BREAD & WINE
MAY 2006
BREAD & WINE
BREAD & WINE is a monthly publication by Bethel Community Church of
Sarasota, Florida, USA.
Address: 5632 Gantt Road
Sarasota, FL 34232
Tel: 941 922 6007
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Copyright © 2006 by Bethel Community Church.
Editor: Russ Atmore
Associate Editor - Web: Jim White
Editorial Assistant: Kaitlin Atmore
The Editor welcomes any submitted articles for publication subject to
editorial approval.
Additional Resources:
Website: http://bethelcomchurch.org
Pastoral Blog: http://bethelcomchurch.org/blog/
May 2006 ● Vol. 1. No. 3
EDITORIAL – Russ Atmore
Da Vinci What? ………….………………….……….… 4
THEOLOGY
The Deity of Jesus ….…..………………….………… 6
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Was Jesus Married? ……………………….……........ 8
APOLOGETICS
Defending the Faith ………………………………… 11
PRACTICAL MATTERS
Don’t Hang Ten ……………………………………... 14
CURRENT ISSUES
Brown & Da Vinci – No Mona Lisa ………………. 16
BIBLE COMMENTARY
Prepared for Ministry ….……………………….….. 19
FAMILY CORNER
Bible Quiz ..………………………………………....... 21
EDITORIAL
By Russ Atmore
Da Vinci What?
I always thought that Leonardo was a painter, at worst a ninja turtle,
but it seems he lives in more ways than one. What is the Da Vinci Code
all about? The movie is about to hit the screens and by all accounts it
is expected to break all records, or at least you would think so. In
this issue of Bread & Wine, we will explore some of the theories and
false claims propounded in the book by Dan Brown. Some Christians take
their authority from Oprah, but what does she know? Some will be
overwhelmed by the Da Vinci Code and therefore will not be able to speak
about it to their neighbors who may be genuinely concerned or puzzled.
The Da Vinci Code presents 3 major doctrinal errors, and it is important
to understand these. The first is an attack really on the inspiration
and authority of Holy Scripture. The four Gospels are simply lumped in a
pile along with other Gnostic literature of the second century and
onwards. The four Gospels were used or chosen simply because they taught
a certain view of Jesus’ humanity and deity that was in conflict with
what the Gnostics taught, and secondly, according to Brown’s thesis
would really cause damage to the theory that Jesus was married to Mary
Magdalene and had children by her, and that there exists today a
bloodline derived from Jesus. This marriage to Mary Magdalene is the
second major error in the book.
The third error is an attack on the deity of Christ. You can see how all
of these blend together, the making the Gospels like any other
literature, and the marriage of Jesus would do away with His deity. If
these theories that Brown purports as true are true, then Jesus is not
God, and if Jesus is not God, then the Bible is false and not true.
Knowing these 3 errors and the arguments against them is discussed
briefly in this issue. By pointing out these errors you will be better
equipped to do further study and thus correct the false notions out
there that the movie and the book do raise.
As Christians we are surrounded by our culture. We feel its tentacles
reach into our homes, our families, our lives, and we seem powerless to
effect any change or unable to counter its devious effects. What can we
do to be effective Christians in our world? In one sense, we desperately
want to know how to live, and more specifically, how to live for God,
but we also want to be able to interact with our friends and unsaved
family members.
Our moral centeredness is misplaced. Virtue is abandoned and overturned,
and the world does not seem to have any of the answers. The answers to
life’s problems are not found in the latest movie or Supreme Court
decision – they are found in the only man who claimed to have those
answers by His simple and bold assertion, “I am the Way, the Truth and
the Life.”
THEOLOGY
The Deity of Jesus
The Da Vinci Code seeks to throw doubt on whether Jesus is really God.
In fact, to support the assertion that Jesus is simply a normal man, Dan
Brown propounds in his book that Jesus received his deity by a close
vote at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Prior to this he was viewed as
a man like any other. Thus the Council of Nicaea is responsible for
transferring to Jesus the status of deity, and thus he became officially
the “Son of God.”
