Why is Christianity the only way?

The Man Who Supposed Exclusivity Arrogance and Intolerance

He was an educated, open-minded man, and he had been taught that Christianity's claim to be the one way to God is arrogance and intolerance: how can one religion monopolize the truth, and say that all other paths are wrong? So he supposed that the breadth of mind of the educated requires seeing all religions as equally valid. But one day he read that the exclusivity was not invented by believers claiming superiority, but spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). And he paused: if Christ Himself said this, then the question is not whether Christians are arrogant, but whether His claim is true.

The Bible's answer to the question of exclusivity is a single sentence, and once it is grasped it changes the view: the exclusivity is from Christ Himself, not from the arrogance of believers; and exclusive truth is the nature of truth, since to say a thing is true is to say its contradictory is false; and the religions say genuinely contradictory things, so they cannot all be true. As for the supposition that all sincere paths lead to God, it is overturned by the fact that sincerity does not make contradictory beliefs all true. And as for the supposition that exclusivity is intolerance, it is overturned by the fact that holding a conviction while loving the one who disagrees is not intolerance. So the exclusivity of the gospel is not a door shut against people, but one door open to all: whoever will, let him come.

What the Educated Man Assumes in His Question

Let the position be stated fairly. Many educated people assume that Christianity's claim to be the one way is arrogance and intolerance: that no one religion has the right to monopolize the truth, and that the breadth of mind of the educated should see all paths as equally valid. And from this it is understood that exclusivity in itself is a moral fault: narrowness of mind, or superiority over others.

And we acknowledge true things here: that respecting people in spite of their differing beliefs is noble, that arrogance and intolerance are real vices, and that the educated person should be open-minded. All this we value and do not deny. The one who hates arrogance hates something worthy of hatred. But the matter is not whether people ought to be respected — that is right — but whether the claim of exclusivity is in itself arrogance, or whether it may be merely a claim that something is true. So here we distinguish between the believer's attitude (is he arrogant?) and the content of the claim (is it true?). For the Bible does not call for contempt of unbelievers, but honours every person; yet it declares that Christ is the way. So when we ask about exclusivity, we are not asking whether the believer is kind or harsh, but whether what he says is true. And the Bible answers: the exclusivity is not the believer's arrogance, but the claim of Christ Himself; and the real question is the truth of this claim, not the character of the one who relays it.

The Exclusivity Is From Christ Himself, Not the Arrogance of Believers

The first thing that settles the matter is that the exclusivity was not invented by believers claiming their superiority, but spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. For He said that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man comes to the Father but by Him: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). And the apostles declared that salvation is in no other: "Neither is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12).

So this transforms the whole question. For if the exclusivity were a claim by believers that they are better than others, it would be an arrogance deserving criticism. But it is not so: it is Christ's claim about Himself. So the believer does not say «I am better,» but relays what Christ said about Himself: that He is the only way. So the question, then, is not whether Christians are arrogant in monopolizing the truth, but whether Christ spoke truly when He said He is the way. For if He were a liar or mistaken, His claim is false, and relaying it is worthless. And if He spoke truly, then relaying His word is not arrogance, but faithfulness. So the exclusivity, then, stands or falls with the truth of Christ, not with the humility or arrogance of the believer. So the one who accuses the believer of arrogance misses the target: for the believer relays a claim that is not his, but Christ's; and the matter is the truth of Christ, not the attitude of the one relaying His word. So let us direct the question where it belongs: did Christ speak the truth?

Exclusive Truth Is the Nature of Truth, Not Arrogance

And exclusivity in truth is not arrogance, but the nature of truth itself. For to say that a thing is true is necessarily to say that what contradicts it is false. For if you say the earth is round, you are saying that to say it is flat is wrong; and no one accuses you of arrogance for that. So every claim to truth is, by its nature, exclusive: it excludes its contradictory.

And the more striking point is that the saying «all paths are equally valid» is itself an exclusive claim to truth. For the one who says this claims that his view — that all are equal — is true, and that the view of one who says a single path is the truth is false. So he excludes the one who disagrees just as much as the one he accuses of exclusivity. So the position «all paths are equal» contradicts itself: for it claims exclusivity while denying it. So there is no escape from exclusivity in truth; for even the one who rejects it claims that his rejection is the correct one. So the matter, then, is not whether we hold an exclusive position — for everyone does — but which exclusive position is the correct one. So accusing Christianity of arrogance for claiming exclusivity falls on the speaker himself, for he claims a counter-exclusivity. So exclusivity in truth is not a moral vice, but a logical feature of every claim to truth. So the question remains: which of the claims is true, not which is exclusive; for all are exclusive.

