Bible, Theology & Philosophy

^{PERTINENT LINK: Video of Kessler’s speech on kare11.com}

Some people in the body of Christ, at least in their own minds, seem to have the gift of confrontation. These are the folks most other Christians try to dodge. However, sometimes they sneak up on one of their brothers or sisters and utter those dreaded works.

Not often do archeological discoveries and the publication of ancient manuscripts make headline news, but this is one of those times. The Gospel of Judas is the celebrity document, one of four ancient texts that were included in Codex Tchacos. The discovery and publication of this gospel has been hailed as a major breakthrough in the study of early Christianity. Special excitement has been generated because the Gospel of Judas depicts Judas Iscariot as a hero rather than a traitor.

Two Views on the Depravity of Man

Our views of election, predestination, and the sovereignty of God in salvation in many ways develop from our beliefs of the depravity of man. What we believe about the true nature of unsaved man ends up shaping much of our other views in soteriology. Even our notions regarding the love and justice of God in election hinge on what we believe an unconverted person is capable (or not capable) of doing.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good mystery story, especially when it has a pinch of intrigue and a dash of conspiracy? If The Da Vinci Code were nothing but a story, Christians would find little to dispute. We might not like Dan Brown’s depiction of Jesus, but if it were presented as mere fiction, we would most likely remain silent about the offense.

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Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, assumes that Jesus was married. He also assumes that a married Jesus is incompatible with a biblical view of Christ. We have seen that no credible evidence exists to show that Jesus ever married. We have also seen that the Jesus of the Bible could have married if He had wished. Brown’s case is so thin that it has to be measured in angstroms.

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The real core of The Da Vinci Code is the notion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had children together. According to author Dan Brown, this notion is so shocking that Christianity since Constantine has carefully suppressed the evidence that proves it. He seems convinced that the whole Christian faith would collapse if Jesus had a wedding.

The early Christian community had to invent an entirely new vocabulary. In order to develop new terminology, the followers of Jesus took old words and invested them with new, technical meanings. The word for shepherd became the title of a church office (pastor), as did the word for old man (elder) and a word for servant (deacon). The word for the evening meal became the name of a Christian ritual (the supper). Christians actually used the general term for an assembly to designate the church itself.