[Biblemat] "Mary Magdalene and the Da Vinci Code"

[Don Martin]

Don Martin sharing an article from the archives of www.bibletruths.net


                  "Mary Magdalene and the Da Vinci Code"


     It appears that the time is ripe today in America for the further
degradation of basic morality and to the introduction of all manner of false
doctrines and cults. It is evident that there is presently an obsession with
Mary Magdalene. Much of this focus has been gendered by Dan Brown's best
seller, The Da Vinci Code. In this study, we shall explore the Mary
Magdalene of the Bible, the relative Da Vinci Code, and make some final
applications of the learned biblical principles.

     The Mary Magdalene of the New Testament. There are numerous women in
the Bible named Mary. In fact, "Mary" is found about 51 times in the New
Testament. There was Mary the mother of Jesus; Mary the sister of Lazarus;
Mary the mother of Mark, sister of Barnabas; and a Christian in Rome named
Mary, to mention some (Matt. 1: 16; Luke. 10: 39; Acts 12: 12; Rom. 16: 6).
Then there was Mary Magdalene.

     Mary Magdalene is first mentioned in Luke 8: 1-3. She appears to have
been from the town of Magdala; hence, Mary Magdala, as some refer to her. In
this passage we read of certain women accompanying Jesus and the twelve. We
are told that Jesus had healed these women and that they ".ministered unto
him of their substance." Mary Magdalene was one of the women. We next
observe Mary Magdalene at Jesus' crucifixion (Matt. 27: 55, 56). The last
view we have of her is subsequent to Jesus' resurrection and prior to his
ascension (Matt. 28: 1-10, Mark. 16: 9, John 20: 11-18).

     The view that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. First, all we reliably
know about Mary Magdalene is what we read in the New Testament. There are
prostitutes mentioned in the scriptures, but it appears that the practice
was not to provide their names (cp. Luke 7: 37, John 8: 3). When Mary
Magdalene is mentioned, her name is freely supplied, as seen in the
foregoing references. Notwithstanding, some believe that Mary Magdalene is
the prostitute of Luke 7: 37. Some contend that the same woman is present in
Luke 7: 37 and John 8: 3 and that the woman is Mary Magdalene. "Pope"
Gregory declared in 591 A. D. that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany (Lazarus'
sister), and the sinner of Luke 7: 37 are all the same. Hence, the origin of
the view that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute (see addendum). As one even
casually reads Luke 7: 36 through Luke 8: 3, it is apparent that the account
of the woman of Luke 7: 36 and Mary Magdalene are two different instances,
involving two different women and circumstances (notice ".it came to pass
afterward.." in Luke 8: 1). The fact that Mary Magdalene was a demoniac out
of whom Jesus cast seven demons, does not prove that she was a prostitute
(Luke 8: 2, Mark 16: 9).

     The Gospel of Mary. Based on the presentation we have of Mary Magdalene
in the scriptures, she was an outstanding disciple of Jesus who stayed with
him to the end. However, there is not a scintilla of evidence that Mary
Magdalene enjoyed the status of apostolic equality or perhaps even
ascendancy over the twelve as is being assigned to her. A fragmentary
manuscript that bears the name "Gospel of Mary" is now being exaggerated in
an effort to advance the cause of the book, the Da Vinci Code. The so called
Gospel of Mary was discovered in Egypt in the middle of the twelfth century,
along with fragments of the Gospel of Thomas. In this manuscript, Mary
Magdalene is presented as teaching the apostles and being loved by Jesus
above all his disciples. The Gospel of Mary is replete with Gnostic tenets
and advocates that Jesus' soul only was resurrected, in harmony with Gnostic
views about matter (see John 20: 26-29). The Gospel of Mary is dated at
between 125 and 175 A. D. Hence, it appears to have been written after the
life of Mary Magdalene and, therefore, is not only marred by teaching that
is inconsistent with the scriptures, but is also of apparent spurious
authorship.

