Is Jesus the Only Way? A Discussion on Pope Francis' Recent Statement

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Here is where the concept of names having meaning takes on a much more serious tone.

A name denotes one’s nature. Speaking of the commandments, “thou shalt not use the name of the Lord thy God in vain” is taken to say don’t say his name without reverence and purpose.

What is really being said is, don’t lift up the nature of God in vain, in other words don’t say you are worshiping God but portray his nature differently.

Israel did this when they followed Baal which translated also means “the lord”. Elijah set this straight on mount Carmel with an answer of fire from heaven.
1 Kings 18:21
And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

Therefore the great commandments of Loving God and man, have a prerequisite of knowing his nature.

People can find his true nature by simply seeking him with all their heart. But that’s the thing about Jesus and his name, there is simply no one like him, none of the false gods even begin to come close.

Someone in bondage to a false god would see this if they simply seeking the Truth with all their heart, then see the stark difference.

If they catch a whiff of the Rose of Sharon, it would immediately contrast to the stench of demons. That is what people who worship idols are doing, worshipping devils.

1 Corinthians 10:20-22
20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

The Pope’s doctrine of all roads lead to one is not supported be scripture one iota, why would I bother searching through the doctrines of devils to see if I could prove otherwise?

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To prove it is in fact the doctrine of devils. The very Nature of God is how you tell if it is God or a demon, right? Otherwise, if God spoke to those people and gave them instruction and you judged it to be of demonic origin without knowing for certain… That is not Wisdom.

John 10:16
NIV
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd

I can tell that a “religious” organization is a cult by how they act. Control, fear-mongering, and screaming in condemnation at people especially your own congregation are not qualities of the Holy Spirit. Judging people based on looks with no real depth of information is pure ignorance and self condemnation with every finger pointed out.

Those who help you are not your enemy. Stop making unnecessary enemies.

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No, it means don’t say God sent you if God didn’t send you. Don’t say God said something that God did not say. It was a warning not to teach or preach falsely, not to use God’s Name to manipulate and control people, or lead them away from God. It stands firmly against the False Prophet. As Isreal had many who lead them astray.

And you can tell if someone is of God, regardless of religion, by their fruit. A demon does not produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 2:14-16
Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

An example of one who served God who was not Jewish or Christian:

Genesis 14: 18-20

18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Another example

Mathew 2
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Another example

2 Chronicle 35

20 After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. 21 But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.”

22 Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God’s command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo

Several more examples listed:

Man is easily decieved, but God is not. God did not speak to Jews and Christians alone.

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My apologies if I was too harsh. Let me start by saying that God has indeed not called us to judge the world.
1 Corinthians 5:12-13
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

The context of these verses has to do with keeping things like idolatry out of the congregation. In these instances we are certainly called to judge (in meekness) to preserve both ourselves and our brothers and sisters.

Let’s look at how Paul handled those “that are without” doing the work of an evangelist.

Acts 17:23-30
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Thank God, through the new covenant salvation is available to the all of the gentiles, myself included! But as you have said: it is still Jesus calling both them and us to follow him. In order to do that we must turn from idolatry etc. aka repent.

I agree with you on that. There is a reason however that God calls us out, he is holy and expects us to also be holy, and not allow ourselves to be part of a mixture. What do you get when you add an L to the Word? THE WORLD, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and we should be afraid to take away, or add to any of the scriptures.

There is a difference in being hateful and making enemies, and recognizing who the enemies of God are for our own sakes.

James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Jesus said it best:

Matthew 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Amen.

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I agree with you with all you said.

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Thanks, I’m glad you agree. If I have gotten anything right the glory belongs to Jesus!

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Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” ~ Luke 9:20

In Luke 9:20, Jesus asks His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” This question is not only directed at them, but at every person who walks the earth. It is the most important question anyone will ever face because it directly determines one’s eternal destiny. Recognizing Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God—as Peter did (Matthew 16:16)—is the only response that leads to eternal life. Scripture clearly teaches, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

There are many voices in the world offering answers—philosophers, religious systems, skeptics, and atheists alike—but if their answers contradict the truth of God’s Word, they are tragically wrong. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This is not merely an academic or cultural issue. It is a matter of heaven or hell. As Acts 4:12 declares, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Everyone is accountable before God, whether they acknowledge Him or not. “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10), and at that time, the answer to the question of who Jesus is will bear eternal weight. To deny or ignore Him is to reject the only hope of salvation: “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3). But to believe in Him, to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, is to be saved (Romans 10:9). The stakes are infinite. The truth about Jesus is not one of many truths—it is the truth, and eternity hinges on our response.

So who is Jesus? He also openly claimed to be God in human flesh. When Jesus said in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am,” He was directly identifying Himself with the name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.” This was no vague claim—those who heard Him understood that He was declaring Himself to be the eternal God. Jesus is fully God and fully man, the one Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). To know Him is to know the truth, and to believe in Him is to receive eternal life (John 3:16). There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

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Amen!

John 15:1-9
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

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The concept that all religions are a path to God has been in the RCC forever, though, so Francis isn’t saying anything new. If Catholics are surprised by his statements, then they should check out their own RCC Catechism -

841 “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”

842 The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race: All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .*

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.”
LINK

JPII upheld this teaching -
John Paul II General Audience Wednesday 5 May 1999 2. Today I would like to repeat what I said to young Muslims some years ago in Casablanca: “We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection” (Insegnamenti, VIII/2, [1985], p. 497). The patrimony of revealed texts in the Bible speaks unanimously of the oneness of God. Jesus himself reaffirms it, making Israel’s profession his own: “The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Mk 12:29; cf. Dt 6:4-5). This oneness is also affirmed in the words of praise that spring from the heart of the Apostle Paul: “To the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen”

Pastoral journey of John Paul II to Nigeria, meeting with Muslim leaders Address of John Paul II Sunday, 22 March 1998 2. As Christians and Muslims, we share belief in “the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day”. Though we differ in the way we understand this One God, we are nevertheless akin in our efforts to know and follow his will. That religious aspiration itself constitutes a spiritual bond between Christians and Muslims, a bond which can provide a firm and broad- ranging basis for cooperation in many fields.

Francis is just a messenger of what the RCC has always taught. In contrast, the Bible teaches one Lord, one truth, one faith, one salvation in Jesus Christ -

Jn 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”

Eph 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Rom 16:25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him…

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Christianity is unique from all other religions. Simply because its the only religion (relation based religion) whereby everything has been accomplished for us! We dont have to do it ourselves and we cannot do it ourselves. To obtain righteousness and earn our way into heaven back to God in a fallen and sinful state is impossible. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. The only One who could redeem us back to God was God Himself! He became a man and fulfilled what man failed. So yes, Jesus is the only Way!

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