This is Brown’s attempt to throw confusion on the Person of Jesus
Christ. It is clear, however, that from the very beginning of
Christianity, Jesus was viewed as divine. All the Gospels make this
point, in addition to the book of Acts and the Pauline corpus (cf: esp.
Phil. 2:9 – 11). The Johannine literature is equally pointed, both in
the Gospel and in the 3 Epistles. The Son of God, as the Eternal Logos
came in the flesh, was born in Bethlehem and was named Jesus. The Old
Testament makes clear that the coming Messiah would be none other than
God-with-us (Isaiah 7:14).
Early non-Christian writers also claim that early Christians believed in
the deity of Christ. Dan Brown accuses the Gospels of downplaying the
humanity of Jesus, and yet it is this very fact that the four Gospels
are so clear to present, in addition to the fact of our Lord’s deity. It
is the Gnostic heresy of the second century that denied the humanity of
Jesus, eventually finding its way into what we now also call ‘docetism’.
Docetism denies the actual humanity of Jesus and states that he only
‘seemed’ (Gr. dokew = to seem) to be human.
Early Christians knew that Jesus Christ was not only fully God but was
also completely human. John the Apostle wrote against an early form of
Docetism in 1 John 4:2, "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God" (cf: 2 John 7).
The Da Vinci Code makes several spurious claims about Gnosticism and the
Nag Hammadi documents (at least 50 documents in Coptic contained in 13
papyrus codices) stating that these writings were the "earliest
Christian records," but they are not, and that they factually record
"the original history of Christ." Far from representing the history
recorded in the Gospels, the Gnostics recorded their views in their
writings (about 80 gospels) many years after the earthly ministry of
Christ.
In addition, no Gnostic work speaks of the human side of our Lord’s life
and ministry. In fact, as we have already stated, they (the Gnostics)
did not believe that Jesus was a physical being. It is these Gnostic
writings that provide authority for Dan Brown’s wild assertions
respecting Jesus Christ. Recently, the Gospel of Judas made headlines.
This is a Gnostic document.
The Bible is clear: Jesus Christ, God the Son appeared in human history
as a man. He is God incarnate, spotless, undefiled and sinless.
Don’t believe the Da Vinci Code – Check the facts first in the Bible.
The four Gospels found in the canon of Scripture are the inspired
revelation of God to us. They are not to be equated with any other post
first century Gnostic work called a ‘gospel’.
______________________
“He who…does not perceive Christ to be God…is blind amidst the
brightness of noonday.”
John Calvin
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
Was Jesus married?
The Da Vinci Code makes the astounding claim that Jesus was married to
Mary Magdalene. This is not the first time that Mary Magdalene has been
viewed as the wife of Jesus. Associated with this claim is the idea that
Jesus did not really die, but faked his own death, and that, of course,
raises all kinds of questions about the Trinity.
In Scripture, we know of Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, chosen by
God to bear our Lord who was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18;
Luke 1:35). The last recorded mention of Mary is found in Acts 1:14,
where she gathers with the other disciples waiting the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit. After this, she disappears form Scripture. This surely is
an indication that the Scripture places her in the same camp as fallen
sinful human beings like the other disciples who needed a Savior. This
does away with the over-indulgence and error on the part of the Church
at Rome regarding Mary’s role and position.
We are familiar with Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38
– 42; John 11:1 – 45), and others mentioned by the same name.
Mary Magdalene appears in Luke 8:2 as the woman from whom Jesus drove
out seven demons or spirits. She was one of the women who attended to
the needs of Jesus and the disciples during his earthly ministry. It is
unfortunate that Mary Magdalene has been identified as the prostitute
recorded in Luke 7:36 – 50). No connection between the two women is
offered by Luke in either chapter 7 or 8 of the Gospel account, and it
would seem likely that if they were the same woman, that Luke would have
made the connection.
