Why Spiritual People should be talking about the DaVinci Code

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

““The Bible is a product of man…Not The Bible is a product of man…Not of Godof God

Dan Brown: Dan Brown: The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code, 231., 231.

Who wrote the Bible? God or humans?

Who wrote the Bible? God or humans?

ANSWER: Both

Psalm 23:1-41 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

The Bible is reliable and accurate in all that it intends to teach.

The Bible is reliable and accurate in all that it intends to teach.

1500BC NowNow

1500BC NowNow

1500BC NowNow

•Who am I•How am I to live

Archeological Evidence

We are encouraged to believe We are encouraged to believe [Bible’s] doctrines because of [Bible’s] doctrines because of the reliability of its history….In the reliability of its history….In

fact, the reliability of the fact, the reliability of the earthly matters gives us earthly matters gives us

confidence in the reliability of confidence in the reliability of the heavenly matters that are the heavenly matters that are beyond the realm of human beyond the realm of human

investigation….investigation….

Time Magazine, March 5, 1990 “Score One for the Bible”

“It is one of the most dramatic events chronicled in the Old Testament, but for generations scholars have debated whether the Israelites’ assault on Jericho was fact or myth.” And then he goes on to talk about the excavation work done by the late British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon who studied at the site of Jericho for six years and by the way, was not a Christian.Lemonick in this article goes on to say: “Kenyon’s discoveries at Jericho were largely consistent with the Bible story.

Time Magazine, March 5, 1990 “Score One for the Bible”

For one thing, she found that the city’s walls had fallen in a way suggestive of sudden collapse….Moreover, Kenyon found bushels of grain on the site. That is consistent with the Bible’s assertions that Jericho was conquered quickly. If the city had capitulated after a long siege, the grain would have been used up….A thick layer of soot at the site, which according to radioactive carbon 14 dating was laid down about 1400 B.C., supports the biblical idea that the city was burned, not simply conquered.”

““I am not the only scholar who I am not the only scholar who suspects that the figure of King suspects that the figure of King

David David is about as historical as is about as historical as

King Arthur.” King Arthur.”

Philip R. Davis, Philip R. Davis, Biblical Archaeology ReviewBiblical Archaeology Review July-Aug. 1004:55.July-Aug. 1004:55.

““This is the fist time that the This is the fist time that the name David has been found in name David has been found in any ancient inscription outside any ancient inscription outside

the Bible. the Bible. That the inscription refers not That the inscription refers not simply to a ‘David’ but to the simply to a ‘David’ but to the

House of David, the dynasty of House of David, the dynasty of the great Israelite king, is even the great Israelite king, is even

more remarkable.” more remarkable.” Biblical Archeological Review Biblical Archeological Review Mar-Apr. Mar-Apr.

1994:26.1994:26.

““A review of recent A review of recent archeological books and archeological books and

articles reveals that evidence articles reveals that evidence has also been found in this has also been found in this century that confirms the century that confirms the historical existence of the historical existence of the

following biblical kings: Ahab, following biblical kings: Ahab, Ahaz, Omri, Hezekiah, Hoshea, Ahaz, Omri, Hezekiah, Hoshea, Jehu, Jeroboam II, Manasseh, Jehu, Jeroboam II, Manasseh,

and Pekah.”and Pekah.”Jesus: The Great DebateJesus: The Great Debate: :

Grant Jeffrey, 42.Grant Jeffrey, 42.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950’s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert...The scrolls highlight glaring historical discrepancies and fabrications, clearly confirming that the modern Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda”

In fact, multiple copies of In fact, multiple copies of several biblical texts that had several biblical texts that had lain undisturbed in the desert lain undisturbed in the desert caves for almost two thousand caves for almost two thousand

years….After carefully years….After carefully comparing the biblical comparing the biblical

manuscripts, they discovered manuscripts, they discovered that, aside from a tiny number that, aside from a tiny number

of spelling variations, of spelling variations,

there were no significant there were no significant differences between the differences between the

original scrolls in original scrolls in the caves and the Hebrew the caves and the Hebrew texts used to produce the texts used to produce the

Authorized King James Version Authorized King James Version of 1611.”of 1611.”

