The Exclusivity of Jesus

[Wilson L. Deaton]

The following is taken from Campbell & Burns, "Wesleyan Essentials in a Multicultural Society, (Abingdon Press, c. 2004):

"It is perfectly consistent to hold that Jesus is the exclusive way to God, and to claim that people can encounter God outside Christianity, without knowing about the historical Jesus of Nazareth....
The inclusivist view maintains that salvation comes through Christ, but is not limited to the historical event of the incarnation: life, death, and ressurrection of Christ.... For the unevangelized (those who have not heard the message about Christ) this means living faithfully to all the light that has been revealed to them and trusting in the mercy of God. (p. 41f)"

Your thoughts and reactions...

Wilson

[Billy Cox]

We have strategies for taking Christ into highly devout Muslim populations. So, if they are walking in all the light that they have, is it a good idea to take the Gospel there?

We also don't bat an eye about evangelizing Jews and sometimes even Catholics.

[Hans Deventer]

Wilson,

The other day I read that of course we all know that

JN 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

But does that mean that Jesus is in the way of everyone and you have to get past Him in order to come to the Father? Or does it mean that He showed the only true way and that everyone that really comes to the Father, comes in that way?

Also, the other day I read in our Christian Broadcasting Magazine a story about Messianic Muslims! People that are Muslim but do recognize Jesus as, well, as He said himself in Jn 14:6.
They would respect the "older" Muhammed, before he got disappointed with Jews and Christians and spoke against them.

I had never heard of this but I did hear that quite often, Jesus shows himself towards Muslims. And of course, islam is more than a religion, it is a culture. So what would belief in Jesus look like in an islamic culture? This might be the (or one of the) answer(s).

Hans

[Hans Deventer]

Found an article about them: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/17/story_1720_1.html

Hans

[Marsha Lynn]

We have strategies for taking Christ into highly devout Muslim populations. So, if they are walking in all the light that they have, is it a good idea to take the Gospel there?

We also don't bat an eye about evangelizing Jews and sometimes even Catholics.

I think this question goes back to our purpose in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If the only purpose of accepting Christ is eternal life, then we can let people stumble their way towards that life however they manage to find their way. However, if our relationship with Jesus Christ gives us a joy unspeakable and full of glory in this world, would it not be selfish to keep the secret of that abundant life to ourselves?

So I see two reasons to spread the gospel.

1. Not many are likely to find their way to God without guidance. It takes great perseverance to choose a path of righteousness while living among pagans. We can offer community to God-seekers.

2. The gospel message is amazing! Why would we not want to at least offer what we've found to God-seekers from other religions? Even if they don't accept the person of Jesus, perhaps, as in the case of Ghandi, because of the gross misrepresentation of Christ on the part of Christians in their past, we can still encouragement them on their quest for a relationship with the God of the universe.

Marsha

[Wilson L. Deaton]

I know the analogy is not perfect but I like to look at the example of Job. Where did Job get his theology? He was "outside" of Israel. Perhaps contemporary with (or even before) Abraham. He was also of course before the incarnation and knew nothing of Jesus. He served as a "priest" to his family but under what authority? Yet, I believe I will meet Job in heaven.

Jesus was the way, in the sense that Jesus made possible Job's salvation even though Job didn't know it. (Same is true of all the OT faithful.)

So are there "Jobs" living in middle east today? Or for that matter the far east? Europe? Kenosha, WI? People who haven't been exposed to true Christianity but are trying to live the best lives they know how to live...

Acts 17:23
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Was Paul trying to completely redirect them OR was their "unknown god" actually God and they didn't know it?

What does it all mean? I'm not sure. I'm convinced that it does not diminish our call to evangelize. On the other hand, it must speak to our approach in some way. Perhaps we must show greater respect, etc.

Still brainstorming,
Wilson

[Marsha Lynn]

Disclaimer: This is my own attempt to reconcile the various ways people meet God in the Bible with Jesus' statement that no one could come to the Father except through him.

