not in 1307 and roughly another 68 on
March 16th, 1314). In 1312, under pressure from Philip, Pope Clement dissolved the
Knight Templar.
Opus Dei (the information below is taken from www.opusdei.org)
What is Opus Dei?
“Opus Dei is a Catholic institution founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá.
Its mission is to help people turn their work and daily activities into occasions
for growing closer to God, for serving others, and for improving society.
Opus Dei complements the work of local churches by offering classes, talks, retreats and pastoral
care that help people develop their personal spiritual life...”
What is the aim of Opus Dei?
“The aim of Opus Dei is to contribute to [the] evangelizing mission of the Church, by promoting
among Christians of all social classes a life fully consistent with their faith, in the middle of the
ordinary circumstances of their lives and especially through the sanctification of their work.”
What is the Message of Opus Dei?
Divine filiation
Opus Dei “seeks to foster among the Christian faithful a deep awareness of their being
children of God, and helps them act accordingly.”
Ordinary life
“The family, marriage, work – all of our activities – are opportunities for dealing with and
imitating Jesus Christ, trying to practice charity, patience, humility, diligence, integrity,
cheerfulness and all the other human and Christian virtues.
Sanctifying work
Opus Dei encourages its members “to work with the spirit of Jesus Christ, to work
competently and ethically, with the aim of loving God and serving others, and thus to
sanctify the world from within, making the Gospel present in all activities whether they be
outstanding or humble and hidden.
Prayer and sacrifice
“Members strive to incorporate into their lives certain practices of Christian piety, such as
prayer, daily Mass, sacramental confession, and reading and meditating on the Gospel.
Devotion to Our Lady occupies an important place in their hearts. Also, to imitate Jesus
Christ, they try to acquire a spirit of penance offering sacrifices, particularly those that help
them fulfill their duties faithfully and make life more pleasant for others, things like
renouncing small pleasures, fasting, almsgiving, etc.”
Unity of life
St Josemaría explained that Christians working in the world should not live “a kind of double
life. On the one hand, an interior life, a life of union with God; and on the other, a separate
and distinct professional, social and family life.” On the contrary: “There is just one life,
made of flesh and spirit. And it is this life which has to become, in both soul and body, holy
and filled with God.”
Freedom
The members of Opus Dei are ordinary citizens who enjoy the same rights and are subject to
the same obligations as any other citizen. In their professional, family, political, financial or
cultural activities, they act with freedom and personal responsibility, not involving the
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Church or Opus Dei in their decisions, nor presenting those decisions as the only Catholic
solutions. This implies respecting the freedom and the opinions of others.
Charity
“Christians are witnesses to Jesus Christ and spread his message of hope among their
companions, with their example and their words.”
What about membership in Opus Dei?
Opus Dei has around 85,000 members, both men and women; 98% are laypersons, most of whom are
married. The remaining 2% are priests, drawn from the Prelature's lay faithful.
Laity and priests
Opus Dei is made up of a prelate, a presbyterate or clergy of its own, and laity, both women and men.
There are not different categories of member in Opus Dei. There are simply different ways of living
the same Christian vocation, according to the different circumstances of each one: married or single,
healthy or sick, etc.
Historical Overview of Opus Dei
Opus Dei was founded in 1928 in Spain and is currently established in 61 countries.
1928. 2 October: While on a spiritual retreat in Madrid, Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founded Opus Dei.
1947. 24 February: The Holy See granted the first pontifical approval.
1950. 16 June: Pius XII granted the definitive approval to Opus Dei. This approval enabled married
people to join Opus Dei, and secular clergy to be admitted to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.
1969. A special general congress of Opus Dei met in Rome to study the change of Opus Dei’s legal
status in the Church to that of a personal prelature, a juridical structure introduced by the Second
Vatican Council and suited to the pastoral characteristics of Opus Dei.
1975. 26 June: Josemaría Escrivá died in Rome. Around 60,000 people belonged to Opus Dei at that
time.
15 September: Álvaro del Portillo was elected to succeed the founder at a congress of Opus Dei
members called for that purpose, in accordance with the Statutes by which Opus Dei is governed.
1982. 28 November: John Paul II established Opus Dei as a personal prelature, appointing Álvaro del
Portillo as its prelate.
20 April: John Paul II appointed Msgr. Javier Echevarría as Prelate of Opus Dei, confirming the
election carried out by the general elective congress held in Rome.
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DVD Part 3: Gnosticism and the Gospels of Philip and Mary Magdalene
A. Gnosticism defined
“Gnosticism acquired its name from the Greek term for knowledge (gnosis). Adherents of
Gnosticism sought to answer the following questions:
What is the relation of finite man to the infinite God?
How can an imperfect world proceed from a perfect God?
What is the relation of spirit to matter?
How did evil enter the world?
What is evil?
Gnostics answered these questions by posing two worlds in sharp contrast to one another.
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The world of good – the world of evil.
The world of light – the world of darkness.
The world of spirit – the world of material.
The creation of the world
Matter was considered eternal and was identified with evil for matter could not be
traced to God who was a spirit.
As such, the supreme God was distinguished from the god who created the world and
gave the law in the Old Testament.
This world came into existence through a process of emanation.
o Fallen divinities or spirits sank into the world of matter or evil which became
animated into life.
o Through something called syzygy (defined below) Aeons (defined below)
emanate from the divine Being.
o These Aeons are the media of creation.
o The lowest and weakest of these Aeons, the Demiurge, created the world.
Defining “syzygy”
Syzygy is a divine active-passive, male-female pair of aeons, which are complementary and
not oppositional. In their totality they comprise the divine realm of the Pleroma (defined
below), and in themselves characterize aspects of the unknowable Gnostic God
Defining “Aeons”
In many Gnostic systems, the various emanations of God are called aeons. This first being is
also an æon and has an inner being within itself, known as Ennoea (Thought), Charis
(Grace), or Sige (Greek for Silence). The split perfect being conceives the second aeon, Caen
(Power), within itself. Along with the male Caen comes the female æon Akhana (Truth,
Love).
Aeons bear a number of similarities to Christian-Judeo angels, including their roles as
servants and emanations of God, and their existence as beings of light.
The aeons often came in male/female pairs called syzygies, and were frequently numerous
(20-30). Two of the most commonly listed æons were Jesus and Sophia. The aeons constitute
the pleroma, the "region of light." The lowest regions of the pleroma are closest to the
darkness — that is, the physical world.
When an æon named Sophia emanates without her partner aeon, the result is the Demiurge,
or half-creator a creature that should never have come into existence. This creature does not
belong to the pleroma, and the One emanates two savior æons, Christ and the Holy Spirit, to
save humanity from the Demiurge. Christ then took the form of the human Jesus, in order to
be able to teach humanity how to achieve gnosis; that is, return to the pleroma.
Defining “Pleroma”
Generally “pleroma” (which means “fullness”) refers to the totality of God's powers.
Gnosticism holds that the world is controlled by archons (which refer to several servants of
the Demiurge, the "creator god" that stood between the human race and a transcendent God
that could only be reached through gnosis). The Pleroma is often referred to as The Light
existing "above" (the term is not to be understood spatially) our world, occupied by spiritual
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beings who self-emendated from the Pleroma. These beings are described as aeons (eternal
beings) and sometimes as archons. Jesus is interpreted as an intermediary aeon who was sent,
along with his counterpart Sophia, from the Pleroma, with whose aid humanity can recover
the lost knowledge of the divine origins of humanity and in so doing be brought back into
sync with the Pleroma. The term is thus a central element of Gnostic cosmology.
Who was Jesus?
Christ was not God incarnate in whom divine and human natures are united in one
person.
Jesus was either a mere man with whom a heavenly Aeon united.
Or Jesus was a heavenly Aeon who assumed a body formed of physical substance.
Only the physical Christ suffered and was crucified.
Or he was only human in appearance and had no human nature, but only a spiritual
one.
Jesus’ Mission
Christ did not come to atone for sin.
Christ came to bring deliverance for the spiritual
elements which were held captive in earthly matter
so as to save us from the Demiurge (the creator god).
Christ did this by imparting knowledge (gnosis)
which redeemed the spiritual realm from the
material realm so as to help the individual find his
way to the upper world at his death.
The means of deliverance or “salvation”
This is achieved through mystical rites, gnosis, and asceticism
The resurrection of Christ is not needed nor the resurrection of the dead.
Salvation is the complete deliverance of spirit from matter and its final return to the
Pleroma (the light above).
