How Christianity differs from other religions.

Jesus Is a Historical Figure

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to us in the body of a man who humbled Himself from the beginning. With this God made salvation perfect. So perfect that no one can deny it.

When we talk about the gospel, we are talking about a real historical figure. This figure is Jesus Christ. When He came, He revealed everything to us. He did not swear, did not speculate, did not say that He had a secret, but revealed everything to us. Everything what He said is very clear to us.

Without understanding and realizing the historicity of the personality of Jesus Christ, we will never be able to fully understand God. Therefore, we must discover this historical figure whose name is Jesus.

Why Do We Believe in Jesus?

We Christians confess that Jesus is the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of everything. And His Word is the order of Creation. His Word is the rule which made the Universe work perfectly.

Jesus does not tell us that if we do this, we will be given in return. But Jesus says that it is necessary to do so, because that is the order. And if we do that, the world will recover. His Word applies to the whole world, to all people without exception.

His life changed the next 2000 years of human history. When Jesus came, His Word was revolutionary. It turns everything upside down in order to restore order. Jesus’ attitude toward women is especially significant. Until then, women were treated as a matter of course. The woman was looked down upon. Examples are Maria and Martha. The very question: “Are you sitting at Jesus’ feet? Is this really your place? No, your place in the kitchen. That’s what you have to do.” But Jesus says, “She chose the better among two of these.” How much these words of Jesus encouraged the woman. How much it restored her. How much these words changed the attitude to women.

Jesus also came to those who had a very low position in society, who were neglected – the sick, the weak, the poor, the hated. But Jesus treated them like children of God.

Every Jesus’ step was revolutionary. Even now His Word, His message is modern. But in the time of Jesus it was supermodern.

Why Is Christianity Not Just One of the Religions?

We must be clear that Christianity is not just one of the religions we want to promote in the world. Christianity is exceptional and really very different from other religions, which makes it exclusive.

The message of Christianity is the order of creation of the world, the order of creation of everything. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14: 6).

When we look at the history of the world, there are only 4-5 people in the world who are called saints. In Asia – Confucius, in India – Buddha, in Europe – Socrates. They were all born and died 300-400 years before Christ.

In 3-4 centuries before the coming of Jesus, these people appeared and gave instructions. They taught people and gave them an example of morality and ethics. Their teachings became a religion that had many followers. Their followers worship them, think about them.

Many people, having accepted their moral and ethical teachings, did not stray too far from the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus Christ. Their teaching established a kind of bridge to the teaching that Jesus brought.

“I Am the Road, and the Truth, and Life”

But Jesus says, “I am the way.” It means there is the way in Him which can lead us to heaven. He also says, “I am the truth.” A religion that teaches meaningless things cannot survive. But the truth of Jesus is the truth that makes the truth possible. He Himself is the truth.

When we know this, we can put the whole puzzle together and understand other religions better, as well as the difference between Christianity and other religions.

Jesus says, “I am the life.” This means that our life, which is supposed to be ended in death, continues and becomes eternal. And Jesus is the source of this eternality.

When we say that we believe in Jesus, it means that we are following His path to the end.

Buddhism – to Achieve Enlightenment

Buddha (real name Siddhartha Gautama) was born in 564 BC. He was a prince from a small kingdom. But his uniqueness is that he opposed the caste system in Hinduism.

The caste system was not only in Hinduism, but also was established in Europe and China. Some castes were intact. But the Buddha said that there should be no such thing, because all people are equal.

The Buddha’s main teaching on life was similar to Hinduism. The doctrine of reincarnation. The idea of ​​reincarnation is very unique. Until a person experiences nirvana, he will be born again and his soul will pass into another body. And such a circle must be passed until a person reaches nirvana.

Achieving nirvana means becoming a Buddha. Buddha means – enlightened, reaching perfection through self-knowledge. He said that until a person dies, he must know himself. It means he must follow himself. Because the human being himself is light. This is a very important concept in Hinduism and Buddhism.

When we compare their teachings of death and salvation, we realize that Hinduism and Buddhism are religions of self-knowledge. Human beings are light. And Human beings must find this light. It means they must know themselves in order to be enlightened and become a Buddha.

Confucianism Is a Moral and Ethical Doctrine

How about Confucius? He is one of the four figures we have mentioned who have become examples to people in different parts of the world. Confucius was born in 551 BC. He lived almost at the same time as Buddha.

Confucius did not leave many books. But his students systematized everything he said. The book “Analects” is very famous. It is a dialogue between students and Confucius. One of his disciples, Jin Lu, asked Confucius about spirits and ghosts. Disciples usually called him a master. They also asked him about death. And the master answered: “You ask me about death, but I have not yet understood life. Then how can I understand death?”

This is a very honest answer. In Confucian times, China was not a single country, but was divided into many small kingdoms. There were many wars between them and Confucius talked about modern things for them. He talked about what bothered them that time. About how to bring peace, how to be a good ruler, how to be a good person, how to be a good father, a good mother, a child, a man and a woman. So he talked about moral and ethical practical issues and how to live well.

