the davinci deception

26 Pages·2005·0.15 MB·English

DA VINCI DECEPTION
THE
ERWIN W. LUTZER
TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC., CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS
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First printing of Living Books edition February 2006
The Da Vinci Deception
Copyright © 2004, 2006 by Erwin Lutzer. All rights reserved.
Author photo copyright © by Jim Whitmer Photography. All rights
reserved.
Designed by Luke Daab
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from
theHoly Bible,New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from theNew American
Standard Bible,© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from theHoly Bible,King
James Version.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4143-0633-9
ISBN-10: 1-4143-0633-4
Printed in the United States of America
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ONE
CHRISTIANITY, A POLITICIAN, AND A CREED
W
ehavegoodreasontobeskepticalwhenapoliti-
cianembracesreligion—especiallyifreligionhelps
him achieve his political ambitions.
ConsidertheemperorConstantine,whoinThe
DaVinciCodeissaidtohaveinventedthedeityof
Christinordertoconsolidatehispower.And,we’re
told,healsoeliminatedthosebooksfromtheNew
Testamentthatdidnotsuithispoliticalagenda.
InTheDaVinciCode,Brownassertsthatbyde-
claringthedeityofChrist,Constantinesolidified
hisruleandearnedtherighttodeclarethosewho
disagreedwithhimasheretics.Theemperorcon-
venedtheCouncilofNicaeainAD325toratifythis
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ERWINW.LUTZER
new doctrine that would give him the clout he
craved.SirLeighTeabing,theHolyGrailenthusi-
ast,explainstoSophiethatatthecouncilthedele-
gatesagreedonthedivinityofJesus.Thenheadds,
“Untilthatmomentinhistory,Jesuswasviewedby
Hisfollowersasamortalprophet...agreatand
powerfulman,butamannonetheless.Amortal.”
SoConstantine“upgradedJesus’statusalmost
threecenturiesafterJesus’death”forpoliticalrea-
sons.1Intheprocess,hesecuredmaledominance
andthesuppressionofwomen.Byforcingothers
toaccepthisviews,theemperordemonstratedhis
powerandwasfreetokillallwhoopposedhim.
ThesecondallegationinthenovelisthatCon-
stantinerejectedothergospelsthatwerefavorable
to the divine feminine. To quote Teabing again,
“Morethaneightygospelswereconsideredforthe
New Testament, and yet only a relative few were
chosenforinclusion—Matthew,Mark,Luke,and
Johnamongthem....TheBible,asweknowitto-
day, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor
ConstantinetheGreat.”2
Inotherwords,Constantinerecognizedagood
dealwhenhesawitandthereforecalledthecoun-
ciltoensuremalepowerandacceptthosecanoni-
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CHRISTIANITY,APOLITICIAN,ANDACREED
caldocumentsthatwerefavorabletohispolitical
agenda. In the novel, Langdon says, “The Priory
believesthatConstantineandhismalesuccessors
successfullyconvertedtheworldfrommatriarchal
paganismtopatriarchalChristianitybywaginga
campaign of propagandathat demonized the sa-
credfeminine,obliteratingthegoddessfrommod-
ernreligionforever.”3Withthisaccomplishment,
thecourseofchurchhistorywassolidifiedaccord-
ingtoConstantine’sliking.“Rememberitwasall
aboutpower,”wearetold.
Let’s begin to investigate these claims. In this
chapterwe’llseparatefactfromfiction,lookinto
the ancient records, and discover exactly what
Constantinedidanddidn’tdo.
Churchhistoriansagreethatnexttotheevents
intheNewTestament,themostimportantevent
inthehistoryofChristianityistheconversionof
EmperorConstantinetoChristianityinAD312.In
brief, here’s the story: Constantine’s troops were
positioned at the Milvian Bridge just outside of
Rome,wheretheywerepreparingtooverthrowthe
RomanemperorMaxentius.Avictorywould,inef-
fect, make Constantine the sole ruler of the em-
pire.Butthenightbeforethebattle,Constantine
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ERWINW.LUTZER
sawavisionthatchangedhislifeandthehistoryof
thechurch.
InthewordsofEusebiusofCaesarea,whowas
bothahistorianandaconfidantofConstantine,
theemperorwasprayingtoapagangodwhen“he
sawwithhisowneyesthetrophyofacrossinthe
lightoftheheavens,abovethesunandaninscrip-
tion,ConquerByThis attachedtoit....Theninhis
sleeptheChristofGodappearedtohimwiththe
signwhichhehadseenintheheavens,andcom-
mandedhimtomakealikenessofthissignwhich
hehadseenintheheavens,andtouseitasasafe-
guardinallengagementswithhisenemies.”4
To make a long story short, Constantine
crossedoverthebridgeandwonthebattle,fight-
ingunderthebanneroftheChristiancross.Later
heissuedtheEdictofMilan,decreeingthatChris-
tianswerenolongertobepersecuted.Andnow,al-
though a politician, he took leadership in the
doctrinaldisputesthatweredisruptingtheunity
inhisempire.
