CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY DIALOGUE WITH

OTHER FAITHS AND RELIGIONS

By Venerable Dr Ifechukwu Ibeme
http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ;
Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

The purpose of Gospel mission is to bring all humanity to BE SAVED through Christ from depravity,
demonism and damnation into Gods eternal Kingdom in order to know and do Gods will, to
worship God in spirit and truth (Act 26:15-18).

Missionary dialogue recognizes the power of the Holy Spirit by which God is constantly at work in
ways that pass human understanding and in places that to us are least expected. Interfaith Dialogue
is not only of THEOLOGICAL or doctrinal exchange, for there are also dialogue of TOLERANCE for
mutual coexistence, dialogue of COMMON CAUSE for social action, and even dialogue of shared
pray to your God/gods religious experience for COMMON GOOD as on Jonahs tempest-tossed
ship of Tarshish (Jonah 1:5-6).

Dialogue is not same as Doctrine. Dialogue is seeking liberty to tolerate preaching, not about making
people agree with the Scriptures but making people allow the Gospel to be preached even when
they do not agree with it. Doctrine is setting verity against deviation form and revision of the Truth
of God's Word as wholesomely revealed in the Scriptures. Dialogue is for inter-faith liberty to preach
the Gospel. Doctrine is for true-faith verity as found in the Gospel. Dialogue is for toleration while
Doctrine is for conversion and correction. The two are not the same.

How is the Christian Faith or the Gospel of Christs Kingdom related to other faiths, religions and
cultures? This is a fundamental question the Church must answer for effective evangelism, dialogue
(for peaceful coexistence and community collaboration) and presence in a pluralistic heathen world.
For instance in the dialogue of the three monotheistic religions, it seems that:
The Christian Gospel is a MESSIANIC OFFER of the Creator Gods eternal SALVATION to sinful
humanity from the bondage of sin and Satan through the POWER of Christs GRACE as
taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles.
The Jewish Old Testament is a PROPHETIC DEMAND for frail OBEDIENCE from sinful
humanity (e.g. Israel) to the law of the One Creator God (Yahweh) as taught by Moses and
the Prophets of Israel.
The Islamic Quran is a PROPHETIC DEMAND for frail SUBMISSION from sinful humanity to
the will of Allah who they believe is the One Creator God as taught by Muhammad ibn
Abdallah.
On a general note the question of relationship of the Christian Gospel to other religions calls for a
broad grasp of not only the thrust of the various religions but also what religion basically is and what
types of religion (primal, philosophical and prophetic) there are in the world.

The word RELIGION (which refers to human response in relation to any superstition, supposition,
speculation or human reverence in relation to redemptive revelation) is derived from Latin RELIGIO
= supernaturally constrained attitudes, beliefs, experiences, powers and practices or RELIGARE =
scrupulously restrained attitudes, beliefs, experiences, powers and practices. Todays liberalism
with its antireligious, irreverent, rebellious, and self-willed philosophies have given religion a bad
name as faiths and forms that are antisocial, intolerant and deceptive because of religious rules
and regulations often designating RELIGION to mean religious organisations or regulations; but
prefer SPIRITUALITY which is designated to mean unregulated spontaneous spiritual worship and

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lifestyle or personal salvation experience. Hence many in the Church and other religions are
averse to the word religion or religious and claim they are not religious: they would prefer to
describe themselves as spirituals, spiritualists, using spiritual powers or living in spiritual
relationship.

Religions and Spiritualities in the world today offer or seek different concepts of SALVATION (e.g.
Christian redemption-ransom, rescue-release, regeneration-restoration, Non-Christian self-
realisation) from bondage (e.g. Christian sinful nature, divine wrath, demonic deceit, damnable
death, error-ignorance, Non-Christian karma, reincarnation and matter) which may not satisfy the
salvation concepts of the others. RELIGION can be defined as the human spiritual relationship or
human ritual response or human rational response of faith in, fear of, fervour for, experience of
and reverence for God, gods and numinous powers. Religions have belief systems about the
divine, the spiritual and the sacred, expressed in behaviour systems of ritual forms, religious
community, numinous experiences, ethical values and mystical practices.

Note that both the religious and the irreligious have their kinds of God and gods which regulate
their worldviews and behaviours such as:
the Monotheists ALMIGHTY CREATOR God, (Author of order)
the Mystics UNIVERSAL MIND/FORCE god,
the Evolutionists' RANDOM SELECTOR goddess, (author of confusion)
the Scientists NATURAL LAW goddess,
the Secularists AS YOU LIKE IT god,
the Polytheists specialised or tension gods and goddesses, and guiding/guardian spirits of
beasts, masters, heroes, heroines and ancestors.

