Who is Jesus, According to…? A Study of Religions (Introduction)

Are all religions equal? What about all of those that use the name of Jesus? Are they all the same? Or are they different? And does it matter?

Today, I’d like to begin a new series called Who is Jesus, According to…? In this series I want to take a look at some of the religions that use the name of Jesus and find out what they actually believe about Jesus. We will then compare what they believe to what the Bible says. Our study won’t be limited to only Jesus, as I want to evaluate their other core doctrines in the light of scripture, as well.

Why is this important?

In the past several years, there has been a real effort made to unify “Christian” religions under the guise that, basically, we are all the same. As long as you “believe in Jesus”, then all is well. If we have studied prophecy at all, then we will realize that this is actually all part of a much bigger goal to eventually unify all world religions under the Antichrist, whose system will be religious at its core, and who will demand to be worshiped.

Have you ever heard the term “Ecumenism”? Or “Ecumenical”? This is the process of joining all those faiths and denominations that would call themselves “Christian” together under a false unity. The movement has had huge success, in large part due to celebrity pastors promoting it (i.e. Charles Colson sponsoring the document “Evangelicals and Catholics Together”) and the entertainment industry, which includes books, tv, movies, and (perhaps especially) music.

Just as an aside, I do want to mention here that much of this movement’s success is taking place because people do not know nor care about history. The Catholic church has never changed their heretical, works-based doctrine which brought about the Reformation so long ago. Why would and how could we just ignore those major differences? The Mormons, from their inception, never even claimed a faith that was based on the Bible, so why would we even consider unifying with them in any capacity whatsoever? A mutual desire for morality is simply not a basis for spiritual unity.

It is with this in mind, that I hope to do an honest evaluation of some of the religions that use the name of Jesus and run them through the grid of scripture. It would seem to me that, if we are being encouraged to build bridges with them, then it is important to know what they believe. I hope to do this both for you and for me, so that we more clearly understand the doctrinal differences and why true unity is impossible. I also hope that it helps us all as we discuss the danger of ecumenism with others.

I must add here that the key to all of this is believing in the authority and inerrancy of scripture. Without it, we are left oar-less and anchor-less in a ramshackle boat in the middle of a seething, churning sea. Do you understand that if we toss the Bible, then man gets to make the rules? This is what we are seeing take place all around us, and this effort to unite all religions is no exception. So please be aware that this series will be based upon the Bible alone, that being the traditional understanding of God’s Word by those who have held to biblical Christian faith throughout the centuries.

Another important thing we must understand before we begin our study is what the Bible has to say regarding any who would teach a different Gospel than what God has given us in His Word–

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 9-11)

We are not to “tolerate” or “unify with” any religion that would teach a different Gospel, for if we do, we are partaking with their evil deeds! This is an important point to make as this is exactly what we see happening all around us with nary a word from those we believe to be solid believers and ministries.

The Bible also tells us to examine everything, only hold fast to what is good, and abstain from even the appearance of evil–

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. (I Thessalonians 5:21-22)

What could be more evil than a false religion that leads people to a Christless eternity? Oh, this is not a subject to be careless and casual with. We’ve been taught that this doesn’t matter but it DOES matter. It matters so much. Oh, that we would understand the seriousness nature of joining with a religion that would preach a false gospel as we begin our study of religions.

I truly hope that the series will be a blessing to those of you who, like me, may be wondering how other religions compare to the true religion the Bible teaches. And I hope that you are interested in this because it is such a very important topic and one with which we should be familiar in these days of such religious confusion and chaos.

If you miss a post, you will find all of the posts at this page. I will add them as they are written, so that they can be easily found. If there is a specific religion you’d like me to evaluate, don’t hesitate to comment or email me and I’ll add it to my list.

So let’s get started! The first up will be Catholicism and its cousins (Greek/Russian Orthodox and Anglican).