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It is observed from the creation story (before Abraham was called) that God had been revealed with Adam and Eve, then Noah. With Noah God made special covenant what He likes and His instructions (Gen 9:1ff.). Abraham was called round about 1900 BC only after human history was civilized. Especially ancient Babylonian Empire and Egyptian Empire have been so great and powerful in human history with civilization. It is to say that they were developing under God's presence for a long time before Abraham was called. We cannot exclude them out of God's purpose and work.
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God made His revelation and His way more completely by calling Abraham. So Abraham was the one who manifested God's law better than the other ancient peoples before him. The history of human religion before Abraham shows that every religion or cult turns to truth and encouraged to do good deeds. The punishment is obvious as a result of sin and wickedness. Even in Israelite history (after Abraham), the same result was evidently occurred throughout their history.
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After Abraham, Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God (i.e., ultimate revelation and most authentic) as we firmly believe it today. It is the fulfillment and final authenticity as Jesus had told the Jews (Matt 5:17) … "For I do not come to exterminate but to fulfill your religion." Between Abraham and Jesus Christ there were revelations and manifestations of God through Zoroaster (in the time of King Darius of Persia), through Buddha in India, and through Confucius of China, etc. They all turned and subjected to the universal truth and holiness. Exceptionally Muhammad appeared with the same status after Jesus Christ. But all of them who bore God's revelations were purely men and none of them claim their deity. But Jesus Christ is the real incarnation of God—for He himself claimed His deity. This claim is undeniable truth scripturally, historically, logically and chronologically. Therefore the revelation of God can be outlined as follow chronologically:
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God revealed / spoke through / with Adam and Eve
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God revealed through Ancient peoples
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God revealed through Abraham
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God revealed through Buddha, Zoroaster, and so on
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God revealed through Jesus of Palestine, then
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God revealed through Muhammad of Arab.
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Each of all revelations is credible to the truth, holiness, etc. which are attributes of God. But at this point we must be cautious the fact that Jesus is the most authentic and God incarnated. Even Mohammedans who are adherents of the last revelation of God as stated above, confess that Jesus was sinless, most high and eminent teacher. The Koran says in Surah 33:69—Jesus is "illustrious in this world and the next. Jesus is superior to all other prophets."
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Jesus required all people strikingly to confess, to know that He was God's Son. None of other religious founders and their sacred scriptures exclaimed that the founder is God's begotten Son but Jesus alone. Kuran says again, "Jesus was raised again after his death and ascended to heaven" (Surah 3:55). In other words, the last revelation and manifestation of God through Mohammad confessed Jesus' deity. It is, therefore logically true, chronologically coincided and relevant. It could now be concluded that Jesus is the most unique and the real incarnation of God for He requested the disciples to teach his uniqueness to all the nations (Matt 28:19-20). Bearing this in mind, it is logical and good to believe that all faiths will confess Jesus' deity before the end of the world (i.e., before eschatology).
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Now Let us try to explore the teachings from some biblical messages into our consideration with regard to our perspectives on salvation. The chosen texts are intended to help us for our exploration.
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1) Psalms 24:3-5
"Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy temple? Those who are pure in act and in thought, … the Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent."
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Ancient cults (religions) have their own ritual forms, liturgical system, and adore to God. Especially Israelites were the chosen people and they have given special observation and covenant, ritual system, etc. to Yahweh. Any how, in Psalms the Psalter clearly gives us the real status and standpoint which we should observe now. Since God is just and righteous, Psalms 24:3-5 encourages us to be pure in our action, and in our thought. We can put this verse contemporary to our day and it should deal within our political, economic, and social situations to a pure actions and thoughts. This and below statements could be assumed as the way of salvation shown before Christ.
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2) Amos 5:21-24
The Lord says, "I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them! When you bring me burnt-offerings, I will not accept them; I will not accept … Stop your noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. In stead, let justice flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry."
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Amos was a prophet when Israel was in prosperous and has a pride for her economy. And there was social evil, economical oppression; lawlessness and ignorance of Yahweh's covenant. The merchants were in high estate and the poor were in low estate. There was no justice and righteousness; peace and joy, love and charity. The Israelites were lost from what God wills them to do and the purpose of being God's chosen nation. They lost from the way of salvation. Therefore Amos strongly argued against such kind of situations, with the proclamation of justice and righteousness as the real worship of Yahweh instead of worldly prosperity (v. 21-23).
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In the story of relationship between Abraham and God we remarkably observe that God does not want Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac nor animals. Instead, God want to sacrifice his heart, his being. The writer of Proverbs clearly taught us again to sacrifice our heart, not our material things and superficial sacrifices. But inner sacrifices—Proverbs 23:26 says "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways" (cf. Joel 2:13). To compare this verse to the New Testament, the same request is obvious in Romans 12:1—"… by the mercy of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
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3) Habakkuk 2:4
"And this is the message: those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God."
