Are The Gnostic Gospels Credible?
[...continued...]    However, laying that issue aside and simply addressing their teaching concerning Jesus and Mary Magdalene, here are the statements given Vargas by Dr. Elaine Pagels, Princeton University and Dr. Karen King, Harvard Divinity School, both of whom have written in support of the Gnostic gospels and trust their reliability:

“And whether Jesus loves Mary in some kind of sexual way, is a possible implication of the story.” (emphasis added)

King: “There is this, these tantalizing hints, but they are not definitive.” (emphasis added)

Vargas tells the viewer that Pagels confirms the Gnostic gospels do, “tell us how Mary Magdalene was remembered and regarded by some early Christians.”

Pagels then states on camera: “If I were guessing, and we are guessing, I would guess that there was a special relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. I would also guess that it did not take a sexual form.” (emphasis added)

It is “possible”, “hints” at, is “not definitive”, a “guess”. This is hardly the shocking evidence we were led to expect.

Seemingly unable to prove Jesus and Mary were married, Vargas moves on to another point telling the viewer that Pagels thinks, “there is evidence that Mary Magdalene was remembered as a powerful figure in the movement.”

Vargas thinks she is now on to something stating that, “Even outside the Gnostic gospels there is evidence that in the first centuries after Jesus, Mary Magdalene was treated with great respect by several of the early church leaders who were men.”

So after almost an hour of programming and no telling how many man hours of research and production, Primetime has concluded that while there may not be evidence that she was married to Jesus there is certainly evidence that she was a powerful or prominent figure in the movement.

This is hardly new and sensational information. In fact, most Christians would agree, it is supported by, both the Biblical record, and the writings of the early Church fathers. As Dr. Jeffrey Bingham of Dallas Theological Seminary states in his interview with Vargas, “You don’t need to go to the Gnostic gospels in order to find a high view of Mary and a praise of her for her faith.”

So what conclusions does Vargas draw after so extensive an investigation?

“We didn’t find any proof that Jesus ever had a wife or that he left behind a child when he died. Nor did we unlock the mysteries behind the Holy Grail. But we did learn a lot more about a man who changed history and the woman who was very important to him. Whether or not they were husband and wife, this is a love story because we discovered that Mary Magdalene was closer to Jesus than we ever imagined.”

Actually, the viewer learned nothing new about Jesus. Other than being exposed to numerous theories and conjectures that were repeatedly admitted as having no basis in fact. Even their proponents failed to come up with any supporting evidence that can be substantiated. Had that not been the case, Vargas’ closing statement would have been much different than the above.

Watching this journalistic effort reminded me of Geraldo Rivera’s television special, The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vault, which aired in April of 1986. That show would achieve the highest ratings for a syndicated special in television history as viewers watched with anxious anticipation for Rivera to fulfill his promise that he would open Al Capone’s vault on live television and reveal the treasure that Capone had been secreted there decades before. The show was mostly build up and teasers to fill airtime until the vault was reached.

Finally the cameras approach the vault; the “Grail” you might say has been found. Geraldo pours everything he has into making this a moment of suspense and high energy as he slowly opens the door to reveal…dirt. It was empty. No treasure. No story. Nothing.

That is exactly what one finds when opening the evidentiary vault for factual support of Brown’s claims in The Da Vinci Code. Nothing. The search certainly was enough to fill an hour of television programming, but Elizabeth Vargas and Primetime failed to make finding this “nothing” nearly as exciting as Rivera did with Capone’s vault.

Are you listening Geraldo? Perhaps it is time for you to do another special and “open” the Da Vinci vault. At least you know how to make “nothing” seem riveting.

This article was written by Bob Waldrep, Alabama State Director of Watchman Fellowship. He is also a Lay Pastor at his home church, the Church at Brook Hills. Email him at bwaldrep@watchman.org.

Click here to order a free resource packet from Watchman Fellowhip on The Da Vinci Code and its claims. (Be sure to include your name and address.)

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