Expert: Brenda Martin - 3/17/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Brenda, I have claimed to be a Christian for many years so this question might seem odd.  I believe God and Satan exists,  I wonder though if there is one God for all religions, just called something else and worshiped differently. Since religion is man created, inherently it is flawed because of our sinful nature.  The Bible was also constructed by man, although inspired by God as Christians claim. The canonization process seemed man motivated for many reasons so is the Bible truly complete? Or was it constructed for mans purposes? I have also read the Koran which actually has many similarties as the Bible expect that Jesus was just another prophet, and not the only savior as stated in Christianity.  The prophet Mohammed in the Koran was just another man that guided man to know God. I also understand the well known Bible verse that Jesus states, "no one comes to the Father except through me" that many use to state that Christianity is the only way to become saved, therefor the only true religion.  Is it possible and probable that God is bigger than religion and that it could be possible to be saved outside of Christianity.  For example, if I were born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia I most likely would be a Muslin, not by any fault of my own. I could believe in God, live a godly life better than many fellow Christians, yet go to hell simply because I was born in Riyadh to no fault of my own.  You could use this logic throughout many other places in the world.  Also, what about the young people, especially babies that die without confessing their belief in Christ?  I understand that they are born into sin, but wouldn't a a loving, gracious,and merciful God have a plan for those as well.  It's hard to understand how God would allow those to go to hell. I hope you were able to understand my question and I look forward to your response.

ANSWER: HI David you asked--"ONE GOD FOR ALL RELIGIONS, JUST CALLED SOMETHING ELSE AND WORSHIPED DIFFERENTLY?"

Does the Bible say that there are hundreds of faiths to choose from and that whichever one we select will be all right with God? The apostle Paul received instructions from the resurrected Jesus Christ that said quite the contrary. Jesus sent him to people of the nations “to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God.” (Acts 26:17, 18)

Clearly, our choice of religion does matter. Many of the people to whom Paul was sent already had a religion. But they were in “darkness.” Indeed, if all religions were simply different roads leading to life everlasting and God’s favour, there would have been no need for Jesus to train his followers for the disciple-making work that he commissioned them to do.—Matthew 28:19, 20.

In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.” (Matthew 7:13, 14) The Bible explicitly states that there is “one faith.” (Ephesians 4:5)

Clearly, many who are on the “broad” road have a religion. But they do not have the “one faith.” Since there is only one true form of worship, those who desire to find that true faith will have to seek it out.

"RELIGION IS MAN CREATED"

Even though individuals are considered founders of the major religions that we are familiar with, it must be noted that they did not actually originate religion. In most cases, their teachings grew out of existing religious ideas.

Paul told the Athenians that the true God; “made the world and all the things in it,” since the true God is the Creator, who gave man thinking ability and power of reason, it is only logical that He would provide a way for man to come into a satisfying relationship with Him. That, according to Paul, was exactly what God did. “He made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, . . . for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.”—Acts 17:26, 27.

Note, for instance, what the book Story of the World’s Worship says about man’s language. “Those who have studied the languages of the world and compared them with each other have something to say, and it is this: All languages can be grouped into families or classes of speech, and all these families are seen to have started from one common source.”

If that is true of something as personal and as uniquely human as language, then would it not be reasonable to think that man’s ideas about God and religion should also have started from one common source? After all, religion is related to thinking, and thinking is related to man’s ability to use language, the ideas and concepts should be traceable to some common origin or pool of religious ideas.

The similarity in the basic concepts of the many religions of the world is strong evidence that they did not begin each in its own separate and independent way. Rather, going back far enough, their ideas must have come from a common origin.

The Encyclopedia of Religion says that almost all known religions have certain beliefs that, while differing in detail, are surprisingly similar. For example, they believe that mankind fell from an original position of divine favour, that death is unnatural, and that sacrifice is necessary to regain divine favour. This is strong circumstantial evidence indicating that all of today’s religions had a common origin.