In the Apostolic times, there were the Gentiles who worshiped spirits but believed in the inescapable
ordinance powers of the four rudiments/elements (air, water, earth and fire faraway jungle
Africans seemed to believe rather in the power of every animated fetish) corresponding to the
four corners (east, wet, north and south) which also correspond to the four seasons and trigonal
constellations (warm-summer, moist-spring, dry-autumn and the cold-winter). Even their physicians
believed in the doctrine of humours dominant in persons corresponding to the seasons of ones birth
(sanguine, melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic). The Jews believe God has chosen them and exempted
them from the power or claims of every spirit, rudiment, fetish, season, constellation, or humour
such that in place of these their own rudiments are the Law of Moses with its powerful ritual
Ordinances (priestly works of the Law) and highly ethical Precepts (personal works of righteousness),
On which basis the Law, the Spirit of God has also inspired the Prophetic and Wisdom Scriptures.
Through Christs priestly works by His Blood, Christians have been delivered, not only from the
beggarly rudiments of the Gentiles and from the temporary rituals of the Law but has also
endowed us enabling grace for all spiritual works and walk, worship and witness. This is the point
of our SALVATION IN CHRIST being made by the Apostles in the Scriptures especially in Galatians 3
and 4, Colossians 2 and Hebrews 8, 9 and 10. Christ has also eternally propitiated for Divine
damnation on sins of every Christian to reconcile them to God and guarantee eternal heritage in
Gods eternal Kingdom for them.

PAGANS (Platonists, Gnostics, Neoplatonists, Kundalini Mystics, New Age Theosophists) teach that
the human spirit, despite being under the power of beggarly rudiments, could be illuminated or
saved (through intuition, contemplation, ecstasy or initiation) in order to be free from inhibitions
by moral creed, mores and matter for attainment of limitless potential, being led by spontaneous
persuasion and passion to self-actualise personal choice, dream, happiness, power and pleasure in
the hope of attaining utopian love and peace. Some Christians unwittingly integrate or syncretise
this impious and pagan spirituality into their faith.

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CHRIST and His Apostles taught that the human spirit is saved or redeemed (by divine grace through
penitent faith in Christ) in order to be free before God from demonic bondage to error and self and
divine damnation for sin, being led by the Holy Spirit through moral principles and examples found
in the Scriptures of the Law, the Prophets and the Apostles to please God and do His revealed will on
His earth. This is the piety.

A parallel comparison of PAGAN spirituality versus CHRISTIAN Spirituality is important at this

point. Spirituality is the conviction that humans have spiritual nature and could live spiritual life.
Piety has to do with faith in and submission to God Who has revealed Himself to the biblical
Prophets and through Christ. To be pious is to be god-fearing. To be impious is to be self-serving or
god-hating. There are subtle but far-reaching differences between PAGAN impious spirituality and
CHRISTIAN pious spirituality.

Common elements and concepts shared by most religions are repercussions of morals and powers
of rituals. Religions are of two main classes but three broad types:
1. Nature Religion: PRIMAL, polytheistic, pantheistic, idolatrous, deistic and cyclical religions
e.g. animistic and monist religions, totemic and nature worship religions, ancestral worship
religions, and Hinduism.
2. Founder Religion:
(i) PHILOSOPHICAL: atheistic, agnostic, polytheistic, pantheistic, idolatrous, deistic
and cyclical religions e.g. mystic religions, Buddhism, Shinto, Tao, Bon,
Confucianism, Gnosticism, Jainism and Sikhism (Sikhism is Islamic Buddhism =
monotheistic and cyclical)

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 (ii) PROPHETIC: monotheistic and eschatological religions e.g. God-seeking
(theoreunatic) religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Bahaism.

In contradistinction to THEISM, the belief in an immanent God who actively intervenes in the affairs of men, the
word DEISM is used to represent the view of those who reduced the role of God to a mere act of creation in
accordance with rational laws discoverable by man and held that, after the original act, God virtually withdrew
and refrained from interfering in the processes of nature and involvement in the ways of man. The Deist God has
left nature to forces of natural properties and left humanity to personal and popular preferences.
In the deistic treatises of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, five religious ideas were recognized as God-given and innate
in the mind of man from the beginning of time: the belief in a supreme being, in the need for his worship, in the
pursuit of a pious and virtuous life as the most desirable form of worship, in the need of repentance for sins, and
in rewards and punishments in the next world. Herbert held that these are fundamental religious beliefs that had
been the possession of the first man, and they were basic to all the worthy positive institutionalized religions of
later times. Thus, differences among sects and cults all over the world were usually benign, mere modifications of
universally accepted truths; they were corruptions only when they led to barbarous practices such as the
immolation of human victims and the slaughter of religious rivals.
Polytheism and idolatry turn every want and wonder into god or goddess based on one legend, myth superstition
or another. For instance, WANTS such as health and wealth are met with GOD(DESSE)S of health and wealth,
while WONDERS like thunder and sun are met with GOD(DESSE)S of thunder and sun.

