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WHAT IS THE REAL TRUTH?

Introduction

Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code has been on the N.Y. Times Best Seller list for over three years now. It is ranked #1 on the paperback fiction list and the book has earned the author over $425 million dollars. And now the movie based on the book is due to be released on May 19^th.

Although many Christians are solid enough in their faith to not be deceived by Dan Brown’s lies and half-truths, there are many others who are being deceived and are now questioning their faith.

Also, there are many unbelievers who are buying into Dan Brown’s mockery of the Bible and Christianity.

Titus 1:9 says it is the responsibility of a Pastor to use sound doctrine to exhort and convince the gainsayers (i.e. those who contradict or oppose). Since this is my Scriptural duty, God impressed upon me to take issue with Dan Brown’s book, because The Da Vinci Code contradicts many of the tenets of Biblical Christianity.

In his book, Dan Brown tells his readers: “…Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.” (p. 235)

When asked by Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today Show how much of The Da Vinci Code is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred, Brown answered, “Absolutely all of it.”

The New York Daily News said: “His research is impeccable.”

However, at the conclusion of the recent lawsuit charging Brown with plagiarism, British High Court judge Peter Smith chided Dan Brown for not being entirely forthcoming about his sources. Smith ruled, “His failure to address these points shows, once again, that the reality of his research is superficial.” 

Despite Dan Brown’s claim that: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate,” he makes numerous blunders and misleading statements.

Adolph Hitler’s minister of propaganda, Joseph Gobbels, said, “If you tell a lie often enough, people will believe it.” So it is inherent, I feel, to show Dan Brown to be a liar and deceiver.

Last week we uncovered some of those lies and errors in Brown’s book regarding the Divinity of Christ. Brown calls the Gospels into question because of what is found in the Gnostic gospels.

(i.e. He would have us to consider “another gospel.”)

I.         NOTICE SIX THINGS ABOUT THIS FROM OUR TEXT: (Galatians 1:6-12)

            A.        The Formation of This “Other Gospel.” (Vs. 6a)

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ”

Satan has always had his “other gospels” since the Garden of Eden.

                        But they are removed from the Gospel of God!

            B.        The Diversion of This “Other Gospel.” (Vs. 6b-7a)

                        “. . .unto another gospel. Which is not another” (i.e. another in kind.)

What they were being turned to was something other than the Grace of Jesus Christ. But it is not “another gospel” (i.e. good news), no matter what they call it!

            C.        The Perversion of This “Other Gospel.” (Vs. 7a)

“Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.”

                        Literally, they were turning the away from grace and going back to the law!

            D.        The Creation of This “Other Gospel.” (Vs 8-9)

                        It could be from a preacher, an angel or just a man.

            E.        The Summation of This “Other Gospel.” (Vs. 8-9)

                        Paul said let them be “accursed.” That’s pretty strong language, don’t you think?

            F.        The Revelation Of The Real Gospel. (Vs 10-12)

                        It didn’t come from man, but it came by the Revelation of Christ!

I say all of this to point out that we should not be surprised that there are these so called “lost gospels” or Gnostic gospels out there!

II.       WHO WERE THE GNOSTICS?

Gnosticism had its roots back even in Paul’s day. The book of Colossians addressed their error though he did not use the term “Gnostic.”

The Gnostics were mostly 2nd and 3rd century groups of so-called “Christians” that believed they had received unique insight that was above any other spiritual writings.

            The Gnostics revelations provided them with special knowledge (gnosis) about God.

            In other words they didn’t accept the final authority of the Scripture!

Did you know that there are Gnostics still around today?

            Many of them are in our Churches! Some of them are here today!

I’m talking about folks that when you tell them what the Bible says and they don’t want to go by it, they just give you their own special knowledge as if that supercedes the Bible. (They think they have “Special Knowledge” in the areas of Salvation, Church Attendance, Tithing, Witnessing, Godly Living. . ., we could go on!)

The early Church leader Irenaeus, in his book “Against Heresies,” called the Gnostics, “. . .those who draw away many under a pretense of knowledge.”

            This is exactly what Galatians 1:6-12 warns against! And it’s still happening today!