B. Two branches of Gnosticism in The Da Vinci Code
1. Extreme Asceticism
In The Da Vinci Code, Silas, the albino monk, is a member of this sect. Extreme
asceticism teaches that beating the body, which is matter and therefore evil, and
depriving it of pleasures is the only way to achieve gnosis and to be rejoined to God.
2. Sexual Union
This branch of Gnosticism teaches that union with God is achieved through sexual
relations. This particular path to God is a common theme in many of the Gnostic
gospels.
Teabing and Sophie evade French police on Teabing’s personal jet as Sophie
explains to Langdon how she surprised her grandfather at his country estate
and found him in the center of the room surrounded by people having sexual
intercourse… Langdon calms her and says, “Hieros Gamos …it means sacred
marriage. Physical union with the female remained the sole
means…man…can achieve gnosis…” (DVC, 308-309)
15
The main sacrament in the Gospel of Philip was the bridal chamber, which
was the way to redemption. The “bridal chamber” was a sexual mystery rite
in which the new member would have the right to watch only after he became
a “bridegroom” or “bride” or “Hieros Gamos.”
C. Gnostic Gospels in The Da Vinci Code
Two Gnostic gospels are employed by Sir Leigh Teabing in DVC, as proof of Jesus’
marriage to Mary Magdalene. They are the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary
Magdalene, neither of which are included in the Biblical canon. The Gnostic gospels are
psuedepigraphal, meaning that the authors chose to ascribe the writing of these books to a
‘famous’ person in order to gain credibility, notoriety, and acceptance.
D. The Church’s response to Gnosticism
To the claim that the creator of the world was separated from the supreme God: God is at
once Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer.
To the claim that matter and spirit were dualistically separated: Good and evil cannot be
explained by antagonistic natural endowments. This does away with man’s
responsibility. In contradistinction from the Gnostics who claimed sin was a physical
necessity, the Christian Church maintained sin as an act of man’s free will.
To the claim that Jesus was not incarnate, but only seemed to be: The Christian Church
insisted upon the incarnation (becoming flesh) of the Logos (The Word – Jesus).
To the claim that the resurrection was unimportant: The Christian Church championed
the resurrection of the flesh.
(much of the above information was taken from E.H. Klotsche, The History of Christian Doctrine, 1979, 34-35)
Claims of The Da Vinci Code
A. “[E]arly Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the Temple, no less. Early Jews believed
that the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s Temple housed not only God but also His powerful female
equal, Shekinah.” (DVC, 309)
B. "For the early church, mankind's use of sex to commune directly with God posed a serious threat
to the Catholic power base. It left the Church out of the loop, undermining their self–proclaimed
status as the sole conduit to God. For obvious reasons, they worked hard to demonize sex and
recast it as a disgusting and sinful act. Other major religions did the same." (DVC, 309)
The sex act enables one to "achieve gnosis—knowledge of the divine." (DVC, 308)
Sex is "a mystical, spiritual act... [in which one can] find that spark of divinity that man can only
achieve through union with the sacred feminine." (DVC, 310)
The male "could achieve a climactic instant when his mind went totally blank and he could see
God." (DVC, 309)
"The natural sexual union between man and woman through which each became spiritually
whole ... had been recast as a shameful act." (DVC, 125)
"Holy men... now feared natural sexual urges as the work of the devil." (DVC, 125)
C. “The Jewish Tetragrammaton YHWH – the sacred name of God –
in fact derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between
16
the masculine Jah and the pre-Hebraic name for Eve, Havah” (DVC, 309)
Truth Revealed
A. This is a part of the duality of Gnosticism. Judaism ardently asserted, as does Christianity, the
existence of one God and one God only. Dr. Ron Rhodes, president of the Reasoning from the
Scriptures Ministries writes:
The Bible steadfastly argues for monotheism (belief in one God). The fact that there is only one true God is the
consistent testimony of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. It is like a thread that runs through every page of
the Bible. An early Hebrew confession of faith—the Shema—is an example of this consistent emphasis: "Hear,
O Israel: The lord our God is one lord" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
According to some branches of Gnosticism, the female deity “Shekinah” sits beside God. This
female goddess is worthy of equal (and in some cases superior) worship. Shekinah, however, is
not the name of a goddess, but a combination of Hebrew words that, when combined, mean
‘dwelling.’
Dr. Rhodes comments,
“The "Shekinah" refers to the glory of God (Exodus 25: 22; Leviticus 16:2; 2 Samuel 6:2; 2 Kings 19:14, 15;
Psalm 80: 1; Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 9:3; 10:18; Hebrews 9:5), not to some "powerful female equal." "Shekinah"
comes from a Hebrew word literally meaning "to inhabit." The Evangelical Bible Commentary notes: "The
term 'glory' represents the Presence of God dwelling—shkn—in the tabernacle (Ps 26:8; cf. also Exod 25:8;
29:44-46), giving rise to the later theological term Shekinah sometimes called the 'Shek(h)inah Glory.'" The
term refers to the visible majesty or glory of the divine presence, especially when resting between the cherubim
on the mercy seat, in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple of Solomon. Moses beheld God's Shekinah glory in the
Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38) just as the priest saw it in the Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). In view of this, Dan
Brown's assertion that the Shekinah refers to a "powerful female equal" is mind–boggling.
Even more, ritualistic sex was never sanctioned in the Temple! At various times in Israel’s
history, pagan altars were erected throughout the land, which was contrary to Mosaic Law.
These altars were continually torn down by various kings and prophets of Israel. At other times,
the Temple was defiled by religious prostitution, but this practice was ritualistic only within the
Canaanite fertility religions and not Judaism. (Abanes, The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code,
18)
B. Dr. Rhodes responds:
There are two primary responses to this claim: (1) The church has not recast sex as a shameful act;
and (2) Sex was never intended as a means of achieving "gnosis."
(1) The church has not recast sex as a shameful act. Sex within marriage is good (see Genesis 2:24;
Matthew 19:5; 1 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 5:31). Sex was a part of God's "good" creation. Indeed,
God created sex and "everything created by God is good" (1 Timothy 4:4). But it is good only within
the confines of the marriage relationship (1 Corinthians 7:2), which He Himself ordained (see
Hebrews 13:4). The Song of Solomon indicates that God desires married people to have truly
fulfilling sex.
Christians, however, are to abstain from fornication (Acts 15:20). Paul said that the body is not for
fornication and that a man should flee it (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18). Certainly the sex ritual depicted in
The Da Vinci Code (a copulating couple surrounded by chanting people) constitutes a form of
fornication and is thus condemned by God.
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Scripture is quite clear: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a
man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you
with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient" (Eph.
5:5-6).
(2) Sex was never intended as a means of achieving "gnosis." Man is not to seek revelation or
knowledge in altered states of consciousness related to the sex act, but rather from God's Word.
Scripture alone is the supreme and infallible authority for the church and the individual believer.
Jesus always used Scripture as the final court of appeal in every matter under dispute. We must do the
same.
Instead of a view that says individuals can receive individual insights from God during sexual
ecstasy, Scripture indicates that a definitive body of truth was objectively communicated to man. This
is why Jude 3 admonishes us to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to
the saints." In the Greek text, the definite article "the" preceding "faith" points to the one and only
faith; there is no other. "The faith" refers to the apostolic teaching and preaching which was
regulative upon the church (see Acts 6:7; Gal. 1:23; 1 Tim. 4:1).
This body of truth is referred to in Jude 3 as that which was "once for all delivered to the saints." The
word translated "once for all" (Greek: apax) refers to something that has been done for all time,
something that never needs repeating. The revelatory process was finished after this "faith" had "once
for all" been delivered.
The word "delivered" here is an aorist passive participle, indicating an act that was completed in the
past with no continuing element. There would be no new "faith" or body of truth communicated
through people in sexual ecstasy.
C. The origin of the word Jehovah can be traced to the late Middle Ages (around 1500). At this
time, Jewish scribes began inserting vowel points from the Hebrew word adonai (“my Lord”)
into the name YHWH. The insertion resulted in the hybrid term YaHoWaH. They did this to
remind the reader that God’s name was too holy to pronounce. When the term YaHoWaH was
Latinized, the “Y” and “W” were changed to “J” and “V” resulting in Jehovah.
Havah is simply the name Eve in Hebrew. It means “life,” for Eve was the mother of all the
living. Havah has nothing to do with some “androgynous” physical union” with “Jah.” In fact,
“Jah” is not even a Hebrew word. Hebrew does, however, include Yah, a contracted form of
YHWH and throughout the Scriptures, “Yah” is coupled with a masculine verb (Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. [Hebrew Hallelu Yah] Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love
endures forever.)