The Religions Say Contradictory Things, So They Cannot All Be True

And what reveals that «all paths are equal» does not hold is that the religions say genuinely contradictory things, so they cannot all be true at once, however sincere their adherents. For some say that God is one in three persons, and some deny it; and some say that Christ is God incarnate, and some deny it; and some say that salvation is by grace through faith, and some by works. And these are not superficial differences of style, but contradictions in substance.

For Christ cannot be God incarnate and not be so at the same time. And salvation cannot be by grace alone and by works at the same time. So these are contradictory claims, and contradictions cannot all be true. So to say that «all paths lead to God» ignores that the paths say conflicting things about God Himself, and about the Christ, and about salvation. So either Christ is God or He is not; and both cannot be true together. So respecting the adherents of religions does not mean that their contradictory claims are all true; for respect is one thing, and truth is another. So the one who would say all are true must deny the law of non-contradiction itself — which no one can live by. So the religions, contradicting one another in substance, cannot all be true; and some must be mistaken where they contradict. So the question, then, is not how to make them all true — which is logically impossible — but which is true where they contradict.

The First Objection: «All Sincere Paths Lead to God»

Here the educated man raises his strongest objection: do not all sincere paths lead to God, as long as the one who walks them is sincere? And the answer is that sincerity, however great, does not make contradictory beliefs all true. For sincerity is a virtue of the will, not a guarantee of the correctness of the belief. For a person may be entirely sincere and entirely mistaken; for sincerity in seeking does not turn the false into the true.

For the one who took a medicine supposing it a cure, when it was poison, is not healed by his sincerity; for reality does not change with the sincerity of the supposition. So it is with the paths to God: sincerity in walking does not make a path arrive if it does not actually arrive. For if Christ is the only way as He said, then sincerity in walking another path does not make it arrive at the Father. So the objection confuses the sincerity of the walker with the correctness of the path; and these are different. So we do not deny the sincerity of many adherents of other paths, nor do we despise them; rather we say that their sincerity, which we value, does not make contradictions true. For the Bible honours the sincere seeker, and promises that the one who seeks the truth sincerely finds it: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). But sincerity leads to the truth when it seeks it, it does not make every path the truth. So sincerity, then, is precious, but it seeks the truth, it does not make it.

The Second Objection: «Exclusivity Is Intolerance»

And the educated man raises a second objection: is not exclusivity intolerance and a lack of tolerance? And the answer is that holding a conviction to be true, while loving and respecting the one who disagrees, is not intolerance, but the condition of every sincere conviction. For intolerance is the contempt, coercion, and harming of the one who disagrees; but being convinced that something is true while loving the one who disagrees with it is not intolerance, but faithfulness joined to love.

For every person holds convictions he supposes true, and sees what contradicts them as wrong — even the one who claims to reject exclusivity. So if merely being convinced that a view is true were intolerance, then everyone would be intolerant. But the difference is not in the conviction, but in how we treat the one who disagrees. And the Bible commands that we share the truth with gentleness and respect: "and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). «With gentleness and respect» — so the Bible commands neither coercion nor contempt, but the sharing of the truth in love. So the Christian is called to be convinced that Christ is the way, and at the same time to love the one who disagrees with him, respect him, and treat him with dignity. So this is not intolerance, but conviction joined to love. So the one who accuses exclusivity of intolerance confuses being convinced of the truth with contempt for the one who disagrees; and these are different. So faithfulness to the truth with love for the one who disagrees is the opposite of intolerance, not a form of it.

«All Paths Equal» Does Not Respect the Religions, but Overrides What They Say of Themselves

And what turns the objection is that the position «all paths are equal,» when examined, does not respect the religions it claims to respect, but overrides what each of them says of itself. For every serious religion makes claims to truth, and many of them explicitly deny that all paths are equal. So the one who flattens them all into the same thing ignores what each of them says of itself, and imposes on them a view they themselves reject.

For the one who says «all religions say the same thing in substance» contradicts what the religions themselves declare about their substantial difference. So he does not respect them, but reinterprets them against their will, erasing what they affirm about their distinctiveness. But genuine respect takes each religion seriously enough to weigh whether its claims are true — which is exactly what the exclusivity question invites. So the one who says «they are all the same» treats the religions as though their claims do not matter, and so does not take them seriously; and the one who asks «which is true» takes their claims seriously, and so weighs them. So the paradox is that the one who supposes himself more respectful of the religions — by flattening them — is in fact the one who takes them least seriously; and the one accused of arrogance — by asking which is true — is the one who takes their claims seriously enough to weigh them. So it is the relativist, not the believer, who does not take the religions seriously. So respecting the religions is not by erasing their differences, but by taking their claims seriously enough to ask about their truth. So the question «which is true» is not an insult to them, but the deepest respect for the seriousness of what they say.

The Exclusivity of the Gospel: One Door, Open to All

And what clarifies the matter is that the exclusivity of the gospel is not the narrowness of a door shut against people, but the singularity of a rescue offered freely to all. For the door is one, but it is open to whoever will. For the Bible invites every thirsty one to come: "And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). So the exclusivity here is in the one way, not in the exclusion of anyone; for the one way is open to every person.