What is the way of Jesus? It's the way of the cross; the way of self-denial. It's loving the poor and downtrodden and identifying with them. It's coming to God as a child.

We all have a natural tendency to serve ourselves first, second, and last. Even when we think we're serving others, we're often primarily serving ourselves -- salving our conscience with good deeds, building up our record of good works. Jesus set aside the glory of heaven and came to serve others. He took the ultimate step of declining to save his own life when God allowed him to be unfairly accused, ridiculed, and murdered. He made a choice early in his ministry that he would not use his power to save his own life. He was obedient to the higher power of his Father all the way to the cross.

This is a radical message. The way to God is self-denial and submission to His will for us. Jesus personified those traits. Few religious people were capable of looking at Jesus and setting aside their masks of righteousness in order to join him in humiliation and defeat. Few people today are willing to do so.

Does one have to know the story of Jesus and "invite him into his/her heart" in order to be "saved"? I don't think so. But one has to know the way of submission and self-denial, the way of the cross. That's the way of Jesus, and no one can come to the Father except by walking that path. We have to bow down in order to fit through the gate. There's no way around it.

Marsha

[Doug Kitchen]

I know the analogy is not perfect but I like to look at the example of Job. Where did Job get his theology? He was "outside" of Israel. Perhaps contemporary with (or even before) Abraham. He was also of course before the incarnation and knew nothing of Jesus. He served as a "priest" to his family but under what authority? Yet, I believe I will meet Job in heaven.

Jesus was the way, in the sense that Jesus made possible Job's salvation even though Job didn't know it. (Same is true of all the OT faithful.)

So are there "Jobs" living in middle east today? Or for that matter the far east? Europe? Kenosha, WI? People who haven't been exposed to true Christianity but are trying to live the best lives they know how to live...

Acts 17:23
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

Was Paul trying to completely redirect them OR was their "unknown god" actually God and they didn't know it?

What does it all mean? I'm not sure. I'm convinced that it does not diminish our call to evangelize. On the other hand, it must speak to our approach in some way. Perhaps we must show greater respect, etc.

Still brainstorming,
Wilson

Wilson,
Another very interesting story in the old testament that is enlightening (or maybe challenging) is the story of Hagar and Ishmael in Gen. 21. The God who hears (Ishmael). God spares his life as he will do in ch. 22 for Isaac (The God who provides). I have heard this portion preached in a tone that Ishmael is the father of Islam and that this is pointed to as a "curse" story or at least the beginning of conflict between islam and judaism. But I see God's compassion and love for people who are not part of Abraham's line. The conflict was created by humans and not by God.

So maybe our approach should focus on compassion as God exhibited in this story rather than conflict and confrontation?

Doug

ps another interesting tidbit is that the slave-girl's son is named "God listens" and Abraham's son is "he laughs"

[Billy Cox]

I have generally understood the text to read like this paraphrase:

"You guys have all of these shrines to many different kinds of gods. Just to make sure you have all of your bases covered, you even have a shrine to an unknown God."

The passage highlights the human inner awareness of the divine as well as our futile efforts to clothe the divine with human ideas.

[Grandma Carolyn]

Wow This Is A Great Thread!

Very interesting. I'll be saving this thread because it is so good.

**GC**

[Ian Gentles]

Jesus said, "I have other sheep that are not of this flock", I have often wondered what He actualy meant?
I approach folks of other faiths in a different way than I would those pertaining to be christian. I always beleive in respect and not brow beating them.
I dont think we can deny that folks will be in Heaven who lived by the light they had.
My concern regards our modern day is, The gospel is being heard in most parts of the globe, via radio, Bible translators, etc. We are to take the gospel to all the world, because it is "The power of God unto salvation!" I therefore beleive that the gospel is vital. Lets remember that the world is already guilty through Adams fall, we "Are born in sin". I look on evangelism like a medical mission, the worlds population is dieing from an a deadly disease, but we have the serium and are called upon to get it offered to as many as will beleive us!