First, people are not condemned to hell for not believing in Jesus. Rather they are already condemned because of their sin. Thus, the real question is not how can God send someone to hell, but how can God condescend to save any one of us?

Furthermore, if ignorance were a ticket to heaven, the greatest evangelistic enterprise would not be a Billy Graham crusade but a concerted cover-up campaign. Such a campaign would focus on ending evangelism, burning Bibles, and closing churches. Soon no one will have heard of Christ and everyone will be on their way to heaven.

Finally, it should be emphasized that everyone has the light of both creation and conscience. God is not capricious! If we respond to the light we have, God will give us more light. In the words of the apostle Paul: “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26–27).

For further study, see Ronald H. Nash, Is Jesus the Only Savior? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994). See also Hank Hanegraaff, “Is Jesus the Only Way,” available at www.equip.org.

John 14:6
“I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

First, when you begin to examine world religions such as Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, you will immediately recognize that they directly contradict one another. For example, Moses taught that there was only one God; Krishna believed in many gods; and Buddha was agnostic. Logically, they can all be wrong but they can’t all be right.

Furthermore, the road of religion leads steeply uphill, while the road of Christianity descends downward. Put another way, Religion is fallen humanity’s attempt to reach up and become acceptable to God through what we do; Christianity, on the other hand, is a divine gift based on what Christ has done. He lived the perfect life that we could never live and offers us his perfection as an absolutely free gift.

Finally, Jesus taught that there was only one way to God. “I am the way and the truth and the life,” said Jesus, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Moreover, Jesus validated his claim through the immutable fact of his resurrection. The opinions of all other religious leaders are equally valid in that they are equally worthless. They died and are still dead. Only Jesus had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. Thus, his opinion is infinitely more valid than theirs.

For further study, see John MacArthur, Why One Way? Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2002); and Ronald Nash, Is Jesus the Only Savior? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994).

Acts 4:12
“Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved.”

Furthermore, of all the influential religious leaders of the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Krishna, Lao Tzu, Muhammad, Baha’u’llah), only Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (Mark 14:62). And this was not an empty boast. For through the historically verifiable fact of the resurrection, Christ vindicated his claim to deity (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8). Other religions, such as Buddhism and Islam, claim miracles in support of their faith; however, unlike Christianity, such miracles lack historical validation.

Finally, Christianity is unique in that it is a coherent belief structure. Some Christian doctrines may transcend comprehension; however, unlike the claims of other religions, they are never irrational or contradictory. Christianity is also unique in that it cogently accounts for the vast array of phenomena we encounter in everyday life: the human mind, laws of science, laws of logic, ethical norms, justice, love, meaning in life, the problem of evil and suffering, and truth. In other words, Christianity corresponds with the reality of our present condition.

For further study, see James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door,3rd edition (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1997); and Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998).

2 Peter 1:16
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Furthermore, Paul refers to Jesus as the firstborn over all creation not the firstborn in creation. As such, “He is before all things and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17, emphasis added). The force of Paul’s language is such that the cult of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who ascribe to the ancient Arian heresy that the Son is not preexistent and coeternal with the Father, have been forced to insert the word “other” (e.g., “all other things”) in their deeply flawed New World Translation of the Bible in order to demote Christ to the status of a created being.

Finally, as the panoply of Scripture makes plain, Jesus is the eternal Creator who spoke and the limitless galaxies leapt into existence. In John 1 he is overtly called “God” (v. 1), and in Hebrews 1 he is said to be the one who “laid the foundations of the earth” (v. 10). And in the very last chapter of the Bible, Christ refers to himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). Indeed, the whole of Scripture precludes the possibility that Christ could be anything other than the preexistent sovereign of the universe.

For further study, see Robert L. Reymond, Jesus, Divine Messiah (Tain, Ross–shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2003) at www.equip.org.

First, for sin to take place there must be a sinful inner response to a seductive suggestion to sin. Though Satan appealed to Jesus’ natural human desires (e.g., hunger), our Lord did not fantasize over Satan’s suggestion. To mull over Satan’s suggestion even for a moment would have constituted sin. And, had Jesus sinned, he could not have been our Savior.

Furthermore, although Christ did not have any sinful proclivities that inclined him toward evil, Satan’s temptations were nonetheless as real as the very flesh upon his bones. Even those who are born into sin can identify with being tempted to do something they are utterly disinclined to do. By way of analogy, most mothers would never consider killing their children—even if offered a life free from suffering. Nonetheless, the natural desire to avoid suffering would render such a temptation genuine.

Finally, in saying “God cannot be tempted by evil,” James focuses on God as the self–sufficient sovereign of the universe. As such, he has no unmet needs. Conversely, the accounts of the temptation focus on God–Incarnate who experienced all the essential physical and psychological needs commensurate with humanity—including hunger, fatigue, and the desire for self–preservation. Thus, the biblical truths that God cannot be tempted and yet Christ was tempted are complementary, not contradictory.

For further study, see Adam Pelser, “Genuine Temptation and the Character of Christ,” Christian Research Journal 30, 2 (2007), available through the Christian Research Institute (CRI) at www.equip.org.

Hebrews 4:15
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are––yet was without sin.”

Furthermore, it is crucial to point out that though the God-Man is fully human, he is not merely human. Though he took on all the essential properties of human nature, he did not take on that which is nonessential (e.g., sinful inclinations). Indeed, as Adam was created without a proclivity toward sin, so the Second Adam was untainted by original sin. As with his moral perfection, Jesus’ other divine attributes (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and so forth) were not undermined in the incarnation.