Let’s travel back to Nicaea (modern-day Iznik
in Turkey, about 125 miles from modern-day
Istanbul)tofindoutwhathappenedthere1,700
yearsago.
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CHRISTIANITY,APOLITICIAN,ANDACREED
WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL
Those of us reared in a country where religion is
largely private and where diversity is gladly toler-
ated might find it difficult to believe that in the
earlyfourthcentury,doctrinaldisputesweretear-
ingConstantine’sempireapart.Itissaidthatifyou
boughtaloafofbreadinthemarketplaceofCon-
stantinople, you might be asked whether you be-
lievethatGodtheSonwasbegottenorunbegotten
andifyouaskedaboutthequalityofthebreadyou
mightbetoldthattheFatherisgreaterandtheSon
isless.
Addingfueltothesedisagreementswasaman
namedArius,whowasgainingawidefollowingby
teachingthatChristwasnotfullyGodbutacre-
ated god of sorts. He believed that Christ was
morethanamanbutlessthanGod.Ariuswasa
greatcommunicator,andbecauseheputhisdoc-
trinalideasintomusicaljingles,hisideasbecame
widelyaccepted. Although manychurch bishops
declared him a heretic, the disputes nonetheless
continued.Constantinecalledthefirstecumeni-
calcouncilatNicaea,hopingtosuppressdissent
andunify Christianity.In fact, the emperor even
paidtheexpensesofthebishopswhogathered.
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ERWINW.LUTZER
Constantinedidnotcareaboutthefinerpoints
of theology, so practically any creed would have
satisfied him—as long as it would unify his sub-
jects.Asone historianhassaid,“Christianitybe-
came both a way to God and a way to unite the
empire.”5Hegavetheopeningspeechhimself,tell-
ing the delegates that doctrinal disunity was
worsethanwar.
Thisintrusionofapoliticianintothedoctrines
and procedures of the church was resented by
some of the delegates, but welcomed by others.
Forthosewhohadgonethroughaperiodofbitter
persecution,thisconference,carriedonunderthe
imperialbanner,washeavenonearth.
THE GREAT DEBATE
MorethanthreehundredbishopsmetatNicaea
to settle disputes about Christology—that is, the
doctrine of Christ. When Constantine finished
his opening speech, the proceedings began.
Overwhelmingly, the council declared Arius a
heretic. Though Arius was given an opportunity
todefendhisviews,thedelegatesrecognizedthat
ifChristwasnotfullyGod,thenGodwasnotthe
Redeemerofmankind.TosaythatChristwascre-
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CHRISTIANITY,APOLITICIAN,ANDACREED
ated was to deny the clear teaching of Scripture:
“For by him all things were created: things in
heavenandonearth,visibleandinvisible,whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all
things were created by him and for him”
(Colossians1:16).Clearly,ifhecreatedallthings,
he most assuredly could not have been created
himself! To this passage many others that teach
thedeityofChristwereadded,bothfromtheGos-
pels and the Epistles (John 1:1; Romans 9:5;
Hebrews1:8;etc.).
Affirming the divinity of Jesus, the delegates
turnedtheirattentiontothequestionofhowhe
relatedtotheFather.Eusebiusthehistorianpre-
sentedhisview,claimingthatJesushadanature
thatwassimilartothatofGodtheFather.
Present, but not invited to the actual proceed-
ings,wasthetheologianAthanasius,whobelieved
thateventosaythatChristissimilartoGodtheFa-
ther is to miss the full biblical teaching about
Christ’s divinity. His argument that Christ could
onlybeGodinthefullestsenseifhisnaturewasthe
sameasthatoftheFatherwasexpressedbyhisrep-
resentative,Marcellus,abishopfromAsiaMinorin
the proceedings. Constantine, seeing that the
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ERWINW.LUTZER
debate was going in Athanasius’s favor, accepted
the suggestion of a scholarly bishop and advised
the delegates to use the Greek word homoousion,
whichmeans“oneandthesame.”Inotherwords,
JesushadtheverysamenatureastheFather.
Thecouncilagreed, andtodaywehavethe fa-
mous Nicene Creed. As anyone who has ever
quotedthecreedknows,JesusChristisdeclaredto
be“LightofLight,veryGodofveryGod;begotten,
notmade,beingofonesubstancewiththeFather,by
whomallthingsweremade”(italicsadded).There
can be no question that the delegates affirmed
thatChristwasdeityinthefullestsense.
Why should we be interested in this debate?
Some critics have been amused that the Council
ofNicaeasplitoverone“iota.”Thedifferencebe-
tweentheGreekwordsforsimilarandsameisbut
oneletterofthealphabet:theletteri.Someargue
thatit’sjustliketheologianstosplithairs,arguing
overminutiaethathavelittletodowiththereal
world.Howmuchbettertohelpthepoororgetin-
volvedinthepoliticsoftheday!
But William E. Hordern tells a story that illus-
trateshowasingleletterorcommacanchangethe
meaningofamessage.Backinthedayswhenmes-
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