DaVinci Potpourri

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DaVinci Potpourri

• Meaningful Questions that Transcend the Novel

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Bible Word of God, or Man?

• The Bible did not arrive by fax from heaven The
  Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not 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.
• Where is the false dichotomy here?

3
Bible Word of God, or Man?

• Islam Quran is word of God (Allah) dictated
  directly to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel
  Mohammed wrote word for word what the angel
  dictated
• Mormonism Book of Mormon was presented to Joseph
  Smith in golden tablets (writings of earlier
  prophet Mormon), and he translated them into
  English with angelic guidance
• How does the Bible differ from this?

4
Bible Word of God, or Man?

• DaVinci Code makes a false dichotomy
• If the Bible is Gods Word, it must have come
  directly from God (by fax or its equivalent)
• If the Bible is written by men, for example as a
  historical record, it cant be Gods Word
• If the Bible has more than one writer, it cant
  be Gods Word
• Do you see the logic?
• Whats wrong with that logic?

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What does the Bible say about itself?

• 2 Tim 316 All Scripture is breathed out by God
• Some passages are dictated (esp. Old Testament
  prophets Thus says the Lord)
• Those that are not directly dictated are also
  God-breathed!
• 2 Pe 121 For no prophecy of Scripture was
  ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke
  from God as they were carried along by the Holy
  Spirit.
• What does that mean?

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Word of God and Word of Man

• Gods Word did not always come to human writers
  by fax or its equivalent
• Gods Word came in time and space (just like
  Jesus did!)
• Gods Word came through human writers, using
  God-given gifts
• Lk 13 having followed all things closely for
  some time past
• 1 Chr. 1-9 genealogy from Adam to return from
  Exile think of the research (without the
  Internet!)
• What are the implications?

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Word of God and Word of Man

• Gods Word is not abstract, unrelated to history
• It is given to people at times and places in
  history
• History is meaningful
• Our moment in history has eternal significance as
  we await historys end
• He 11-2 Long ago, at many times and in many
  ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his
  Son
• 2 Pe 311 Since all these things are thus to be
  dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in
  lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and
  hastening the coming of the day of God....

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Bible and History

• DaVinci Code History is the enemy of the Bible
• The more you know about history, the less
  believable the Bible becomes
• The opposite is true
• Careful study of history confirms biblical
  history
• Careful study of history helps us understand
  Bible
• Bible maps
• Gen 16 Whats going on with Sara giving Hagar to
  Abraham?
• Read Bible in historical context (e.g. no
  Internet for research!)
• Jesus is God Incarnate in space and time
• Bible is Gods Word into history

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Theme 2 Divine Feminine

• Reading DaVinci Code in our historical context
  explains why it is such a hit
• Oddly enough, the main intelligent characters are
  male
• But feminism likes a divine feminine
  Sophia-worship, goddesses, etc.
• Our culture reacts strongly to Archie
  Bunker-style male chauvinism with Susan
  Estrich-style feminism
• Irony feminism values feminine mothering
  characteristics, but devalues motherhood itself

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Divine Feminine

• DaVinci Code claims
• Early religions worshipped the divine feminine,
  which Constantine and the church attempted to
  crush
• Jesus was an advocate of the divine feminine
• To this day the church demonizes and represses
  women
• Does history confirm that?

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Women Gnosticism vs. Bible

• Gospel of Thomas (Gnostic)
• Simon Peter said to them, 'Let Mary leave us, for
  women are not worthy of life.' Jesus said, 'I
  myself shall lead her in order to make her male,
  so that she too may become a living spirit
  resembling you males. For every woman who will
  make herself male will enter the kingdom of
  heaven.
• Bible
• There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
  slave nor free, there is neither male nor female,
  for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal 328)
• Women, which do you prefer?

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Women in the Bible

• The Bible teaches male oversight in the church,
  and male headship in the home (1 Ti 212 Eph
  522-33)
• No doubt men have abused that in the past!
• Mt 2025-28 1 Pe 51-5 Leadership is service,
  not superiority!
• But women were also key players in the NT
• Mary, mother of Jesus, highly favored (over
  Joseph)
• 3 women first to get news of resurrection (Lk
  241-11)
• Lydia, first convert in Philippi (Ac 1614)
• Priscilla and Aquilla (Ac 18, Corinth)

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Women in History

• In many societies, the arrival of Christianity
  has lifted women
• India Widows cremated with dead husbands child
  brides
• New Hebrides Wives murdered upon husbands
  deaths (John Patton)
• China Bound feet
• Modern West Women as sex objects
• Christianity stands against all those!