January 22 Comparing Religions Christianity is unique over all other religions because it is based on historical facts. Other religions are primarily centered on the ethical and religious opinions of their founders. Christianity is based on the character of Jesus Christ and what He said and did. Jesus repeatedly claimed to be the Creator God and acknowledged the accuracy of every part of Old Testament Scripture. Christianity's truth and validity rely on real event of the past such as: The Fall as a real event which explains why we need a saviour and are incapable of saving ourselves; Noah's Flood as the best explanation the geology of the world around us; the specific predictions of future events, before they happened, such as the birth and crucifixion of Christ. The historical truth of these events can be objectively investigated from not only one source, but from multiple sources across time. Christianity is the only religion which offers the possibility of physically investigating its factual nature, because it makes specific claims about the world around us. It also addresses where we came from. If one of these claims is false, then other biblical claims are also suspect. But if these claims are scientifically valid, there is every reason to believe all of the Bible's claims (such as what happens after death or what God requires of us in order to spend eternity in His presence). Many Infallible Proofs, p.10 All your words are true; all you righteous laws are eternal. -Psalms 119:160 ![]() January 22 Comparing Religions ![]()
The Bible is unique among all the religious writings of the ancient world in the following ways: The very words of the Bible are God-breathed. The Old Testament alone states approximately 2,600 times that it is God's Word. No other religious work claims this. Many Infallible Proofs, p. 156-157 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. -2 Peter 1:20, 21 April 12 Comparing Religions ![]() The final and greatest proof of Christ's absolute uniqueness is His resurrection. Not only did Christ die precisely at the time of His choosing, but He rose on the third day by His own power. Christ predicted this when He said that He had the power to lay His life down and He had the power to take it up again (John 10: 17, 18). After three days Christ arose from the dead. Christians worship a "living" Lord. All other religious founders and leaders (e.g., Muhammad, Shankara, and Buddha) are dead. In most cases their tombs are known and honored. Only the tomb of Christ was occupied for just three days, and thereafter it was empty forever! Christ alone conquered death, which clearly shows that Christ is exactly who He said He was, "the resurrection and the life." It is Christ's resurrection that gives Christians hope in life, the realization that they have nothing to fear from death, and the assurance that they will see Christ again after their death. Many Infallible Proofs, p. 14 "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.'..." -Matthew 28: 6,7 June 1 Comparing Religions ![]() Only the Bible starts with the special creation of all things by an eternal, all-powerful, personal God. The Bible has a unique and reasonable solution to the origin problem-"In the beginning, God created...." Other religious books reveal ignorance on this point. They all propose ideas for the evolution of the universe from existing matter, but do not explain how the matter originated. For example, the Babylonians stated in their "Enuma Elish," that the universe began with a primeval chaotic mixture of three kinds of water. The Greek myths proposed an initial state of matter randomly coming together. Roman writers, like Lucretius, assumed that there was a universal blind interplay of atoms. The Orphic myths supposed the universe developed out of a primeval world-egg. Similarly, the modern theory of evolution begins with eternal matter in one form or another. No other book (including modern evolutionary "science" books) is able to go beyond the present order of things to a real first cause. Only the Bible explains the origin of matter by the existence of God. He is outside of matter, time, and space. He brought matter into existence and can take matter out of existence. Many infallible Proofs, p. 11 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. - Exodus 3: 14 KJV July 28 Comparing Religions ![]() Historian Philip Schaff wrote the following about Christ: "This Jesus of Nazareth, without money or arms, conquered more millions that Alexander, Caesar, Muhammad, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all the philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence from schooling, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line. He set more pens in motion and furnished more sermons, orations, discussion, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men in both ancient and modern times." The Person of Christ, The American Tract society, 1913 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. -1 chronicles 16:25-26 |