Jesus: The Great DebateJesus: The Great Debate: : Grant Jeffrey, 59-60.Grant Jeffrey, 59-60.

Prophecy

Prophecy

2 Peter 1:20-21 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 18:20 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”

““I was somewhat surprised by I was somewhat surprised by the Bible’s arrogant-seeming the Bible’s arrogant-seeming

boast boast about its God being the God, about its God being the God,

and that there were no others. and that there were no others. I was surprised by the law that I was surprised by the law that

prophecy be prophecy be 100-percent perfect. 100-percent perfect.

In probability testing only an In probability testing only an acceptable degree of statistical acceptable degree of statistical

significance is necessary to significance is necessary to reach a conclusion—not reach a conclusion—not

perfection. perfection.

But I reminded myself that a But I reminded myself that a perfect God of the universe perfect God of the universe would be able to perfectly would be able to perfectly predict the future in any predict the future in any

writing or person he inspired, writing or person he inspired, just as the Bible had just as the Bible had

declared…. declared….

I decided to examine each I decided to examine each testament individually to see if testament individually to see if either could clearly point to a either could clearly point to a

God through 100-percent God through 100-percent accurate historical prophecy.”accurate historical prophecy.”

Ralph Muncaster: Ralph Muncaster: A Skeptic’s Search for GodA Skeptic’s Search for God, 131 & 135., 131 & 135.

““The statistical prophecy The statistical prophecy testing testing

I was going through was hitting I was going through was hitting me like a ton of bricks. me like a ton of bricks.

My rational mind told me it was My rational mind told me it was impossible. After all, hadn’t impossible. After all, hadn’t

man written the Bible? man written the Bible?

Yet, something was quite Yet, something was quite amazing—almost frightening. amazing—almost frightening.

How could books written How could books written centuries in advance predict centuries in advance predict

the future? the future? And with And with

100-percent accuracy?100-percent accuracy?

Ralph Muncaster: Ralph Muncaster: A Skeptic’s Search for GodA Skeptic’s Search for God, 146, 146

10,000,000,000,000,000,10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000000,000,000

Examples

“General Bible Prophecies” handout(back table, or web-site)

New Testament

The Galic Wars, by Julius Caesar•10 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Caesar

The Galic Wars, by Julius Caesar•10 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Caesar

Anals of Roman History, by Tacticus•20 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Tacticus

The Galic Wars, by Julius Caesar•10 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Caesar

Anals of Roman History, by Tacticus•20 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Tacticus

New Testament

The Galic Wars, by Julius Caesar•10 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Caesar

Anals of Roman History, by Tacticus•20 copies•Earliest: 1000yrs after Tacticus

New Testament

•25,000 copies•Earliest: 200 years after Christ

John Warwick Montgomery says that “…to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.”

John Warwick Montgomery: History and Christianity.

“Canon” = “norm” or “rule”

New Testament Criteria for Canon

New Testament Criteria for Canon1. Does this document have roots

connected to an apostle?

New Testament Criteria for Canon1. Does this document have roots

connected to an apostle?2. Has to connect with the kind of

teaching Jesus did

New Testament Criteria for Canon1. Does this document have roots

connected to an apostle?2. Has to connect with the kind of

teaching Jesus did3. Had to have widespread influence in

the church (Israel, Asia minor, Italy, Greece, etc)

None of the non-canonical books comes close in date of composition, breadth of distribution, or proportion of acceptance.

The Gnostic Gospels weren’t rejected for inclusion in the canon; they were never even considered.

It is the simple truth to say that the New Testament books became canonical because no one could stop them from doing so.

--William Barclay--