“Da Vinci Code: Seek The Truth”
“Do The Winners Write History? Evidence For The Reliability of Scripture”
Introduction:
1. Why talk about it? Let me answer that with Dan Brown’s own words on the FAQ on his web page as of 5-16-06. He says, “I wrote this story in an effort to explore certain aspects of Christian history that interest me.” “My hope in writing this novel was that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion, and history.” “My hope for the Da Vinci Code was, in addition to entertaining people, that it might serve as an open door for readers to begin their own explorations and rekindle their interest in topics of faith.”
2. A Synopsis of the Book: The book is a mystery and is real page-turner. The story involves the quest for a great secret that is called the greatest cover-up of all time. It involves the Holy Grail, which is purported to be the person of Mary Magdalene. This secret is kept by a secret society know as the Priory of Sion, the leaders of which are murdered at the beginning of the book. The rest of the book is a race to uncover the clues and solve the mystery.
3. Why debate a fictional book in church? A lot of people have asked this question, and I have wrestled with it myself, but I believe there are compelling reasons to interact with this book. They include:
A. Its influence: The book has sold over 40 million copies with an estimated readership of 100 million. There is no telling how many people will see the movie. A Barna poll indicated that 52% of Americans who had read the book indicated that it had provided some “wonderful spiritual insights” for them. Another poll indicated that 30% of Canadians who had read the book believed the idea that Jesus married Mary Magdalene.
B. The subtlety of deception: The book is more dangerously deceptive because it is written in entertaining fiction. Therefore, it has gained much more of a hearing than scholarly, academic books that present the same ideas. Historian Paul Maier puts it this way, “Now, this is his [Brown’s] method. He will offer a little truth-maybe 15 to 20 percent-and the rest is falsehood. But people will think that it’s all true because they know that part of it is true.”
C. The book’s claims of being factual. The Fact Page that begins the book claims, in part, that “all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” In an interview on ABC Good Morning America on November 3, 2003, host Charlie Gibson said to Brown, “This is a novel. If you were writing it as a non-fiction book, how would it have been different?” Brown responded, “I don’t think it would have.”
D. Brown’s statements that indicate that he is attempting to get across a point. In that same interview, Brown said, “I began as a skeptic. As I started researching the Da Vinci Code, I really thought that I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and the Holy Blood and all that. I became a believer.” Also, in the FAQ on his web site, the following question is asked. “What do you think of clerical scholars attempting to ‘disprove’ the Da Vinci Code?” Brown answers, “The dialogue is wonderful. These authors and I obviously disagree….” Now, I may be wrong, but it seems like the logical answer if you believe this is only fiction would be to say, “It is totally ridiculous for them to try to disprove fiction.” However, when you disagree with people who are interacting with something on a factual basis, the obvious implication is that you believe your facts are correct.
E. Some of the issues raised by the book are common outside of this book. People ask some of these questions anyway.
F. My responsibility as a pastor: (Read Jude 3-4, 1 Timothy 1:3-4, 2 Timothy 2:15, 23-26, 4:1-4)
G. The issue of truth: We are going to believe something, but the issue is the credibility and reliability of what we are trusting in (worldview issue).
H. An opportunity for dialogue: 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
4. The 1st two messages will deal with the origins and reliability of Scripture. These are definitely commonly asked questions. We will use the book as a springboard, but we will not focus on it as we try to answer these questions. Both Dan Brown on his website and one of the characters in the book say that “history is always written by the winners.” Was the Bible rewritten by the winners or was it inspired by God and recorded and preserved accurately? That is what this boils down to.
5. Brown’s Doctrine of Scripture: (All of the following are direct quotes from The Da Vinci Code)
“Many have made a trade of delusions and false miracles, deceiving the stupid multitude.”
“The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.”
“More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them. The Bible as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great.”
“The twist is this,” “Because Constantine upgraded Jesus’ status almost four centuries after Jesus’ death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite the history books, Constantine knew he would need a bold stroke. From this sprang the most profound moment in Christian history. 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. Anyone how chose the forbidden gospels over Constantine’s version was deemed a heretic.”
“Fortunately for historians,” Teabing said, “Some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate managed to survive. THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS were found in the 1950’s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert. And, of course, the Coptic Scrolls in 1945 at Nag Hammadi. In addition to telling the true Grail story, these documents speak of Christ’s ministry in very human terms. Of course, the Vatican, in keeping with their tradition of miss information, tried very hard to suppress the release of these scrolls. And why wouldn’t they? The scrolls highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications, clearly confirming the modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda-to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base.”
“Meaning that history is always written by the winners.”
6. Historical Christian Doctrine of Scripture Here are some examples:
Ireneaus-“Being most properly assured that the Scriptures are indeed perfect, since they were spoken by the Word of God and His Spirit.”
Augustine-“I have learned to yield this respect and honor only to the canonical books of Scripture: of these alone I do most firmly believe that the authors were completely free from error.”
John Calvin-“the certain and unerring rule”
Martin Luther-“When the Bible speaks, God speaks.”
Baptist Faith and Message-“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.”
7. Overview-Questions To Be Answered:
What does it mean that God inspired the Bible and how did He do it?
How do we know what the Bible originally said? Was it corrupted or changed over the years?
How was the canon of Scripture determined?
What evidence is there that the Bible is reliable and trustworthy? Can we know if it is truly the Word of God?
8. As a foundation, let’s go through the following chart.
9. Here is a glossary of terms for you.
Revelation-an unveiling; God making known that which is unknowable otherwise
Inspiration-“The act of God through His Spirit by which He superintended/controlled the human authors of the 66 books of the Bible so that using their own individual personalities they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original.”
Inerrancy-The quality of being free from all falsehood or mistake which guarantees that the Bible is totally true and trustworthy in everything it asserts.
Canon-literally means rule or standard; refers to “the list of books which are accepted by the Church as conforming to the standard of divine inspiration and authority and, therefore, as forming a ‘rule’ of faith and practice for every believer” (Patterson)
Original Autographs-These were the first manuscripts that were actually penned by the authors of Scripture. There were many copies made of these manuscripts and now they are translated into multiple languages.
Translation-The originals of the Bible are in Greek and Hebrew so they must be translated into the language that a particular group of people speaks so that it can be read and understood.
Interpretation-accurately reading out the God-intended meaning of Scripture
I. What does it mean that God inspired the Bible and how did He do it? 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 say, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God led the writers of Scripture through His Holy Spirit. The evangelical theory of biblical inspiration is verbal plenary, which means all the words are inspired by God.
