May 15, 2006

Gnosis in the Biblical sense

Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown’s most preposterous claim is that Jesus fathered children with Mary Magdalene. Preposterous for 2 reasons, what it contradicts and the evidence it is based on.

Brown contradicts the Bible and the Church Fathers St. Augustine and St. Athanasius, who both quote from the Gospels that Jesus was a “guest” at the wedding in Cana, not the bridegroom. Christian theology also teaches that Jesus’ spouse was the Church, He came because He loved us, and He would not have had two spouses, the Church and Mary Magdalene.


Brown’s research is based on the Gnostic Gospels, written no earlier than 150 AD, probably closer to 250AD, in Alexandria, in the Coptic language, and not included in the Christian Bible. The Gnostics taught that one needed special knowledge or “gnosis” in order to get into heaven. Gnostics also taught some other, rather weird stuff, such as the body and all matter is bad. This is why the Gnostic Gospel of Judas “praised” Judas for betraying Jesus, so that Jesus could be killed and rid of His evil shell of a body. Gnostics are “weird” because in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas women are taught to become men in order to get into heaven.

The Gnostic Gospel of Phillip refers to Mary Magdalene with the Coptic translation of the Greek word, ‘koinonos’, which Brown’s claims should be translated as ‘consort’. To Brown, this translation proves Mary Magdalene had sexual relations with Jesus. However, Strong’s Concordance of the New Testament Greek defines ‘koinonos’ as partaker, as in Christians have become partakers in the divine nature of God through His son Jesus, or as partner, as in Simon Peter was the partner of John and James in their fishing business.

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