The Bible explains how this came about. It tells us that the first man and woman rejected God’s direction and turned to another source for guidance and counsel. Although evidently not aware of Satan and his rebellion against God, they took an independent course and followed the counsel of a creature, represented by the serpent, rather than the Creator. The Bible later revealed that Satan was the true voice behind the misleading serpent.—Genesis 2:16–3:24; Revelation 12:9.

Man moved out from under theocratic rule and established his own standards as to good and evil. By their independent actions, Adam and Eve set mankind on a course that would result in many different religions, all of them constituting false worship in contrast with the true worship practiced by God’s faithful witnesses down through history.

God is the originator of true religion, but man moved away from the true teachings of God & made up their own teachings, so yes most of the religions today are man made,except for one, the one that still follows the teachings of Christ.

"THE BIBLE WAS ALSO CONSTRUCTED BY MAN"

Yes, it was written & put together by man, but God directed what went in it-

The Bible contains prophecy—history revealed and written in advance—that is well beyond mere human capability. One example is the rise and fall of “the king of Greece,” Alexander the Great, foretold some 200 years in advance! (Daniel 8:1-8, 20-22) The Bible also reveals events never witnessed by human eyes. The creation of heaven and earth is one example. (Genesis 1:1-27; 2:7, 8) Then there are conversations that took place in heaven, like those reported in the book of Job.—Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.

If not directly revealed by God to the writer, such events were made known by God to someone so that these became part of oral or written history, passed down from one generation to the next until they became part of the Bible record. In any case, we can be sure that God was the Source of all such information, and he guided the writers so that their accounts were not tainted with inaccuracy, exaggeration, or myth. Peter wrote regarding prophecy: “Men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.”—2 Peter 1:21.

"IS THE BIBLE TRULY COMPLETE?"

Yes--There is solid evidence that the books of the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) were written long before the first century C.E. The historian Josephus (first century C.E.) indicated that the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures had been fixed long before his day.

The canon of the Christian Greek Scriptures (NT) was completed about 98 C.E. with the books of the last surviving apostle, John.

The Bible was recorded by some 40 men as diverse as king, prophet, herdsman, tax collector, and physician. They did the writing over a period of 1,610 years; so there was no opportunity for collusion. Yet their writings agree, even in the smallest detail.

2 Timothy 3;16,17 tells us "All scripture is inspired of God...that the man of God may be FULLY COMPETENT for every good work"

"THE KORAN HAS MANY SIMILARTIES WITH THE BIBLE"

Yes that’s true--The record of what happened to Noah is found in the Bible book of Genesis, chapters 6 through 9, and it is retold in the Koran, which makes sense because; the oldest portion of the Bible predates all of the world’s other religious writings.

The Bible includes the oldest and most widely circulated of all sacred writings. It alone comes to grips with questions that we need answered—Why are we here? Why do we die? What does the future hold?

"NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME" = CHRISTIANITY IS THE ONLY WAY TO BECOME SAVED, THEREFORE THE ONLY TRUE RELIGION.

2 parts here :¬) Yes-Only through Jesus, “the way,” can we approach God in prayer and have an approved relationship with Him. (John 15:16) Jesus is “the truth” in that the prophecies and shadows contained in the Hebrew Scriptures became a reality in him. (John 1:17; Col. 2:16, 17) Indeed, the primary intent of true prophecy is to illuminate his central role in the outworking of God’s purpose. (Rev. 19:10) Further, Jesus is “the life.” To gain the blessing of everlasting life, all must exercise faith in his ransom sacrifice.—John 3:16, 36; Heb. 2:9.