Theories of Inspiration
A. Natural: The Bible is not supernatural. It is simply an inspiring piece of literature.
B. Illumination: The Bible is Spirit-inspired writing just like any other.
C. Dynamic: The Bible grew out of the experience of the people of faith with their God. John Tullock defines it by saying, “Inspiration is man’s reaction to God’s making Himself know to man.” It contains the Word of God and is without error and true in the areas of doctrine and salvation. It may be in error in areas of science, history, etc.
D. Neoorthodox-The Bible is inspired but not without error due to the human element. It is not the Word of God but becomes the Word of God in existential encounter.
E. Mechanical Dictation-Writers were passive instruments in the hands of God like a typewriter to a typist.
G. Verbal Plenary-God superintended the human authors so that in their own words via their individual personalities the Scriptures are inspired fully, to the very words, and are without error in all that they affirm.
II. How do we know what the Bible originally said? Has it been changed or corrupted over the years?
We don’t have the original documents of scripture. They are called the autographs. In other words, we do not have the first documents that the actual writers actually penned. Those have passed out of existence over the years. So, here is how the argument goes. A lot of people say that we can’t believe the Bible because we do not know what Scripture really says because we don’t have the originals and the copies were changed over the years. But is that true? It is absolutely not true, and here is the proof.
Let’s talk about the Old Testament for a minute. The Jews had a great reverence for the Word of God. This is the process that the scribes went through as they copied the different parts of the Scripture. First, a synagogue roll must be written on the skins of clean animals, prepared for particular use in the synagogue by a Jew. They had to be fastened together with strings taken from clean animals. Every skin must contain a certain number of columns, equal throughout the entire codex. The length of each column must not extend over less than 48 or more than 60 lines and the breadth must consist of 30 letters. How did they know that? They put all these different safeguards into place where they would count certain letters, like in the middle of a paragraph or in the middle of a page and everything had to line up. The ink could only be black and had to be prepared according to a definite recipe. An authentic copy must be the exemplar from which the transcriber ought not, in the least, to deviate. In other words, if the scribe deviated from what he was copying from just one little bit, they threw it away and said that it was worthless. Next, no word or letter could be written from memory, but the scribe had to write it while looking at it. Between every consonant the space of a hair or thread must intervene, between every new section consonants, and between every book, three lines. Besides this, the copyist must sit in full Jewish dress, wash his whole body, not begin to write the name of God with a pen newly dipped in ink and should a king address him while writing that name, meaning the name of God, he must take no notice of him. Did that guarantee accuracy?
Well, let me give you this piece of evidence. Have you heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls? They were the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th Century, if not, the entirety of history. And one of the things that was so important about the Dead Sea Scrolls is that there were copies of the Old Testament or, at least, parts of the Old Testament that were found that were about 900 to 1000 years older than any that they had before. Before that the earliest copy of the Old Testament they had was about 900 to 1000 A.D., but there were copies in there that archeologists have dated at about 100 B.C. And in one of those Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the things they found was a copy of the entire book of Isaiah preserved on an individual scroll. And when they went in and compared that copy of Scripture with the other copies they had with about 1000 years difference between them, they found in about 95% of the cases there was absolutely no variation between them. In that 5% almost all the variations were just spelling. If you have ever seen Hebrew, you can understand why there would occasionally be problems with spelling because sometimes the only difference between a couple of letters is a little mark on one letter. That was the only difference. In the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah, which is one of the most famous and important chapters in the Bible, the scholars found one word in question out of that whole chapter. The Bible is the best-preserved book of antiquity. The Jews did everything that they could to make sure that it was properly transcribed through the years. Well, you say, well why don’t we have the original copies? Well, because what they did is when they verified that they had made a perfect copy they destroyed the older copy over a course of time. I mean they sort of filed them away and then eventually they were destroyed because in their way of thinking a newer copy was better. They were writing on something called parchment and as time went on, the parchment kind of faded away. Now, that is just a little bit of information about the Old Testament.
Let me give you some information about the New Testament. Scholars have almost 25,000 copies of, at least, parts of the New Testament in Greek (between five and six thousand) and in other languages. Now, I am not talking about translations, I am talking about actual copies. The New Testament was written between about 40 and 100 A.D. The earliest copy archaeologists have discovered has been dated to about 125 A.D. It is a portion of the Gospel of John called the Rylands papyri. That discovery effectively disproved the claim of liberal scholars that the gospels were not written until the second or third century. It means that there was somewhere around 25 years between the original writings and the first copy that we have. It means that there was not sufficient time for legends about Jesus to spring up and be accepted.
Now, let’s compare the New Testament with another work of ancient literature. Homer wrote “The Iliad,” which scholars say was the most read book in ancient literature. It was written about 900 B.C. The earliest copy that scholars have is 400 B.C. which means there is 500 years difference between the original and the first copy. Now, the number of copies that scholars have of that work is 643. And there are more copies of that than any other work in ancient literature. As far as secular books, this is the cream of the crop as far as number and age difference of copies. But you see how it compares with the New Testament. Therefore, if you can’t trust the authenticity of the Bible, you cannot trust the authenticity of “The Illiad” or any work of antiquity. Daniel Wallace writes, “Altogether, the manuscripts of the New Testament are approximately 1,000 times more plentiful than the copies of the average ancient Greek writer. The New Testament manuscripts stand closer to the original and are more plentiful than any other Greek or Latin literature. Whatever doubts are cast on the wording of the New Testament must be cast 100-fold on any other Greek literature. The real problem in determining the wording of the original New Testament text is not lack of data but an embarrassment of riches.” In my opinion, people question the Bible and not these other books because they have a bias against the Bible because of the claims it makes on our lives. Consider the following chart complied by Josh McDowell.
Let me give you another fact. There is something called the writings of the early church fathers. The early church fathers were the leaders, the pastors, the bishops, in the church shortly after the apostles died. We are talking about the 200s and 300s A.D before the New Testament was even canonized. There is a museum in England that contains many of their writings. They have also been published. Scholars have researched the writings. David Dowrimple asserts that if we lost all the New Testaments that are on the face of the earth that he could go through those books from within 100 to 200 years of the writing of the New Testament and reconstruct the entire New Testament except for 11 verses. All of it except for 11 verses. Now, they may not all be exact quotations. Some of them are taken from sermons where the verses were paraphrased.