Mary Magdalene appears at the crucifixion of our Lord along with other
women (including the mother of Jesus). She sets out with the other women
to go to the tomb (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1) but apparently runs ahead and
arrives first at the tomb to find the stone rolled away (John 20:1). She
then tells Peter what happened (John 20:2). Along with the other women,
she sees the angelic witness to the empty tomb (Luke 24:1 – 10). She
remains behind at the tomb after Peter and John have departed (John
20:11) and is visited by 2 angels who again confirm that Jesus is risen
from the dead. She mistakes Jesus who then appears as the gardener of
the place, but Jesus reveals himself to her (John 20:11 – 18). John 20
is careful to suggest that the relationship of Mary (and all the others)
to the risen Christ is now different from what it had been. It was a
spiritual relationship with God the Father involved.
There is absolutely no suggestion anywhere in the biblical record that
Jesus was ever married in all the biblical documents of the first
century.
So where does this information come from that states that Jesus was
married to Mary Magdalene. It comes from 2 Gnostic sources called, the
Gospel of Mary Magdalene 17:10-18:21 and The Gospel of Philip 63:33-36.
Both of these, state that Jesus had a special relationship with Mary and
that he loved her more than the 12 disciples. One of the texts, uses the
term "companion" to describe her. In addition, there is an appeal in the
Phillip text to where Jesus is said to kiss Mary on the lips, and thus
the inference is, that if he kissed her in public he must have been her
husband.
Almost every scholar questions whether these extra biblical gospels
contain anything of value related to the historical Jesus. None of the
texts noted, actually affirm that Jesus was married. The text of Philip
that mentions the kiss on the lips actually has a blank in the original
text at the point where it describes where Mary was kissed. It therefore
could have been a kiss on the lips or the cheek – this could refer to a
kiss of fellowship. The term “companion” should be interpreted to refer
to the spiritual relationship that Jesus had with all of this disciples,
including the women who followed him and ministered to him.
None of the early church Fathers even suggest that Jesus was married in
their voluminous writings. There simply is no factual historical
evidence to support the theory that Jesus was married or that he had
children. Dan Brown has simply used information from Gnostic writings to
fit with his conspiracy theory, and as he states himself in his book,
“everybody loves a good conspiracy”.
The real question is, should Christians see the movie? As someone who
hardly ever attends a movie, I won’t be going to see it. Christians who
desire to see it, should be forewarned and forearmed with the truth and
should use the opportunity to witness to friends and unsaved family
members alike.
The Da Vinci Code will be the springboard for many Christians to have
effective conversations with unbelievers. Be knowledgeable and pray that
God will use believers worldwide to contend for the truth. Many people
are hungry for spiritual truth, and they need ‘the Truth’, not some
hocus pocus conspiracy theory based on false conclusions.
“Love – and the unity it attests to – is the mark that Christ gave
Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world
know that Christians are indeed Christians and Jesus was sent by the
Father”
Francis Schaeffer
APOLOGETICS
The word that is used in Christian circles to describe the defense of
the faith is the word, “apologetics”. Apologetics means to defend, to
give an answer to, to make reply to. Paul uses the word in 2 Timothy
4:16, “at my first defense…” (apologia).
Apologetics has to do primarily with defending the divine origin and
authority of the Christian faith. It is therefore crucial that all
Christians have an apologetic. This what Peter referred to in 1 Peter
3:15, “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you have.”
Every statement you make about Christianity must be substantiated. You
cannot and should not make any statement about what you believe, and
then have no reason or means to defend what you say.
Apologetics is concerned with defining what you believe. It is vital
that Christians affirm both the primacy of the mind and the primacy of
the heart. The mind has to do with order and the heart with importance.
Is it possible to love truly but have no comprehension in the mind? Man
is created so that his heart follows his head. Schizophrenia might be
defined as those who neglect the rational explanation offered by the
mind and thus don’t act upon that explanation in the heart.
There are countless Christians like this. They argue: heart first and
then mind. A cold heart can understand truth about God and not act upon
it. A mind can be objective about God but have no zeal for God in the
heart. Both are wrong. For the heart to love God more, requires an
increase in understanding of who God is!
The more we know about God the more we can love Him. The less we know
about God, the less we love God in proportion. This is why Peter says,
“but grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…”
(2 Peter 3:18). Failure to do this means that when you are questioned
about your faith, you will resort to your experience to defend your
faith, and experience is no guarantee of the truth or the truthfulness
of your faith.
