The Da Vinci Hoax (9)

The Errors - Christian History

Divinity of Jesus Christ

Dan Brown claims the establishment of Jesus as "the Son of God" was part politically motivated scheme by the Roman Emperor Constantine. To this end it was proposed and voted into existence (by a "relatively close vote at that") at the Council of Nicaea in 325. "Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet … a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless" (p. 233). The Bible as we now know it was supposedly collated by the Emperor Constantine (p. 231). Further, "Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ's human traits and embellished those gospels that made him godlike." (p. 234).

Council of Nicaea

The First Ecumenical Council at Nicaea, in AD 325, did not define that Jesus was divine or the Son of God, since that was already accepted, but addressed the issue of how exactly was His divinity to be understood? Was the Son equal to the Father, of one substance with Him (consubstantial), or was He a lesser god? The Council specifically condemned the heresy called Arianism, which insisted that the Son was a lesser god, created by the Father at some point in time and not eternally existent. Dan Brown also claims that it was "a relatively close vote." In fact on the real issue at hand the vote was said to be 318 (probably 220-250) to 2.

Christians before Nicaea

The surviving writings of early Christians long before Nicaea illustrate that it was their constant belief that Jesus Christ was divine. A few quotes:

1. "There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first possible and then impossible, even Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Ephesians, 7, AD 107). Later in the same letter he speaks of "our God, Jesus Christ."

2. "The Father of the universe has a Son, who also being the first begotten Word of God, is even God" (Justin Martyr, First Apology, chapter 63, AD 150).

3. "God alone is without sin. The only man who is without sin is Christ; for Christ is also God" (Tertullian, The Soul 41:3, AD 210).

4. "Although he was God, he took flesh; and having been made man, he remained what he was: God" (Origen, The Fundamental Doctrines 1:0:4, AD 225).

Holy Scripture

Dan Brown says Nicaea gave Jesus the title of "Son of God" yet Christ is referred to by this title at least 40 times in the Gospels. His divinity is affirmed in a number of other passages. Here are just a few:

1. The Gospel according to John opens with a prologue: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…." (John 1:1,14)

2. After the resurrection Jesus appeared to Thomas who exclaimed: "My Lord and My God" (John 29:28).

3. Saint Paul attests "For in Him [Christ] the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily…" (Colossians 2:9)

4. St Paul tells his readers to renounce impiety and worldly passions and to live lives that are self-controlled, upright and godly "while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us…" (Titus 2:13-14)

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