"I am the way, truth, and life..." or "I am the only way, truth, and life..."?

Question

I am a Christian, but I am the only Christian in my family. I respect other religions. I believe Christianity is simply one of the "ways of salvation". All roads lead to Rome. What do you think? Jesus agrees with me. He said:"I am the way, truth, and life..." or "I am the only way, truth, and life..." ??? More importantly, God is love. Jesus is God. So, Jesus is love. Love is the way, truth, and life. Except Christianity, the world's four major religions are all based on the concept of love. So you see, all roads lead to Rome. Why Christian churches have been monopolizing the Creator for 2000 years? When will they wake up to the new world reality ?? btw, I am a new Christian. Perhaps I am totally wrong ??

Answer 1

Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."



Not the confusion of many ways but the simplicity of one way. Not the monopolizing, which some make it, but rather the free gift of God.



God is love as Scripture says. But love, as most understand it, is not God. Love is what God is, not something that God does, or something that God passes out like candy. Love is not found or known in a concept, as you make it, but in the person of Jesus Christ.



A concept is simply a mental abbreviation which, aside from Christ, is all the major religions have to offer; including nominal Christianity. I trust the love of God, which is the giving of His own person, is more than a concept for you.



All roads lead not to Rome but to Christ. Scripture says that one day all things in creation will be sumed up in Christ Jesus.



If I seek marriage I look for a wife, not an idea or concept of marriage. I would rather know Jesus Christ than some mushy religious idea about love.



By the way, nice try Jose.

You might get it right one day.

Answer 2

When Jesus claims that He is the way, the truth and the life- He is saying THE ONLY WAY= because if there were other roads he would say, I am A WAY to heaven. If Jesus is just one of the many ways to heaven, why don't you select another religion then? What made you select Christianity? What does the Bible say also- "THERE IS SALVATION IN NO OTHER NAME BUT JESUS." Jesus is the only God that died and rose again. I serve Jesus because He loved me enough to die for me, How about you?

Answer 3

Sorry but if what you believe is true then Jesus didn't have to come to earth at all and his death on a cross and resurrection were just a glorious sideshow in the annals of history and had no real significance.



No, Jesus is THE way and THE only way because...



...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)



and



....the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6:23)



Jesus is the only One who lived a sin free life that qualified Him to lay down his life as a sin offering for others. No other man, be he Abraham or Moses, or Buddha or Mohamed, lived a perfect life without sin except for Jesus.



No other man died and rose again from the grave as a testimony from God that all who would believe on Him for salvation could experience eternal life too.



The idea that "all roads lead to Rome", that Heaven is like the top of a mountain and people can reach it by different paths, is a lie of the Devil eagerly accepted by the post-modernist mind of this age where truth has fallen in the street and there is no such thing as absolute truth except for the truth that there is no absolute truth.

Answer 4

A more accurate translation of the text would be, "I am Truth, I am Life, I am Way." There is no article "the" in the original text, and the reason for that is because it makes the correlation between the two things absolute.



So what you have is Jesus saying: I=Truth, I=Life, I=Way. He did not leave any middle ground in that statement. . .either you come to the Father through Him or not at all.



That means that all religions are not paths to salvation, only those which hinge on accepting His atoning death on the Cross for forgiveness of sins. If a religion denies that there is any other means of salvation besides His perfect Sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, then that religion is false.



Jesus Himself said so.

Answer 5

When Jesus was in agony at Gethsemane, He pleaded with the Father that if there were any other way that salvation could be accomplished, let the cup (His death) pass from Him. The answer? "There is no other way." We see this answer because He went to the cross.



This quote from Acts should convince you that Jesus is not "a way" but "the ONLY Way".



Acts 4:12

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”



If you claim Christianity, be sure you hold true to the Bible.

Answer 6

Acts 2:12 - Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.



The power of the gospel is concentrated on in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.



You are correct that Love is the greatest commandment. We have not have a monopoly on God, just the narrow road that leads to Him based only on what is written.