Salvation
The Cross
Old Testament
Existence
Christian
All who put faith in Christ
Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all
humanity.
Christ was God in the OT and became
incarnate in the NT.
Jesus is God from eternity.
Gnostic
Those who attain secret “Gnosis”
Jesus did not die on the cross. Rather, a
phantom/substitute did.
The God of the OT is the Demiurge who has
trapped spirit beings in physical bodies.
Jesus came into existence from All-father and
Sophia (goddess).
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Return of the Cainites
“The Gospel of Judas” is only one of many attempts to turn Christianity upside down |
by Gene Edward Veith
The Gospel of Judas" is a long-lost bit of Gnostic apocrypha. Now that archeologists have found a
copy, the media is abuzz with speculation that this ancient document will shed new light on or even
change Christianity.
According to "The Gospel of Judas," Jesus tells Judas to betray Him. This will enable Jesus' spirit
to escape from its fleshly container. Jesus also is said to call Judas the only disciple who truly
understands His message. Much of the rest of the "gospel" is just disembodied dialogue about "spirit"
as opposed to matter, in sharp contrast to the historically detailed Gospels of the New Testament.
No serious scholar, even of the most liberal variety, believes this text—which is dated nearly 200
years after the death of Christ—has any connection to the historical Jesus or the historical Judas. It
would be as if an American in the 1950s wrote a book purporting to come from George Washington claiming that Benedict
Arnold was really a double agent. And yet, "The Gospel of Judas" is being taken seriously, riding the wave of theological
revisionism whose goal is to turn Christianity into a different religion.
The Gnostics were eastern mystics who taught that the physical realm is intrinsically evil and that the spirit can be freed
from its bondage to physicality through the attainment of secret knowledge (or "gnosis"). They rejected the Christian
doctrine of creation (saying that the material world is evil). They denied the incarnation (saying that Christ was a spiritual
being who brought the secret knowledge and denying that He became "flesh"). And they denied the redemption (saying that
sin is not a moral failure—since what we do in the flesh does not affect our spirits—but simply a lack of spiritual
knowledge).
Many Gnostics went so far as to teach that the Creator portrayed in the Old Testament is really a demon. After all, only
an evil being would create something so evil as the material world. The being who rebelled against this false deity and his
physical creation is Satan, who is thus the "good guy." After all, in his manifestation as the serpent in the Garden, Satan
offered Adam and Eve "knowledge."
One group of Gnostics went even further in their inversion of the Bible. The church father Irenaeus, in his book Against
Heresies written in a.d. 180, tells about the Cainites. Members of this sect claim to trace themselves back to Cain, called in
the Old Testament the first murderer, but whom they claim "derived his being from the Power above." The Cainites, said
Irenaeus, also turn the other bad guys of the Bible—such as Korah, who rebelled against Moses, and the residents of
Sodom—into good guys. And they have even produced a "fictitious history," reports Irenaeus, "which they style the Gospel
of Judas."
The Gnostics wrote a number of other "gospels" (e.g., "The Gospel of Thomas," "The Gospel of Philip," "The Gospel of
Mary"), as well as epistles and apocalypses to garb their teachings in apostolic clothing and to compete with the Christian
scriptures.
Today the Gnostics are back in vogue. Feminist theologian Elaine Pagels of Princeton argues that Gnosticism is more
open to women, since the body makes no difference to the spirit. She maintains that the early church labeled Gnosticism a
heresy as part of a patriarchal plot to oppress women.
And the Cainites have come back in pop literature. Philip Pullman, in the His Dark Materials fantasy novels for young
people—currently being made into a motion picture—presents God as the villain and Satan as the hero. Dan Brown in the
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mega-seller The Da Vinci Code draws on Gnostic writings and continues their tradition by making up history to create the
impression that Christ's real message was feminism and sexual liberation.
Gnosticism lets you be "spiritual"—as an inner mysticism—without worrying about objective truth or what you do with
your body. But, like Judas, it betrays Christ.
Copyright © 2006 WORLD Magazine April 29, 2006, Vol. 21, No. 17
DVD Part 4: Constantine and the Canon
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. Christians and pagans were “warring” so fiercely that the
conflict” threatened to rend Rome in two. Constantine decided
something had to be done. In 325 A.D., he decided to unify
Rome under a single religion. Christianity.” (DVC, 232)
B. “The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman
emperor Constantine…He was a lifelong pagan who was baptized
on his deathbed, too weak to protest.” (DVC, 231-232)
C. The Bible “evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never
had a definitive version of the book.”(DVC, 231)
“The Bible is a product of man…Not God.” (DVC, 231)
“The New Testament is based on fabrications…every faith is…based on fabrications…Jesus was
not born of a literal virgin birth…Those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories
are metaphorical. (DVC, 341-342)
D. 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.” (DVC, 234)
E. Some of the gospels Constantine tried to destroy “managed to survive. The Dead Sea Scrolls
were found in the 1950s… And, of course, the Coptic Scrolls in 1945 at Nag Hammadi.” (DVC,
234)
F. “More than 80 gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a few were
chosen.” (DVC, 231)
Truth Revealed
A. Constantine did not make Christianity the state religion. He did, however, grant Christians
freedom of worship in the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. (for the complete text, see below)
It was not until 381 under Theodosius’ reign, that Christianity was made the state’s religion.
B. Although Constantine’s life left much to be desired in terms of his exclusive faithfulness to
Christ, the vast majority of scholars (even non-Christian ones) accept the conversion of
Constantine to Christianity. He was baptized in 337 just days before he died. He waited until
his deathbed because of a belief that baptism washed away all previous sins and need to be done
just before death to ensure the forgiveness of all sins.
Constantine did not collate the canon; it was mostly established over 100 years before
Constantine. (more below)
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C. With the exception of John’s gospel (written circa 85 A.D.), the other three gospels were written
between 50-70 A.D. The early Christian Church immediately acknowledged the gospels of
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the cornerstone of the New Testament. Nearly 5600 Greek
manuscripts and manuscript fragments of the New Testament exist which give a very reliable
rendering of the originals. Even more, St. Peter addresses the “fabrication” claim in 2 Peter
1:16, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”
Dr. Rhodes writes:
While Dan Brown claims the Bible has evolved through countless translations, additions, and
revisions, he can only argue this way by ignoring well–established facts. First, while there
have been numerous translations of the Bible into a variety of languages, each such
translation utilizes the same basic set of Hebrew and Greek manuscript copies of the original
writings of the Bible. There are more than 5,000 partial and complete manuscript copies of
the New Testament. These manuscript copies are very ancient and they are available for
inspection now. Following are some highlights:
* The Chester Beatty papyrus (P45) dates to the 3rd century A.D., and contains the four Gospels and
the Book of Acts (chapters 4-17). (P = papyrus.)
* The Chester Beatty papyrus (P46) dates to about A.D. 200, and contains ten Pauline epistles (all but
the Pastorals) and the Book of Hebrews.
* The Chester Beatty papyrus (P47) dates to the 3rd century A.D., and contains Revelation 9:10-17:2.
* The Bodmer Papyrus (P66) dates to about A.D. 200, and contains the Gospel of John.
* The Bodmer Papyrus (P75) dates to the early 3rd century, and contains Luke and John.
* The Sinaiticus uncial manuscript dates to the 4th century, and contains the entire New Testament.
* The Vaticanus uncial manuscript dates to the 4th century, and contains most of the New Testament
except Hebrews 9:14ff the Pastoral Epistles, Philemon, and Revelation.
* The Washingtonianus uncial manuscript dates to the early 5th century, and contains the Gospels.
* The Alexandrinus uncial manuscript dates to the 5th century, and contains most of the New
Testament.
* The Ephraemi Rescriptus uncial manuscript dates to the 5th century, and contains portions of every
book except 2 Thessalonians and 2 John.
* The Bezae/Cantabrigiensis uncial manuscript dates to the 5th century, and contains the Gospels and
Acts.
* The Claromontanus uncial manuscript dates to the 6th century and contains the Pauline epistles and
Hebrews.
* The Itala version (versions were prepared for missionary purposes) dates to the 3rd century.
* The Vulgate version dates to the 4th century and later.
* The Syriac version dates to the 2nd to 6th centuries.
* The Coptic version dates to the 3rd and 4th centuries.
* The Armenian version dates to the 5th century.
* The Georgian version dates to the 5th century.
