>Dr. James Kennedy, senior minister of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and president of Coral Ridge Ministries, is presenting a special program about The Da Vinci Code. In this documentary, Dr. Kennedy and biblical scholars examine The Da Vinci Code and rebut several errors found in the book.

Some of the errors, claimed to be fact in the book, contradict the teachings of the New Testament. If these errors were true, they would greatly impact the teachings of Christianity.

Here are two examples of the issues discussed in the documentary:

Error: The book tells readers that “The New Testament is false testimony.”

Rebuttal: The New Testament was sealed with the apostles’ blood. They put their money where their mouths were. The Greek word for “witness” – as in the idea of witnessing to the truth about Jesus – is “martyro,” from whence we get the word martyr. Why? Because so many witnesses to Jesus, e.g., the apostles, were killed for testifying about what they themselves saw. Brown glibly ignores this history and, instead, exalts the questionable writings of second-, third-, and fourth-century Gnostic Christians, who were sexual libertines for the most part. (Other Gnostics were strict legalists.)

Error: In “The Last Supper,” Leonardo da Vinci allegedly painted Mary Magdalene seated next to Jesus.

Rebuttal: One of Dan Brown’s proofs is that John looks so feminine, but John is often portrayed in such a way in art because he was young. Go to any cathedral and look at the stained-glass images of John. Just as you can identify Peter because he is holding keys, and you can tell Andrew because he is holding a Cross like an X (the kind on which He was crucified), so you can tell John by his feminine looks. But suppose it were the case that Leonardo intentionally painted Mary Magdalene next to Jesus instead of John, because Jesus and Mary were allegedly married, and Leonardo was in on the secret, then where is the “beloved disciple” John? He is not in the picture. Where is he? Under the table?

To read the full article, click here.

The new documentary special, “The Da Vinci Delusion,” airs May 13 and May 14 nationwide and is available now on DVD from Coral Ridge Ministries

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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