This week’s class is part two on the topic of Religious Pluralism in our “Case for the Old Testament, The History Continues.” We are also reviewing last week’s Bible study on Genesis 24-26. Studying the Old Testament as Christians gives us the first half of our story and a picture of things to come! Lessons from this ancient culture still provides vital application for us today! Each week’s class includes prayer, a review of the Bible study, an “apologetics” presentation and a homework assignment.

2023 A Case for the Old Testament, The History Continues…

Religious Pluralism, Part 2

Prayer and Reflection

1. Write out your prayer cards and exchange them at the end of the class.

2. Bible Practice: Memorizing helpful facts

a. What are the five categories of the Old Testament books in the Christian Bible and what are the 39 books of the Old Testament in each of those five categories? (Hint 5-12-5-5-12)

b. What are the “Major Historical Events” – the “Major Players” involved in those events – and the “Major Covenants” found in Genesis?

3. Memory Verse:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Click here to check or review answers for Genesis chapters 24-26 given in the presentation

Religious Pluralism…

promotes tolerance of all religious beliefs as if they are equally true
lays claim to being “politically correct” because we don’t want to offend anyone (even with the truth)
denies objective truth and promotes a type of relativism
rejects the exclusive claims made by Jesus
rejects the exclusive teachings of the Bible
falls under the banner of the religious institution known as “Universalism”
opens up a ‘smorgasbord’ approach to faith: “I like some of Christianity, but not all, I’ll take a little from Islam, and a whole lot from Hinduism, and if I am a good person God can’t possibly turn me away from Heaven”

Is Christianity An Exclusive Religion?

Definitions
Inclusive vs. Exclusive

Exclusivism: Asserts that only one way is true and all others are in error.
Inclusivism: Asserts that while one set of beliefs is absolutely true, other sets of beliefs are at least partially true.
Religious Inclusivism is the belief that God is present in non-Christian religions to save adherents through Christ. It is God in Christ who reaches out to the individual in his own personal religious history to save him:
- THIS IS WHAT RELIGIOUS PLURALISM TEACHES

Christianity, by its definition, makes an exclusive claim to truth

If we are followers of Christ then we must be followers of what He taught.
Today, religious pluralism and political correctness has changed what Jesus said in John 14:6 from, “I am the way, the truth and the life” to ‘I am a way, a truth and a ’
The Bible is very clear on the teachings of Jesus and there are many passages that support His exclusive claims

The Christian claim is exclusive, but the invitation in inclusive!

Biblical examples…

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5
“For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Acts 13:47
“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” Titus 2:11
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesian 2:4-10

Christianity has to be exclusive because…

Jesus is the only one who claimed to be the Son of God and proved it through his ministry, miracles and resurrection.
Jesus is the only one who fulfilled all of the prophecies given hundreds of years before his time.
Jesus is the only one who brought not just mercy (forgiveness of debt), but grace (a gift of eternal life).
Jesus is the only one who said it is done so that we do not have to do anything to earn salvation and entrance into Heaven.

Christianity is inclusive because…

All are welcomed into the family of God through His Son Jesus (John 3:16)
There is nothing a person can do to earn or work their way to eternal life (Romans 3, Galatians 2)
Jesus said to the thief on the cross: “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Some common arguments against Christianity’s exclusive claims:

1. “People in other religions are so sincere”

There are devout sincere people of many faiths, but people can be devoutly and sincerely wrong.
Sincerity is not a test for truth.
Sincere faith in an improperly packed parachute won’t matter—we must be diligent in our preparation for eternity.

2. “Christians are arrogant for claiming Jesus is the only way.”

Arrogance is not a test for truth, the question should be: Is it true; is what I believe true?
Arrogance is a description of an individual, not whether or not they have the truth.
Truth is discovered, and Christians are claiming to have investigated and discovered the truth by looking at the evidence.

3. “Exclusive religious claims have led to war, violence and oppression.”