III.      WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS?

            There Are 4 Major Issues With The Gnostic Gospels:

            A.        The Issue of Simplicity.

                        The Gnostic “gospels” make Christianity very complicated to follow.

2 Corinthians 11:3–“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

            B.        The Issue of Secrets.

                        These so called “gospels” are riddled with riddles and sandwiched with secrets!

            C.        The Issue of Substance.

                        The Biblical material to work with is lacking!

Matthew, Mark and Luke are known as “The Synoptic Gospels” which means - “to draw from others in order to compose one conclusion.”

With the Gnostic Gospels this is impossible to do!!!

            D.        The Issue of Scholarship.

This “new scholarship” is nothing more than some folks trying to rewrite history!

Both secular and religious historians put very little confidence in these ancient writings.

All of these Gnostic “gospels” were written at least 225 years after the life of Christ.

In legal terms; this places all Gnostic gospels outside of the “Ancient Writings Rule”.

The “Ancient Writings Rule” says that an ancient document, in order to hold up under legal scrutiny has to have been written within 70 years of the event.

                        The bottom line is that Dan Brown implies that the Bible cannot be trusted.

IV.      SO, CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE? IS IT RELIABLE?

            A.         Is The Bible The Product Of Man Or Of God?

                        (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

            B.        Was The Bible Compiled By Constantine?

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), were agreed upon by the end of the second century. That is 125 years before the Council of Nicaea.

C.        What Were The Rules For Determining The Inclusion Of A Book Into The Canon Of Scripture?

                        There are five of them:

                        1.      Was the book written or backed by a prophet or apostle of God?

This is the single most important test. The reasoning here is that the Word of God which is inspired by the Spirit of God for the people of God must be communicated through a man of God.

                        2.      Is the book authoritative?

                                    Did the book ring with the sense of, "Thus saith the Lord"?

                        3.      Is the book in general agreement with previous revelation?

(i.e. No contradictions) The Bereans searched the Scriptures to see whether Paul's teaching was true. (Acts 17:11)

                                    Agreement with all earlier revelation is essential. (Galatians 1:8)

                        4.      Does the book give evidence of having the power of God?

The reasoning here is that any writing that does not exhibit the transforming power of God in the lives of its readers could not have come from God.

1 Thessalonians 2:13–“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

Hebrews 4:12–“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

                        5.      Was the book generally accepted by the people of God?

                                    Paul's letters were circulated among the Churches.

Colossians 4:16–“And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.”

1 Thessalonians 5:27–“I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.”

             D.     Did Constantine Embellish The Gospels? (p. 234)

            God has promised to protect and preserve His Word.

Psalms 12:6-7–“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

                        It is a supernatural Book!

We know our Bible has not been “embellished” because of the number of ancient copies that are available to us. There are 24,000 copies of ancient New Testament manuscripts. These all agree 95% of the time.

The abundance of manuscripts and agreement amongst them assures us of their accuracy to the originals.

            E.     Is the New Testament false in it’s testimony and based on fabrications?

(Luke 1:1-4; 1 John 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:4-8)

2 Peter 1:16–“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Most New Testament scholars agree that the 27 books of the N.T. were written by eyewitnesses or based on eyewitness testimony by someone who knew an eyewitness between 40-95 A.D.

Conclusion

So why are people so intent on believing a lie and rejecting the truth of the Bible?

Because the Bible makes claims on our lives!

Most books (including The Da Vinci Code) can be an enjoyable read, but in the end they make no request of us. They don’t ask us to change our lives.

The Bible, on other hand, makes some huge claims.

            It makes claims on Who God really is.

            It makes claims on the only way someone can find God.

            It makes claims on how we should live our lives.

            It makes claims on what we should believe.

            It makes claims on how we should spend our money.

            It makes claims on what our goals in life should be.

And not only does it make claims, but many of those claims require us to do a radical reevaluation and readjustment of our lives. Those are not things that everyone wants to do!

Therefore, many people look for reasons to reject the Bible. If it’s not true, then its claims are invalid. But it is true, despite the attacks of deceptive critics such as Dan Brown!

The question for you is, “Will you believe the Bible and accept its claims on your life?

Or are you going to believe the lies of the devil and his followers?

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!