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Posted: April 29th, 2018
The Bible’s treatment of other religions
The Bible’s treatment of other religions
The Bible is the sacred scripture of Christianity, which claims to be the revelation of God’s will and purpose for humanity. The Bible consists of two main parts: the Old Testament, which records the history and laws of the ancient Israelites, and the New Testament, which records the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his followers. The Bible is not a systematic treatise on other religions, but it does contain many references and interactions with the religious beliefs and practices of other peoples in the ancient Near East and the Roman Empire.
The Old Testament perspective
The Old Testament presents a monotheistic worldview, affirming that there is only one true God, Yahweh, who created the heavens and the earth and chose Israel as his special people. The Old Testament repeatedly warns Israel against worshipping other gods or adopting the idolatrous and immoral practices of their pagan neighbors. The first commandment in the Decalogue states: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). The prophets denounce the worship of Baal, Asherah, Molech, and other Canaanite deities as an abomination to Yahweh and a cause of judgment for Israel. The Old Testament also records some positive encounters with people of other faiths, such as Melchizedek, a priest-king of Salem who blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18-20), Jethro, a Midianite priest who advised Moses (Exodus 18:1-27), and Naaman, a Syrian general who was healed of leprosy by Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-19). These examples show that God was not limited by Israel’s boundaries or exclusive of other nations, but was working in mysterious ways to reveal himself to all people.
The New Testament perspective
The New Testament presents a Christocentric worldview, affirming that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior of the world. The New Testament claims that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament and inaugurated a new covenant between God and humanity. The New Testament also asserts that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” and that “no one comes to the Father except through him” (John 14:6). The New Testament does not endorse or promote any other religion, but rather calls people from all nations and backgrounds to repent and believe in Jesus as Lord. The New Testament also records some respectful dialogues and debates with people of other faiths, such as Jews, Samaritans, Greeks, Romans, and others. For example, Paul preached at the Areopagus in Athens, where he quoted some Greek poets and philosophers to connect with his audience and point them to the unknown God they were ignorantly worshipping (Acts 17:16-34). Paul also wrote to the Corinthians that “there is no God but one” and that “an idol is nothing in the world” (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). However, he also advised them to be sensitive to the conscience of weaker believers who might be stumbled by eating food offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8:7-13).
The biblical approach
Based on the biblical evidence, it seems that the best approach for Christians to respond to other religions is neither universalism nor exclusivism, but rather inclusivism. Inclusivism acknowledges that there is only one true God and one way of salvation through Jesus Christ, but also recognizes that God can work in mysterious ways to reveal himself to people of other faiths and draw them to himself. Inclusivism does not compromise or relativize the gospel message, but rather seeks to communicate it in a relevant and respectful way to people of different cultural and religious backgrounds. Inclusivism also does not judge or condemn people of other faiths, but rather prays for them and loves them as neighbors. Inclusivism follows the example of Jesus, who said: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice” (John 10:16).
Bibliography
– Edwards, B. (2023). How Should Christians Respond to Other Religions? Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-should-christians-respond-to-other-religions.html
– Moberly, W. (2024). The Bible and the Religions of the World. Retrieved from https://www.crossway.org/articles/the-bible-and-the-religions-of-the-world/
– Newbigin, L. (2020). The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
– Yong, A. (2022). Thinking with the New Testament about Other Religions. Retrieved from https://fullerstudio.fuller.edu/thinking-with-the-new-testament-about-other-religions/
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