There are also some 86,000 quotations of the New Testament from the early church fathers
and several thousand Lectionaries (church–service books containing Scripture quotations
21
used in the early centuries of Christianity). In fact, there are enough quotations from the early
church fathers that even if we did not have a single manuscript copy of the Bible, scholars
could still reconstruct all but 11 verses of the entire New Testament from material written
within 150 to 200 years from the time of Christ. (http://www.jesusandDa Vinci.com/)
How does the manuscript evidence of the New Testament compare to other ancient documents?
Dr. Metzger explains,
Next to the New Testament, the greatest amount of manuscript testimony is of Homer’s Iliad, which
was the bible of the ancient Greeks. There are fewer than 650 Greek manuscripts of it today. Some
are quite fragmentary. They come down to us from the second and third century A.D. and following.
When you consider that Homer composed his epic about 800 B.C., you can see there’s a very lengthy
gap.” (quoted in Lee Strobel, Case For Christ, 78)
Other comparisons:
Tacitus the Roman historian who wrote Annals of Imperial Rome in circa 116 A.D.
o His first six books exist today in one manuscript which was copied in about 850
A.D.
o Books eleven through sixteen are in another manuscript from the eleventh
century.
o Books seven through ten are lost
Josephus the first century historian who wrote The Jewish War
o Nine copies exist from the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries.
o A Latin translation from the fourth century.
o Medieval Russian materials from the eleventh of twelfth century.
D. No evidence exists that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were embellished by Constantine or that
he commissioned such embellishment. What’s more, the Gospels speak often about Jesus’
human traits and characteristics. Christians believe Jesus is 100% human and 100% divine.
Constantine did order 50 copies of the already canonized Christian Bible made for use in the
churches throughout the cities of the Roman Empire. The New Testament books included in
these Bibles were the same 27 books that appear in our New Testaments today.
There is no evidence that earlier gospels even existed. Constantine did order the burning of
Arius’ writings. These, however, were writings from the 300s A.D. and they weren’t gospels.
E. The Dead Sea Scrolls do not contain any “gospels.”
Instead, they “are pre-Christian Jewish writings which
contain every Old Testament book (except Esther),
commentaries of the Old Testament, extra-biblical works,
secular documents, and business records. The Qumran
community, which wrote or preserved these scrolls, had
nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity.”
The Nag Hammadi collection, which consisted of 52 documents, does contain Gnostic gospels,
but they are not the earliest Christian records. The physical copies date from 250 to 350 A.D.
and the originals were composed in the mid 100s to the early 200s (over 100 years after Jesus).
Some titles in The Nag Hammadi are:
The Gospel of Thomas
The Gospel of Philip
These texts reject the Genesis
account of creation and the
Creator God is mocked as a
blind fool. He is called the
“Demiurge” or the “lesser
22
The Gospel of Truth
The Gospel of the Egyptians
The Apocalypse of Peter
The Apocalypse of Paul
The Letter of Peter to Philip
The Thunder, Perfect Mind
Testimony of Truth
Irenaeus1 addresses Gnostic writings:
“The Valentinians…boast they possess more Gospels than there really are. Indeed, they have arrived at such a
pith of audacity as to entitle their comparatively recent writing “The Gospel of Truth,” though it agrees in
nothing with the Gospels of the apostles, so that they have really no Gospel which is not full of blasphemy.”
(Irenaeus Against Heresy2 3.11.9)
F. How were writings evaluated?
In DVC, Dan Brown makes it sound as though there were a ‘drop off’ point where people
could submit gospels for consideration as part of the canon. This implies that there was a
panel of officials that would scrutinize these gospels and then decide which ones to include
and which to deny. In truth, these writings were never accepted as canonical, but were
immediately identified by the church as spurious and unaccepted. Any document which did
not agree with the ‘rule of faith’ (“a summary of the tenets held in common by the churches
of apostolic foundation.” was rejected (F.F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 150).
Irenaeus examined the Gnostic claims against genuine apostolic tradition and teaching,
which had been maintained in the churches the apostles had founded. Gnostic teachings and
writings were measured against those churches’ ‘rule of faith’ or ‘baptismal creed.’ (F.F.
Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 172) Those writings which did not agree were rejected.
Even more, Irenaeus asserted that the Holy Spirit had given the apostles perfect and full
knowledge of the Lord’s revelation; they did not receive secret knowledge known only to an
enlightened few. Those who sought to know the truth of salvation were to learn it from the
churches in which that truth had been deposited.
1
Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who had been a disciple of John the Apostle. Irenaeus was the chief
spokesman for the catholic response to Gnosticism in the second century. (F.F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 171)
2
Interestingly, Irenaeus’ chosen title, which today is known as Against Heresies, was An Exposure and Refutation of the
Knowledge (gnosis) that is Falsely so Called. (F.F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 171)
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The Process of Canonization
Canonization is the process of organizing the books/letters into
testaments and ultimately into the Bible itself. Literally translated,
a canon is a rule or measure. In the Christian context, canonization
refers to the process used to determine the list of divine writings that
fit the rule or measure established. Generally speaking, the process
of canonization in both the Old and New Testament eras involved the following rules and measures:
1. Authorship:
Is the book’s author known or unknown?
Is the author recognized as an authority? (authority precedes canonicity)
Since Jesus left nothing in writing, the most authoritative writings available to the
church were those which came from his apostles.
Apostolic authorship was not to be insisted upon if some form of apostolic
authority could be established.
Any work which was known to be pseudonymous (written under a false name)
was not accepted.
2. Affinity:
Is the content and theology of the writing consistent with other already
established Scripture or are they in conflict with one another?
Writings must meet the criterion of orthodoxy or apostolic faith. This was the
faith set forth in the undoubted apostolic writings and maintained in the
churches which had been founded by the apostles. (the “rule of faith”)
The most important question to ask about newly circulating and previously
unknown Gospels or Acts was: “What does it teach about the person and work
of Christ? Does it maintain the apostolic witness to him as the historical Jesus
of Nazareth, crucified and raised from the dead, and divinely exalted as Lord
over all?” This was the most important question because this was the
foundation of apostolic doctrine and Christian faith.
3. Attestation:
Is the authority of this Scripture attested to by the church as a whole?
Does the church accept the teachings of this book?
4. Antiquity:
Is the writing the work of an apostle or of someone closely associated with an
apostle and is it written in the apostolic age?
Writings of later dates, whatever their merit, could not be included among the
apostolic canonical books.
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Based on these rules and measures, writings are evaluated and then placed into the following three
categories:
1. Canonical (acknowledged authoritative and therefore inspired)
2. Edifying, but not canonical (i.e. the Apocrypha in the Roman Catholic Bible)
3. Excluded – includes the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Magdalene among
other Gnostic gospels
The Canon in history
The dates assigned to the individual New Testament books range from 55 A.D. to 85 A.D. Church
fathers were already quoting the words of Jesus by the end the first century and the beginning of the
second. This shows that collections of Christian writings, which were one day to be considered
canonical, were already taking shape.
Clement of Rome (circa 96 A.D.)
“…remembering the words of the Lord Jesus,
‘Be merciful, so that you may obtain mercy…”
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch (circa 110 A.D.)
Mentions the “gospel” and uses the phrase “it is written”
or “Scripture says” (presumably this means a gospel writing.)
Second Epistle of Clement (second century homily)
Gospel writings are referred to as “Scripture.”
“another Scripture says, ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Matthew
9:13)
Letter of Barnabas (precedes the Second Epistle of Clement)
Uses the phrase “as it is written” to introduce: “Many are called, but few are chosen”
– words found only in Matthew 22:14.
The fourfold Gospel was already being recognized by the middle of the second century.
Diatessaron (circa 165 A.D.)
This was introduced by Tatian (a student of Justin Martyr). Diatessaron is a musical
term meaning “harmony of four.” The four gospels were combined into a
continuous, integrated, and chronological narrative.
The Pauline letters were already circulating as a collection early in the second century. Peter even
references Paul’s letters in 2 Peter 3:15-18.
2 Peter 3:15-18
15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the
wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His
letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do
the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on
your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and
forever! Amen.
Marcion and Valentinus
In the early second century, the heretic Marcion revised an existing collection of New
Testament writings to form his own canon: “The Marcionite Canon.” The source list
25
Marcion revised is not extant, but it is clear he had one in mind. Due to his Gnostic
paradigm, Marcion rejected the entirety of the Old Testament and distinguished the God of
the Old Testament from the God of the New Testament. The God of Israel who created the
material universe was totally different from the Father of whom Jesus spoke. The God who
created the universe was viewed as a lesser god than the supreme God who was pure spirit
who revealed Jesus to mankind. In addition, Marcion removed anything in the New
Testament which connected Jesus to the Old Testament and anything that offended his
Gnostic beliefs.
