Destination God is the practice of Vintage Faith. We need to know sound doctrine, practice sound doctrine, and be able to defend the faith through sound doctrine.
JUDAS, DA VINCI, AND OTHER SUCH NONSENSE
What do the Gospels of Thomas, Philip, Mary, and Judas have in common? Well, to some minds they offer a competing version of Christianity. A different take on the person and mission of Jesus. The real Christian religion, which was tossed aside by those who wanted to consolidate power in a church and political system dominated by men.
To those minds it makes sense to elevate the above mentioned books, and others, while minimizing the current books of the New Testament. But, does it really make sense?
The first, and most important, thing to remember is this. The gospels that so many today want to put so much faith and credit in are, at their very core, untrustworthy. I am tempted to sign this blog entry 'Abe Lincoln'. If I did, would anyone really think the 16th President of the United States actually wrote it? No! And why? Because he has been dead 141 years. Just because it would have his name on it, would not make it his. And, if I put his name on it in order to give it more "weight", would it? No! The credibility of the information contained here would certainly, and rightfully, be questioned.
But that is exactly the case with the "gospels" mentioned above. They were written a minimum of 100 years after the death of the people whose name is on them. So, obviously, not credible from the very beginning. If that most basic fact is untruthful, how can we seriously consider anything written in them to be truthful?
But what of the Biblical Gospels? How do we know they were written by the men whose names are on them? We don't. But we do have a certain body of circumstantial evidence. These books were in circulation at a time when the men whose names are on them were still alive. If they were not authentic, it would have been easy to figure out. They present facts that were verifiable. They reference people who could be identified and interviewed by those seeking to discredit the books. They present not just random quotes, but narrative accounts of events. Most of which is not true of those other so-called gospels.
And what of Da Vinci? Well, keep in mind Brown's work is a fictional novel. A very good one at that, if you remember that it is just that. Does it use real names, places, etc? Sure, many novels do. But, just because real facts are used, does not make the corresponding story a fact. That is why it is labeled ficiton. One quick example, do a little research on the Priory of Sion. It is not what it is purported to be. Documents used to "prove" its history to 1099 are forgeries. I'll let you find the rest out for yourself. But, even if it is a legitimate organization, legitimately dated back to 1099, how can Opus Dei be its long time archrival? Opus Dei has only been around since 1928.
And, no primary source document records one of the purposes of the Council of Nicea being the establishemt of the canon. That was not mentioned as a possibility until 500 years later. By the time of the council, the canon of scripture was firmly established. All books of the current New Testament can be found quoted by various 1st and 2nd century church fathers.
Check the facts before rushing to judgment. And don't check your brain at the door. God gave it to you, use it. That is why the title of this entry is Judas, Da Vinci, and other such nonsense.