The Pope’s promotion of religious pluralism during a speech in Singapore has been met with widespread disapproval. Critics of the Pope appeal to the magisterial teachings of the Church and the words of Christ in the gospels which are unequivocal: salvation is only through Christ. But St. Paul weighs in on this also, and in a powerful though indirect manner.
In the first letter of St. Paul to the Church in Corinth the apostle focuses on the meaning and necessity of the resurrection. He had learned that there were some members of the church who did not believe in the resurrection of the body. Paul’s response provides a theological perspective of Christ’s resurrection, and the consequences had it not taken place:
For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. (1 Cor 15:16-19).
Paul is saying that if there was no possibility of resurrection of the body, then Christ could not have been raised and the Corinthians must face the logical consequences that follow:
- Preaching is a waste of time, and they are false prophets.
- Their faith is misguided and groundless.
- They were never forgiven for their sins.
- Souls of Christians who have died have perished.
Paul concludes, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.”
He is not talking to adherents of other religions, but to Christians, who must believe in the resurrection of Christ or they are false prophets, unforgiven, and will perish. What are the implications of this for members of non-Christian religions who are unwilling to believe any of the Christian claims, let alone the resurrection of Christ?
But Paul was also the apostle to the gentiles and was doing well when he preached to the Athenians at the Areopagus, that is, until he mentioned the resurrection.
…[I]t is he [God] who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.
It was the pivotal moment:
When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We should like to hear you on this some other time.” And so Paul left them (Acts 17:32-33).
They showed Paul the door.
“All people everywhere repent!” Note the connection between the resurrection, repentance, and judgement. Christian morality is demanded as a result of the resurrection. An older survey of mainline Protestant clergy (in this case Methodist) found that less than half of them believed in the bodily resurrection of Christ. Analyzing the data, the author noticed a connection between believing in the physical resurrection and affirming traditional Christian moral doctrine. This explains the moral relativism rampant in mainline Protestantism and openly gay clergy, especially among the bishops.
What percentage of the Catholic clergy believe in the physical resurrection? I raise the question because doctrinal revisionism, a lack of interest in evangelization, and moral relativism have become common among many of today’s highest Church authorities.
The resurrection of Jesus confirmed that there is no other source of religious truth but the Church. It is one thing for Catholics to engage in dialogue with members of other religions as a means of promoting peace, but quite another to disregard their false claims to the truth and declare them equally valid; it disparages and even denies the glorious resurrection of Christ.
…rjt
Post Scriptum: This is my first post of the year. I fell ill last January, was in and out of the hospital but recovered by mid-April. The illness left me extremely weak and anemic. About two weeks ago I woke up in the morning and suddenly and thankfully felt back to normal.