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Like Jeremiah, Habakkuk complains injustices. Hab 1:2-4—"… How can you endure to look on such wrong doings?… amidst fighting and quarrelling everywhere. The law is weak and useless, and justice is never done. Evil men get the better of the righteous, and so justice is perverted." Hab 1:13—"Your eyes are too holy to look at evil, and you cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong. So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they are?"
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For such questions to God Habakkuk was clearly answered that righteousness and faithfulness is the way to liberation (2:4c). The précis ministry of Jeremiah and his answers from God are like Habakkuk. The core and motif of their ministry is to oppose such kind of injustices, wickedness, etc. and to proclaim and to promote liberation from such aggression and gloom. We can compare such situations with our situation nowadays. This is the thing Christians must try to liberate faithfully like preceding liberators of the Old Testament.
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By observing the above mentioned passages faithfulness and justice are obvious as the most important elements for our salvation/liberation. The study of the life of Daniel (the Book of Daniel) also reveals faithfulness as the greatest core and signal in Daniel's life. By his faithfulness God made him as a witness before the cruel kings. At this point if Daniel was unfaithful, no significant power will be found upon him. Faithfulness and righteousness, justice are inseparable elements as peace and justice are inseparable qualities. Faithfulness throughout the cruel kingdom, wicked ages, and impressions, etc. has been the way of salvation which the Old Testament prophets displayed before Christ.
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4) Matthew 5:8, 9.
"Happy (Blessed RSV) are the pure in heart; they will see God." "Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children."
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These verses (Sermon on the Mount) are the pivotal scripture throughout Christian history. Especially Monasticism firmly held and follows it strictly and Monastic Christian reached its peak with so many scholars and theologians. In Christian history the Monasticism movement is the backbone and monumental headstone. Because the monks in Monasteries were working incredibly, they worked not only for spiritual growth but also for physical, educational, economical uplifts. Even secular historians acknowledged that the agricultural restoration of the largest part of Europe has to be attributed to them. They are the main instruments in reforming European society and many colleges of education and workshops were the result of their works.
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It is clear enough at this stage what was meant by salvation throughout the history of Christian era. Today a number of Christians claim not to serve worldly matters and not to engage with such worldly things but only spiritual matters. In a real sense they need to know the very fact how Christian history had developed through Christian monasteries as said above. As Ganhdi said, we must behave a Christ-like life with faithfulness, pure acts and thought, and work for peace and justice. The monks in monasteries practiced Christ-like life and worked hardly for the Kingdom, not for the Church; and make peace and justice, and also for worldwide development.
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5) Matthew 9:9-13.
"As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew (in Luke-Levi) sitting at the tax office; … he followed him. And … why your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" … "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
"Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? … And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matt 25:37-40).
"The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them." (Matt 11:5)
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By studying these messages we can assume the fact that the very focus here is Jesus' salvavic work that has begun within and by the oppressed, the poor, etc.—that Judaism was and is not the real essence of religious standpoint but worldly. This is and that was obviously appeared in our history that the true, real, and one authentic reality or essence of religion comes out of the outcasts, not from the luxurious, prosperous situation. This way of living is taught by Jesus and manifested by his life as Islamic faith confessed him as the greatest ethical teacher.
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Nowadays in the 21st century and onward Christians should not be exclusive minded. If we really ambitious to win people to God, we must rather infiltrate them inclusively with Christ-like life and faithfulness to the truth. Jesus Christ indeed did not commission us to live exclusively but to serve amidst dangerous environments and situation. For he said, "I send you out as a sheep into the wolf" (Luke 10:3); and "I was sent only to the lost …" (Matt 15:24).
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REFERENCE
Appleton, George. Glad Encounter: Jesus Christ and the living faiths of men. London: Edinburgh House Press, 1959.
Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: paradigm shifts in theology of mission. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1991.
Buhlmann, Walbert. The Search for God: an encounter with the peoples and religions of Asia. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1980 ©1979.
Cracknell, Kenneth. Towards A New Relationship: Christians and people of other faith. Westminster, London: Epworth Press, 1986.
Kan, J. Herbert. A Concise History of the Christian World Mission: a panoramic view of missions from Pentecost to the present. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1982.
Stowe, David M. When Faith Meets Faith. New York: Friendship Press, 1963.
Tillich, Paul. Christianity and the Encounter of the World Religions. New York: Columbia University Press, 1963.
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Note: This article is already published in PMCF Magazine 2008, contributed by Luke.
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