Window Shopping for the Heresy of the Day

Passing by a book store today there was a title on display that caught my eye – The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-up in History by Michael Baigent.  Intrigued I went in the store to get the scoop?  Was this just another version of the Holy Grail/Mary Magdalene married to Jesus with children story line ala Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code?  Especially since the cover of the book noted that Baignent was a co-author of Holy Blood, Holy Grail which Brown used as a source for the Code.  But alas when I turned the book over and looked at the back cover – this was all something new (though there is nothing really new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9).  I can’t remember all the questions but essentially: What if all we have been taught about Christianity was a lie? What if a the secret has been hidden by a small group until now?  What if there was “incontrovertible” proof that Jesus survived the Crucifixion?

So there it is, in some ways the same song different tune – but the thrust of this new book appears to be that Jesus never died on the Cross, which then would indicate He was never raised from the dead either.  I didn’t take long to thumb through the book (it even had colored pictures perhaps to add to it’s authenticity) and placed it back in the window display – which by the way also included the newly rediscovered The Gospel of Judas and the Lost Gospel  (both by Bart D. Ehrham who seems to have a thing for discrediting Christianity.  And since there were no “counter” books displayed my guess is that this may be the “thing” for the store owner as well unless they are just trying to capitalize on the controversy).  

So what is going on here?  Well again, nothing new really – Gnosticism came to its height in the early centuries of the Church and all these issues make their way back to that heretical movement in some way.  And this latest book?  Haven’t any of these folks ever read the “truth”?  Have they ever read Paul’s defense of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in 1 Corinthians 15 – Paul poses essentially the same question – in a “It’s a Wonderful Life George Bailey gets to see what life would be like if he weren’t born” sort of way, Paul considers – what would happen if there were no resurrection of the dead – “ Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:12).  Then Paul goes on to list the consequences of the denial of the resurrection.  The most significant is then that Christ has not been raised (vs. 13) and then (well I will let Paul finish it):

1 Corinthians 15:14-19   14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.  15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;  17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

So, certainly the question raised in The Jesus Papers is a valid one – what if Jesus survived the crucifixion and therefore did not die and raise again (making Him btw just an ordinary man ala Gnosticism)?  Well if Baignent can prove his point with his “incontrovertible” evidence then Christians are pathetic, we have been taken as stooges, our faith is in vain and we might as well close up all the churches, there is no hope for those who have died believing in Christ they are just dead, The Apostles were liars and false witnesses and apparently so am I as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Then so be it.  But the burning question would then be – what if historic Christianity is right and Baignent, Brown and the other modern day prophets of Gnosticism are wrong?  What if Jesus did indeed die on the cross (a single man with no children)?  What if He did rise again on the third day?  How will Baignent’s “incontrovertible proof” stack up to Luke’s “infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3) or Paul’s list of confirmed eyewitnesses to Christ’s resurrection glory (1 Cor. 15:1-8)?  Or the weighty proof of the Roman Centurion and even Pilate himself as an official in the government of the Roman Empire (Mark 15:39,44-45)?  Even the Jewish leaders could testify to Christ’s death (Matthew 27:62-66)?  Does Baignent offer such a wide array of eyewitnesses (including followers, enemies and government officials) for his “incontrovertible proof” to compare to the Bible’s “infallible proof”?  Well I didn’t take the time to find out.  

I had already recently read The DaVinci Code while on vacation a few weeks ago and I wasn’t about to waste anytime purchasing and reading this new twist of the same old, same old heresy that has been thrust into the public square.  Besides, I can’t defend the truth any better than the Apostle Paul:

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Cor. 15:20).

Praise God for this Infallible Proof!!

(just a p.s.  I didn’t bother to provide “links” to these books on Amazon or anything – not really worth the trouble - I will leave that to the interested reader).