As for the 2nd part; what calls itself “Christianity” today is NOT the “true religion” & therefore not the “way to become saved”

Only those who follow Jesus teachings can truly say they are on the “road to life” (Matthew 7; 13, 14)

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized to the crowds their responsibility to illuminate others by their words and actions. He said: “You are the light of the world. A city cannot be hid when situated upon a mountain. People light a lamp and set it, not under the measuring basket, but upon the lampstand, and it shines upon all those in the house. Likewise let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Jesus trained his disciples so that they would know how to preach and teach during their travels as itinerant ministers. And what was their message to be? That which Jesus himself preached, the Kingdom of God, which would rule the earth in righteousness. As Jesus explained on one occasion: “Also to other cities I must declare the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this I was sent forth.” (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 10:1-12)

He also stated that part of the sign identifying the last days would be that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matthew 24:3-14.

Do we see “Christianity” fulfilling that command? which religion do you see going from "house to house" as Jesus did?

"IF I WERE BORN IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA I MOST LIKELY WOULD BE A MUSLIM, I COULD BELIEVE IN GOD, LIVE A GODLY LIFE BETTER THAN MANY FELLOW CHRISTIANS, YET GO TO HELL SIMPLY BECAUSE I WAS BORN IN RIYADH TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN"

Yes you’re correct; I have met Muslims who live better “godly lives” than most so called “Christians” hence why Jesus left the command to his followers; “preach the good news in ALL the inhabited earth etc” so Muslims too hear the good news & are offered the opportunity to put faith in Jesus Christ. (John 3; 16)

As for the “hell” part, that is a church teaching, not a bible teaching, there is no such thing as a “fiery place where the wicked go” the word hell simply means “grave” hence why the bible says; Jesus went to hell, & the righteous man Job went to hell, they simply went to the grave.

"WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY BABIES THAT DIE WITHOUT CONFESSING THEIR BELIEF IN CHRIST?  WOULDN'T A A LOVING, GRACIOUS,AND MERCIFUL GOD HAVE A PLAN FOR THOSE AS WELL.IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW GOD WOULD ALLOW THOSE TO GO TO HELL."

Yes God does “have a plan” for those who die;--

At John 5:28, 29, Jesus said: “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which ALL those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out.” This means that all the dead in Sheol, our loved ones included, will come back to life.

Acts 24:15 reveals more about this grand event, stating: “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” So even “the unrighteous,” many individuals who did not know and serve God, will get a future opportunity to gain God’s favour.

Where will this resurrection occur? Psalm 37:29 states: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”

So you see, you are on the right track :¬) God IS “loving, gracious & merciful” & does not torture anyone in a fiery hell.

I look forward to hearing from you.

All the best
Brenda





---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Brenda, thanks for the quick and clear response.  Your points are all well received and backed by scripture for the most part.  I don't understand your interpretation of ACTS 24:15, "that individuals who did not know and serve God will get a future opportunity to gain God's favor".  I thought the decision to accept Christ as your lord and savior had to be made before death. Are your saying the Bible says we can make that decision after our physical death?  Would you expand on this please.   

I'll have to research the "Hell vs Grave" concept a little more before responding on that.  

I'm not sure your answer about what happens to young people, like babies who die before making a personal commitment was answered, could you please expand on that one.  

I have two more follow up questions.  Can one believe in God only and still go to heaven?  It is my understanding that before Christ, you could believe in God and that brought salvation along with following the law. I understand that Christianity states that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all in.  So it seems to me that if you belive in one you must believe in all?

Back to the Bible as the sole authority to salvation. Catholics and Mormons use parts of the Bible and have additional books.  What makes the Bible complete?  Is it not possible that Christ did appear to Native Americans and provided additional teachings found in the book of Mormon.  I recall a certain verse in Revelation 18-19 that talks about additions and deletions to the words of this prophetic book but my Mormon friends say that those verses are only refering to the book of Revelation, not the Bible in whole. Whay od teh Catholics have extra books in their Bible.  Seems their are multiple Books called the Bible, so which one is true? Thanks you for your thoughts, patience, and assistance with these questions.

David

Answer
"ACTS 24:15, I THOUGHT THE DECISION TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR HAD TO BE MADE BEFORE DEATH?"

It is a common teaching isn’t it; however as I discovered, not a bible teaching.

