Opportunity, not Crisis

By Rev. Dr. Steven G. Redmond 

Dr. Redmond is the Lead Pastor of the Castro Valley Church of the Nazarene and serves as an Adjunct Faculty in Church and Western History for Nazarene Bible College Online. 

In 1986, I had the incredible privilege to experience pilgrimage in the Holy Land with several other pastors from another denomination.  My eyes were wide open at every moment.  I was moved every time I heard the words “This was where Jesus most likely…”  I walked on roads that Jesus certainly traveled.  I touched every olive tree in Gethsemane knowing that Jesus’ words “…yet not my will, but yours” reverberated off these 2000 year old trees.  While wading in the Sea of Galilee I felt the urge to sing, “I swam today where Jesus walked.”

          But with the excitement of all of this, there was also an intrigue about what was still undiscovered.  Would they ever find Jesus’ boyhood home with the Carpenter’s shop attached?  Would they discover more texts like that of Qumran that would amplify Christ’s life and teachings?  The fact that somewhere under my feet was the life history of my Savior fascinated me beyond expression.

          On a particularly sunny day in Jerusalem a friend of mine asked the question, “Have they found the New Testament Jesus used?”  This question was met with a few well-deserved chuckles, but as I looked around the bus, I saw a wall of faces looking at our tour guide waiting for an informed and serious response.  “No.” the tour guide commented, laughing lightly in her tone.  We all enjoyed the humorous moment.  And then, from the back of the bus came this question, “How would they know where to look?”  We enjoyed another moment of quiet laughter as the tour guide began a brief yet concise history of the New Testament.

          I may have been laughing then, but I am not laughing now.  Over the last several years a new form of theology (New School) has been growing and now has come to the forefront of popular culture.  It seems as though human nature desires to consider the “what ifs” of religion whether or not there is any foundation of truth, questioning orthodox history and theology.  After all, they say, there are always two sides of a story because “history is written by the winners.”  Popular media then climbs on board and through media driven sensationalism cultivates a continuing fascination with what might have been.  Mix all of this together with plausible scenarios, pseudo-historical factoids, fill in the blanks with credible sounding hypotheses, the opinions of “theologians” on NBC, splatter these questions on the front of Time and Newsweek Magazine and deliver it to what has been called a “biblically illiterate” culture, you have the subject for bestselling books and blockbuster movies.

          Should we be concerned?  Yes, we should.  Recently, I have been approached with many questions such as, “What do you think about The DaVinci Code?”  “What about the Gospel of Judas?” “I’ve heard that there were many other gospels and that the Catholic Church forced the acceptance of only a few.  Is that true?”  With the popularity of the History Channel and The Learning Channel (TLC), many more people have been exposed to intriguing theories that create questions and sometimes challenge faith.  It seems in these days everyone is interested.  Even Dan Brown, the author of The DaVinci Code, which Newsweek says is “…the most popular-and controversial-novel of our time,” says he has received many letters and emails both accusatory and complementary. 

          With a seemingly growing malaise of popular culture toward “institutional Christianity” in America, the lack of integrity modeled by some of its (Christianity’s) media-famed spokespersons and the moral failure of many who represent Jesus, and a cultural move toward relativism, there is a growing distrust with orthodoxy and a growing infatuation with everything that may stand contrary to the Christian faith.

          The concern doesn’t end there.  Material that has been released as “historically” and/or “academically” sound has been accepted without question; if it comes from a credible source, the information given is taken by many as credible.  Many in popular culture simply accept information as true without ever attempting to test its validity.  The research behind the material is often cause driven and contains ulterior motivations.  Even the definition of “truth” is, in this postmodern culture, changing.    

          Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code has created quite a stir in recent weeks.  And with the release of the movie on May 12, it has exploded on the scene of popular culture. Millions of people have read The Da Vinci Code and have been caught up in its story. What is true? What is fiction? Clearly some things are true. There was a painting, The Last Supper, done by Leonardo da Vinci. There are organizations called Opus Dei and the Priory of Sion. But is there really a global conspiracy to hide the living descendants of Jesus Christ?  Was there a cover up perpetrated by the Roman Catholic Church in order to protect the power of the institution and hide troubling clues?

None of these issues are new to scholars. The role of the Church in putting down pagans and heresies over the centuries is well documented. The theological debates which occurred over the centuries deciding which of the many gospels to include in the cannon are also well documented.  Even the author admits that “the secret found in this book has been chronicled for centuries.”  In fact, these debates began the moment Jesus ascended to His Father.  But an often misinformed or uninformed public is treated to a barrage of intriguing questions.  In a trailer for the movie these words are heard, “No matter what you have read.  No matter what you believe.  The journey has just begun.” and “Witness the greatest cover-up in human history.”  This is fascinating stuff.  The trouble with it is that to make a fascinating thriller, you must run it through the prism of sensationalism at the cost of hard facts.  Within the text of the book one of the characters asserts,

The Bible is a product of man, my dear.  Not of 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. (Teabing, p. 231)

and,  “The Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda—to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base” (p. 234).