The Christ came down to graciously grant us the blessed experience of ETERNAL SALVATION as
heavenly spiritual blessing that by far outweighs and outlasts all blessedness humanity may think,
imagine, ask or ever know (Eph 1:3-4, 17-23; 3:16-21): whether by all HUMAN ACTUALISATION and
all HUMAN SPECULATION or even by PROPHETIC REVELATION. Every human is responsible for the
level of blessedness one chooses to seek because every level of blessedness has its eternal
consequence after death.

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From Christs dialogue with the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-26 and St Pauls introduction to his
Epistle to the Romans 1:18-32 and his sermon at the Athenian Areopagus in Acts 17:18-34, we learn
that through Spirituality or Religion, humans instinctively seek to RELATE WITH AND REVERENCE
GOD but to succeed, need HELP by the TRUTH of Divine Revelation and GRACE of Eternal Salvation
through Christ. Otherwise, humanity being HINDERED by the ERROR of human mystical supposition
and syncretism and being HOODWINKED by the FRAUD of demonic manipulation, ends up seeking to
RELATE WITH AND REVERENCE THE GODS (e.g. mistaken God, demonic spirits, dead ancestors,
natural object and forces). Without God reaching us, humans cannot succeed to reach God (Mat
11:27; John 6:44; 14:6-7).

These other PRIMAL, PHILOSOPHICAL and PROPHETIC non-Christian Faiths/Religions and cultures
unaided by Divine Revelation and the Redeeming Grace of the Divine Christ may have their few
merits despite their gross demerits and limitations. However, ONLY CHRIST EFFECTUALLY SAVES US
ETERNALLY FROM EVERY BONDAGE TO ORDINANCES (repercussions of sin and manipulations of
rituals) AGAINST US, whether of Jewish Mosaic Law and regulations or of Gentile Philosophical
Rudiments and traditions (Gal 3:22-26; 4:1-10; Col 2:8-17). This apostolic teaching is often missed or
misunderstood by the Church. Only the Divine Christ has the ultimate POWER that saves from every
bondage to dark territorial PRINCIPALITIES of spiritual error and from every bondage to wicked
celestial POWERS of spiritual evil (Eph 6:10-12; 1John 4:1-6). Only Christ has made or could ever
have made the valid ATONEMENT/PROPITIATION that saves from human DEPRAVITY, demonic
DOMINATION and divine DAMNATION (Col 1:12-23).

In summary, RELIGION and SPIRITUALITY involve the loving reverential submission to either divinely
revealed invitation or curious pursuit of mystical exploration for human RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
CREATOR, THE SUPERNATURAL AND THE NATURAL.
Through Spirituality and Religion we seek to ENTER MYSTICAL RELATIONSHIP with the ineffable and
infinite (the Creator, spirit beings and numinous powers).
Spirituality deals with OUGHT and FACT but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and
Eternal Life.

Apart from the dimension of SPIRITUALITY or RELIGION as described above, two other DIMENSIONS
OF HUMAN EXPLORATION into known and unknown reality are PHILOSOPHY and SCIENCE. Each
human individual is fully responsible for how goodly or badly one utilizes each dimension.

NOTE: Religion is the product of revelation, intuition, reason and historical experience as well as the
mother of Philosophy and Science. Science is the product of physical experience (observable and
measurable) subset of Philosophy. Science is a finite empirical study whose scope ends at the limits
of time and space and collapses at the realms of moral values, cosmological metaphysics, intuitive
insights, revelation and divine intervention. Science cannot disprove nor antagonize infinity,
morality, metaphysics, revelation and divinity. Only those who lack the understanding of the
limitations of science clash science against infinity, morality, metaphysics, revelation and divinity.
Religion involves everything scientific (reasonable, measurable, observable) as well as everything
unscientific (insights and intuition into infinity, morality, metaphysics, revelation and divinity).

PHILOSOPHY: search for rational principles for the EXPLANATION OF NATURE AND EXISTENCE.
Through Philosophy we seek to MAKE SENSE OF ISSUES finite and infinite.
Philosophy deals with OUGHT and SENSE but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and
Eternal Life.