A contemporary of Marcion, Valentinus (circa 135 – 160 A.D.) was a founder of a Gnostic
school who likewise manipulated Scripture for his own purposes. Some of Valentinus’
treatises are included in the Nag Hammadi documents.
Tertullian’s (circa 155 - 230 A.D.) comment in response to Marcion and Valentinus is very
enlightening:
“There are two ways, of nullifying the scriptures. One is Marcion’s way: he used the
knife to excise from the scriptures whatever did not conform with his own opinion.
Valentinus, on the other hand, seems to use the entire ‘instrumentum’ (which here
means the New Testament), but perverts its meaning by misinterpreting it.”
(Tertullian, Prescription, 38)
Tertullian was the first church father to employ the term “New Testament” in his
writings (circa 196 -222 A.D.)
Such evidence shows that as early as 140 – 250A.D. the New Testament Canon essentially existed as
we know it today. The New Testament canon was mostly established long before the Council of
Nicea in 325 A.D.
The first writer of which we are aware to list exactly the twenty-seven books which traditionally
make up the New Testament was Athanasius.
In Athanasius’ 39th festal letter, which announced the date of Easter in 367 A.D., he
expounded on the canon of Scripture and its limits:
Again, we must not hesitate to name the books of the New Testament. They are as follows:
Four gospels – according to Matthew, according to Mark, according to Luke, according to
John.
Then after these the Acts of the Apostles and the seven so-called catholic epistles of the
apostles, as follows: one of James, two of Peter, three of John, and these, one of Jude.
Next to these are fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul, written in order as follows: First to the
Romans, then two to the Corinthians, and after these to the Galatians and next to that to the Ephesians;
then to the Philippians; then to the Colossians and two to the Thessalonians and that to the Hebrews.
Next are two to Timothy, one to Titus, and last the one to Philemon.
Moreover, John’s Apocalypse.
These are the ‘springs of salvation,’ so that one who is thirsty may be satisfied with the
oracles which are in them. In these alone is the teaching of true religion proclaimed as good news. Let
no one add to these or take anything from them. For concerning these our Lord confounded the
Sadducees when he said, ‘You are wrong because you do not know the scriptures.’ And he reproved
the Jews, saying ‘You search the scriptures, because…it is they that bear witness to me.’
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The Edict of Milan
Constantine Augustus and Licinius Augustus
The persecution of Christians ended in 313 when Constantine of the West and Licinius of the East proclaimed the Edict of Milan,
which established a policy of religious freedom for all. This is an English translation of the edict.
When I, Constantine Augustus, as well as I, Licinius Augustus, fortunately met near Mediolanurn (Milan), and were considering
everything that pertained to the public welfare and security, we thought, among other things which we saw would be for the good
of many, those regulations pertaining to the reverence of the Divinity ought certainly to be made first, so that we might grant to
the Christians and others full authority to observe that religion which each preferred; whence any Divinity whatsoever in the seat
of the heavens may be propitious and kindly disposed to us and all who are placed under our rule. And thus by this wholesome
counsel and most upright provision we thought to arrange that no one whatsoever should be denied the opportunity to give his
heart to the observance of the Christian religion, of that religion which he should think best for himself, so that the Supreme
Deity, to whose worship we freely yield our hearts) may show in all things His usual favor and benevolence. Therefore, your
Worship should know that it has pleased us to remove all conditions whatsoever, which were in the rescripts formerly given to
you officially, concerning the Christians and now any one of these who wishes to observe Christian religion may do so freely and
openly, without molestation. We thought it fit to commend these things most fully to your care that you may know that we have
given to those Christians free and unrestricted opportunity of religious worship. When you see that this has been granted to them
by us, your Worship will know that we have also conceded to other religions the right of open and free observance of their
worship for the sake of the peace of our times, that each one may have the free opportunity to worship as he pleases; this
regulation is made we that we may not seem to detract from any dignity or any religion.
Moreover, in the case of the Christians especially we esteemed it best to order that if it happens anyone heretofore has bought
from our treasury from anyone whatsoever, those places where they were previously accustomed to assemble, concerning which a
certain decree had been made and a letter sent to you officially, the same shall be restored to the Christians without payment or
any claim of recompense and without any kind of fraud or deception, Those, moreover, who have obtained the same by gift, are
likewise to return them at once to the Christians. Besides, both those who have purchased and those who have secured them by
gift, are to appeal to the vicar if they seek any recompense from our bounty, that they may be cared for through our clemency. All
this property ought to be delivered at once to the community of the Christians through your intercession, and without delay. And
since these Christians are known to have possessed not only those places in which they were accustomed to assemble, but also
other property, namely the churches, belonging to them as a corporation and not as individuals, all these things which we have
included under the above law, you will order to be restored, without any hesitation or controversy at all, to these Christians, that is
to say to the corporations and their conventicles: providing, of course, that the above arrangements be followed so that those who
return the same without payment, as we have said, may hope for an indemnity from our bounty. In all these circumstances you
ought to tender your most efficacious intervention to the community of the Christians, that our command may be carried into
effect as quickly as possible, whereby, moreover, through our clemency, public order may be secured. Let this be done so that, as
we have said above, Divine favor towards us, which, under the most important circumstances we have already experienced, may,
for all time, preserve and prosper our successes together with the good of the state. Moreover, in order that the statement of this
decree of our good will may come to the notice of all, this rescript, published by your decree, shall be announced everywhere and
brought to the knowledge of all, so that the decree of this, our benevolence, cannot be concealed.
From Lactantius, De Mort. Pers., ch. 48. opera, ed. 0. F. Fritzsche, II, p 288 sq. (Bibl Patr. Ecc. Lat. XI).
Translated in University of Pennsylvania. Dept. of History: Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European
history, (Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Press [1897?-1907?]), Vol 4:, 1, pp. 28-30. This text is in the public domain.
27
The Apocrypha
(Gk. “hidden things”).
A. Term applied in patristic literature to esoteric or otherwise obscure writings and to books whose quthorship was
unknown (extended to mean “spurious”); gradually came to be identified with the books excluded by non-Hellenistic
Jews from their canon as “outside books.” Prot. scholars of the Reformation period narrowed the application of the term
to the uncanonical books in the Vulgate and called other outside books “pseudepigrapha” (Gk. “falsely ascribed”).
B. Old Testament.
a.
The Jews at an early date distinguished bet. canonical books for gen. use and others reserved (“hidden”) for the
wise(cf. F. Josephus, Contra Apionem, I 8; Antiquitates Judaicae, XI 1–vi; 2 Esd [not Neh, but 4 Esd of the
apocrypha in the old Vulgate, or The Ezra Apocalypse] 12: 37–38; 14:4–16, 42–47). The fall of Jerusalem 70
AD (see also Christian Church, History of the; Titus Flavius Sabinus Vespasianus) and increasing prominence
of Christian literature led non-Hellenistic Jews to exclude the outside books from their canon. But the
Hellenistic Jews preserved them in translations from which they passed into Christian usage and were gradually
assimilated at various places in the OT canon. Alleged NT quotations from the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha
have not been est. (e.g., Mt 23:34–35; Lk 11:49–51; 1 Co 2:9). But similarities are noticeable (e.g., cf. Heb
11:34–40 with 2 Mac 6:18–7:42; Ja 1:19 with Ecclus 5:13; 2 Ptr 2:4 and Jude 6 with Enoch 10:4–6; 19:1;
54:5; Jude 9 with Enoch 20:5; Jude 14–15 with Enoch 1:9; 5:4; 27:2; 60:8; 93:2 [cf. The Book of Jubilees 7:38–
39]; Jude 16 with The Assumption of Moses 5:5; 7:4, 7, 9). Early ch. fathers quote the apocrypha as
authoritative (e.g., Clement I, 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, chap LV, refers to “the blessed Judith”; cf. Epistle
of Barnabas, XIX 9, with Ecclus 4:36; cf. Polycarp, Epistle to the Philippians, X, with Tob 4:10 and 12:9).
Later fathers (e.g., Origen, Cyril of Jerusalem, and Jerome) did not accept them without reservation.
b.
