According to one Oxford professor, the Ancient Christian Codices are fakes.  So much for being the greatest archeological discovery of all time.  As fun as it is for us Bible/Archeology geeks to imagine the implications of such discoveries, the fact is, we’re better off without them.

You remember in Raiders of the Lost Ark when he pulls out the picture Bible and explains to the government officials why the power of the Ark of the Covenant?  For a moment, you might think that Indiana Jones is a man of faith.  After all, the believes in the power of this artifact of ancient Yahwehism, but the movie shows us otherwise.  Jones is an adventurer, who we find out, also believes in the pagan powers of Indian witch doctors, the Knights Templar, and (regrettably) bulbous alien crystal skulls.  Jones has good reason to believe in this panoply of supernatural artifacts: he’s seen them, touched them, and used them to defeat his enemies.

This stands in stark contrast to Abraham and his descendants, whose life was based on faith in what he had not seen.  Long after retirement age, he moved his entourage across the continent, because a voice told him he should.  He believed he and his wife would have a son in their mid-nineties.  He believed that even if God called him to sacrifice his son, the child would raise from the dead.  Again and again in the scriptures, it is said of Abraham that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

The problem with an “Indiana Jones” style of faith is that it reduces God to one more ancient magical artifact, no different that bulbous crystal alien skulls.  Having something tangible to grip on to eliminates the need for faith.  This type of faith is limited by ones own ability, or that or the witch doctor or magic talisman.  It is also a tool, to be manipulated by one’s will.

God, on the other hand, is no tool. You cannot manipulate him or force him to do your will.  Where Indy sought power, Abraham was just along for the ride.

It’s kind of sad that the codices were fake.  It would be cool to have ancient extrabiblical proof of the teaching of the resurrection.  However, the fact is that one more piece of proof is just another tool to put our faith in, instead of God.  In the mean time, we’ll have to settle for what we already had (the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2:5-11, among other things) and the promise of Jesus “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”