Finally, while Jesus Christ voluntarily refrained from exercising certain attributes of deity, he did not divest himself of a single divine attribute (John 1:14; Philippians 2:1–11; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrew 2:14–18). With respect to his omniscience, for example, his human nature may have served as a filter limiting his knowledge as a man (e.g., Mark 13:32). Nonetheless, Jesus’ divine omniscience was ever accessible at the will of the Father. In sum, there is no incoherence in the biblical teaching that Jesus became and will forever remain one person with two distinct natures neither commingling his natures nor becoming two persons.

For further study, see Ronald H. Nash, Is Jesus the Only Savior? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994): pages 84–91; for the definitive philosophical work on this topic, see Thomas V. Morris, The Logic of God Incarnate (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1986).

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

First, the Bible explicitly tells us that Jesus Christ had brothers and sisters. Indeed, Matthew’s gospel records the rhetorical questions of those acquainted with Jesus’ immediate family: “‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us?’” (Matthew 13:54–56). Numerous other passages can be cited as proof positive that Jesus had siblings (Matthew 12:46–47; Mark 3:31–32; 6:3; Luke 8:19–20; John 2:12; 7:3–5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 1:19).

Furthermore, there is no biblical precedent for rendering the Greek word adelphos (brother) or its feminine form adelphae (sister) as cousin. If the New Testament writers had wanted to designate Jesus’ siblings as cousins, they would have used the word anepsios. In point of fact, this is precisely what Paul does in referring to Mark as the “cousin [anepsios] of Barnabas” (Colossians 4:10). The Bible explicitly tells us that Jesus Christ had brothers and sisters.

Finally, Matthew tells us that Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary “until she gave birth to a son” (Matthew 1:25). Thus, we are justified in inferring that Mary did have sexual relations with Joseph after the birth of Jesus. The notion that having sexual intercourse with her husband after the birth of Jesus would have defiled Mary in some sense is completely inconsistent with a biblical worldview.

For further study, see Eric D. Svendsen, Who Is My Mother? (Amityville, NY: Calvary Press, 2001).

Matthew 12:46–50
“While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”

First, there is not a scintilla of evidence in Scripture, in the writings of the early church, or in the extra–biblical accounts of Jesus’ life that he was ever married. Contrary to the offhanded mention by Brown’s character Teabing of “countless references to Jesus and Magdalene’s union” (247), there are absolutely none.

Furthermore, the two documents most often cited in support of the married–Jesus myth––the Gospel of Philip and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene––were not only written too late to be considered reliable, but neither specifies nor implies that Jesus and Mary were actually married.

Finally, while no evidence from the historical record supports the notion that Jesus was married, the New Testament contains powerful evidence that Jesus was not. In 1 Corinthians 9:5 Paul defended his right to have a wife by appealing to the fact that Peter and other apostles had wives: “Don’t we have a right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?” If Jesus had been married it is unthinkable that Paul would have neglected to appeal to Jesus as the ultimate precedent. For this reason Paul Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, aptly refers to 1 Corinthians 9:5 as “the graveyard of the married–Jesus fiction.”

For further study,see Hank Hanegraaff and Paul L.Maier, The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction? (Wheaton,IL:Tyndale House,2004),15–21.

MATTHEW 19:11–12
“Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.’”

First, the prophecy in Isaiah chapter seven—“the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”—was fulfilled in Isaiah chapter eight. As Isaiah makes clear, this prophecy was fulfilled when Isaiah “went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son” named Maher–Shalal–Hash–Baz (8:3). In context, Judah “was shaken” as two powerful kingdoms sought the nation’s demise (7:1–2). God, however, promised that the birth of Maher–Shalal–Hash–Baz was a sign that Judah would be spared. In the words of Isaiah, “Before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste” (7:16; cf. 8:4).

Furthermore, though Isaiah’s wife, unlike Mary, was not a virgin when she gave birth, she nonetheless was the near–future fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. “Virgin” (almah) was simply a term used to refer to the prophetess prior to her union with Isaiah, not to indicate that she would give birth to a child as a virgin. By way of analogy, it would have been true in 1999 to say that “the governor of Texas will one day lead this country,” but this obviously does not mean that George W. Bush would lead the United States as the governor of Texas.

Finally, while the Holy Spirit may have revealed to Isaiah that his prophecy pointed forward to Jesus (John 12:41), it was not until after the miraculous virginal conception and birth of Jesus more than six hundred years later that it became entirely clear that the near–future fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy was a type, the archetype of which is Jesus the Messiah (Matthew 1:22–23). While Maher–Shalal–Hash–Baz signified temporal salvation for Judah, Jesus Christ––the literal “Immanuel”––embodied eternal salvation for true Israel.

For further study, see Craig L. Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1997): 199–200.

MATTHEW 1:22–23
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means, God with us.’”

First, if the second commandment condemns images of Jesus, then it condemns making images of anything at all. Therefore, God would have been guilty of contradicting himself because he commanded the Israelites to adorn the ark of the covenant with the images of cherubim (Exodus 25:18–20).

Furthermore, in context, the commandment is not an injunction against making “graven images,” but an injunction against worshiping them. As such, God warns, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4–5, emphasis added). The commandment is not an injunction against making “graven images,” but an injunction against using these carved images as objects of worship.

Finally, if viewing an image necessarily leads to idolatry, then the incarnation of Christ was the greatest temptation of all. Yet, Jesus thought it appropriate for people to look on him and worship him as God (Matthew 28:9; Luke 24:52). That worship, however, was to be directed to his person, not his appearance. Indeed, idolatry lies not in the making of images, but in the worship of manmade images in place of the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

For further study on a related issue, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?” The Bible Answer Book Volume 1 (Nashville: J Countryman, 2004): 86–88.

Genesis 1:27
“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him; male and
female he created them.”