And God wills that all men be saved: "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). So why one way? Because there is one problem — sin (Romans 3:23) — and one solution that God provided. So the exclusivity is not stinginess, but because the problem is one and the solution is one. For just as one disease may have one healing medicine, offering it exclusively is not stinginess, but mercy: for the only cure is announced to all. So the gospel declares the one way, but opens it to whoever will, without exception: «whosoever will, let him take.» So the exclusivity, then, is in the singularity of the way, not in the exclusion of anyone; and the one door is wide open to all. So this is not the narrowness of a proud mind, but the breadth of a merciful invitation: one way, but for all.

How to Consider This Sincerely

And if you seek the truth sincerely, there is an honest path: not to judge exclusivity as arrogance before asking who claimed it and why. So ask: is the exclusivity the believer's arrogance, or Christ's claim about Himself? And is saying that something is true arrogance, or the nature of truth? And is «all paths are equal» a non-exclusive position, or is it itself an exclusive claim? So if you distinguish this, much of the objection dissolves.

Then do what the sincere seeker does: do not ask which path is most widely accepted, but which is true. For if Christ said that He is the way, then the question is the truth of His claim, not the breadth of mind in accepting all. So begin with the Gospel of John, and read what Christ said about Himself, examining the truth of His claim, asking God to show you the truth, confident that the sincere seeker finds. For the Bible itself was written that you might believe and have life: "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31). So sincere examination leads you not to the question which is broadest, but which is true; and if Christ is the way, the door is open to you also.

Closing — One Door, Open to You

If you have supposed exclusivity arrogance and intolerance, the Bible reveals to you that it is not the believer's arrogance, but the claim of Christ Himself; and that exclusive truth is the nature of truth, since even «all paths are equal» is an exclusive claim; and that the religions contradict one another, so they cannot all be true. You are not called to judge the believer as arrogant, but to ask about the truth of Christ. So the exclusivity of the gospel is not a shut door, but one door open to whoever will. And this Christ, the one way, died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Come, then, and do not ask which path is most widely accepted, but which is true. Read the Gospel of John for yourself, and examine what Christ said about Himself, and ask God to show you the truth, confident that the sincere seeker finds. For exclusivity is not a proud exclusion, but the singularity of a rescue offered to all: one way, but open to you. So the One who said He is the way, the truth, and the life invites you to come to Him; and the one door is wide open, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

A Special Prayer

If you have come to see that the exclusivity of the gospel is one door open to you, and that Christ who said He is the way died and rose for you, you may come to Him now, even while you still examine. What saves you is not the words of a prayer, but faith that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose again. So pray from your heart to the living God who hears:

"O great and holy and loving God, the one true God: I supposed exclusivity to be arrogance, and I see now that it is the claim of Christ Himself, and that the one door is open to me also. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I need Thee. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the way, and that He died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. I trust in Him alone as my Saviour, and I come by the one door Thou hast opened to all. Receive me, forgive me, and grant me eternal life. I pray in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

After You Have Prayed

If you prayed this prayer from a sincere heart, then you have entered by the one door God opened to all, and you have become a child of His forever. Here are steps to steady you:

First — read the Word of God every day. Know that the King James Version (KJV) is the truest and purest copy of the Word of God in all the world, His true and pure Word, and you will find it on this website (alinjil.com); and in Arabic, read the trustworthy Van Dyck translation. Begin with the Gospel of John, not in haste, but with meditation and prayer, for God speaks to you through His Word.

Second — pray to God directly every day in words from your own heart, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, thanking Him that He opened the one door to you.

Third — ponder that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and that His door is open to all, that you may share the truth in love.

Fourth — seek a church that honours the Word of God and proclaims salvation in Christ, join the fellowship of believers, and be baptized in obedience to the Lord.

Fifth — bear witness to others with gentleness and love that Christ is the way, and that His door is open to all, especially to those who supposed exclusivity arrogance.

And keep reading the Word of God in the King James Version, the truest and purest Word of God in the world, and in the Van Dyck in Arabic — both found on this website — that you may grow in the knowledge of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life.

A Personal Word to You, Dear Reader

Thank you for taking the time to read this message about the exclusivity of the gospel, and the salvation that God offers through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have received Christ as your own personal Saviour, you have entered by the one door open to all, and you have become a child of God forever. "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

We encourage you to begin reading the Gospel of John for yourself, to continue in the Word of God in the King James Version — the truest and purest Word of God in the world — and in the Van Dyck in Arabic, both found on this website (alinjil.com), and to share this good news with everyone who supposed exclusivity arrogance. May God richly bless you as you come to know the One who is the way, the truth, and the life, who opened His one door to you.

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