Did the Apostles Say Jesus is the Only Way?
Jesus spent three years teaching his followers about God, about himself, and about us. These followers later wrote down what Jesus did and said in the New Testament. All Christian beliefs are based upon these writings of the apostles. So did the apostles teach Jesus as the only way to God? We will hear from three of the apostles who wrote extensively about Jesus: Peter, John, and Paul.
Peter: After Jesus had risen from the dead, Peter’s words about Jesus are clear.
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”[8]
Peter is saying here,
- There is no other path to God than Jesus
- No other person has the authority to save us
John: John also wrote about Jesus as the only way to have eternal life.
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”[9]
John says here,
- God is the one who grants eternal life
- God has chosen Jesus as the way to have eternal life
- Those without Jesus don’t have eternal life
Paul: Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, writes to the Roman believers,
“The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[10]
Paul tells us here,
- Sin is a barrier between us and God that leads to spiritual death
- Eternal life is a free gift from God through Jesus Christ
These apostles clearly say that Jesus is the only way to God.