A. R. B. v. Karlstadt* (De canonicis scripturis; 1520) separated the apocrypha from the canon, named a number
of them “holy writings” (following Jerome*: Wis, Ecclus, Jdth, Tob, 1 and 2 Mac) and pronounced the rest
deservedly subject to censorial strictures. The 1534 ed. of M. Luther's Bible (see Bible Versions, M) contains
the apocrypha (except 1 and 2 Esd, which are not included) after the OT canonical books and under the heading
“Apocrypha. These are books not regarded equal to Holy Scripture and yet useful and good to read.” In the
1611 ed. of the KJV (see Bible Versions, L 8, 10–11) the apocrypha were included as a separate section bet. the
OT and NT. Some copies of the KJV began to appear 1626 without apocrypha, and 19th-c. movements in Eng.
(1825 and 1850) led to their more gen. exclusion, beginning with an 1827 announcement by the BFBS and the
ABS. The apocrypha have reappeared in some Eng. Bibles (e.g., The Jerusalem Bible and some editions of The
New English Bible and of the RSV).
c.
The following are gen. included in the OT apocrypha: 1 Esd (sometimes called 3 Esd; compilation largely from
Ez); 2 Esd (sometimes called 4 Esd and sometimes grouped with pseudepigrapha; Esdras receives information
about future events from an angel); Additions to Est (Ap Est dream of Mordecai, edict of Artaxerxes, etc.);
Song of the Three Children (sung by Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah after their deliverance; see also
Canticles), including the Prayer of Azariah; Sus (a pious woman freed from an adultery charge by Daniel); Bel
(Daniel shows the falseness of 2 idols); Man (cf. 2 Ch 33:18–19); 1 Bar and L Jer (Epistle of Jer; hist. and
exhortations from Babylonian Captivity period); Tob (Jew and Jewess aided by Raphael during the Assyrian
Captivity); Jdth (a pious Jewess slays Holofernes and frees besieged “Bethulia”); 1 Mac (Jewish struggles for
freedom under the Hasmonean brothers' leadership); 2 Mac; Ecclus, or (Wisdom of Jesus the Son of) Sirach
(practical philos.); Wis(dom of Solomon) (discussion of God-centered wisdom). The Song of the Three
Children, the Prayer of Azariah, the History of Susanna, and Bel are sometimes collectively called Additions to
Daniel. 3 Mac is sometimes included in the apocrypha, sometimes in the pseudepigrapha.
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d.
The Council of Trent* in 1546 affirmed the canonicity of the 14 writings gen. regarded as apocryphal, except 1
and 2 Esd (called 3 and 4 Esd when Ez and Neh are called 1 and 2 Esd) and the Prayer of Manasseh. Catholics
call the apocrypha “deuterocanonical” and the Pseudepigrapha “apocrypha.” The latter (pseudepigrapha, Cath.
“apocrypha”) include 3 and 4 Mac (but sometimes 3 Mac is included in the Prot. apocrypha); Ps of Sol; The
Sibylline Oracles; 1 and 2 Enoch; The Assumption of Moses; 2 Bar (or the Syriac Apocalypse of Bar) and are
Gospel According to the Egyptians (perhaps ca. 130/150; ascetic); Gospel According to the Hebrews (2d c.,
perhaps as early as 100/125; some think it may be a source, or the source, of the Logia [“Sayings of Jesus,”
perhaps 3d c.] found beginning 1897 at Oxyrhynchus, a 4th-c. center of Christian culture ca. 10 mi. W of the
Nile, near modern Behnesa); Diatessaron*; Gospel of Peter (perhaps written in Syria ca. 150; Docetic); Gospel
of Thomas (the lost Gk. original perhaps came from Gnostic sources ca. 150; later copies are probably
abbreviations or condensations; found in Upper Egypt in a Coptic version 1945–46; Gospel (or Traditions) of
Matthias (lost; mentioned by Origen* [Hom. 1 on Lk] and other early Christian writers; perhaps quoted by
Clement* of Alexandria [e.g., Strom. II ix 45]); Gospel of, or According to, the Ebionites* (mentioned by
Epiphanius*; perhaps essentially the same as the Gospel According to the Hebrews; sometimes confused with
the Gospel of the Nazarenes [an Aramaic Targum of the canonical Gospel of Matthew, current in the 2d c. in
Aramaic-speaking N Syria]); Gospel, or Protevangelium, of James the Less (men- 3 Bar (or the Gk. Apocalypse
of Bar); The Book of Jubilees*; The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; The Books of Adam and Eve; The
Martyrdom of Isaiah; The Testament of Abraham; The Testament of Job; 4 Esd (sometimes classified with
apocrypha).
C. New Testament.
a.
Here the terms “apocrypha” and “pseudepigrapha” are usually used interchangeably for all noncanonical
writings that laid claim on canonical authority or were regarded by some as canonical. Some were written in the
name of a famed believer of the past in order to borrow his authority to secure the acceptance of the content of
the document. Others were frankly written to disseminate false doctrines. The New York apocrypha may be
divided into 4 main groups (Gospels, Acts, Epistles, Apocalyptic) besides Gnostic writings and related subjects.
b.
The Gospels were usually written to cover lacunae in the life of Christ and to advance private doctrines. They
contain pure fiction, development of Godpel statements, words of Jesus tr. into action, traditions, parallels to
OT miracles, literal fulfillment of prophecies. The most importanttioned first by Origen; principal source of the
Feast of the Presentation; condemned as noncanonical in Decretum* Gelasianum). Lesser Gospels include
those of Pseudo-Matthew (rescript of Gospel of James and Gospel of Thomas; used by Roswitha*), Arabic
Gospel of the Infancy (probably of Syrian origin), of Basilides (mentioned by Origen et al.), of Judas Iscariot,
of Truth, of Philip, of Nicodemus (Actus of Pilate), of Andrew, of Barnabas, of Bartholomew (the last 3
condemned in the Decretum Gelasianum).
c.
The apocryphal Acts were evidently used extensively for the propagation of false views. They include Acts of
Paul (2d half of the 2d c.; includes what was formerly known separately as Acts of Paul and Thekla Acts of
John (probably 2d or early 3d c.; Docetic [see Docetism]); Acts of Peter probably 2d half of the 2d c. or early
3d c.); Acts of Thomas (perhaps composed in Syria, possibly Edessa, 3d c., by disciples of Bardesanes [see
Gnosticism, 7 h]; Gnostic; ascetic); Acts of Andrew (probably 3d c.; Encratite [see Encratism]).
d.
Apocryphal Epistles include Epistle* of the Apostles; letters from the Virgin Mary to Ignatius* of Antioch; two
letters of Peter to James; Apocryphal Epistle of James; Epistles of Paul and Seneca; correspondence bet. Abgar
of Edessa (see Abgar, Letters of) and Christ.
e.
NT apocryphal apocalyptic* literature includes Apocalypse of Peter (ca. 2d quarter of the 2d c.; regarded
canonical by Clement* of Alexandria and the Muratorian* Fragment [with doubts]); Sibylline Oracles (see
Sibylline Books and Oracles); Apocalypse of Paul (cf. 2 Co 12:2, 4); Apocalypse of Mary; Apocalypse of
Thomas. See also Clementines, 1.
f.
Gnostic writings include treatises found at Chenoboskion in the 1940s (see Gnosticism, 8).
g.
Related subjects include Agrapha,* Apostolic* Constitutions and Canons, Cerinthus (see Gnosticism, 7 b), and
Pistis Sophia (a group of works; probably ca. 250/300; Gnostic). EL HTM
See also Alms; Canon, Bible, 2; Roman Catholic Confessions, A 1.
The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha: The Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Revised Standard Version, ed. B. M.
Metzger (New York, 1965); The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, ed. R. H.
29
Charles, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1913); E. Hennecke, New Testament Apocrypha, ed. W. Schneemelcher, 2 vols.
(Tübingen, 1959, 1964), Eng. tr. ed. R. M. Wilson (Philadelphia, 1963, 1965); B. M. Metzger, An Introduction
to the Apocrypha (New York, 1957).
DVD Part 5: The Real Mary Magdalene
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. “One particularly troubling theme kept recurring in
the [Gnostic] gospels. Mary Magdalene…More specifically,
her marriage to Jesus Christ.” (DVC, 244)
“I shan’t bore you with the countless references to Jesus and
Magdalene’s union. That has been explored ad nauseam by
modern historians…Magdalene was recast as a whore in
order to erase evidence of her powerful family ties.” (DVC, 247, 249)
B. Jesus being married makes “infinitely more sense than our standard biblical view of Jesus”
because “the social decorum during that time virtually forbid a Jewish man to be unmarried.”
