The Da Vinci Con

Questions of Jesus’s True Identity

• Who was Jesus?
• Who did his followers think he was?
• Is the Bible a reliable source for knowing the real Jesus?
• What do other gospels say about Jesus and are they reliable?

DVC: Mortal Jesus

• Jesus was originally regarded as a merely mortal, completely human prophet, not Son of God.
• This view is reflected in thousands of writings of followers and among 80 earliest (gnostic) gospels.
• It was not until AD 325 at the Council of Nicaea, under the Emperor Constantine, that the Catholic Church invented the idea that Jesus was divine, the Son of God.
• Constantine after Nicaea, compiled and re-edited the current Bible.
• Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John reflect a revised, supernatural view of Jesus.
• Earliest gospels were suppressed (discovered in Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi).

Non-Christian Sources: indicates reality of Jesus, considered by his followers divine and messiah.

Biblical Sources on Jesus as divine

Non-Biblical, 'Approved' Sources on Jesus as divine

1. Other Apostolic Texts sometimes considered inspired
2. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch – AD 110
3. St. Justin, Martyr – AD 151
4. St. Irenaeus of Lyon – AD189

'Secret' Gospels

1. "Alternate" Gospels: Gospel of Peter (c. AD 130)
2. "Alternate" Christianities: Marcion (c. AD 140), Valentinus (gnostic) (AD 136 – 165), Gnosticism (AD 100-150)
3. Gnostic Scriptures:Gospel of Truth (AD 140-180), Gospel of Thomas (AD 140), Coptic Apocalypse of Peter (c. AD 200)
4. Gospel of Philip

Lists of Approved Texts

1. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch – AD 110 - Considers genuineness of Scriptures
2. St. Justin, Martyr – AD 151 - Cites New Testament Gospels
3. St. Irenaeus of Lyon – AD189 - Lists Four New Testament Gospels, excludes heretical ones.
4. The ‘Muratorian’ Canon: list of acceptable texts for church in Rome – c. AD 200
5. St. Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (c. AD 330) – In his History of the Church, lists Four Categories of Texts
6. Codex Sinaiticus: Oldest surviving manuscript of the New Testament (from 4th c.)
7. Closing the Canon

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