     Many believe that the Da Vinci Code is going to revolutionize and
perhaps even destroy traditional Christianity. It is thought that Leonardo
was a member of the esoteric intelligential of his day, certain scholars who
possessed knowledge too advanced for their time. Dan Brown, the author of
the Da Vinci Code, and others are telling us that Leonardo sought to convey
knowledge by codes and subtle suggestions. The promoters of the Da Vinci
Code contend that Da Vinci's Last Supper holds secrets there were then too
lofty for the contemporaries of Leonardo. When considered, there is a "V"
separating Jesus and the apostle on his right. Dan Brown explains that the
"V" is a secret code that is attempting to tell the observer that the
apostle on Jesus' right is really a woman and that the woman is Mary
Magdalene. "Look at the disciple," says author Brown, "the disciple is
obviously a woman." In listening to an interview of Dan Brown, when asked as
to where is the twelfth apostle, author Brown had no explanation. A number
of scholars contend that some of the classic artists often painted the
apostle John to appear feminine and that the apostle on Jesus' right in
Leonardo's the Last Supper is John. I would concede for argument's sake that
Leonardo may have sought to implicitly suggest the presence of a woman at
the table. However, if this is the case, what would it prove other than Da
Vinci may have believed that Mary Magdalene was an apostle of Jesus of equal
or superior standing (Da Vinci also presents Jesus as feminine, which we
know is inaccurate, cp. I Corinthians 11: 14). Also, Leonardo Da Vinci lived
centuries removed from Jesus and his apostles; hence, even if he did believe
Mary Magdalene was an apostle and held a leadership role alone with men in
the first century church, such would not constitute proof that such was the
case, especially in view of what is taught and seen in the New Testament.

     Why are such views as being advanced by Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code
being received with such fervor? There are probably several reasons for the
reception and popularity of the Da Vinci Code. Of primary impetus would be
the women's movements in America today. There are many feminists who would
will jump at any thing they think will further their cause. In all
religions, there are concentrated efforts underway to place women in
leadership roles. Dan Brown's Mary Magdalene is ideal. We are being told
that the reason Mary Magdalene's apostleship and Gospel were not publicized
before now involved an organized cover up, part of an effort to promote men
and demote women in the religious arena. Constantine is said to have
masterminded some of this cover up. However, the proponents of such do not
seem to understand that all their claimed proof is refutable and flawed and
that the New Testament remains the ultimate proof. Another reason for much
of the preoccupation with Mary Magdalene is the belief that she was a
prostitute and in their way of thinking, such makes sin not so bad.
Regardless of the precise nature of Mary Magdalene prior to her encounter
with Jesus, we know she was not ".one of the women who sexually serviced
Jesus and the apostles," as some blasphemously say. The New Testament is
replete with examples of sinners being saved, but there is strong emphasis
on the fact that they did not continue to practice their sins (cp. I
Corinthians 6: 9-11).

     There is no denying that a number of women were valuable to the early
church. We read of Phoebe, Priscilla, and the women especially saluted who
were in Rome (Rom. 16: 1; Rom. 16: 3-5; Rom. 16: 12). Commentator Albert
Barnes wrote thus of Tryphena and Tryphosa mentioned in Romans 16: 12:

     "These names with the participle rendered 'who labor' are in the
feminine gender, and these were probably two holy women who.labored to
promote the spread of Christianity" (Barnes on the New Testament, Vol. 4,
pg. 335).

     While godly women in general were of great assistance, they did not
serve as elders or preachers in the churches. In fact, there is an express
prohibition against such (I Tim. 2: 8-15).

     As mentioned, Mary Magdalene is seen in the scriptures as an excellent
example for women in many ways. However, the claims of the Da Vinci Code are
outrageous to the extreme. For instance, Dan Brown maintains that Jesus and
Mary Magdalene were married. The only vestige of proof that is offered is
found in John 20: 17. Dan Brown argues that Mary Magdalene is seen embracing
Jesus as only a wife would do in the first century in Jewish culture. It is
true that the word rendered "touch" in the King James does express much
more, for instance, the idea of "cling." However, we do not have to view the
circumstance in John 20: 17 as an intimate husband/wife circumstance, but as
a close disciple who loved her Lord and wanted him to stay (Jesus could not
allow any such hindrance, as he explained, he had to ascend to the Father).
"The New Testament does not deny that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were
married," reason men. Hence, they argue based on the silence of the
scriptures (cp. Heb. 7: 11-14). If Jesus had been married, such would have
been mentioned by Paul as he reasoned with the Corinthians in chapter nine
of the First Corinthian Epistle, verse 5, regarding his right to be married.

     While Mary Magdalene was characterized by many fine spiritual traits,
she is not presented as being the mother of Jesus' child, as the believers
of the Da Vinci Code maintain. From the unfounded belief that Jesus and Mary
Magdalene were married and produced a child has arisen the preposterous
teaching that a super race of Jesus and Mary's descendants live today!

     It is a biblical fact that Mary Magdalene stands out among women
mentioned in the Bible, but she was not an apostle, even an apostle who
offered guidance to the other apostles (cp. Matt. 10: 1ff., I Tim. 2: 12).
Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code is not only biblically flawed, it is also a
work of blasphemy.

Cordially,
Don Martin  dmartinbtbq at comcast.net

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