Answer 7

Jesus didn't speak English, he didn't speak Greek (as the gospels were written). His teachings were revolutionary in their way, in that part of the world so it wouldn't surprise me if even the things he wished to say weren't even really part of Aramaic. Seriously, imagine trying to describe the internet to a stranger in a language you only have a small grasp of when you know they don't have it anywhere nearby. Add to that that the new testament is filled with far more verbiage from everybody BUT Jesus and it's really clear that, if nothing else, the message is watered down.



Is Jesus wrong? In my opinion, no. Is Christianity a unique path to salvation or enlightenment? Not at all.

Answer 8

I Also think you are totally right! When you can see in any religious text or test a path to "love" then follow that because when we finally come to live in love with the universe, that is when we find our purpose.

When you come face to face with "love", which by the way you already have, when you were a child... don't worry you will remember. But when you do remember as an adult you remember it as a child then you realise you were originally a child of the light and my dear boy, you will realise that you are "perfection" and perfection is you because I will tell you this... the day you worked out "perfection" and made this word I was truly happy!

The power is yours, I give it all to you... flow after Jesus because he can lead you home. Surpass him for your body is not the flesh you think it is. Let the spark of consciousness in your mind expand into your flesh and then you will make life as you wish!



I have just written this for me as much as it is for you.

Answer 9

Its great that your thinkin through things as a new Christian! The truth is Christ IS the only way. no other religions. If there were other ways do you think God would have sent his only son to suffer and die? (John 3:16) What joy we have! Take comfort in knowing that you are his child and he saved you. He deserves the credit. :) Read that Bible buddy it has all the answers! Prayin for ya!

Answer 10

The verse continues "... No one comes to the Father except through me". Which means that if christianity is true, other religions are false.



Which makes the case for a christian god even more suspect.

Answer 11

Yes, you are wrong on this point. Jesus said that nobody gets to the Father but by Him.



If there were other ways to heaven, then why would God send Jesus to die on the cross?



God IS love. That's why He sent His Son - so there would be a way to heaven.

Answer 12

Hmm. Well, let's see if Jesus really does agree with you:

We'll start at the famous "John 3:16" passage (and verses following, too), sung in song and football game cardboard signs:



John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. ..."



Oh -- so what Jesus said was that if you don't believe *in Him*, that is, Jesus, you're already condemned -- because you didn't believe in God's only begotten Son. (I think we just lost the "all roads lead to Rome" idea.)



Or how about the story from Acts chapter 4 where Peter and John get hauled in front of the authorities, just because they healed a cripple, and the authorities wanted to make sure they weren't spreading more of this Jesus stuff around (since, after all, killing off Jesus Himself didn't seem to work...):



Acts 4:7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"

. . . 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

. . . 11 He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

. . . 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

. . . 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.



Now, what were you saying, again?



Barjesse37

Answer 13

I always thought that scripture was referring to his teachings and his coming sacrifice on the cross that would get us ALL off the hook. He was pretty all inclusive with his love for us. No one can monopolize the Christ or the Creator.

Answer 14

No, when god says that "I am the way" he ment THE way, and nothing else. Jesus ment the He is the only way, by stating that "I am THE way" , and not " I am A way". Even though the concept is love, the KEY is JESUS, and nothing else. True, If you dont have love, you dont have much, but If you dont have JESUS, you dont have anything.

Answer 15

As a christian, I try to follow Christ's teachings, and He said that He is THE way, not A way but The way which implies the only way. If it were different He would have said I am one way to get to Heaven.

Answer 16

it doesn't matter the religion...i am born christian but i am a spiritual,not a religion-based person! i believe in the universal God, a higher spiritual power based on love! christanism is one of the bloodiest religions ever...in it's name a lot of crusades,religion based wars, were conducted! IS THAT NORMAL?who are we to kill someone else for not praying in the same way to God?who are we to kill in the name of God?who are we to decide which religion best suits earth?

Answer 17

Little lamb, if you listen closely, you can hear His voice when He speaks. Pay attention to the first two words of that phrase, and you will understand

Answer 18

Or perhaps you are totally right. Either way,

I like your style. You are authentic and sincere and that goes a long way.

Answer 19

The I AM you speak of is the eternal now.

Answer 20

If God's real, he'd make many paths to him...He knows no two people are the same (he made them)...

Answer 21

only