(DVC, 245)
C. The Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) reveals that Mary was given instructions by Jesus on “how to
carry on His Church…As a result, Peter expresses his discontent over playing second fiddle to a
woman.” According to the “unaltered” Gospel of Mary and Gospel of Philip, “it was not Peter to
whom Christ gave directions with which to establish the Christian Church. It was Mary
Magdalene.” (DVC, 247-248)
Truth Revealed
A. Not one of the Gnostic gospels in the Nag Hammadi library (the Gospel of Truth, the Gospel of
Thomas, the Gospel of Philip) references Jesus’ marriage to
Mary Magdalene – not even the Gospel of Mary.
In 1 Corinthians 9:5 St. Paul defended his right to have a wife
(a right he never exercised), “Don't we have the right to take a
believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the
Lord's brothers and Cephas (Peter)?” If Jesus had married Mary
Magdalene, Paul certainly would have mentioned it as support
for his right to marry.
Even more, Scripture teaches that Jesus is married to the Church.
In Ephesians 5:21-33, St. Paul speaks about the sacredness of
marriage between a man and a woman and then concludes by
saying, “This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about
Mary Magdalene by Pietro Perugino
Christ and the church” (verse 32). And Revelation 19:7-9 says,
“7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and
his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine
linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are
30
those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true
words of God.” Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus wasn’t married to Mary Magdalene, but is
married to the Church and will consummate the marriage when He returns on the last day.
Mary Magdalene was mistakenly identified by Pope Gregory I (540-604) as the “the woman who
was a sinner” in Luke 7:37. This, however, was a false identification not an attempt to recast her
“as a whore.”
B. During Old Testament times the expectations to marry were higher. During New Testament
times, however, these expectations had changed. John the Baptism was unmarried and St. Paul
even encourages people to remain unmarried as he was unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:8).
C. Only three small fragments of the Gospel Mary exist: two very short fragments copies circa the
third century in Greek and one slightly longer fragment copied in the fifth century in Coptic.
The DVC references part from the Greek and part from the Coptic. They,
however, say nothing about Mary being chosen to take over the Church. Nor
do they reveal that Mary was Jesus’ spouse. The fragments say:
a. Jesus loved Mary “more than the rest of women” and “more than”
the other apostles
b. Jesus shared certain truths he did not share with his other disciples.
Mary Magdalene by Benson
“The actual Gospel of Mary message that Jesus allegedly imparted – which Brown omits from
the Code – has nothing to do with church leadership. It is about metaphysical “powers” and the
forms they take to conquer the soul – such as ignorance and wrath. Moreover, Peter does not
express irritation over his leadership role, or lack thereof. In the Gnostic text, he challenges
Magdalene’s claims because, as another apostle says, “these teachings are strange ideas.”
“As for the Gospel of Philip, it also says nothing about Jesus ordaining Mary Magdalene to take
over for him. The text is primarily about “the meaning and value of sacraments” within the
Gnostic paradigm. Ironically, if this text does anything, it cuts out the very heart of any assertion
about Mary and Jesus being wed. It does so by adhering to one of the
basic tenets of ancient Gnosticism, which declares that all physical
matter was inherently evil. Consequently, sexual relations were
intrinsically debasing!”
The Gospel of Philip goes so far as to say that marital relations defile
a woman. (Albanes, The Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code, 40-41)
Scripture on Mary Magdalene
Luke 8:1-3
1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming
Bernardo Luini (A student of Leonardo)
the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some
women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come
out; 3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were
helping to support them out of their own means.
Matthew 27:54-56 (also see Mark 15:40 and John 19:25)
54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they
were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance.
They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
31
Matthew 27:59-61 (also see Mark 15:47)
59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of
the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
Matthew 28:1-10 (also see Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, and John 20:1-18)
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to
look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven
and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his
clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead
men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who
was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7
Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into
Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb,
afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said.
They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.
Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.
Mary Magdalene by Cosimo
According to Scripture:
Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, but she was formerly demon-possessed.
She was not the sinful woman in Luke 7:37.
There is NO evidence Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus (not even in the Gnostic
Gospels).
Jesus did not leave the Church in the hands of Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene supported Jesus’ ministry, she was at the cross during Jesus’
crucifixion, she was at his tomb on Easter morning, and she saw an angel and Jesus
on Easter morning.
The Gnostic Gospels and Mary
From The Dialogue of the Savior (Gnostic Text):
Mary said, "Thus with respect to 'the wickedness of each day,' and 'the laborer is worthy of his food,' and 'the
disciple resembles his teacher.'" She uttered this as a woman who had understood completely. Mary said,
"There is but one saying I will speak to the Lord concerning the mystery of truth: In this have we taken our
stand, and to the cosmic are we transparent." Mary said, "Of what sort is that mustard seed? Is it something
from heaven or is it something from earth?" The Lord said, "When the Father established the cosmos for
himself, he left much over from the Mother of the All. Therefore, he speaks and he acts."
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene:
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that the Savior loved you more than other women. Tell us the words of
the Savior which you have in mind since you know them; and we do not, nor have we heard of them." Mary
answered and said, "What is hidden from you I will impart to you." And she began to say the following words
to them. "I," she said, "I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, 'Lord, I saw you today in a vision.' He
answered and said to me, 'Blessed are you, since you did not waver at the sight of me. For where the mind is,
there is your countenance' [Matt. 6:21]. I said to him, 'Lord, the mind which sees the vision, does it see it
through the soul or through the spirit?' The Savior answered and said, 'It sees neither through the soul nor
through the spirit, but the mind, which is between the two, which sees the vision, and it is...'"
The Gospel of Thomas (believed by some a later addition):
Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide
her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who
makes herself male will enter the kingdom of Heaven."
The Gospel according to Philip:
32
There were three who always walked with the Lord: Mary, his mother, and her sister, and Magdalene, the one
who was called his companion. His sister and his mother and his companion were each a Mary. As for the
Wisdom who is called "the barren," she is the mother of the angels. And the companion of the [Lord] Mary
Magdalene. [Jesus] loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on the… The rest of the
disciples [...]. They said to him "Why do you love her more than all of us?" The Savior answered and said to
them, "Why do I not love you like her? When a blind man and one who sees are both together in darkness, they
are no different from one another. When the light comes, then he who sees will see the light, and he who is
blind will remain in darkness." The Lord said, "Blessed is he who is before he came into being. For he who is,
has been and shall be."
Dr. Rhodes comments on the Gospel of Philip
Now, Brown's novel claims that a key evidence for Jesus getting married is found in the
Gnostic Gospel of Philip. This document, Brown claims, indicates that Mary Magdalene was
the companion of Jesus, and Brown says that in the Aramaic, "companion" means "spouse."
Hence, Jesus must have been married. Further, Brown notes that this document indicates that
Jesus often kissed Mary Magdalene on the mouth.
There are several points to make in response to this. First, the Gospel of Philip nowhere states
that Jesus was married. Further, the document dates to about A.D. 275, several hundred years
after the canonical gospels. Therefore, it can hardly be considered a reliable source for
information about Jesus. Moreover, this gospel was written not in Aramaic, as Brown claims,
but in Greek. Still further, the manuscript for the Gospel of Philip is not whole. In fact, the
document says that "Jesus kissed her often on the ..." and then the manuscript is broken at
that point. Brown and others have assumed the missing word must be "mouth," but it could
just as easily be "head" or "cheek" or even "hand." There is nothing in the context that
demands that Jesus kissed Mary on the mouth. Finally, the Gospel of Philip portrays the
disciples of Jesus criticizing Mary because Jesus is said to love her more than all the
disciples. However, one must assume that if Jesus was really married, no disciple would
criticize Mary. The Gospel of Philip thus provides no hard proof that Jesus was married. Nor
do any other "gospels" discovered from the second century and after add support to the claim.
(http://www.jesusandDa Vinci.com/)
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DVD Part 6: Art, Symbolism, and Architecture in The Da Vinci Code
The Last Supper
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. The perspective is centered in the letter “M.” This hidden
symbol indicates the Mary Magdalene is the primary subject
of the painting.
a. The figures of Mary and Jesus make a “flawlessly
formed letter M” (DVC, 245)
B. The figure to Jesus’ right is Mary Magdalene, not the
Apostle John.
a. Magdalene is pictured to the right of Jesus. She has
“flowing red hair, delicate folded hands, and the hint
of a bosom…[It is] without a doubt…female” (DVC, 243)
C. The 90-degree angle between Jesus and “Mary” represents the letter “V.” This is the
archetypal symbol for the female womb and sexuality.