There has been a tsunami of interest in this subject.  Many have shown interest in the contents Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, the Gospel of Judas and other relevant subjects.  Some conversations were started just raise a reaction from me.  Surprisingly, these questions have come not only from young people with inquiring minds, but seasoned citizens in a convalescent hospital.   It is a hot issue.  And let it be said, this is not a crisis of faith but an opportunity of great significance.

The author of The Da Vinci Code was asked if the topic of this novel might be considered controversial or if he felt there would be repercussions.  Listen to his answer,

I can’t imagine why.  The ideas in this novel have been around for centuries; they are not my own.  Admittedly, this may be the first time these ideas have been written about within the context of a popular thriller, but the information is anything but new.  My hope for The Da Vinci Code, was, in addition to entertaining people, that it might serve as an open door for readers to begin their own explorations and rekindle their interest in topics of faith. (www.danbrown.com)

Many disagree that the novel has value.  But, there is no arguing that any time Christianity enters into cultural debates, we must consider it as the work of God in our day.  The debate being generated is a positive and beneficial activity. Dan Brown wrote, “Religion has only one true enemy--apathy--and passionate debate is a superb antidote.”

Although I do not agree with Brown’s method, I agree that apathy is a true enemy. My point is this; there are issues here to consider.  We do not know everything there is to know about Jesus’ life and teachings; that would have taken libraries to contain.  And I realize there are many interesting historical and theological anomalies that keep historians and theologians busy.  This work is important and must continue until the time we see Jesus face to face.  However, burying our heads in the sand or reacting in a hostile manner these ideas is not healthy.  As Christians, we are not afraid of truth; in fact we welcome it.  And as Wesleyans, we understand that God is at work through this movement.  We must consider this one of the greatest opportunities in decades.  Christianity is on the front pages of newspapers and magazines everywhere and on the minds of our neighbors and friends.  We cannot stop half way in our search because it is uncomfortable to question matters of faith; we must be prepared.

Paul writes to Timothy, “I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim. 4:2, 3 NIV)

There is an urgency in Paul’s charge to Timothy; nearly a command.  In other words, while the culture seems to be opening their minds to unsound doctrine, you had better preach truth with great patience and careful instruction.  Paul knows that the answer to unsound doctrine is the passionate preaching of truth in love.

In times like these, we must not be timid about proclaiming the truth even if it is not politically correct.  And in the contemporary culture we find ourselves, it is increasingly important not only to proclaim the truth, but to live it.  People are looking for something to bring peace to their heart and mind, let’s not let pop culture create the only viable opportunity.

There are two very important questions that people seem to be interested in regarding this work.  Answering these two seems to be the foundation for which other questions can also be answered.

First, “Is it true that before Constantine, Jesus was considered a mortal man and not divine?”  In The Da Vinci Code, Jesus Christ was a figure of great influence, the most inspiring leader the world has ever seen. Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, Christianity grew strongly.  It was a movement that would defy explanation, and certainly defied the odds.  Constantine needed to strengthen the new Christian tradition, and held a famous ecumenical gathering known as the Council of Nicaea (325). Until that moment in history, according to The Da Vinci Code, Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet, a great and powerful man; mortal, not divine.  According to The Da Vinci Code, Jesus’ establishment as "the Son of God" was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea.

While it is true that Constantine was the Emperor of Rome, he desired to unify the empire by declaring Christianity as the official religion of that empire, that he called the Nicaean Council together in 325, that officially the doctrine of Jesus’ divinity was finally made orthodoxy and that the Arian controversy was dealt with, the DaVinci Code forgets to tell the audience a very important fact.

The fact of Jesus’ divinity was well established long before the council of Nicaea.  Within a few decades after the ascension of Jesus, Paul wrote to his converts in the city of Philippi. In his letter he quoted an already well-established recitation or hymn.

The recitation has two parts.  First, "He made himself empty, being born in the likeness of humans; he humbled himself and was obedient to the point of death--and death on a cross." And in the second part Jesus is exalted for his humility "Therefore God has highly exalted him and has given him the name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow" (Philippians 2.6–10).

Early Christians strongly venerated Jesus as divine nearly three centuries before Constantine.  But why get confused by the facts?  The Council simply ratified a long standing, accepted position and made it “official” orthodoxy in order to keep the church from a dangerous division.

Secondly, “Were there other gospels not included in the New Testament?”  The answer to this question is clear.  There are “gospels” that did not make the cut.  According to The Da Vinci Code, “The Bible was compiled and edited by men who possessed a political agenda—to promote the divinity of the man Jesus Christ and use His influence to solidify their own power base” (p. 234). The inference and/or claim is that the Council of Nicaea was responsible for the compilation of the accepted Gospels and that their decision was motivated by political gain.

