Give a reason · 1 Peter 3:15
Why do Christians say Jesus is the only way?
The objection
Billions of sincere people follow other faiths. Saying Jesus is the only way sounds arrogant, and it seems to make salvation depend on where you were born.
What the evidence shows
- 01The claim is in the New Testament itself.
It appears in John's Gospel and in the early preaching in Acts, not in a later church council.
The Christian case
- 01Religions don't all say the same thing.ArgumentStephen Prothero
Prothero, a scholar of religion, describes the world's major faiths as “eight rival religions,” not one path up the same mountain.
- 02No one misses out by accident of birth.ArgumentWilliam Lane Craig
Craig argues God may order history so that anyone who would freely respond to the gospel gets to hear it.
What Scripture says
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”John 14:6 (KJV)MeaningJesus' own claim, in the first person.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”Acts 4:12 (KJV)MeaningPeter's early preaching makes the same claim.
“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV)MeaningThe same Bible says God wants all people saved.
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (1769 Authorized Version), public domain.
Where Christians differ
Exclusivists hold that conscious faith in Christ is needed. Inclusivists, including C. S. Lewis, hold that some may be saved by Christ without knowing his name.
What skeptics say
Philosopher John Hick defended religious pluralism, arguing that claims about God are really claims about human perceptions of God, shaped by culture.
Did you know?
Before they were called Christians, Jesus' followers called their movement “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 24:14).
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“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)
Sources
- John 14:6; Acts 4:12, BibleGateway (KJV)
- Stephen Prothero, God Is Not One, HarperCollins
- William Lane Craig, “Politically Incorrect Salvation”, Reasonable Faith
- Inclusivism, Wikipedia
- John Hick, Wikipedia
- Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22, BibleGateway (BSB)