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SCIENCE: search for empirical and theoretical EXPLANATION AND USAGES OF NATURAL PROPERTIES
OF MATTER.
Through Science we seek to DISCOVER, DESCRIBE, DEVISE AND UTILISE ALL THINGS finite.
Science deals with FACT and SENSE but needs Faith in Christ Jesus for access to TRUTH and Eternal
Life.

Where art thou? (Gen 3:9) was Gods gracious REDEMPTIVE initiative, to reach perishing and
REPROBATE Humanity that they may REPENT and RETURN to God for RESTORATION of
RELATIONSHIP. Divine REDEMPTIVE REVELATION is gracious unfolding of Gods Purpose and
manifestation of Gods Power that best answer Humanitys Problem. Human innate RESPONSES to
this divinely Revealed and gracious Redemptive initiative have variously included:
REBELLION due to HARDNESS OF HEART against God, Hiding from God, Denying guilt,
Shifting blame (Gen 3:9-13),
IGNORANCE blindly GROPING after God (Act 17:24-28) with superstitious and spurious
speculation about God (Act 17:18-23),
FUTILITY of IDOLATRY due to failure to perceive Gods attributes through His visible creation
(Rom 1:18-23),
FOLLY of ATHEISM that thinks there is no God (Psa 14:1-3).
These human responses to Gods initiative and human efforts to find God are inadequate to satisfy
divine merits such as could save humanity from human DEPRAVITY, demonic DOMINATION and
divine DAMNATION in order to restore humanity to divine glory. Therefore in Christ, God has offered
divine grace to humanity adequate enough for eternal salvation for whosoever believes (John 3:16).

The ultimate offer of the Gospel of Christ is that there is no other Name given UNDER HEAVEN
whereby humans (Jews and Gentiles) could obtain eternal salvation except by the Name of Jesus
Christ (Act 4:10-12). For all promises of God find their fulfilment in Christ (2Cor 1:18-22) and God has

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given Him a Name above every other Name that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Php 2:9-12). And all power in heaven and on earth has
been given to Him (Matt 28:18; John 13:3; 1Cor 15:21-27; Eph 1:20-23). For, by raising Jesus from
the dead and taking Him to heaven, God has shown the world that He is the prophesied divine Christ
and divine Son (Incarnate-Creator-Logos John 1:1-5, 8-14) Who now redeems the world through the
blood of His death and shall finally judge the world (Act 13:33-39; 17:30-31; Rom 1:2-5). Concerning
our ultimate need of faith in Christ for gracious access to the saving Truth and Eternal Life, Jesus
Himself has these to say:
John 14:6
(6) Jesus said to him, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH
ME.
John 10:7-10
(7) So again Jesus said, "TRULY, TRULY I TELL YOU, I AM THE GATE for the sheep.
(8) All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them.
(9) I am the gate. If anyone enters THROUGH ME, he will be SAVED. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
(10) The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, and have it
abundantly.
John 3:13-18
(13) "No one has gone up to heaven except THE ONE WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, THE SON OF MAN who
is in heaven.
(14) Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
(15) SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
(16) "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who BELIEVES in him might
not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.
(17) For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be SAVED through
him.
(18) Whoever BELIEVES in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of God's unique Son.

The purpose of the Christian Gospel missions and evangelism, apologetics and dialogue is to help all
humanity to accept the blessedness of divine revelation and Truth in the Bible and receive the
blessedness of eternal salvation and Grace in Christ. Christian dialogue does not only look for
agreeable grounds for tolerant coexistence, shared concerns and common courses, it also looks for
the best connection between Christs incarnation and the awareness of the Almighty Creator God in
every religion and culture, so as to proclaim the offer of Christs eternal salvation in that context
without syncretism or acrimony but in respectful coexistence. Christ has satisfied divine atoning
requirements and therefore sufficiently liberates humanity from sevenfold formidable bondages to:
carnal passion of the sinful nature (Gal 5:15-24),
worldly pride in mundane prominence and passion for material possession (1John 2:15-17),
celestial evil powers of wickedness (Eph 1:20-21; 2:2), and
terrestrial blind principalities of darkness (Eph 6:10-13).
Gentile rudimentary and idolatrous manipulations (Gal 4:1-10; Col 2:6-10, 20),
Jewish legalistic and ritual regulations (Gal 3:22-26; Col 2:11-19),
Divine wrath against our sinfulness (Eph 2:3-5),

Christian REVERENCE/RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY begins with Repentant RETURN to God through FAITH,

OBEDIENCE and GRATITUDE in Christ:
to RECEIVE His Divine Grace of Redemptive Revelation and Reconciliation in Christ (Rom 1:2-
6),
to RELATE in holiness with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and
to REVEAL God and His Grace to the world around us.

Updated March 15, 2015

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme

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Copyright PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
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