Christianity is a religion. (To those of you who would disagree, I can't do anything about the English language. If "religion" is defined as "a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe, and the personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship", then Christianity qualifies.) We live in a world of many religions. What makes Christianity different? We believe that Christianity is the truth and the rest are not. What is different about Christianity?
The singular most obvious difference between our Faith and the rest of the world's religions is summed up in one phrase: "Saved by grace through faith in Christ." Christianity assumes that Man is sinful (where other religions disagree) and in need of salvation (where other religions disagree). Christianity holds that this salvation can only be given by unmerited favor (where all other religions hold that it is earned by being "good enough"). Christianity holds that the sole "qualifier" for this salvation is a singular reliance (faith) on a singular person (Christ) (where other religions have a variety of qualifiers). Christianity is the one religion that replaces the focus of "us" with "Him", a change of perspective from "How am I doing?" to "Every knee shall bow", a radical shift from anthropocentricism to theism.
Now, the world around us, filled with a whole host of other religions, has a tough time seeing these fundamental differences. Where Christianity claims that Christ is the only way, the world around us is quite content with "There are many ways to God" (or even "There is no God"). Part of the reason for this is that we've allowed it. Well-meaning folks have made it their purpose in life to soften the edges, to make Christianity more palatable to the masses, to avoid being a problem to non-Christians. In so doing, the central doctrines that make Christianity Christianity have been blurred or discarded ... and we end up with not-Christianity.
These central doctrines are what would be called "essentials". I wrote a post a short time ago about the essentials of Christianity. It wasn't popular, I know, and, to my discredit, neither was it supported. So I wanted to look briefly at what makes these things essential. Why are these things so important that they cannot be negotiated? I will address them from this premise: Christianity is unique because of the phrase "saved by grace through faith in Christ".
The first question is "Why do you think that this phrase is what makes Christianity unique? On what do you base this phrase?" Most of us should recognize that the phrase is almost a direct quote from Ephesians. "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph 2:8-9). "Ah," the skeptic would say, "so you're basing it on that book." Yes. Christianity is not unique in deriving its doctrines from a book. Most religions have a book. We're not unique in referring to them as "sacred Scriptures". Christianity appears to be unique in that our Scripture alone seems to be under attack. Question the content of the Quran and you're simply being petty. Ask about the sacred Hindu writings and you're being stubborn. Raise your hand about the Book of Mormon and you're being prejudice. You can't question these Scriptures. They're sacred to their believers. The Bible, on the other hand, is both questionable and unreliable. It is at the very least open to wide (and apparently valid) interpretation. It is certainly not a unique book in any way. It is, just like all the other Scriptures of all the other religions, right in some places, misunderstood in many, and wrong in others.
If that's where we stand, Christianity ceases to be Christianity. Our certainty, for instance, that Christianity's uniqueness lies in a phrase found in a letter written by Paul to the church at Ephesus is mere opinion -- certainly not certainty. I mean, really, did Paul even write that? And why is it right? Or what makes you think you understand it correctly? "No, no," the argument goes, "this whole 'sacred Scripture' thing is just an outlandish belief common to most religions and perpetrated only by those evil, right-wing 'fundamentalists' (meant in the most pejorative sense possible)." In other words, strip off the Bible, and Christianity has nowhere to stand. It is just, as the world suspected, another religion among many religions. There is nothing particularly unique about this one. You Christians are making a mountain out of a mole hill.
The ground on which Christianity stands is, on the face of it, a singular book. That book claims to be "God-breathed", a term that goes beyond anything we know today. It isn't merely "inspired writings". It is breathed out by God to individual writers who, through their own words and personalities, expressd what God intended to have expressed. Quibble about details if you wish. Evidence, logic, experience, and history all provide us with a Bible that is reliable. If it is God-breathed, it is, as God is, without error. These are not negotiable because without them we do not have a reliable source document for Christianity and Christianity goes undefined, a vague idea based on individual preference and feeling. Remove a solid ground upon which to base Christianity and the discussion about the uniqueness of Christianity is over. It's just another religion like any other religion and you mad, right-wing wackos are the ones making it the "only way" by your crazy view on your "sacred Scriptures". Without this "crazy view", Christianity falls. Thus, this view is essential to Christianity.
I haven't offered here any arguments for the inerrancy of Scripture. I haven't given reasons why you should see it as such. I've simply tried to explain why such a view would be essential to Christianity in general. I've listed below resources for you to examine that offer arguments on the subject. Do your own homework. I'm not making the argument that it's true, here. I'm making the argument that it is essential. You can look at some of these arguments and see if it's true. If you have other favorite sources, feel free to list them in the comments section.
Sources on Biblical Inerrancy:
Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
Is the Bible Inerrant?
Inerrancy and Infallibility of the Bible
Response to the Arguments Against
Defending Biblical Inerrancy
From GotQuestions.org
Is the Bible Authoritative? (Greg Koukl - str.org)
My own defense
1 comment:
Without reliable words from God, we are free to make what we want of our religion. I have come to the conclusion that I believe so much in authority and reliability of Scripture, that if I were to learn that it was false, I would cease to be a Christian, and even further, cease to be a moral person because there would be no reason for morality except to get what I would want from others and not have others treat me the way I don't want to be treated.
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