Let me give you some background.  False teachings thrived in the early centuries.  Heresies rose like weeds.  As Christianity grew, there was a need to formulate orthodoxy (accepted truth) to differentiate what was truth and what was error.  The budding faith was looking for leadership to help them discover the essential nature of Christianity; the life and teachings of Jesus.   Put yourself in the shoes of early Christians.  Communication was not only slow, in many cases it was extremely troublesome.  Letters would arrive written by the Apostles’ (or so they say), but with teachings that were suspect.  “Highjacking,” a term I use to describe this method, was common.  In order to gain credibility, they would sign their letters with the names of established church leaders.  Because of the environment of the day, and because of Christianity’s growing influence in the world, many who wanted to perpetuate their form of religion used Christianity’s vehicles to bring validity to their cause.  Growing communities of Christians were susceptible to error.  Some of the errors gained a strong following and threatened to divide the church.

There are two very important facts that need to be understood.  First, all of the writings (gospels) faced a litmus test.  This criteria was:  1) Conformity: was it consistent with Hebrew scripture?  2) Apostolicity: was it written by an Apostle or by some directly related to the Apostle? and 3) Catholicity: was it generally accepted by the church and used in the life of the church as authoritative?  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John qualified for all three.  Most of the other “gospels” were written centuries later.  

Second, by the middle of the 2nd century I (almost 200 years before Nicaea), the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were so clearly established as the four authentic Gospels that Irenaeus wrote: “So firm is the ground upon which these Gospels rest, that the very heretics themselves bear witness to them, and, starting from these [documents], each one of them endeavors to establish his own peculiar doctrine.” (Against Heresies 3.11.7). 

The bottom line?  The Council of Nicaea did not have a hand in selecting the four gospels.  The four gospels rose to the top as authoritative and stood the test of time.

Although Brown has written a fascinating story, it is a fictional novel.  However, as Christians, we must understand that our culture is asking some very wonderful and interesting questions.  More than a dozen people have approached me from the community have expressed interest in hearing a defense of the Christian church in response to The Da Vinci Code.  Should we fear this?  Absolutely not!  We should look at this as opportunity to talk about Jesus.  It actually has served to spread truth.  I am reminded of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt when he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Gen. 50:20)  This is what The Da Vinci Code is doing for the Gospel.  Take advantage of it.

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE!

The opportunity is before us.  But we must have a proper foundation of faith in order to engage the questioning culture.  If there is not an essential understanding of biblical truth then we are destined to error.  The Book of Judges, although written over 3,000 years ago, could have been written last week: “Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, KJV). It would be hard to find a more fitting description of contemporary culture.  Christians must have a strong understanding of scripture so that they can discern between truth and error.  This speaks to the need for every Christian to have a strong Bible study habit.  We need to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

George Barna found that 75% of people believe "the Bible teaches that God helps those who help themselves." Indications are that the younger generations are less likely to be Biblically literate than their elders (The Barna Update: Barna Reviews Top Religious Trends of 2005).  This is not too suprising in light of that fact that younger people read their Bibles less regularly than do our aging generations.

Biblical illiteracy leaves one defenseless against ear-tickling doctrine and falsehoods aimed at undermining faith.  More than that, we must all be ready to answer the questions that come to us from our inquisitive culture.

Know Why You Believe It!

It’s not enough to know what you believe; we must also know why we believe it.  Knowing why we believe will qualify and temper the spirit of our conversation.  God has been working to redeem the world since the day Adam and Eve disobeyed Him.  From the Covenant announced to Noah and established through Abraham, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to this very moment God has been actively putting together the pieces necessary to redeem His beloved world.  The Bible is the testament to this work.  Why do we believe what we do?  Because God’s love invites every man, woman, boy, and girl to experience His love through Jesus.  It is with this foundation that we strongly proclaim the truth in love.  Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” (Rom. 1:16).  The truth is liberating.  We are not afraid of the truth, nor are we afraid of the Gospel.  It has transforming power.

The “why” penetrates our message and our mission.  It empowers our process and our preaching.  And it births passion for souls of our family, neighbors and friends.  And our message, mission, process, preaching and passion are tempered with grace and love.

KNOW THE ONE IN WHOM YOU BELIEVE!

A few years ago I had the opportunity do some course work at Drew University.  One of my textbooks was Leonard Sweet’s Postmodern Pilgrims.  The book was interesting enough, but when I met the author and experienced first hand his passion to express key aspects of ministry in our century, and when I was able to see first hand his gentle spirit and passion for the church, the book came alive and the practical nature of his work became far more engaging.

A personal experience with the Author of faith allows us to know His heart and understand His purpose.  Experiencing His grace and love first hand excites our purpose.  Experiencing His forgiveness and mercy enlivens our passion.  Experiencing His power and infilling empowers prayerfulness.  Know the “author and perfector” of our faith personally.

Do not be afraid.  Get ready to engage a hungry world.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).