Because of being born sinful and condemned to death, mankind never had “a chance.” It could never justify itself before the God of absolute perfection by doing perfect works of righteousness and ridding itself of sinfulness. So, Judgment Day (1,000 years long) does not offer mankind what is called “a second chance.” Rather, it affords to mankind its first real opportunity to gain eternal life in human perfection and absolute innocence in an earthly Paradise. Judgment Day affords mankind the opportunity that Christ’s perfect human sacrifice provides for them to be cleansed from sin and to be uplifted to the full “glory of God” from which they now fall short. In view of this fact it depends upon what “the living and the dead” do DURING Judgment Day as to whether they will possess the Paradise earth forever or not.

This opportunity on Judgment Day is pictured for us in Revelation 20:11-15, in this symbolic language: “And I saw a great white throne and the one seated on it. From before him the earth and the heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. And the sea gave up those dead in it, and death and Ha′des gave up those dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. And death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.”

This picture refers to those who share in a resurrection to existence on earth, and who will be adjudged worthy of everlasting life only at the end of the thousand years, when they will be able to show their fully acquired righteousness in human perfection. The “scrolls” that are opened and according to the things written in which they are judged favourably or adversely are NOT scrolls containing the record of all their past imperfect, sinful deeds in this present life under this system of things, because the bible tells us-;

“For he who has died has been acquitted from his sin”. (Romans 6;7)

Those resurrected ones come to life with a clean slate, so to speak. The scrolls represent God’s further requirements. To live forever, both Armageddon survivors and resurrected ones will have to obey God’s commandments, including whatever new requirements God might reveal during the thousand years. Individuals will be judged on the basis of what they do during Judgment Day.

"ARE YOUR SAYING THE BIBLE SAYS WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION AFTER OUR PHYSICAL DEATH?"  

Keeping in mind that when a person dies that’s it, there is no immortal soul or spirit that lives on; they merely sleep in the grave.

After they are resurrected, (brought back to life on earth) these ones will be given the opportunity to hear God’s requirements & decide if they want to live by them, so yes they can make that decision after death.

Judgment Day (thousand year reign of Christ) will give billions of people their first opportunity to learn about God’s will and to conform to it. This means that a large-scale educational work will take place. Indeed, “righteousness is what the inhabitants of the productive land will certainly learn.” (Isaiah 26:9) However, not all will be willing to conform to God’s will. Isaiah 26:10 says: “Though the wicked one should be shown favour, he simply will not learn righteousness. In the land of straightforwardness he will act unjustly and will not see the eminence of Jehovah.” These wicked ones will be put to death permanently during Judgment Day.—Isaiah 65:20.

"HELL VS GRAVE"

The condition of the dead is made clear at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10, where we read: “The dead know nothing . . . In the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” (NIV) Scripturally, death is a state of nonexistence. The dead have no awareness, no feelings, no thoughts. Since the dead have no conscious existence, hell cannot be a fiery place of torment where the wicked suffer after death.

"CAN ONE BELIEVE IN GOD ONLY AND STILL GO TO HEAVEN?"

Mmm 2 parts here again :¬) yes we can & should believe God is ONE, not three, but we must have faith in his created son who died for us also. (John 3;16)

As for going to heaven, that is not the destiny for the majority of mankind, no matter if we worship God as one or three, we will not go to heaven.

I know that the churches teach “ALL good people go to heaven” but that is not a bible teaching as I was shocked to discover many years ago.

The Bible shows that a total of 144,000 anointed Christians receive that prize of heavenly life. They will share with Jesus Christ in his Millennial Reign (1,000 years) over the earth.

The vast majority of true Christians today, however, have a different prospect, or goal. God lovingly holds out to them what Adam and Eve lost, namely, the prospect of everlasting life in perfect health on a paradise earth. (Rev. 7:4, 9; 21:1-4)

"CHRISTIANITY STATES THAT THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST ARE ALL IN, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN ALL?"

