Broken Codes

by La Shawn Barber

I recently began reading Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel, The Da Vinci Code. I found it to be a gripping mystery filled with page-turning cliffhangers. No wonder this book has sparked such a reaction.

Many novelists have written copycats, hoping to strike similar gold. On the other hand, countless Christian writers and theologians have fought an uphill battle trying to set the historical record straight. Darrell Bock is one of them, and he debunks Brown’s ideas in his new book, Breaking the Da Vinci Code.

Many have wondered why biblical scholars would take such an interest in fiction, but Brown asserts many spurious claims about Christianity, and his charges must be answered. Among his assertions:

Jesus Christ, a mere man, was married to Mary Magdalene, one of his followers.
Christ’s deity was invented by a group of men centuries after his death.
The church in Rome entered into a 2,000-year-old conspiracy to hide these and other “facts.”
The artist Leonardo da Vinci, among others, knew these secrets and planted clues in some of his paintings.
Whether contained in a novel or in a non-fiction book, such allegations are an affront to Christians and must be dealt with in a reasoned and biblical manner. Bock formidably rises to the challenge as he exposes the flaws found in the pages of The Da Vinci Code. Bock’s 188-page refutation, which includes a helpful bibliography and glossary, is concise and offers a solid biblical defense of the faith.

A professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, Bock presents seven “codes” that are implied or explicitly stated in Brown’s book. He methodically breaks down the codes and separates fact from fiction. In explaining his methodology he writes, “Our research for uncovering the validity of these codes will focus on the 325 years immediately following the birth of Christ, for the claims of the novel rise or fall on the basis of things emerging from this period.”

Fans of The Da Vinci Code often dismiss Christians’ concerns by singing a chorus of “It’s only fiction.” However, they overlook that the bestseller does contain a misleading brief section entitled “Fact” at the front of the book: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.”

Bock responds by asserting: “No longer is The Da Vinci Code a mere piece of fiction. It is a novel clothed in claims of historical truth, critical of institutions and beliefs held by millions of people around the world.”

One “historical truth” found in Brown’s novel is that Jesus was not only married to Mary, but that he fathered a child with her. Bock examines the biblical canon and extrabiblical sources to demonstrate that Jesus and Mary were not married. This is vitally important because, according to the Bible, Jesus Christ entered finite time as a human to do his Father’s will, not to marry and to sire a child. Instead, Jesus came to die on a cross to pay for the sins of those he came to save.

Despite its inaccuracies, Brown’s book has proven useful in the cultural debate. In a Christianity Today article entitled “The Good News of Da Vinci,” Bock writes:

[T]he popularity of… the book… points to our culture’s continuing fascination with Jesus. And even when that curiosity borders on the perverse, we need to be engaged in the conversation…

Christians are called to be ambassadors of Christ and proclaim his lordship to the world; thus they must stay engaged and stand firm against secular culture. As Breaking the Da Vinci Code confirms, Darrell Bock is faithful to that call.

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Cops return Kartel’s benz – Deejay’s assets released to family

Crystal Harrison/ Livern Barrett, Star Writers

A source close to the high-profile case against embattled dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel has revealed that the artiste’s 2010 S-Class Mercedes-Benz among other assets, have been released to his family.

THE STAR understands that the assets were released to the artiste’s family by the police last month.

In 2010, the deejay had made the talk of the town with his luxury motor vehicle.

In an interview with THE STAR that same year, Kartel said, “no deejay eva own a S-Class Benz. This Benz is the flagship of the Benz’s line, meaning dis a di top, top Benz.”

He further said, “It do everything except fly, the body can raise, it just have the whole driving experience, is like yuh a drive pon air.”

However, last year, it was reported that the deejay’s S-Class Mercedes-Benz which is said to value over $12 million along with documentation regarding properties he owns were seized.

THE STAR understands that the items were being stored at the Police Commissioner’s office in St Andrew.

According to the credible source yesterday, the deejay’s S-Class Benz is with his family, “I can confirm that the assets were released to his family. I have seen the vehicle (S-Class Mercedes-Benz),” the source told THE STAR yesterday.

The source also told THE STAR that some of the other items that were returned include the deejay’s passport and computer.

Kartel was recently granted $3 million bail in the Home Circuit Court in relation to the murder case of businessman Barrington ‘Bossy’ Burton.

However, he remains in custody in connection with the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

Williams was reportedly beaten and stabbed in Havendale, St Andrew, on August 16, but the police are yet to locate his body.

In the meantime, Kartel, who has been in custody since October 1 last year is to return to court on April 13.