Don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t believe the Bible because we don’t have the originals. That argument is a joke. The manuscripts of the Bible are the best attested in ancient literature. If you throw them out and are intellectually honest, you have to throw out every other book of antiquity as well. If someone can go and put together the whole New Testament except for 11 verses, we know what it originally said. The question is, “Are we going to believe what it said?
III. The third question is about the canon. How were the particular books selected?
In his article, “The Bible: A Book Of Destiny,” Paige Patterson writes, “The word ‘canon’ comes from a Greek word (kanon) meaning literally ‘reed,’ and thus ‘straightedge’ or ‘ruler’ or ‘rod.’ Out of this association with measurement, the term metaphorically became a reference to a ‘standard.’ Conservative scholars maintain that every book of the Bible has God as its Author and His authority inherent thereby. The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are considered canonical by the Jews, the apostolic church, and the Christian churches through the centuries. As applied to Scripture, then, the canon is the list of books which are accepted by the Church as conforming to the standard of divine inspiration and authority and, therefore, as forming a ‘rule’ of faith and practice for every believer. The sole criterion of the canon of Scripture is inspiration (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16, 17), i.e., God’s testimony through the Holy Spirit to the authority of His Word.” However, it is imperative to understand that the church did not determine Scripture and that the Bible does not get its authority from the Church. God determined Scripture, and the Bible has His inherent authority. Norman Geisler and William Nix write, “Canonicity is determined or fixed authoritatively by God; it is merely discovered by man.” Evangelical Christians believe that God guided the process to ensure that what He inspired actually ended up in the Bible.
The Old Testament Canon
It is often claimed that the Old Testament was canonized at the Council of Jamnia, which was a meeting of the rabbis, in 90 A.D. However, those who make that claim are really making a serious overstatement because the Old Testament canon had really been settled long before that. The end result of that informal council was the affirmation of the already existing canon. Josh McDowell writes, “The earliest record of a three-fold division of the Old Testament is in the prologue of the book Ecclesiasticus (ca 130 B.C.). The prologue, written by the author’s grandson, calls it: ‘The Law, and the Prophets and the other books of the fathers.’ There existed three definite divisions of Scripture.” Let me give a word of explanation. We often divide the Old Testament into five sections (Law, History, Poetry, Major Prophets, and Minor Prophets), but the Jews classified it in three sections (Law, Prophets, Writings). Historically, the Jews considered the voice of God to be silent after about 400 B.C. after Malachi and Chronicles were written. It is also interesting to note that the famous Jewish historian Josephus named the 39 books of the Old Testament (even though he grouped them into 22 volumes in the 1st century A.D.
Even more important though, the New Testament states the content of the Old Testament canon. In Luke 24:44, Jesus said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” F.F. Bruce explains, “He indicated the three section into which the Hebrew Bible was divided-the Law, the Prophets, and the ‘Writings’ (here called ‘the Psalms’ probably because the Book of Psalms is the first and longest book in this third section).” In Luke 11:51, he used the phrase “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah.” A note in The Believer’s Study Bible says, “Zechariah’s murder is recorded in 2 Chronicles (2 Chr. 24:20-22), the last book in the Hebrew Bible. Abel is the first to be martyred (Gen. 4:8); thus the period from Abel to Zechariah spans all the record of the Hebrew Bible.”
The New Testament Canon
The New Testament was officially canonized by The Synod of Hippo in A.D. 393. However, leading New Testament scholar F.F. Bruce states that “it did not confer upon them any authority which they did not already possess, but simply recorded their previously established canonicity. Donald Guthrie writes, “The content of the canon was determined by general usage, not by authoritarian pronouncement.” Josh Mc Dowell says, “When councils were finally convened, it was not for the purpose of selecting books. It was for the purpose of verifying which books the people of God had come to recognize as authentically inspired.”
Let me share a couple of particular quotes regarding the gospels since Brown centers his attack there in The Da Vinci Code. Iraneus, an early church father, wrote, “Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon his breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.” Origen (185-254), another early church father, wrote, “Nevertheless, among all these we have approved solely what the church has recognized, which is that only the four gospels should be accepted.”
Erwin Lutzer gives a succinct overview of the New Testament canonization process. He writes,
“1. Letters from apostles were written and received in the churches; copies were made and circulated.
2. A growing group of books developed that were recognized as inspired Scripture. An important question for their acceptance was this: Was the book either written by an apostle or by someone who knew the apostles, and thus had the stamp of apostolic authority?
3. By the end of the first century all twenty-seven books in our present canon were written and received by the churches. Though some of the canonical lists were incomplete, this is not to be interpreted as the rejection of some books but often simply means that some books were unknown in certain areas.
4. To show both agreement and the widespread acceptance of the New Testament books, we should note that by a generation following the end of the apostolic age, every book of the New Testament had been cited as authoritative by some church father (Josh McDowell quotes Williston Walker, who says, “By about 200 A.D., according to the witness of the Muratorian fragment, Western Christendom had a New Testament canon embracing Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Romans, Philemon, Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy, Jude, 1 and 2 John, Revelation, and the so-called Apocalypse of Peter”).
5. Remaining doubts or debates over certain books continued into the fourth century. As far as historians know, the first time the list of our twenty-seven books appears is in an Easter letter written by Athanasius, an outstanding leader of the church in A.D. 367. Obviously, the books were regarded by most of the churches as authoritative more than two hundred years prior to that time.
6. The twenty-seven books of our New Testament were ratified by the Council of Hippo (A.D. 393) and the Council of Carthage (A.D. 397).”
Geisler and Nix record five principles that were possibly used to determine whether or not a book was canonical Scripture. They are:
1. Is it authoritative-did it come from the hand of God?
2. Is it prophetic-was it written by a man of God? (The New Testament books were written by an apostle or someone closely connected to the apostles.)
3. Is it authentic? Their policy was, “If in doubt, throw it out.”
4. Is it dynamic-did it come with the life-transforming power of God?
5. Was it received, collected, read, and used-was it accepted by the people of God?
The Scriptural Background of the New Testament Canon
In “former days” God spoke through prophets (Hebrews 1:1).
But in the “last days” God spoke through His Son (Hebrews 1:1).
Christ and the Apostles lived in the “last days” (Hebrews 1:1; 1 John 2:18).
Christ is God’s last word in the last days (Hebrews 1:2ff).
Christ fulfilled “all things” (Matthew 5:17-18).
Christ promised “all truth” to his apostles (John 14:26; 16:13).
Christ’s 12 Apostles are the only official channel of His eyewitness teaching (Luke 1:1-2, John 15:27, Acts 1:21-22, Hebrews 2:3-4).
