Course:Teaching Christians/Paradigm for answering questions
UNDERSTANDING AND REPLYING TO THE THINKING BEHIND DIFFICULT QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED BY CHRISTIANS
Most questions are based on literal interpretation of only some selected Biblical quotations addressing the subject and/or based on the claim of the uniqueness of Jesus the Christ (e.g., Only Jesus was the Only Way, the Only Begotten Son, the One Mediator between God and man, etc.). Such questions are intended to prove a division between the Bahá’í Faith and Christianity, prove Bahá’ís are not Biblical in their beliefs, and prove superiority of Jesus the Christ over Bahá’u’lláh. However, Bahá’ís seek unity and points of agreement by not accepting the literal mindset of the question, by establishing that Bahá’ís believe in Jesus the Christ and the Bible, and by pointing out one or more of the following answer paradigms:
Paradigm #1: Bahá’u’lláh is the Return of Christ and therefore all the claims of uniqueness for the Station of Christ also apply to Bahá’u’lláh (e.g., Bahá’u’lláh as the Return of Christ is also The Only Way, the Return of the Only Begotten Son, the Return of the Only Mediator between God and Man, etc.).
Paradigm #2: There are other Bible passages on the subject that clearly demonstrate a literal interpretation cannot always be correct and only a spiritual interpretation can make sense in all cases when applied to all the Bible verses referring to the question (e.g. Question: “Have you been baptized in a church? as the Bible says ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’” (Mark 16:16). Paradigm #2 Answer: However, the Bible also says Christ will baptize all believers with “the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Luke 3:16) which means true baptism is other than with water rituals. (See Baptism in the Bible.)
Paradigm #3: The method of literal interpretation used by Christians to reject Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í interpretation was also used by the Jews to reject Christian interpretation of the Old Testament and Jesus. Therefore, Jesus cannot be the Messiah by the same literalist reasoning Christians use to reject Bahá’u’lláh. (See Objections of Christians to Bahá’u’lláh are the same as Those to Christ) But by whatever Biblical proofs Christians accept Jesus, these same methods of proof apply equally well to Bahá’u’lláh.
- Paul states the Bible must be “spiritually discerned” as it is “expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14) and both Christ (Matthew 17:13) and the Apostles (Luke 3:2-6, Acts 2:14-21) interpret the Bible in the Old Testament spiritually to explain the fulfillment of prophecy which was not fulfilled literally. Therefore Christ and the Apostles give the authority and examples for interpreting the Bible spiritually. (See Literal vs. figurative in the Bible)
- Paul interprets even passages that appear as literal factual accounts as indeed symbolic in meaning: “...not like Moses who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor...for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed.” (2 Corinthians 3:13-16) (Exodus 34:30 recounts that after Moses spoke with God, His face shone so brightly He had to veil His face so the Israelites would not fear Him. Yet Paul recounts this veil as also spiritually symbolic and blinding the Jews to truly understanding the Old Testament and recognizing Jesus.)
Paradigm #4: Even if a literal interpretation is not supported by the Bahá’í Writings (e.g., Physical Resurrection of Jesus; Physical Existence of Satan), the spiritual principle being illustrated or referred to by the Bible is indeed supported and confirmed in the Bahá’í Writings (e.g., “satanic power” is confirmed though a physical Satan is not; and the Power of Jesus over death and His Divine Nature is confirmed though not His Physical Resurrection ... see Satan and Resurrection dialogue boxes for illustration). It is indeed the underlying spiritual principle and teaching all can agree upon and is the more important reality to begin with that must ultimately guide our Faith and actions ... i.e., Do the believers wish to avoid contact with a physical Satan or, more importantly, the influence of “satanic power?” ... Do the believers need Faith that the physical body of Jesus resides above the clouds in the sky, or, more importantly, that Jesus is Divine and has the power to conquer death and bestow life everlasting?
Paradigm #5: Both the Old Testament and the New Testament are sealed as to their interpretation until Jesus returns according to the Bible itself (see Literal vs. figurative in the Bible). There are over 23,000 sects of Christianity all of whom disagree over the interpretation of the Bible and none of whom on Biblical authority can confirm they have the correct interpretation of the Bible. Therefore, Bahá’í symbolic interpretations are at least as equally valid as any sect of Christianity and absolutely correct if the claims of Bahá’u’lláh can be proven.