But there is a limit to what he was talking about. He has no answer about death.

Socrates Is an Ideal Man Who Is Not Afraid of Death

What about Socrates? Socrates is the most beloved philosopher of the Western world. His most famous students were Aristotle and Plato. These two students united the Western world, giving it a modern form. They set the tone for Western philosophy.

Plato was especially shocked to see how Socrates ended his life. We know that Socrates drank poison. It means he poisoned himself. He was sentenced to death on charges of disbelief in the gods. And he was forced to take an extract of a plant that has poison. When Plato saw this, he was shocked. Because Socrates seemed very free to accept death.

The moment he took the poison, he was just thinking about how to complete his earthly affairs. He remembered that he had not paid for a chicken he had borrowed from someone.

In this he showed the image of the ideal man as much as possible by the power of humans.

Everyone is afraid of death, but how could Socrates be so free from death and not be afraid of it? This shocked Plato. How can a person be so free? When everyone was worried and anxious about death, he felt free from it.

But in his views on death, something is missed. What is it?

Jesus and Socrates: Who Is More Perfect?

Jesus Christ, when He went to the cross, he trembled before God. He cried, bled and sweated. The Bible says that sweat and blood were on His forehead. Even when He was the Son of God, He trembled.

When comparing Jesus and Socrates, who of them is more ideal? What is missing from Socratism? He missed God.

When we know there is no God, we can play around. But when we know that there is a God who gives life. When we know that there is eternity, we become genuinely serious.

Martyrs for Jesus Christ, such as Stephen or many other martyrs who were persecuted before they died, who did they talk to? They didn’t talk about the people around them looking at them. They spoke to God and about God. At the last moment of their martyrdom, before dying or being burned, their last words were addressed to God.

When beasts tore the Christians apart at the Colosseum in Rome, the spectators who came to the show only knew that it was a show. They did not know that God was looking at that time. But the dying martyrs knew that God was there and looking at it. Therefore, in the last moments of their lives, they spoke with God.

If we did not know God, we could say, “Well, knowing that people are dying, I can meet death too, I cannot change this.” But the moment we know that God is and life comes from Him, we become genuinely serious.

Jesus Christ Is the Creator of Life

For someone, He is the great Holy One of the world, one of many who set a good example. But we Christians believe that His death is not just the death of a righteous man, not just the death of one great man, and His death is the death of the redemption of sinners. And through the empty tomb, He proved to be the Son of God.

1 Corinthians 15:6

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

The empty tomb is the strongest and most appropriate proof of Jesus’ resurrection and that Jesus is beyond death. He overcame everything by believing in God. When He was in the flesh, as we are, He trembled. Because He really understood the meaning of death. This is not a game, this is not a joke, this is not something that is normal. He understood the true nature of death. But faith in God allowed Him to overcome everything and He became the Creator of life.

The Bible testifies in Mark 14:20-24, Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 22:17-23 through the Last Supper, through the last conversation with the disciples, Jesus has already explained to them the meaning of death, the meaning of blood. His blood is the blood of the covenant that restores and heals us.

Who Has the Truth?

This is true. Many people say that the truth is here, the truth is there. We have given examples where there is also truth. Little by little the truth circle. It’s not like others are saying silly things. But we must find the best truth, the absolute truth.

When we want to understand everything, we have to ask the following questions:

1. What is the beginning? Who is the Creator? Where does the truth come from?

Is the truth coming from above or below? Does the truth come from a person or someone else? Is truth a philosophy or an objectivity that comes from above? So we need to check where the beginnings come from.

2. We need to check the meaning of this. Does every message, every phenomenon that is in this or that teaching, correspond to our life? Does all this really benefit our lives?
3. Moral and ethical meaning. The moral of the doctrine is to have a practical life and harmony in society?

If the teachings of Christians were against social norms, against practical principles, would we like it? The morals and ethics of the doctrine must set a good example that should look like the truth.

4. Where does this lead me? What is the final destination? Does this lead me to an endless circle of reincarnation or does this teaching not yet have an answer to this question? Do we just think that death is the norm? We are going nowhere, and is it normal?

Conclusions

When we receive answers to these questions, we must understand whether this or that truth is interconnected? The message of this or that truth, connected with each other? The beginning, the meaning, the moral, the final destination, are they all interconnected?

When we take Christianity, everything is interconnected and everything is based on love.

The true truth is that which is the love of men and the love of God. The truth is the one that shows the absolute love of God.

Christians talk about grace. We say that our salvation lies in the absolute power of God. Nothing depends on us. There is nothing we can do to be saved. Only through grace and only through forgiveness can we be saved.

And this is the greatest uniqueness when comparing Christianity with other religions. Grace and forgiveness. It was this message that was in Jesus Christ, who is a historical figure. He also lived His life according to the Word He taught.

Everything He said, everything He explained, He confirmed by His resurrection. Therefore, from which side not to approach, from which side not to look, everything is very connected.