The eyewitness Apostles lived only in the first century (John 15:27; Acts 1:21-22).
The 27 books of the New Testament are the only apostolically confirmed literature extant about Christ.
Many books were written by eyewitness apostles (Matthew; John; 1 @ 2 Peter; 1, 2, 3 John; Revelation).
Paul’s letters were confirmed by Apostles teaching (Acts 15; Galatians 2; 2 Peter 3:15-16).
Hebrews was confirmed by Apostles (Hebrews 2:3-4).
Mark was disciple and secretary of Peter (1 Peter 5:13).
Luke (Luke-Acts) was associate of Paul (Acts 16ff.).
James and Jude were associates of Apostles [half brothers of Christ] (Acts 15; Jude 1; James 1:1).
Therefore, the 27 books of the New Testament are God’s last word in these last days (i.e., the canon is closed).
Josh McDowell writes, “Christians today can be thankful that the final formation of the New Testament canon was such a long and difficult process. It was so difficult, in fact, that there was heated debate over whether Hebrews, James, 2 and 3 John, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation were truly canonical. But the close scrutiny to which the New Testament books were subjected before being universally accepted as authentic should give readers today increased confidence in the reliability of these books and the things which they report and teach.”
IV. What evidence is there for the accuracy and reliability of the Bible? Let’s use the acrostic E-mail to help us remember some of the evidence. And as we do, remember this quote by Bernard Ramm, “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE
What is the External evidence for the truth of the Bible? The fact that the Bible has survived throughout the ages of history is a great piece of evidence that the Bible is the Word of God. Skeptics have tried to destroy the Bible, and many people have been persecuted and even killed for having Bibles, but it has continued to spread. The French philosopher Voltaire said that within a few years that Bibles would cease to be printed but within a few years of his death the Geneva Bible Society was printing Bibles with a printing press in his house that they had bought. The Bible is the most translated, the most read, the most published book in the history of the world. The Bible has been used by God to change more people’s lives than anything else that has ever been published. I know that God has used the Bible to change my life. I am a different person because I have read the Bible. Some of you, along with millions of people all around the world, can testify to the fact that reading and applying Scripture has changed them greatly. Another piece of evidence is the fact that there are quotations outside the Bible that confirm what is presented in the Bible. Let me give just one example right now. It comes from the 1st century Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus. He wrote, “Christus…suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the ands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate.”
MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE
See the answer to question #2.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
So there is the E (External Evidence), there is the M (Manuscript Evidence), and then the A (Archeological Evidence). Let me give you a quote from one of the most famous archeologists who ever lived, a man by the name of Nelson Glueck. He said that “it may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted” [meaning contradicted] a biblical reference.” And he goes on and continues his assertion of “the almost incredibly accurate historical memory of the Bible and particularly so when it is fortified by archeological fact”. Miller Burrows of Yale University wrote, “Archaeology has in many cases refuted the views of modern critics. It has shown in a number of instances that these views rest on false assumptions and unreal, artificial schemes of historical development.” We can’t look at a whole lot of details. But there are details. Let me give you two examples: one from the Old Testament, one from the New.
Liberal scholars argue that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are a myth and that Moses did not really write the first 5 books of the Bible. A classic argument that was used said that Moses couldn’t have written the Pentateuch because the Hebrews and the people in that area didn’t have writing at the time when Moses would have written those books. This was accepted in scholarly circles for several years. But, then low and behold, an archaeologist discovered some writings. When they dated the writings from the area that Moses lived, they found that writing predated Moses by several hundred years so it just blows that whole theory out of the water.
Let’s look at the New Testament. One of the greatest archeologists who ever lived is a man by the name of Sir William Ramsey. He was a skeptic and atheist until he began to read the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts and he began to compare it with what he knew about archeology and history. He ended up concluding that Luke was one of the greatest historians who ever lived and because what he said was believable he became a Christian. Don’t let anybody ever tell you that you can’t believe the Bible because of archeology. The opposite is true. The Bible is a historical book and there are a lot of facts in the Bible that have been proven because of archeology. I just gave you the tip of the iceberg.
INTERNAL EVIDENCE
Let’s move to the “I”. The “I” in this outline “EMAIL” is Internal Evidence. In other words, what is in the Bible itself that actually shows us that it is the Word of God. Well, there are a lot of things. One is its continuity. Did you know that the Bible was written over a 1500-year span, which is over 40 generations? It was written by over 40 different authors. It was written in several different places, written at different times, written on three different continents, and in three different languages. It deals with a large number of controversial subjects, but there is not one place in the Bible where the authors ever contradict themselves. If you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one of the things that is most impressive is the fact that it all fits together. The best way to interpret Scripture is by Scripture. The Bible begins with man in a paradise and then man loses that paradise but at the end God restores that paradise. Genesis 3 record the pronouncement of a curse, but Revelation 22 records the removal of that curse. It all fits together. How could that be with over 40 different people writing? I believe the answer is that there was really one mind, the mind of God, behind it all, and He was leading the writers.
There is another piece of Internal Evidence that is very powerful and that is the fact of fulfilled prophecy. Did you know that there are hundreds of prophecies in the Bible that have been accurately fulfilled? In his book, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh McDowell lists 61 of those prophecies. He also quotes Peter Stoner’s research in this area to demonstrate the impossibility of these prophecies being humanly fulfilled. He shows that they must come from God. Consider the following excerpt:
“H. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, Goshen College, in the foreword of Stoner’s book writes: “The manuscript for Science Speaks has been carefully reviewed by a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation ;members and by the Executive Council of the same group and has been found, in general, to be dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented. The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way.”
The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability. Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to eight prophecies (1. -No. 10; 2. – No. 22; 3. – No. 27; 4. – No. 33 & 44; 5. – No. 34; 6. – No. 35 & 36; 7. – No. 39; 8. – No. 44 & 45 [crucified]), “…We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is 1 in 1017.” That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that “we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.
“Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 1017 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
“This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute.”
Stoner considers 48 prophecies and says, “…We find the chance that any one man fulfilled all 48 prophecies to be 1 in 10157.
“This is really a large number and it represents an extremely small chance. Let us try to visualize it. The silver dollar, which we have been using, is entirely too large. We must select a smaller object. The electron is about as small an object as we know of. It is so small that it will take 2.5 times 1015 of them laid side by side to make a line, single file, one inch long. If we were going to count the electrons in this line one inch long, and counted 250 each minute, and if we counted day and night, it would take us 19,000,000 years to count just the one-inch line of electrons. If we had a cubic inch of these electrons and we tried to count them it would take us, counting steadily 250 each minute, 19,000,000 times 19,000,000 times 19,000,000 years or 6.9 times 1021 years.