There have been more wars in history over politics, ethnicity and power than there have been over religion.
True Christians do not lay claim to people in history that used Christianity for their own purposes, agendas and ideologies.
Religion is not the fundamental problem, people are—something is deeply wrong with the human heart and that is the root of all of the wars and oppression in history, and Christianity has the best answer for the solution to that problem.

Genocide stats of the twentieth century

Information taken from historyplace.com. These numbers are rounded, and not necessarily all inclusive, but are representative of the tragic consequences to false, non-Christian, ideologies:

Rape of Nanking – 1937-38: 300,000 Deaths
Rwanda – 1994: 800,000 Deaths
Armenians in Turkey – 1915-18: 1,5000,000 Deaths
Pol Pot in Cambodia – 1975-79: 2,000,000 Deaths
Nazi Holocaust – 1938-45: 6,000,000 Deaths
Stalin’s Forced Famine – 1932-33: 7,000,000 Deaths

ALL OF THESE WARS AND DEATHS WERE CAUSED BY NON-CHRISTIAN DICTATORS, ATHEIST PHILOSOPHIES AND IDEOLOGIES

How can we know if Christianity’s exclusive claims are true?

Test it for truth (the correspondence theory of truth—does it line up with reality?)
Test its historical accuracy, textual criticism, and eyewitness accounts via MAPS-S

Manuscript evidence
Archeological evidence
Prophecy fulfillment
Scientific authenticity
Saved lives

THE EVIDENCE CUTS THE CHOICE FOR OBJECTIVE TRUTH DOWN TO ONLY ONE: CHRISTIANITY

Join us as we continue this topic next week…

Bible Study

Each week we will have Bible study following the presentation. There will be questions presented here on the weekend, and basic answers will be part of the next presentation or posted mid-week for your review, depending on the topic. This can also be used to make a leader’s guide for your own small group and future studies!

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Note: Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for Discussion or Going Deeper questions. If you use these kinds of sources share them with your group.

1. Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Read Genesis Chapter 27 through Chapter 29, then answer the following questions:

2. (Genesis 27:1-41) In this chapter, we find the story of Jacob and his mom, Rebekah, deceiving Isaac. What did Rebekah do, and why (cross-reference clue: go back to chapter 25:22-23)? What was the blessing that Isaac gave Jacob, instead of Esau; how did Esau respond when he discovered what had happened, and how did his father Isaac answer him?

Going Deeper: Culturally speaking, what was the importance of the blessing, and how is it different from the “birthright” Jacob also stole earlier (see chapter 25:30-34)?

3. (Genesis 27:42 through 28:9) In this section Jacob is sent away. Where was Jacob sent, and why? Isaac blessed Jacob before he left – What part of the Abrahamic Covenant did Isaac emphasize (focus on 28:3-4)? Esau had previously married some of the “daughters of Canaan;” after this happened with Jacob, who else did he marry, and why?

4. (Genesis 28:10-22) In this section Jacob begins his journey to Haran. Describe Jacob’s dream and what he saw (focus on verses 12-13)? Cross-reference with John 1:48-51 – who does the “Ladder” picture? What parts of the Abrahamic Covenant did God promise Jacob, and what did Jacob do and say after God spoke to him?

5. (Genesis 29:1-20) In this section Jacob meets his family from Haran. What happened when Jacob met Rachel? How did Laban respond to meeting Jacob, and why? Who was Leah, and what was the comparison between her and Rachel?

6. (Genesis 29:21-35) In this section Jacob begins his family by working for Laban. Describe how Jacob ended up with Leah, even though it was Rachel he loved, and how did God respond to Leah’s plight? How did Laban respond when Jacob confronted him?

7. Discussion: How does Laban compare to Jacob as a deceiver, and what lesson can we take away, as application, from the actions of these two men?

Please join us each week as we continue our case for the Old Testament!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in! Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15