It is remarkable that Christians use their experience as the ground of
their relationship with God, rather than the truth that God has stated
about that relationship. Simply put, this means we must know our Bibles.
We must know the truth. We must love the truth. Loving and knowing will
produce biblical obedience. Loving and knowing will provide the ability
to defend the truth. Jesus said that “the truth would set us free” (John
8:32), but the truth is defined as His teaching (vs.31), which implies
knowledge. Knowledge of the truth is verily, knowing Christ. He is truth
completely, thus “the Son shall set you free” (vs.36). To truly know the
Lord is to truly love the Lord.
There are Christians who are afraid of a Christian intellectualism. This
is probably due to a poor understanding of truth. Mere intellectualism
is to be discarded if that is what we aim for. But the use of the mind
and heart is of the very essence of Christian intellectual thought.
Jesus makes use of an extended and rigorous application of truth in His
high priestly prayer in John 17. Over and over again our Lord refers to
“your word”, or “the words”. In John 17:17 Christ petitions that his
disciples be sanctified by the truth (i.e. be made holy), and then
equates God’s word as truth, “your word is truth.”
The world cannot comprehend the Word of God in this sense, for Jesus
says, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them…” (John
17:14). If you identify yourself with the Word of God expect some heat
from the world. They killed the Lord of glory because of it. But let us
not forget that the acceptance of the truth is linked to faith, but it
is not faith itself. Faith is the saving instrumentality through which
we believe, and faith is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). It is through
faith that we receive the truth, believe the truth and know the truth.
We cannot know the Word of God apart from the direct work of the Holy
Spirit giving us wisdom to understand.
Have you been set free? Are you able, now that you are free, to defend
your faith, that faith that God has given to you? The real question is,
however; will you have an answer (apologia) for the hope you say you
have, and will you give to everyone who asks, the reason why you have
such a hope?
“God’s truth always agrees with itself”
Richard Sibbes (Puritan)
PRACTICAL MATTERS
Don’t Hang Ten
Being a Christian is a daily experience. The demand and delight of
living for the Glory of God, of being obedient and loving to the Lord
can sometimes be difficult. Every true Christian knows the experience of
the demand placed upon him or her, and also the delight of being a
Christian. Many Christians would separate these two experiences.
Yet it seems to me that the Bible is full of individuals who went
through both experiences together. In fact, it could be said that the
demand ends in delight or is mingled with delight. Psalm 19 is a supreme
example of enjoying the Law of God. The Law of the Lord encompasses not
only the Mosaic Law, but also the whole Word of God. Duty, which can be
very demanding, is expressed in delight by David in Psalm 19. God’s Word
was meat to David’s soul. He describes the wonder of God’s Word as being
“more precious than gold, than much pure gold: they are sweeter than
honey, than honey from the comb” (Ps. 19:10).
Demand can be burdensome and heavy to bear. Since we are frail sinners
saved only by grace, it is grace only that keeps us near to God. Paul
says to the Romans in Romans 5:2, that “we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand.” We now stand in grace and by
grace, and grace comes from the Lord. It does not come from us. You
cannot conjure up grace. We live by faith through God’s grace given to
us. God gives us grace continually. He supplies that which we cannot
supply ourselves, and he supplies exactly that which we need, even
though we are unaware of it.
When the demands of life become to heavy to handle we tend to become
more aggressive and upset with life. God would have us be quiet. God
would have us be still, so that we can hear His voice whispering to us
in comfort. We must realize that the demands of being a Christian never
leave us. We are like soldiers conscripted into service in the Lord’s
army. As the Captain of our salvation, he looks to His soldiers to do
His bidding. He is a perfect captain, and his followers love Him. He
demands allegiance, and because we know Him, we give it. Sometimes we
give it grudgingly, but the Lord will always bring us to the place where
we must give it, and we must give it willingly, and we do. The Lord is
the only one able to turn our rebellious spirit into a yielded captive.
