One Vision Service

May 21, 2017

“Why Jesus?” Pt. 4

John 14:6-Jesus said to him, “Iamtheway,thetruth, andthelife. No one comes totheFather except through Me.”

The Bible teaches we are to actively defend the faith but we cannot do so unless we know the content of the faith (doctrine/Titus 2:1), how to defend it (apologetics/I Peter 3:15), and how to think clearly and rationally (logical reasoning/Acts 17:2).

So Why Jesus; because by examining specific theological concepts and how they are explained in different religions as compared to Christianity will validate the uniqueness of Christianity to other religions.

Abrahamic Religions

Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism and Christian Science are classified as

“New Religious Movements.”

AnAbrahamic religionis areligionwhose followers believe that the Hebrew patriarch Abraham and his descendants hold an important role in human spiritual development.

Abraham is traditionally considered to be the first Jew and to have made a covenant with God. (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-21) Judaism,Christianity, and Islamare sometimescalled Abrahamic religionsbecause they all accept the tradition that God revealed himself to the prophet Abraham.

*The Bible does not classify or identify Abraham a prophet.

Islam,Judaism, and Christianityare considered Abrahamic religions because of the belief they all worship the god of Abraham. The only noted difference is because of languagewherethey call God bydifferentnames, despite this it is believed they are referring to the same God.

Ishmaelis recognized as an important prophet and patriarch of Islam. Muslims believe thatIshmaelwas the firstborn of Abraham, born to him from his second wife Hagar.Ishmaelis recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several prominentArabtribes and being the forefather of Muhammad.

Nature of God / One God, who exists in
three distinct persons (The
Trinity): Father, Son and
Holy Spirit (Matthew28:19). / One God (Arabic: Allah),
who is not a trinity. The
Islamic view of God is
called strict Monotheism
(Quran 112:1) / One God (known in English
as 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah') -
"...Hear Israel, the Lord is
our God, the Lord is
one." (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Holy Book(s) / The Bible (from the
Greek: Biblos, 'books'),
given by God to man. The
Bible writers were inspired
by God in their writings.
(2Timothy 3:16). / The Quran or Koran
(Arabic: 'recitation'),
revealed to the prophet
Mohammed over a period
of about 20 years. The
Quran is the final revelation
given by Allah to mankind. / The Hebrew Tanakh,
similar to the Christian Old
Testament, comprised of the
Torah (Hebrew: 'Law'),
Nevi'im ('Prophets') and
Ketuvim ('Writings').
Jesus Christ / The second person of the
Trinity and born of the
Virgin Mary. "...true God
from true God"
(Nicene Creed) / Isa (Jesus) was a prophet,
sent by Allah and born of
the Virgin Mary, but not
divine (Quran 5:17). / An ordinary Jew, not the
Messiah nor a divineperson.
Holy Spirit / The third person of the
Trinity, truly divine:
"....with the Father and the
Son he is worshipped and
glorified."
(Nicene Creed) / Identical with the Angel
Gabriel, who appeared to
the Prophet Mohammed
giving him the Quranic text. / Not a distinct person, but a
divine power which for
example, was given to the
Prophets.
Sin / We inherit a sinful nature
through our common
ancestor Adam, who
disobeyed God. Jesus
Christ atoned for our sins
through his death on the
Cross (Romans 5:12-17). / There is no concept of
original sin, nor vicarious
atonement. All Humans are
born sinless, but human
weakness leads to sin. / Judaism rejects the doctrine
of original sin. Atonement
for sins committed is made
through seeking forgiveness
from God in prayer and
repentance.
Salvation / By grace through faith in
Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-
9). / Achieved through good
works, thus personal
righteousness must
outweigh personal sin
(Quran 23:101-103). / Through good works,
prayers and the grace of
God. There is no Christian notion of saving grace; individual salvation and heavenly existence are not prominent in Judaism. .
Hell / A place of everlasting
punishment for the
unrighteous (Matthew25:46). There is nocrossover between Heaven
and Hell. / A place of torment and fire
(Quran 25:65, 104:6-7). In
Islam, Hell is known as
Jahannam. Jahannam has
several levels and a person
may not necessarily spend
eternity there. / Traditionally, those who die in
sin may suffer temporary
punishment, but certain sins
merit eternal punishment.
For the most part,Judaism does not emphasizethe afterlife.
Redemption / Jesus reconciled man to God by giving His “life,” this is what set people free from the bondage of sin and redeemed us from a penalty of eternal separation from God. / The Koran rejects the notion of redemption. Every man will account for what he has done, and his eternal existence will be determined on that basis. / In Judaism, one’s eternal existence is determined by moral behavior and attitudes. Judaism teaches God always offers even the most evil men the possibility of repentance (teshuva “turning”). After such repentance one can atone for one’s rebellion against God’s ways by positive action.

1Steven Cory, “The Spirit of Truth and The Spirit of Error 2,” Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1986.

2“Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism” Christianity in View.

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