The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has sparked much interest and controversy since its publication in 2003. This fictional novel makes many claims about Christianity, Jesus, and the Bible that contradict what Scripture teaches. Here is a biblical look at some of the questions raised by The Da Vinci Code.
Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
The Da Vinci Code claims that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child together. However, the Bible never mentions Jesus being married or having children. As an observant Jew, it is likely Jesus would have been married, as Jewish custom encouraged marriage. However, his unusual lifestyle and commitment to ministry made marriage unlikely (Matthew 19:10-12). The Bible and other ancient sources never refer to Mary Magdalene as Jesus’ wife. She is instead portrayed as a devoted disciple who supported Jesus’ ministry (Luke 8:1-3). There is no credible historical evidence that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.
Was Jesus viewed as divine starting in the 4th century?
The Da Vinci Code states that Jesus was not considered divine until the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. However, the Bible clearly teaches Jesus’ divinity. Jesus referred to himself with God’s personal name “I AM” (John 8:58), he forgave sins (Mark 2:5-7), received worship (Matthew 14:33), and claimed oneness with the Father (John 10:30). The first Christians worshiped Jesus as God (Philippians 2:6-11) and Paul refers to him as “great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). References to Jesus’ divinity date back to the first century AD, not the fourth century.
Was Emperor Constantine behind the Bible and Christian doctrines?
The novel claims that Emperor Constantine commissioned and compiled the Bible in order to impose his Christian beliefs on the Roman Empire. In reality, the Bible was written centuries before Constantine. Its books were composed independently over 1500 years by dozens of authors on three continents. The canonical Gospels date to the first century, Paul’s letters were written AD 48-60, and John’s writings AD 80-90. Christianity and core doctrines like Jesus’ divinity predate Constantine, who legalized Christianity AD 313 but did not dictate its beliefs.
Did Constantine alter Jesus’ identity to deify him?
According to The Da Vinci Code, Constantine and the Council of Nicaea reinvented Jesus as a divine figurehead for their own political ends. But as already shown, the New Testament manuscripts that affirm Jesus’ divinity significantly predate Constantine and the Council of Nicaea. The earliest Christian creeds like the Old Roman Symbol (AD 140) affirm central tenets like the Trinity. The Council of Nicaea did not establish these beliefs but codified views already held by the early church centuries before Constantine.
Was the divinity of Jesus invented by pagans and adopted by Christians?
The novel claims Christianity imported its view of Jesus’ divine nature from pagan Roman mystery religions. However, in these mythologies gods physically copulated with women to produce demigod offspring. This sharply contradicts the purity of the virgin birth taught in Christianity, and illustrates vastly different views of God. The early church also rejected any mixture with paganism (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). Belief in Jesus’ divinity was instead rooted in the eyewitnesses accounts recorded in the New Testament and taught by the apostles.
Do secret societies possess secret gospels that contradict the Bible?
A major claim of The Da Vinci Code is that secret societies like the Priory of Sion have guarded suppressed gospels like the Book of Mary Magdalene that reveal hidden truths about Jesus and Mary Magdalene. However, there is no historical evidence these societies or gospels existed. Furthermore, the Gnostic “gospels” discovered in 1945 like the Gospel of Mary contain late legends and do not represent eyewitness accounts like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Only the New Testament gospels have strong evidence for accuracy and authenticity.
Does the Bible portray Mary Magdalene unfairly?
Mary Magdalene is sympathetically depicted in The Da Vinci Code as the rightful leader of early Christianity whose reputation was smeared by the church. But the Bible does not single out Mary Magdalene for condemnation, nor does it unfairly portray women. Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a courageous follower of Jesus, the first witness to his resurrection (John 20:1-18). Women like Mary were the most faithful supporters of Christ’s ministry, in contrast to the apostles who abandoned him.
Is the traditional church a patriarchal conspiracy against the “sacred feminine”?
The novel promotes a feminist narrative that the church has suppressed the “sacred feminine” and Mary Magdalene’s true role in Christianity for patriarchal ends. While unfortunate discrimination against women has occurred, Jesus brought great dignity and equality to women in a patriarchal culture. The eyewitness Gospels present Mary Magdalene and other women as models of courage and faith. The Bible teaches that male and female, while different, were created equal before God (Genesis 1:27, Galatians 3:28).
Does the Priory of Sion protect the secret bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene?
According to The Da Vinci Code, the Priory of Sion is a secret society entrusted with protecting the descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. This group allegedly preserves proof that Jesus was not divine but an ordinary man. However, no evidence indicates this group existed prior to the 1950s as a hoax created by Pierre Plantard. There are also no reliable records or evidence supporting the idea of Jesus having a bloodline. The New Testament presents Jesus’ life accurately, not as a myth or conspiracy.
Does the Holy Grail refer to Mary Magdalene and proof of Jesus’ bloodline?
In the novel, the quest for the Holy Grail is really about finding proof Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and had children, not the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper. However, the Holy Grail of medieval legend more likely originated with stories about Joseph of Arimathea using a vessel to collect Jesus’ blood at his crucifixion. The Grail legend focuses on the cup, not a hidden bloodline. Furthermore, the novel’s extensive speculations about Jesus are unsupported by the far more reliable witness of Scripture.
Do the Dead Sea Scrolls contain hidden gospels about Jesus?
According to The Da Vinci Code, the Dead Sea Scrolls found in Qumran in 1947 contain ancient gospels that reveal hidden truths about Jesus. In reality, these ancient Jewish documents contain no New Testament books or gospels at all. The scrolls largely contain Old Testament texts and other Jewish writings that predated Jesus. They do not contradict or add to the New Testament accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry – the Dead Sea Scrolls simply do not address him.
Was the Emperor Constantine a lifelong pagan?
The novel presents Constantine as a lifelong devotee of pagan religion who feigned Christian belief for political gain. But while Constantine was first indifferent to Christianity, he genuinely converted later in life, risking much by becoming the Roman Empire’s first Christian emperor. He passed edicts to honor Sunday and ceased the persecution of Christians. Eyewitnesses like Eusebius relate his sincere Christian faith. Constantine even requested to be baptized near his death in AD 337, long after he consolidated imperial power.
Is the New Testament reliable or greatly distorted over time?
The Da Vinci Code asserts that Christianity rests on fabricated myths and the New Testament was heavily altered over time. In reality, the text of the New Testament is far better attested than any other ancient writing. Over 5,800 Greek manuscripts affirm its accuracy and reliability. Compared to other ancient texts, there is an abundance of New Testament manuscripts dated very close to the original writings. The vast manuscript evidence confirms that the New Testament we have today accurately conveys its 1st century account of Jesus.
In summary, The Da Vinci Code is a work of intricate fiction – it does not represent fact or secret truths about Christianity. The novel propagates many speculations and conspiracy theories that contradict the historical record and reasonable analysis. Instead, the eyewitness accounts in the New Testament present the fullest and most reliable evidence we have for understanding who Jesus truly was and what he taught.