Day 1

I'd like to take some time each day to equip you to begin discussions that people might have based on several questions. The one I want to build a framework for today is this. Are the Gospels wrong?

The assertion by Mr. Brown is that the all of the Scriptures in the Bible are just wrong. The claim is that 80 different alternate gospels were floating around. According to Dr. Bock, who has a PHD in systematic theology from Oxford, "As a scholar in this area I can say that no biblical scholar I'm aware of has any knowledge of 80 alternate gospels floating around from the 1st century."

Today let's ponder another question that arises in DaVinci Code.

Were Jesus & Mary married? The Bible says that Mary was a devoted follower of Christ, liberated from a terrible torment by Jesus. She was deeply grateful for that and gave the rest of her life to serving him and his cause. She was present at his crucifixion and burial, and was the first person Jesus appeared to following his resurrection. She was charged to bring that good news to the rest of the disciples. She was a remarkable woman, prominently featured in the New Testament.

Check out these references...Lk 8:1-3; Matt 27:55-61; John 20:11-18;

Note what privilege she was given! Jn 20:17-18.

Good sunny morning! What a difference the sun makes! Think about how you can tell others today about the difference the Son makes too!

Today let's consider this question... Can we Trust the Gospels?

It has been stated that Emperor Constantine influenced the texts we know as the Four Gospels. There is no historical proof to support this claim and furthermore, the copies of the gospels that are known that are much earlier than the reign of Constantine (who became a Christian by the way), show no embellishments (changing what was written), so suggested in the book that were Constantine's doings.

But, we need to go beyond this to answer the beginning question. The four gospels were written in the first century. Quoting from an article written by Michael Gieghorn, we read, "We have fairly strong evidence from 2nd century writers suchas Papias (c. 125A.D.) and Irenaeus (c. 180A.D.) for ascribing each gospel to its traditionalauthor.

The Apostle John gives us a summation for his gospel writting. Check it out in John 20:31.

While you are at it, check out what is said about the Scriptures as a whole (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Hey! A sunny morning! Hallelujah! Hope you are prepared to share what Christ is doing in your lives with someone who comes across your path!

Mark D. Roberts writes in his article entitled, "Was Jesus Married? A Careful Look at the Real Evidence," "Most proponents of the marriage of Jesus thesis have an agenda. They are trying to strip Jesus of his uniqueness, and especially his deity."

The novel calls into question this very subject; namely the Deity of Christ. Did the early followers of Jesus really believe that He was just a man?

The earliest written sources about the life and teachings of Jesus are found in the New Testament. These documents affirm repeatedly the deity of Christ.

Check out these sources for today's encouragement. John 1:1-4; Rom 9:5; Phil 2:5-11 & Titus 2:13.

Here is an excerpt from an interview... "The Da Vinci Code movie could help the church do their job. If they put up a sign saying, 'This Wednesday we are discussing the gospel,' 12 people show up. But if a sign says, 'This Wednesday we are discussing The Da Vinci Code, 800 people show up.'"

I'm not sure about the numbers, but as I stated on Sunday, I think this is an opportunity we can either take advantage of, or just let it slip by. I believe that people are interested in hearing about how the movie compares to historical Christianity.

Tom Hanks does have a point: this movie can help us do our job (witnessing). I'm challenging you again to take advantage of the opportunity to engage lost people in learning the truths about their Creator! (Rom 3:21-26, 5:1-11; 1 Cor 15:3-11; Titus 2:11-14)