Is the God of the Bible Really Unique?

Introduction

"All roads lead to God." You've probably heard this before, like a wise saying promoting peace among religions. But Henri Blocher, one of the great French-speaking evangelical theologians, answers without hesitation: this is a superficial thought, and it is even irresponsible to say that all religions are equally valid. In this conversation with Benjamin Short, pastor of the Tabernacle church in Paris, he shows why the God of the Bible is truly unique, and why this question touches on life and eternal death.

Message Outline

1. "All roads lead to God": a dangerous claim

• Those who speak this way often have good intentions: promoting peace between religions, making living together easier.
• But in Henri Blocher's eyes, this is first and foremost an ignorance of the reality of the various religions. They oppose one another on truly important points.
• He illustrates this with a comparison: for matters of temporal life and death, no one would tell the pharmacist "all medicines are equal, give me whichever one." The diagnosis must match the illness, and the treatment must be appropriate.
• How much more when it comes to a matter of eternal life and death: this kind of talk cannot be endorsed.

2. The uniqueness of God: an original trait introduced by the Bible

• The affirmation that there is only one God was introduced into the world by the Bible, in the revelation given to Israel.
• Judaism, even though it misinterprets certain elements of the revelation given to it, carries this affirmation; Christians stand together with it on this point.
• Islam, in its original formation, was very strongly influenced by the Bible, particularly by the various forms of Christianity present in Arabia at the time.
• If you consider the general field of religions, this affirmation remains original: Hinduism speaks of hundreds of thousands of gods, with an ultimate divine reality of an impersonal nature with which the believer ultimately claims to be identical.

3. A God who cares about morality, not just ceremonies

• The God of the Bible cares about morality, about how people live, about their justice or injustice. Many gods are concerned with this only marginally; what matters to them are religious ceremonies performed at set times.
• Henri Blocher recalls reading, from the pen of an intellectual he believes was American: there is no religion in the world that has done without regulating food, distinguishing between forbidden and permitted foods.
• Yet it is striking that the New Testament says the opposite: it is not food that brings us closer to God. "To the pure, all things are pure," writes Paul.
• What matters are the dispositions of the heart: compassion, mercy, help given to one's neighbor, righteous conduct. This is a truly characteristic trait of the biblical God.

4. A God who reveals himself in history

• As the specialist Mircea Eliade pointed out, the God of the Bible is the God who reveals himself historically. He is the God of history.
• At the center of the Christian confession of faith is this historical marker: "in the time of Pontius Pilate," the Roman governor. The Christian faith anchors its message in a dated, verifiable event.
• Elsewhere, it is more a matter of abstract ideas or rules to be applied at all times to please God. Here, it is a matter of God's historical action, entering into the history he governs in order to act.

5. Religion or relationship: what does the Bible really say?

• Benjamin Short raises the question running through contemporary Christian discourse: "I'm not into religion, it's about relationship." Blocher answers that it all depends on what one means by religion.
• He first exposes a false etymology: the word "religion" does not come from the Latin "to bind together" (religare). Saint Augustine, who knew Latin and followed Cicero, showed this clearly.
• In the New Testament, the word is rarely used. The Epistle of James, written by a brother of Jesus according to the flesh, says that true religion consists in caring for widows and coming to the aid of the most needy, again this emphasis on morality.
• If "religion" refers to the service of God offered in gratitude for his work on our behalf, to please him because we love him, then yes, Christianity is a religion. But if "religion" refers to a system of rules by which one thinks to secure one's own salvation, then it is precisely the opposite of the Bible's message.

6. A Bible with no equivalent

• Benjamin Short recalls a saying he regularly uses at the Tabernacle church: the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years, by 40 authors who for the most part did not know each other, on three different continents, in three different languages. No other religious book has an equivalent at this level.
• Henri Blocher agrees, noting that the third language (Aramaic) covers only a few chapters of the Old Testament.
• He points to another point highlighted by Saint Augustine, taken up by Calvin and Pascal: the prophecies so clearly fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus were preserved by Judaism, which does not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
• One therefore cannot suspect Christians of having falsified these prophecies to make them coincide with their fulfillment in Jesus. The Jews are, as the ancients used to say, "the archivists, the librarians", their very refusal to believe in Jesus makes the testimony stronger.