D. The absence of a central chalice indicates that the real chalice is Mary Magdalene.
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E. Peter’s menacing hand slicing through the air reinforces the church’s rivalry with the
“Sacred Feminine.”
a. Peter is “leaning menacingly” toward Magdalene and “slicing his blade-like
hand across her neck.” (DVC, 248)
Truth Revealed
A. The perspective of the painting is not centered on an imaginary “M.” Instead, Da Vinci
forms four triangular groupings that in turn help emphasize the central figure of the
painting: Jesus. The four groups are Peter, Judas Iscariot, and John, Bartholomew, James
son of Alphaeus, and Andrew, Philip, James son of Zebedee, and Thomas, and Matthew,
Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot.
B. The figure to the right of Jesus is the Apostle John. “John’s appearance reflects the way
Florentine artists traditionally depicted Jesus’ favorite disciple: ‘St. John was invariably
represented as a beautiful young man whose special affinity with Jesus was expressed by
his being seated at Jesus’ right.” (Abanes, The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code, 72)
If John were absent the question of John’s absence would become paramount.
C. The “V” between Jesus and “Mary” (who is really John) may symbolize veritas (Latin
for truth) or it could represent the chasm of sin that separates sin that separates Christ
from Judas. It may mean nothing at all.
D. The absence of a primary chalice is intentional. It is the result of the primary subject of
the painting: the announcement of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.
E. Peter’s hand does not represent a menacing pose; it is raised to touch the figure to the
right of Jesus (who Brown calls Mary) on the shoulder. He is leaning in to speak to
“Mary” or John without Judas hearing him. John is leaning his head toward Peter as if to
hear Peter’s whisper.
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“The Madonna of the Rocks” or “The Virgin of the Rocks”
The Madonna of the Rocks was commissioned by the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception for the
Church of San Francesco Grande in Milan in 1483. Da Vinci was one of several artists commissioned by
the nuns for works of art. As late as 1491 these artists were still arguing over payment; the artists wanted
more money. Finally, they called for official arbitration to judge the monetary value of the masterpieces.
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. “Da Vinci's original commission for his famous Madonna of the Rocks came from an
organization known as the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, which needed a painting
for the centerpiece of an altar triptych in their church of San Francesco Grand in Milan. The nuns
gave Leonardo specific dimensions and a desired theme—the Virgin Mary, baby John The
Baptist, Uriel, and Baby Jesus sheltering in a cave. Although Da Vinci did as they requested,
when he delivered the work, the group reacted with horror. The painting contained several
disturbing "un-Christian" anomalies, which seemed to convey a hidden message and alternative
meaning. Da Vinci eventually mollified the confraternity by painting them a second version of
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Madonna of the Rocks, which now hangs in London's National Gallery under the name Virgin of
the Rocks. Da Vinci's original hangs at the Louvre in Paris.” (www.danbrown.com)
B. “The painting showed a blue-robed Virgin Mary sitting with her arm around an infant child,
presumably baby Jesus. Opposite Mary sits Uriel, also with an infant, presumably John the
Baptist. Oddly, though, rather than the usual Jesus-blessing-John scenario, it was baby John who
was blessing Jesus…Jesus was submitting to his authority! More trouble still, Mary was holding
one hand high above the head of the infant John making a decidedly threatening gesture – her
fingers look like eagle’s talons gripping an invisible head: Just below Mary’s curled fingers,
Uriel was making a cutting gesture with his hand – as if slicing the neck of the invisible head
gripped by Mary’s claw-like hand.” The original was later modified so that “everyone was
arranged in a more orthodox manner.” (DVC, 138-139)
Truth Revealed
A. It is only a theory that Virgin of the Rocks was rejected by the nuns. It is quite possible that the
painting was never actually delivered. Due to the length of arbitration (which took some 15
years) the group artists, of which Leonardo was a part, sold their original paintings.
If the nuns rejected the painting it was because it did not meet their highly detailed instructions.
The painting was supposed to include two prophets. Mary was supposed to have been dressed in
gold, blue, and green, and God the Father was supposed to be floating overhead, while Jesus was
to have been seated on a golden platform.
B. Virgin of the Rocks contains several strange elements, which Leonardo never explained. They
may simply be attributed to Leonardo’s irritation with the nun’s excessively detailed request.
Presuming to know with certainty what he intended is neither possible nor advisable. Another
possible interpretation is this: John the Baptist, who is at Mary’s right side (Dan Brown got it
wrong), is begging a blessing from Jesus, who gives it. Mary’s hand is suspended above Jesus as
a sign of Jesus’ divinity. Uriel is pointing towards John, signifying that John is the greatest
prophet.
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The Mona Lisa
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. The Mona Lisa “is neither male nor female. It carries a subtle message of androgyny. It is a
fusing of both” – and may actually have been a self portrait of Leonardo as a woman!
“Computerized analysis of the Mona Lisa and Da Vinci’s self portraits confirms some startling
points of contingency in their faces.” (DVC, 120)
B. The name Mona Lisa comes from the names of two Egyptian deities: the god Amon, and the
goddess Isis, whose “ancient pictogram was once called L’ISA.” Mona Lisa “is an anagram of
the divine union of male and female.” (DVC, 121)
Truth Revealed
A. The woman in the Mona Lisa is a woman. Her identity cannot be conclusively proved, but she is
believed to be Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Other
proposed women are: Costanza d’Avalos, Isabella d’Este, and Giuliano de’Medici.
There is only one uncontested self-portrait of Leonardo (pictured above). It was sketched about
1512. X-rays of the Mona Lisa have revealed only that the original form of her face was more
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oval and less spherical and the eye cavities were more deeply shaded. There is no trace of a
smile.
B. To begin, Leonardo did not even name the Mona Lisa; he never titled any of his works. The first
person to call the painting Mona Lisa was Giorgio Vasari in his 1550 book Lives of the Artists.
And he called it the Monna Lisa, which was shortened to Mona Lisa in English. In Italian,
“Monna” is a contraction of “Madonna” – that is, “Madame.” The name simply means Madame
Lisa. (Abanes, The Truth Behind The Da Vinci Code, 67-68)
Other Symbols in The Da Vinci Code
The Chalice or Holy Grail
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. Although the term for Holy Grail has usually
been written San Greal (from Old French),
‘in its most ancient form” it was divided as
“Sang Real…Royal Blood” (DVC, 250)
Truth Revealed
A. The earliest reference to Holy Grail is simply Graal (a type of serving dish). The latter
form originated in the Middle Ages (1400s to 1500s), when Christians began
promulgating the idea that the Grail (the cup used by Jesus’ in the Last Supper) had been
used by Joseph of Arimathea at the crucifixion to catch the “holy blood” of Jesus.
The symbols for female and “chalice”
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. The icons for male ♂ (and the planet Mars) and female ♀ (and the planet Venus) “are not
the original symbols for male and female.” (DVC, 237). The original symbols were
and
. The latter sign is a chalice (or cup), and as such, refers to the Grail – that is,
Mary Magdalene.
B. The Holy Grail, or chalice, is a metaphor for Magdalene (DVC, 162, 244). In fact, the
ancient female symbol
is called a chalice – and this “chalice” symbol, because it
resembles the shape of a woman’s womb, conveys “femininity, womanhood, and fertility
(DVC, 238). The description of the Holy Grail as a chalice was “actually and allegory”
used to protect the identity of Mary Magdalene – who was the true Holy Grail (DVC,
238). She was the “Holy Vessel” trusted to bear the royal bloodline of Christ (DVC,
249)
Truth Revealed
A. There was no “original” female sign and the signs that have been used throughout history
do not match The Da Vinci Code’s.
B. The sign
is not called a chalice; it is a chevron. “Chalice” is a Middle English word
meaning “cup.” It was not used to refer to any ancient symbol for a female or a womb.
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The Pentacle
Claims in The Da Vinci Code
A. “The pentacle is a pre-Christian symbol that relates to nature and worship. The ancients
envisioned their world in two halves – masculine and feminine. The pentacle is
representative of the female half of all things – a concept religious historians call the
“Sacred Feminine” or divine goddess… In its most specific interpretation, the pentacle
symbolizes Venus – the goddess of female sexual love and beauty. (DVC, 36)
Truth Revealed
A. The pentagram has no specific interpretation. It has been used by various groups to
symbolize different things throughout the centuries. The only historical certainty is from
3000 to 2500 B.C. where it represented Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Venus all
together – not Venus alone. Venus was the goddess of sex, fertility, and love, but this
has little to do with the pentagram or pentacle as a whole.
Today neopagans use the pentagram to symbolize Earth, not Venus.
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