Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction

By Pastor Ronald Boelte

The Da Vinci Code has been on the bestseller list since it came out in April of 2003. This month the movie will be hitting the theaters and will probably become a blockbuster show. What author Dan Brown has done is much more than a page-turning murder mystery. The Da Vinci Code is also a conspiracy theory that leaves many of its readers wondering if what they believed or have heard about Jesus and the Bible is all wrong.

This book starts out with a "fact" page that leads you to believe that the novel is based on careful research of little known facts that the church has tried to keep hidden about Jesus.

The title of the book comes from the claim that Leonardo Da Vinci-along with many other notable people- were members of a secret society (The Priory of Sion) that was entrusted with secret truths about Jesus. The Secret!!!, claims the book, is that Jesus had a daughter by Mary Magdalene, and that Mary was in fact the Holy Grail, who bore the royal blood line of Jesus on earth.

What most people fail to remember is that the book is fiction and that the careful research done by Dan Brown is based on a document that was proved to be a fraud passed off as truth. Part of this fraud is the document that showed Da Vinci to be a member of the Priory. It was found to be a forgery and a hoax by French courts. However whenever there is controversy concerning the Bible and Jesus we will find those who will believe the fiction instead of the fact. This in my opinion is what makes this book so popular, and I am sure the movie will follow suit.

Many Christians have read the book and will watch the movie so that they can be a witness to those who are interested in learning the true facts about Jesus and the Bible. Dr. Paul L Maier (Synodical Vice-President) has also written a book called "The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction" and there is a Bible Study out called the "The Da Vinci Code: Truth Revealed. Both of these can be a help to those who are interested. We will be offering this nine week Bible study soon to those who are interested, time and places to be announced later.

The true fact is that the Bible is still the all time best-selling book and most widely read book in the world. Challengers will continue to come and go, but it remains a fact that those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are the ones who are willing to die for their claim. They also continue to witness to others the miraculous life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God. The fiction of The Da Vinci Code is just one more way that Satan will try to convince the world that Jesus was not the Son of God and our redeemer. Peter himself says in 2 Peter 1:16: "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." These eyewitnesses have told us the truth and that truth can be found in the Bible.