7. A God who comes down, an answer he awaits

• Almost all religions have offered paths by which man can climb up to God and secure his own salvation through his own works.
• The Bible is the only message that affirms that God himself came to accomplish salvation, and that we simply have to receive it by believing in him and believing his word. This is found nowhere else.
• This God wants no spectators. He acted in history to form a relationship with us, the Bible speaks of covenant, a covenant that is even compared to a marriage.
• As at a wedding, one must say "yes" before the officiant. God is waiting for you to say "yes" to his offer of covenant.

Key Takeaways

• Saying "all roads lead to God" is neither tolerant nor wise: it is superficial and, in the eyes of a theologian like Blocher, irresponsible when it comes to a matter of eternal life.
• The uniqueness of God is not a universal given: it was the Bible that introduced it into the world through the revelation given to Israel.
• The biblical God stands apart in that he cares about the conduct of the heart (mercy, compassion, justice), far more than about ceremonies or dietary rules.
• He reveals himself in history, at a dated moment ("under Pontius Pilate"), not in a system of abstract ideas.
• All religions have man climbing up toward God; only the Bible proclaims a God who comes down, accomplishes salvation himself, and awaits a covenant response from you.

Personal Application

1. Faced with the claim "all roads lead to God," what pushes you to nod along out of politeness rather than honestly examine the real differences between religions?
2. Do you live out your faith as "a service you render to God out of love" or as "a system of rules to stay in good standing"? Where does that line shift for you right now?
3. How does the fact that God revealed himself in concrete history (Israel, Jesus, Pontius Pilate) change the way you read the Bible this week?
4. Where are you still trying to "climb up to God" through your own efforts, when the Bible tells you he has already come down to you?
5. If the covenant with God is compared to a marriage, where do you stand with your "yes"? Is it a living yes, or a yes said once and forgotten?

Cited Verses

• Deuteronomy 6:4 · "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (the uniqueness of God revealed to Israel)
• Titus 1:15 · "Unto the pure all things are pure" (Paul's words quoted by Henri Blocher)
• James 1:27 · true religion consists in caring for widows and the needy
• Luke 3:1 · the historical marker "under Pontius Pilate"
• John 3:16 · God comes down to us and accomplishes salvation
• Isaiah 53 · messianic prophecy preserved by Judaism, fulfilled in Jesus

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really intolerant to say that the God of the Bible is unique?

No, and this is exactly the misunderstanding that Henri Blocher denounces. Saying "all religions are equally valid" is not tolerance: it is a failure to know the religions themselves, which truly oppose one another on essential points. True tolerance consists in respecting people while honestly examining their claims. On a matter of eternal life and death, failing to take the subject seriously would be as grave as telling the pharmacist "give me whichever medicine you like."

Is Christianity a religion or a relationship?

Henri Blocher answers: it depends on what one means by religion. If "religion" refers to a system of rules by which one thinks to secure one's own salvation, then Christianity is the opposite of a religion, that is even its central message. But if "religion" refers to the service of God offered in gratitude for his work on our behalf, to please him because we love him, then yes, Christianity is a religion. James uses it in this sense when he speaks of "true religion" as caring for widows and the needy.

Why would the fact that the Bible spans 1,500 years, 40 authors and 3 languages be an argument for its uniqueness?

Because no other religious book has been composed over such a span of time, by so many authors who did not know each other, across three continents and in three different languages, all while maintaining a coherent message. Henri Blocher further points out that the messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus were preserved by Judaism, which nevertheless does not recognize Jesus as the Christ. It is therefore impossible to accuse Christians of having falsified these texts to make them fit after the fact. As the ancients used to say, the Jews are the unwitting "archivists" of Christian truth.