“With this introduction, let us go back to our chance of 1 in 10157. Let us suppose that we are taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly stirring it into the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to find the right one. What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a pile will this number of electrons make? They make an inconceivably large volume.” Such is the chance of any one man fulfilling 48 prophecies.”
Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Let me ask you a question. Does it take more faith to believe that these things just sort of happened to come true or to believe that God really inspired the writers and revealed the future to them? Some people say there is no such thing as predictive prophecy. They say these events happened and then the people who wrote the Bible went back and wrote the prophecies afterwards to make it look like they came true, but that is absolutely false. There are two facts that show the falsehood of that argument. First, the Old Testament was finished around 450 B.C. Some people will say that they do not buy that so let me give you a second reason.
There is something called the Septuagint which is the first translation of a book in the history of the world from one language to another that is known by scholars. The Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. Archeologists have positively dated it during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphias around 250 B.C. So, even if you don’t accept the Old Testament being done by 450 B.C., it had to be at lest 250 years before the coming of Christ that all these prophecies were written. If people try to tell you that you are ignorant for believing the Bible, just share some of these facts with them.
Let me deal with one other thing in this area of internal evidence. Some people say that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions so we can only trust it in matters of spiritual things but not when it comes to things like science and history. Now, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. I mean if you can’t trust something when it comes to factual things that you can prove, why would you trust it for things that you can’t prove like spiritual things? It is kind of like me holding a train or plane schedule and seeing that the schedule is full of errors and wrong times but saying the schedule is totally authoritative and trustworthy. Now, how much sense does that make? However, that is what people are doing when they say the Bible is full of errors but it is totally authoritative and trustworthy when it comes to spiritual things. That is contradictory nonsense. Either the Bible is true and therefore trustworthy, or Christianity should be dismissed as a fraud.
Are there errors and contradictions in the Bible? That is an important question. I really wrestled with several passages of Scripture when I was questioning my faith in college. There were things that did not make sense or seem to add up. Still, I cannot explain every seeming contradiction or answer every question about the Bible. However, I did find answers to so many of my questions and clear up so many supposed contradictions with simple, rational answers that I frankly quit worrying about it. There are things that I have to take by faith. However, there is such overwhelming evidence for the Bible that I am going to give it the benefit of the doubt when it comes to my questions.
Gleason Archer is a professor and writer who is the one of the leading Old Testament scholars in the world. He knows fifteen languages and has been to law school. He passed the bar exam in Massachusetts. The man is no intellectual lightweight. He wrote, “As I have dealt with one apparent discrepancy after another and have studied the alleged contradictions between the biblical record and the evidence of linguistics, archaeology, or science, my confidence in the trustworthiness of Scripture has been repeatedly verified and strengthened by the discovery that almost every problem in Scripture that has ever been discovered by man, from ancient times until now, has been dealt with in a completely satisfactory manner by the biblical text itself-or else by objective archaeological information….There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every charge that has ever been leveled against it.” Let me share another quote with you. This one is from a man by the name of John Warrick Montgomery. Once again, we are not talking about some intellectual lightweight. Dr. Montgomery is a man who has nine earned degrees in theology, philosophy, and law. He is a former Professor who is now a practicing lawyer in England who won a landmark case concerning religious freedom in Greece. He says “I, myself, have never encountered an alleged contradiction in the Bible which could not be cleared up by the use of the original languages of the scriptures and/or by the use of acceptive principles of literary and historical interpretation.”
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). In Matthew 5:18, Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” A jot is a yodh, which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. A tittle is a little mark on a letter in the Hebrew alphabet that distinguishes it from another letter. You could say that Jesus is saying down to the crossing of the “T’s” and dotting of the “I’s,” not one bit of the law is going to pass away until all of it is fulfilled. In Luke 24:44, Jesus said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” Did you know that the Old Testament is about Jesus too? It prepares us for the coming of Christ. In John 10:35, Jesus said, “The scripture cannot be broken”. In addition, John 17 records a prayer of Christ to His Father. In verse 17, Jesus said to His Heavenly Father that “your word is truth.” When I say that the Bible is God’s truth, I am only saying what Jesus said.
Also, Jesus affirmed many passages in the Old Testament that liberals and skeptics deny. He affirmed the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch (John 5:45-47), Jonah literally being in the belly of a great fish (Matthew 12:40, the historical reality of Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37-39), the Exodus account of the wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness (John 6:49), the burning bush (Matthew 22:32), and the historicity of Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:5). The Old Testament was Christ’s Bible while He was on the earth.
Now, someone may be calling a timeout and saying, “Hold on a minute. That’s circular reasoning to use something that the Bible says about itself to prove that it is the Word of God.” Or, you may be saying, “Other books claim to be the Word of God. How do you know the difference?” Well, those are good points, but there are answers. If you don’t start by assuming that the Bible is the Word of God, but simply study it objectively, you find that the Bible is historically accurate (per the evidence given earlier) and there are many pieces of evidence (fulfilled prophecy, miracles, character, etc.) that show Jesus is the Son of God. The ultimate piece of proof is the resurrection. If the resurrection is a historical fact (which is clearly demonstrated by looking at the historical record and not just by assuming the Bible to be the inspired Word of God), then it proves Jesus is the Son of God. If He is the Son of God, then everything He says is true, and we better believe what He says. Therefore, until the resurrection is disproven, we can trust everything Jesus tells us about the Bible.
Conclusion: A Practical Challenge From Acts 17:10-11
Receive the Word
Study the Word
Believe the Word
Used it as the authoritative standard
Robert Chapman said, “This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts binding, its histories are true and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, test the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, it will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor and condemns all who will trifle with its sacred contents.”
Read the Bible and check it out for yourself. Ask God to show you the truth. Seek out the answers to your questions. That is the most important quest in the world. Look at who the Bible shows Jesus to be and give your life to Him.