Captured hearts are hearts willing to follow their heart’s Desire;
namely: our Lord Jesus Christ. When you experience the rigors and
demands of life, then give them immediately to the Lord and wait for His
leading and direction.
Delight is the privilege of the Christian. We rejoice when we delight in
something. Delight stirs up the soul, stirs up the affections, and
prompts a response. Delight turns to action. In Psalm 19:11, David
expresses this very thought. He acknowledges that God’s Word was a
warning to him, and because he delighted so much in God and in His Word,
he was prompted to obey the Lord. He says that, “in keeping them (the
Law, Word) there is great reward.” The reward is experienced in life. He
knows the pleasure of God. He delights in God. He rejoices in God.
As you go through the daily grind of life, think about the demands of
God and the delight in God. Thank God for His demands upon you (they are
for your soul’s good), and then delight to do His will. If we trust in
the Lord with all our hearts, and do not lean on our own understanding,
but in all our ways acknowledge Him, then He will make our paths
straight (Prov. 3:5, 6). Pick those feet up!
“Prayer that is faithless is fruitless”
Thomas Watson (Puritan)
CURRENT ISSUES
Brown & Da Vinci – No Mona Lisa
Dan Brown makes such a strong case in his bestseller, The Da Vinci Code,
that you would think he has told you the truth. This is what always
happens when a fictional novel claims some historical basis. Most
readers always assume that an author has done his or her homework and
the facts stated therefore must be true. This is a dangerous assumption
to make.
The Da Vinci Code weaves speculation with confident assertion, and thus
beguiles the reader.
Here is a list of other errors in the book. I have used this list from
Garry Williams’ book, The Da Vinci Code - From Dan Brown's Fiction to
Mary Magdalene's Faith. (I have also read Brown’s Da Vinci Code in order
to try and know what Brown was saying and what all the fuss was about –
among other things it is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller that
weaves its way between fiction and non-fiction making wrong
interpretations and promoting theological error as slick as the oil
flowing in your vehicle’s engine – at least I hope it’s slick – be
careful if you want to read it).
1. Brown claims that "The Nag Hammadi and Dead Sea scrolls...(are) the
earliest Christian records," but the Dead Sea scrolls do not mention
Jesus even once. Nor do they make any reference to Christianity.
2. Brown argues that the divinity of Jesus was established at the
Council of Nicaea by 'a relatively close vote', but the actual vote was
248 to 2 in favor of Jesus deity. Not so close.
3. Brown claims that Pope Clement V burned Templars at the stake "and
tossed them unceremoniously into the Tiber River," which is in Rome, but
Clement was Pope from 1305-14 and lived in Avignon, France - he never
went to Rome.
4. Brown says that the 'nuns' of the Confraternity of the Immaculate
Conception gave instructions for the Madonna of the Rocks painting, but
there were no nuns in the order - it was a group of men only.
5. Brown says that the documents in the Paris Bibliothèque Nationale
which tell of the Priory of Sion, and the Dossier Secrets, 'had been
authenticated by many specialists', but they are a hoax. This was
exposed some years ago by French journalist Jean-Luc Chaumeil. He
published books on the subject, and even the BBC put out a documentary
outlining the hoax in that they were fakes.
In the Da Vinci Code you will come across the phrase, “The Sacred
Feminine, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei”. The Sacred Feminine concerns
itself with an act by the early church to undermine women and promote
men. In other words, they claim that the New Testament has distorted the
value and role of women. The reality is however, that the Church is the
one institution on earth that has made every effort to change the plight
of women and true womanhood is espoused in the Bible and is held up as
normal. The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, to which the book refers, records
Jesus as wanting to transform Mary Magdalene into a man to make her
acceptable to enter heaven. So much for concern about the feminine.
Dan Brown begins the Da
Vinci Code with a page labeled "Fact," in which he describes the Priory
of Sion as being "a European secret society founded in 1099…a real
organization". Brown focuses much on this Priory. The Priory, however
was a club created in 1953 by Pierre Plantard, who later testified under
oath that he had fabricated the entire hoax. The actual society existed
only in the novel and in the mind of the late Pierre Plantard.
