Da Vinci Code: Opus Dei

With all the buzz about the Da Vinci Code, I thought I'd do some research into Opus Dei. It's actually a pretty interesting subject.

It was founded in 1928 by Josemaría Escrivá and basically he was interested in helping Christians understand that their life was about holiness and to spread the gospel. Opus Dei means “God’s work”.

If you're a Da Vinci Code reader, I'm sure you're wondering: Do they really use that spiked chain thingy on their legs? Or do they really beat themselves bloody with that rope thingy?

Well, the answer appears to be: yes, sort of. They don't beat themselves bloody, but that's always a personal option. The purpose of these implements is to help the user to "mortify" their body.

Gospel of Judas: Gnosticism

My last post on the Gospel of Judas was meant to be a joke that only comes apparent when you read the gospel of Judas. It's missing a LOT of lines and is for the most part completely incoherent to the average reader. So my response was meant to convey how silly it was.

I decided to write up a brief introduction to what the Gnostics believe.

A lot of the critical scholars who push the Gnostic gospels will argue how Christianity has oppressed women. Well, their favorite Gnostic gospel is the Gospel of Thomas. Next time you're in Barnes and Noble or Walden's, grab one of these and open it to the very last verse.

Simon Peter said to them, "Make Mary leave us, for females don't deserve life." Jesus said, "Look, I will guide her to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every female who makes herself male will enter the domain of Heaven."

So according to their favorite gospel, women can't enter heaven.

My response to the gospel of Judas

Recently, there has been a very serious challenge to the authority of the scriptures. In case you've been in a cave for the last few weeks you've probably heard about the Gospel of Judas. This gospel challenges the scriptures implying that Judas wasn't really a bad guy but someone that Jesus trusted to fulfill His plan.

I just got finished reading the gospel of Judas (all 7 pages of it) and decided to write up an authoritative rebuttal and to encourage you all.

The gnostic gospels [- - - seventeen lines missing - - -] because Jesus said it would happen. But when you consider the example of church history […] you can't trust camels.

We know what Jesus said is true and He claimed to be God, the voice of the burning bush. Paul also writes in Colossians 1 that Jesus is the Creator. You can also reference Philippians 2 and Titus [- - - two lines missing - - -]. They held to this idea of the aeons so they believed that Jesus wasn't really the true God which is in violation to what Paul and Peter wrote as well as what Jesus Himself claimed.

In addition to being plainly goofy, [...] the truth is that […] completely impossible. They've carbon dated this document to [...] and it's well known [...]. Therefore, you can't trust that either.

In this study, I've tried to present enough information to demonstrate why the gospel of Judas is completely and totally useless. Throughout church history there have been challenges to the scriptures and to true doctrine. This is nothing new.

Read it for yourself: Gospel of Judas

Here's another article: The Gospel of Judas: Nothing New Under the Sun

I will write up more information on who the Gnostics were and maybe expound on this article a little bit when I have time.

The Bible – it’s like the game of telephone!

Translation vs. Transmission

Objection: You can't trust the bible because it's been translated so many times.

There are those that will argue that you can’t trust the Bible because it’s been translated so many times. The idea is like the game of telephone you played in grade school – someone whispers something in your ear, you whisper it to the next person, and so on. By the time it gets around the room the last person gets up and says something that is totally incomprehensible to what was originally said and everyone laughs. So the conclusion is that we can’t trust the Bible because of the same problems.

Gospel of Judas… it’s like, so scary.

Just thought I'd post a little something on the gospel of Judas since it's in all the news and what not. 

The news makers seem to think that this will be the final magic bullet that can challenge and maybe destroy Christianity.

I've read the gospel (it's only about 7 pages long, very disjointed and it's missing a LOT of stuff) and it's just generally goofy like most gnostic gospels.  

I will try and post an article this week letting you know exactly what gnosticism is and why it was rejected by the early church. 

What happened at the council of Nicea?

In response to the Da Vinci Code coming out in May, I figured I'd throw down a little info about what Nicea was.

Once upon a time, oh on July 19 325 AD about 10:30 in the morning, the first church council was called (second if you count Acts 15). For 300 years the christian church had been persecuted, christians were dipped in pitch and set on fire as living candles for Nero, people were sewn into animal carcasses and ravaged by lions, people were tortured and persecuted and it was not good times.

Then Constantine fights and wins control over the whole roman empire. Since he attributed his win to the Christian God, he issues the edict of toleration which basically says it's okay to be a Christian.

Well, dang, this was a new turn for the early church. They were so used to hiding in cellars and being tortured that it was weird to be able to openly and actively proclaim the name of Jesus.

Paul vs James – faith or works?

A lot of people are confused when they read the letters of Paul and the letter of James. Paul says we’re saved by faith and not through works, but James says that we need works. So who’s right?

Let’s look at the two passages that come up most frequently because the context of these letters is very important.

PFO Conference

Personal Freedom Outreach is having their every-other-year biblical discernment conference in St. Louis April 27-29.

They've got Bill McKeever there who is an excellent Mormon apologetic resource and runs Mormonism Research Ministry.

Joan Cetnar and Lorri MacGregor both have wonderful ministries to Jehovah Witnesses. Lorri always has a ton of tracks available and other ministry resources.

Marcia Montenegro is an ex-occultist and always has neat stuff.

Jim Valentine did a presentation on the masons last time and this year he's slated to talk about the Bahai.

My bud Paul Scozz will also be there doing a presentation on the generational curse craze. Paul is straight crazy yo.

Ron Rhodes is a regular favorite at PFO. He's written a ton of books related to just about everything.

If you'd like to check out the available workshops, click here.

If you can get a couple of days off work, you definitely need to be here. It's bomb diggaty.