Billy Graham’s career as an evangelist started in the early to middle 1940s. He started working for Youth for Christ. He was just a young man in his 20s. Billy was already considered a fantastic evangelist at that time, but the man who was considered to be the next great evangelist was not Billy Graham. Instead, it was a man by the name of Chuck Templeton. Templeton and Graham were very good friends, and they worked together. To make a long story short, both of them began to have doubts about Scripture. Each of them began to wrestle with their intellectual difficulties and questions about the Bible. The way that Chuck Templeton decided to handle it was by leaving evangelism to go and study at Princeton. He became a Professor. Eventually, Chuck abandoned his faith and became an agnostic. On the other hand, Billy Graham wrestled with his questions. He talked to people, thought, read, and studied. Finally, he came to a turning point one night when he was out in California. He went outside and got alone with the Lord under the stars. He came to the point where he got down on his face at a stump and prayed, “God, I don’t understand everything about this book, there’s questions that I can’t answer, but I am going to accept by faith that this book is your Word.” He went on to base his life and his ministry on that Book. It was just a few weeks later that God poured out His Spirit at the Los Angeles Crusade. That was where his ministry began to be so powerful and effective. He calls the Crusade prior to that when he was wrestling with all the doubts the biggest flop of his entire career. But, once he settled this in his mind, God used him in a great and mighty way.
Ultimately, believing Scripture is a matter of faith. True faith involves our head, heart, and wills. However, faith is not a blind leap in the dark. Faith is a step into the light. Christianity is a religion that is based on facts. We do not have to be afraid of any questions and challenges that people want to raise in regard to Christianity and the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word. We can trust it.
“Da Vinci Code: Seek The Truth”
“Did The Church Turn Jesus Into God? The Deity of Christ”
Introduction: Matthew 16:13 says, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am’?” After they answered, he followed his first question up with an even more piercing question. He asked, “But who do you say that I am?” I believe that is a question that each of us has to answer, and the answer has eternal significance.
In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown answers the question in a way that many people do by asserting that Jesus was a great man, a prophet, who was deified by the church for its political benefit. Brown writes, “My dear,” Teabing declared, “until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal.”
“Not the Son of God?”
“Right,” Teabing said, “Jesus’ establishment as ‘the Son of God’ was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea.”
“Hold on. You’re saying Jesus’ divinity was the result of a vote?”
“A relatively close vote at that,” Teabing added. “Nonetheless, establishing Christ’s divinity was critical to the further unification of the Roman empire and to the new Vatican power base. By officially endorsing Jesus as the Son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity who existed beyond the scope of the human world, an entity whose power was unchallengeable. This not only precluded further pagan challenges to Christianity, but now the followers of Christ were able to redeem themselves only via the established sacred channel—the Roman Catholic Church.”
“The twist is this,” Teabing said, talking faster now. “Because Constantine upgraded Jesus’ status almost four centuries after Jesus’ death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite the history books, Constantine knew he would need a bold stroke. From this sprang the most profound moment in Christian history. Teabing paused, eyeing Sophie “Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ’s human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him godlike. The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up, and burned.” Is Brown correct in his assertion? Consider the following historical evidence.
1. Extrabiblical quotes from non-Christians: “Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was (the) Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him. For he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this day.” (Josephus, a famous Jewish historian)
“They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food-but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.”
(Pliny the Younger, a Roman author and administrator, in a letter to Emperor Trajan about 112 A.D.)
“The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day- the distinguished parsonage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account…You see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property.”
(Lucian of Samosata, a 2nd century Greek writer)
2. Quotations From the Early Church Fathers:
Ignatius: “God Himself was manifested in human form” (AD 105).
Clement: “It is fitting that you should think of Jesus Christ as of God” (AD 150).
Irenaeus: “Our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King”; “He is God, for the name Emmanuel indicated this” (AD 180).
Tertullian: “Christ our God” (AD 200).
Origen: “No one should be offended that the Savior is also God”. (AD 225).
Novatian: “he is not only man, but God also” (AD 235).
Cyprian: “Jesus Christ, our Lord and God” (AD 250).
3. The Facts Regarding What Actually Happened at the Council of Nicea: “While Constantine was undeniably a flawed individual, historians agree that he certainly abjured paganism, became a genuine Christian convert, repaid the church for it’s terrible losses during the persecutions, favored the clergy, built many churches throughout his empire, convened the first ecumenical council at Nicaea-underwriting the expenses of clergy to attend it and desired baptism near death. As for the last, he was merely following the custom at the time (innocent though mistaken) of delaying baptism until the end of life because it wiped your slate clean of preceding sins.” (Hanegraaff, DVCFF, 14)
“His Christianity, beginning as policy, appears to have graduated into sincere conviction. He became the most persistent preacher in his realm, persecuted heretics faithfully, and took God into partnership at every step. Wiser than Diocletian, he gave new life to an aging Empire by associating it with a young religion, a vigorous Organization, a fresh morality.”
(Will Durant, Caesar and Christ: The Story of Civilization, pt.3. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994, p664)
These facts very clearly show that Brown is wrong in claiming that the church turned Jesus into God at the Council of Nicea at 325 A.D. The real issue, however, is whether or not Christ is truly God. Historical Christian doctrine has taught that the Bible asserts full deity and perfect humanity in one Person. He is the God-man. This involves the reality of His 2 natures, the integrity of His 2 natures, and the unmingled union of those 2 natures in 1 Person. The issue is what the Bible says about Him. The issue is what you believe about Him. Let’s explore the biblical evidence.
(I) The Claim to Deity
Hebrews 1:1-4 is very clearly teaching that Jesus is God. Many other Scriptures teach the same truth. Let’s explore the evidence.
1. The Teaching of the Apostles-
A. John 1:1-18
B. Romans 9:5
C. Philippians 2:5-11
D. Colossians 1:13-18, 2:9-10
E. Titus 2:13
F. Revelation 1:8
2. The Statements of Christ Where He Calls Himself God-
A. Matthew 22:62-68
B. John 5:16-18
C. John 8:58
D. John 10:30-33
3. The Claims of Christ to Deity-
A. He claimed that He would judge the world at the end of time (Matthew John 5:22).
B. He claimed that He should be honored as much as God (John 5:23).
C. He claimed that He could give eternal life to people (John 5:21, 40).
D. He claimed that to see Him was to see God (John 14:9).
E. He claimed that to know Him was to know God (John 8:19).
F. He claimed that to hate Him was to hate God (John 15:23).
G. He claimed that He could forgive sin (Mark 2:5, 10).
H. Jesus accepted worship and being called “God” (John 20:28-29).
I. Jesus claimed titles exclusive to God (John 8:56-58).
J. He claimed to hear and answer prayers (John 14:14).
4. The Proof of the Resurrection-Dr. Lehman Strauss relates five facts that prove the resurrection, which in turn, proves that Jesus is God. They are:
A. Jesus actually died on the cross.
B. He was buried in a tomb.
C. The tomb was empty three days later.
D. The followers of Christ saw Him alive again, and they were willing to die for that claim.
E. The lives of the disciples was absolutely transformed through faith in Christ.
(II) Characteristics of Deity: Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but Hebrews 1:1-3 gives us at least 8 characteristics of the deity of Christ. They are:
1. The revelation of God.
2. The One who possesses all dominion.
3. The Creator.
4. The glory of God manifested.
5. The perfect picture of God.
6. The One who is sustaining the world and bringing it to its intended goal.
7. The Savior who made the Sacrifice for sin.
8. He is the conquering King, our Advocate and Intercessor.
“The Da Vinci Code: Seek The Truth”
“Was Jesus Married? The Humanity of Christ”
Introduction: In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown asserts that Jesus was married to Mary Magdaelene and fathered a child. Consider these quotes:
-“almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false”
-“’As I mentioned,’ Teabing clarified, ‘the early Church needed to convince the world that the mortal prophet Jesus was a divine being. Therefore, any gospels that described earthly aspects of Jesus’ life had to be omitted from the Bible. Unfortunately for the early editors, one particularly troubling earthly theme kept recurring in the gospels. MaryMagdalene.’ He paused. ‘More specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ….It’s a matter of historical record,’ Teabing said.”
-“Behold,’ Teabing proclaimed, ‘the greatest cover-up in human history. Not only was Jesus Christ married, but He was a father. My dear, Mary Magdalene was the Holy Vessel. She was the chalice that bore the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ. She was the
womb that bore the lineage, and the vine from which the sacred fruit sprang forth’!”
Brown’s Evidence For His Claim
1. Da Vinci’s work of art, The Last Supper
2. It was unusual for a Jewish man to not be married.
3. Certain passages from the Gnostic gospels
The Refutation
Point #1: Dr. Katherine McReynolds says that art historians recognize this as John in The Last Supper because:
1. John is not seen anywhere else in the painting.
2. He is often depicted as the most feminine looking.
3. Da Vinci said it was John the Apostle in his early sketches.
Point #2: Reasons To Believe He Was Unmarried
There is no historical evidence that shows he was married. Dr. McReynolds said, “But there is not a single shred of evidence that he was married.” Dr. Paul Maier says, “But there is no such spark-not a scintilla of evidence anywhere in the historical sources.”
Ancient historical sources such as Josephus make it clear that some rabbis and others who made special commitments to God remained single.
The Bible: 1 Corinthians 7:8, 1 Corinthians 9:5, John 20:14-17, Revelation 19:7-9
Point #3: Passages from the Gnostic Gospels
They were frauds because of their late dates.
None of the passages actually say anything about them being married.
One that Brown claims was written in Aramaic was actually written in Coptic.
His claims don’t stand up to reason.
Real Questions
How could Jesus be both God and man at the same time? What was he really like as a man? What does this mean to our lives?
Historical Christian Doctrine of Christ
Regarding Christ, the Bible asserts full deity and perfect humanity in one Person. He is the God-Man. This involves:
The reality of His 2 natures
The integrity of His 2 natures
The unmingled union of those 2 natures in 1 Person
Incarnation literally means “in the flesh.” John 1:14a says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”
Philippians 2:5-11
1. He is God.
A. He is the essence of God. The NIV translates the first phrase of verse 6 as, “being in very nature God.” Kenneth Wuest says that form is “that outward expression which a person gives of his inmost nature.”
B. He is equal with God. Wuest states that “robbery” in Greek can mean either “a thing unlawfully seized” or “a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards.” Obviously, the context indicates the second meaning is correct in this case which shows that Jesus is equal with God.
C. He continued to be God even in the incarnation. The verb “being” indicates that fact because it speaks of a past reality that is continuing into the present. Thus, the incarnation was not a subtraction of deity but an addition of humanity.
2. He became the God-man.
A. He did not consider this something to be held on to.
B. He emptied Himself.
C. He became fully man.
Canon H: P. Liddon says with unparallel scholarship in his lectures to the
University of Oxford, recorded in his book, The Divinity of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ: “He, Jesus Christ, is conceived in the womb of a human
Mother (Luke 1:1; Matt. 1:18). He is by her brought forth into the world
(Matt. 1:25, Luke 2:7,11; Gal. 4:4). He is fed at her breast during infancy
(Luke 11:27). As an infant, He is made to undergo the painful rite of cir-
cumcision (Luke 2:21). He is a Babe in swaddling clothes lying in a manger
(Luke 2:12). He is nursed in the arms of the aged Simeon (Luke 2:28). His
bodily growth is traced up to His attaining the age of twelve (Luke 2:40), and
from that point to manhood (Luke 2:52). His presence at the marriage feast
Cana (John 2:2), at the great entertainment in the house of Levi (Luke 5:29);
and at the table of Simon, the Pharisee (Luke 7:36), the supper which He
shared at Bethany with the friend whom He had raised from the grave
(John 12:2), the Paschal festival which He desired so earnestly to eat before
He suffered (Luke 22:8, 15), the bread and fish of which He partook before
The eyes of His disciples in the early dawn on the shore of the Lake of
Galilee, even after His resurrection (John 21:12, 13), –are witnesses that He
came, like one ourselves, ‘eating and drinking’ (Luke 7:34). When He is
recorded to have taken no food during the forty days of the Temptation, this
implied the contrast presented by His ordinary habit (Luke 4:2). Indeed, He
seemed to the men of His day much more dependent on the physical
supports of life than the great ascetic who had preceded Him (Luke 7:34).
These and other attestations, such as His physical sufferings, His death, His burial, the wounds in His hands and feet and side after His resurrection, prove beyond a shade of doubt that He fully participated in the material side of our
common nature.”
D. He went all the way to the cross for us.
What did He empty Himself of?
The outward expression of deity, which is glory.
The independent exercise of His divine attributes. Millard Erickson writes, “Jesus gave up the independent exercise of His divine attributes. This does not mean that he surrendered some or all of his divine attributes, but that he voluntarily gave up the ability to exercise them on His own. He could exercise them only in dependence upon the Father and in connection with possession of a fully human nature.”
The position of authority and equality at the right hand of the Father. This does not mean that He ceased to be God or even equal with God but that He voluntarily submitted Himself to the Father as a servant for a period of time (John 14:28).
His possessions.
His privileges.
Implications of the Humanity of Christ for Our Lives
1. He is our perfect example because of His sinless perfection (Hebrews 2:17, 3:2, 4:15, 5:8, 7:26).
2. He is our perfect High Priest because He suffered and was tempted but did not sin (4:14-16). Because He is God, He has the power to intercede for us, but because He is man, He has the ability to sympathize with us.