Brown is also incorrect
with respect to his reference regarding Opus Dei. Opus Dei is a Catholic
organization founded by Josemaria Escriva' de Balaguer in 1928. It has
about eighty thousand members worldwide made up of priests and
laypersons.
Escriva, himself promoted
the idea that pain was important as a spiritual virtue and wealth was
necessary. This has led many to be concerned about the ideals of the
organization. Dan Brown however, portrays Opus Dei as a monastic order,
but it does not have monks, and its membership is lay comprised.
A very good article has
been written by N.T. Wright, the Anglican Bishop of Durham on the Da
Vinci Code. I recommend that you read it if you can. I don’t agree with
everything that Mr. Wright argues for, especially in his studies on
Paul, nevertheless, he is an excellent scholar. Here is the website
address:
http://www.spu.edu/depts/uc/response/summer2k5/features/davincicode.asp
No – Dan Brown has not painted us a beautiful Mona Lisa which in the
book is an anagram for Amon (the Egyptian god of the air, not fertility
as Brown asserts) and L’isa (Isis). The consort for Amon was not Isis,
but Mut, and the consort for Isis was Osiris. Nowhere is Isis ever made
into or derived from L’isa.
Dan Brown’s intention is
to sell the idea that Leonardo da Vinci intended the Mona Lisa to be
androgynous (having both male and female characteristics), and that this
depiction reflected da Vinci’s own homosexual tendencies.
There are many other
errors in the book. There will be more examination of Dan Brown’s book,
and with the movie shortly to be released, interest will be heightened
all the more and it is hoped that good scholarship will react. How will
we ever be able to look again at the Mona Lisa without thinking about
Dan Brown? Not a pretty picture anymore. Associations are very powerful.
BIBLE COMMENTARY
Scripture
Mark 1:9 - 11
Key Verse
"And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am
well pleased.” -- Mark 1:11
Theme
Prepared for Ministry - The Baptism of Jesus
Exposition
These verses are concerned with the baptism of Jesus. Mark deals with
the baptism of Jesus briefly. He does not mention the objection raised
by John the Baptist when Jesus came to be baptized (cf: Matt. 3:13 -
17).
Jesus came to be baptized in the midst of the popularity of John the
Baptist. Scores of people were going to John to be baptized by him. This
baptism was not believer’s baptism, but was a baptism unto repentance.
Jesus, however, had nothing to repent of, since he was sinless,
nevertheless, his baptism marked his approval by God to his ministry. It
may carry the idea inherent in it that he would bear our sins, and in
this sense he presents himself as our sin bearer, but this may be
reading far too much into the passage.
Jesus, was of course our sin bearer – the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world. What is very significant about this passage
though, is the approval of God the Father seen in the voice from heaven
and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove upon him.
This is a reference to the Trinity in its simplest form. The triadic or
ternary form is contained in the passage – God, Jesus and Spirit. We see
the unity of the Trinity – the love of the Father for the Son; the
anointing of the Spirit strengthening our Lord for his ministry ahead,
and shortly for his temptation in the wilderness.
Application
In this passage we see the love of God and the comfort of the Holy
Spirit, not to mention the obedience and submission of the Son. Jesus
reveals the Father to us, the God who is rich in mercy because of His
great love for us. Jesus has given the Holy Spirit to every believer for
comfort, for help, for instruction, and for conviction. The love of God
has been shed abroad in our hearts, and the power that raised Jesus from
the dead is ours and it is this power that enables us to live lives that
please God.
The Triune God is actively involved in our salvation and our daily
living.
“The Bible has destroyed more critical theories and humbled more
critics than they would have you believe”
Carl Henry
FAMILY CORNER
A Word Search from the Gospel of Matthew
Find all of these words in the letters below
Bethlehem
King Herod
Magi
Twelve Disciples
Nazareth
Jesus
Beatitudes
The Narrow Way
John the Baptist
Parables
Transfiguration
Gethsemane
Jerusalem
Walking on Water
Seven Woes
Prepared by Kaitlin Atmore
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