Mmmm yes they do don’t they :¬(  I personally attended church for years being taught this doctrine, take what the Minister got from me when I asked him to show me where the bible teaches such a thing :¬) Of course he couldn’t, because it doesn’t exist.

The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’ (Deut. 6:4). . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”—(1976), Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126.

"WHAT MAKES THE BIBLE COMPLETE?"

Briefly-- First of all, the documents must deal with God’s affairs in the earth, turning men to his worship and stimulating deep respect for his name and for his work and purposes in the earth. They must give evidence of inspiration, that is, that they are products of holy spirit. (2 Pet. 1:21)

There must be no appeal to superstition or creature worship but, rather, an appeal to love and service of God. There would have to be nothing in any of the individual writings that would conflict with the internal harmony of the whole, but, rather, each book must, by its unity with the others, support the one authorship, that of God.

We would also expect the writings to give evidence of accuracy down to the smallest details. In addition to these basic essentials, there are other specific indications of inspiration, and therefore of canonicity, according to the nature of each book’s contents. Also, there are special circumstances that apply to the Hebrew Scriptures and others to the Christian Greek Scriptures that help in establishing the Bible canon.

These other books you mentioned don’t fit the criteria listed here.

"IS IT NOT POSSIBLE THAT CHRIST DID APPEAR TO NATIVE AMERICANS AND PROVIDED ADDITIONAL TEACHINGS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF MORMON?"

If the Book of Mormon contains the word of God, its doctrines should be in harmony with the Bible. Let us see if this is so regarding what it says about God for instance—

Mosiah 3:5 states: “For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles.” Here we find reflected the popular trinity doctrine of the churches.

The Book of Mormon boldly asserts that God and Christ are one God. Alma 11:38, 39 says: “Now Zeezrom saith again unto him: Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father? And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.”

Mormon 7:7 speaks about singing praises “unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.”

The Book of Mormon has Jesus Christ flatly saying, at 3 Nephi 11:14, “I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.”

**Nowhere does the Bible make such Trinitarian statements. At no time did Jesus Christ claim to be the “God of the whole earth” or the “God of Israel.” On this point The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible. Instead of saying that the Father and the Son are one God, the Bible reveals the Son to be a creature who was the beginning of the Creator’s creations and who is subject to the Father even after his ascension to heaven. This is shown at 1 Corinthians 15:28, “But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him, that God may be all things to everyone.”

So these writings cannot be from God as they teach the exact opposite from the bible.

I have just used one example, there are many more.
--
As for the Catholic writings--Internal evidence confirms the clear division that was made between the inspired Christian writings and works that were spurious or uninspired. The Apocryphal writings are much inferior and often fanciful and childish. They are frequently inaccurate.

"REVELATION 18-19 MY MORMON FRIENDS SAY THAT THOSE VERSES ARE ONLY REFERING TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION, NOT THE BIBLE IN WHOLE".

True, but the principle can be applied to the entire bible, as Galatians points out—

Paul to the congregation in Galatia--“Even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed. As we have said above, I also now say again, whoever it is that is declaring to you as good news something beyond what you accepted, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1; 8, 9)

The apostle Paul wrote with strong conviction about the provision for salvation that God had made through Jesus Christ. He declared that if anyone was to declare to the Galatians something beyond what they had learned, something that was actually a different teaching, “let him be accursed.” Then, pointing to the source of the good news that he declared, Paul stated: “Neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, except through revelation by Jesus Christ.” (Ga 1:8, 11, 12) This strong declaration was necessary, for even then there were some who were trying to overthrow the true faith by preaching ‘another good news.’ (2Co 11:4; Ga 1:6, 7) Paul warned of an apostasy to come and stated that ‘the mystery of lawlessness’ was already at work; he admonished Christians to remember the purpose of the good news and to stand firm and maintain their hold on the spirit-guided traditions they had learned through the apostles.—2Th 2:3, 7, 14, 15

All the best
Brenda