God-Man
GOD MAN
Creator Part of Creation
Virgin Conception Born of a Woman
2nd Advent (Rule and Reign) Born in a Manger
Baptizes with the Spirit Baptized by John
Law – Giver Under the Law
Cattle on a Thousand Hills No where to Lay His Head
Gives rest to Our Souls Got tired
Calmed the Storm Slept in the Boat
Dries away Our Tears Wept
Living Water Got Thirsty
Bread of Life Got Hungry
Good Shepherd Lamb of God (Sheep before His Slaughter)
God of all Comfort Man of Sorrow and Grief
Supplies our Needs Poor and Outcast
Faithful and True Falsely Accused; Betrayed
All-knowing, Wisdom Family thought He was crazy
All-present Limited by time and space
Door of Salvation Carpenter
Advocate, Intercessor, Mediator Forsaken
Creator, Sustainer, Owner Own Received Him Not
Lord of lord’s Servant
King of kings Meek and humble
High Priest Prayed
Was Worshipped Went to Temple
Unchanging Grew in wisdom, stature & favor with God &man
Alpha and Omega Lived 33 Years
Raised Lazarus Wept at his tomb
Cursed Sin Became a Curse
Great Physician Knew intense Pain
Atoning Death Criminal’s Death
All-Powerful Too Weak to Carry His Cross
Many Crowns Crown of Thorns
Rose Again Died
Holy Became Sin for Us
Light of the World Died in Darkness
Never Leave or Forsake Us Loneliness
Knew no Sin Became sin for Us
Clothed in Glory Wrapped in swaddling clothes
Wore Common man’s clothes
Was crucified Naked
3. He is our perfect substitute because of His sacrificial death (2:9,14,17; 5:9; 7:25-27; 9:11-14; 9:22-28). “Consider” in Philippians 2:6 means “a judgment based on facts,” with the implication of it being a reasoned decision. This shows how much that Jesus loves us. He chose to empty Himself, to humble Himself as a servant, and ultimately, to die the worst death imaginable for us so that we can be forgiven of our sins.
“Da Vinci Code: Seek The Truth”
“Does God Have A Feminine Side? The Fatherhood of God”
Introduction: The Da Vinci Code presents a very different version of God than the Bible does. Consider these quotes.
danbrown.com, FAQ
This novel is very empowering to women. Can you comment? Brown answers, “Two thousand years ago, we lived in a world of Gods and Goddesses. Today, we live in a world solely of Gods. Women in most cultures have been stripped of their spiritual power. The novel touches on questions of how and why this shift occurred…. and what lessons we might learn from it regarding our future.”
DVC: “The ancients envisioned their world in two halves-masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced, there was chaos…This pentacle is representative of the female half of all things-a concept religious historians call the ‘sacred feminine’ or the ‘divine goddess’.”
DVC: “Jesus was the original feminist. He intended for the future of His Church to be in the hands of Mary Magdalene.”
DVC: “The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one, the lost sacred feminine.”
DVC: “Langdon’s Jewish students always looked flabbergasted when he first told them that the early 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. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the Temple to visit priestesses…with whom they made love and experienced the divine through physical union.” The Jewish tetragrammaton YHWH-the sacred name of God-in fact derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between the masculine Jah and pre-Hebraic name for Eve, Havah.”
However, this is not a concept just limited to The Da Vinci Code. It is becoming more prevalent in our society. Consider these quotes from feminist writers:
Carol Christ-“I found God in myself and I loved her fiercely.”
Rosemary Reuther calls the divine “God/ess.” She calls this God/ess “the empowering Matrix; She, in whom we live and move and have our being.” She refers to her version of God as “the great womb within which all things, gods and humans, sky and earth, human and nonhuman beings are generated.”
Mary Daly-“Since God is male, the male is God.”
Many feminists now worship the goddess Sophia.
Rita Gross-“God-she.”
Real Questions
Who is God and what is He like?
Is God really Father and what does this mean?
Does this idea come from a male bias?
Is it chauvinistic toward women?
What This Does Not Mean
God does not have sexuality or gender. He is Spirit.
There is a distinction between using masculine terminology and saying He is a male.
The fact that the Bible uses some feminine imagery for God does not make Him a female.
We call God Father because that is how He reveals Himself to us in the inspired Word of God.
Alvin Kimel writes, “God is not just like a father; he is the Father. Jesus is not just like a son; he is the Son. The divine Fatherhood and Sonship are absolute, transcendent, and correlative…The relationship between Christ Jesus and his Father, lived out in the conditions of first-century Palestine and eternally established in the resurrection and ascension of our Lord, belongs to the inner life of God. It constitutes the identity of the Almighty Creator….‘Father’ is not a metaphor imported by humanity onto the screen of eternity; it is a name and filial term of address revealed by God himself in the person of his Son.”
The Nature of God
1. God is Father.
2. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1, John 14:9, Romans 15:6, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 11:31).
3. He becomes our adoptive Father through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:1-7). Jesus is the Son of God by His nature and relationship to the Father. We can become children of God by trusting and receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior (John 1:12). Consider this beautiful picture of adoption in the Roman world as presented by Gerald Cowen and allow it to illuminate the meaning of our adoption:
A. An adopted person lost all rights in his old family and gained the rights of a fully legitimate son in the new family.
B. He became a permanent heir.
C. All his debts were legally cancelled, and he became a new person according to the law.
The Meaning of God’s Fatherhood to Our Lives
1. Intimate Fellowship (Romans 8:15, 1 John 1:1-3)
2. Security (Romans 8:14-16)
3. Inheritance (Romans 8:17)
4. Unconditional Love (1 John 3:1)
5. Forgiveness (Luke 15)
6. Discipline (Hebrews 12)
7. Perfect, providential care (Matthew 6:8, 25-34, 7:11)
8. Rich blessing (Ephesians 1:3)
9. Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
Our Response
1. Imitate Him (Matthew 5:48, Ephesians 5:1)
2. Love Him (Matthew 22:37)
3. Worship Him (John 4:24)
4. Talk to Him (Matthew 6:9)
5. Trust Him (Matthew 6:25-34)
6. Glorify Him by our good works (Matthew 5:16)
7. Obey Him (Matthew 6:10)
Applications
1. Become His child by trusting Christ.
2. Live based on the truth and not lies.
3. Become intimate with the Father.
4. Be this kind of father (parent) for our kids.
5. Put the response listed above into practice in our lives.
