Why One Way?: Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World
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About this ebook
A concise guide to understanding how and why the ancient Christian faith makes sense for today and a blueprint for communicating truth to a "truthless" and cynical generation.The book is centered around 6 key principles: objectivity, rationality, veracity, authority, incompatibility and integrity. In the ultimate apologetic, John MacArthur presents a case for Christianity that serves as a logical explanation as much as a solid defense.
John F. MacArthur
Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker. He has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. John's pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly two thousand English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and digital recordings by John MacArthur. John is chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical. Bestselling titles include The Gospel According to Jesus, Twelve Ordinary Men, Twelve Extraordinary Women, Slave, and The MacArthur Study Bible, a 1998 ECPA Gold Medallion recipient.
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Reviews for Why One Way?
24 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A worthwhile, short, straightforward look at the differences between postmodern truth and Biblical truth. John MacArthur examines several topics infected by postmodern thought, how it infects the society and the church, and defends absolute truth in a world increasingly filled with acceptance of anything concocted by the individual.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I bought this book many years ago, back when I was a Christian, and recently found it while unpacking a box of books that I had long-ago stored. I figured that I might as well read it for kicks, since it's short (only 74 pages) and asked an intriguing question: Why one way?
I expected the book to try to answer why Christianity is the only way, but it doesn't. Instead, the author just quotes bible verses and states that since Christianity says it's true, it is, the end. He conveniently forgets that many other religions also state that they are true; what makes Christianity supposedly right and the others wrong? That question is never answered.
Instead, all this book offers is a lot of fear-mongering and stereotypes. There is a vast conspiracy against True Christianity (tm), headed by liberals and secularists. Gee, I'm a liberal and a secular Jew. I must be part of the conspiracy too! I guess I missed that memo.
The author also makes a ton of generalizations and claims without supporting them with any basis in fact. In essence, this book is wanting to return to the "good old days" - you know, the days when homosexuals were closeted and women were in the kitchens where they belong. Except, as my grandmother often tells me, there never were any "good old days." When she was a teenager, people were bemoaning their lives and wishing that they could go back to the "good old days" too.
John MacArthur seems to be one of those types who believes that a True Christian (tm) has to be "hated" by the world. If the world isn't "hating" him, then he isn't doing his job. And so he deliberately tries to offend so he can be "hated" and prove to everyone else that he's such a good Christian. I have no patience of that type of person, and I've run across far too many who speak of loving their neighbor with one fork of the tongue while the other spews hate.
If I had to summarize this book in one sentence, it'd be: "Boo hoo, even though the vast majority of Americans are Christian, we are so persecuted because we can't force every single person to believe exactly as we do."
The only thing that I can really agree on with John MacArthur is that the bible is incompatible with tolerance.
Book preview
Why One Way? - John F. MacArthur
WHY
ONE WAY?
WHY
ONE WAY?
Defending an Exclusive Claim
in an Inclusive World
BY
JOHN MACARTHUR
Why_One_Way-3WHY ONE WAY?
Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World
© 2002 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright owner, except for brief excerpts quoted in critical reviews.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
All Scripture quotations in this book, except those noted otherwise, are from the New King James Version, © 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.
Quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
ISBN 0-8499-5558-0
Printed in the United States of America
02 03 04 05 06 PHX 7 6 5 4 3 2
Why_One_Way-5 Contents
Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you
—1 JOHN 3:13
Chapter One: The Church vs. The World
Chapter Two: Objectivity
Chapter Three: Rationality
Chapter Four: Veracity
Chapter Five: Authority
Chapter Six: Incompatibility
Chapter Seven: Integrity
Endnotes
Why_One_Way-5 Introduction
In the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and ’70s, the One Way
sign—the index finger held high— became a popular icon. One Way
bumper stickers and lapel pins were everywhere, and the One Way
slogan pretty much became the identifying catchphrase of all evangelicalism.
Evangelicalism in those days was an extremely diverse movement. (In some ways it was even more eclectic than it is today). It encompassed everything from Jesus People, who were an integral part of that era’s youth culture, to straight-line fundamentalists, who scorned everything contemporary. But all of them had at least one important thing in common: They knew that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. One Way
seemed an unshakable belief that all evangelicals shared in common.
That is no longer the case. The evangelical movement of today is no longer unified on this issue. Some who call themselves evangelicals are openly insisting that faith alone in Jesus is not the only way to heaven. They are now convinced that people of all faiths will be in heaven. Others are simply cowardly, embarrassed, or hesitant to affirm the exclusivity of the gospel in an era when inclusivity, pluralism, and tolerance are deemed supreme virtues by the secular world. They imagine it would be a tremendous cultural faux pas to declare that Christianity is the truth and all other faiths are wrong. Apparently, the evangelical movement’s biggest fear today is that we will be seen as out of harmony with the world.
Why has this dramatic shift taken place? Why has evangelicalism abandoned what we once all agreed is absolutely true? I believe it is because church leaders, in their desperate quest to be relevant and fashionable, have actually failed to see where the contemporary world is going and why.
We’re not living in the modern world anymore. This is the postmodern world. And postmodernism is just as hostile as modernism to the truth of Christianity—perhaps even more so. The philosophical issues are different, but the world’s hostility to the truth of Scripture has not abated one bit.
Now is not the time to make friends with the world. It is certainly