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Baha'i Claims to be Compatible
with Christianity
The Baha'i faith incorporates many familiar Christian
themes, words, and select scriptures into its beliefs,
however, the Bible would have to be radically
reinterpreted to fit Baha'i theology. Baha'is claim
that the Bible has been misinterpreted and misunderstood
by Christians for thousands of years, and therefore must
be reinterpreted through Baha'i, which they believe is the
true Christianity. Much like Mormonism, Islam and
other religions founded by false prophets, Baha'i teaches
that they have restored Christianity to its true form.
Unlike Mormonism and Islam, however, they claim that
Baha'u'llah was not just a prophet but the actual Messiah
and a fulfillment of the prophesied Second Coming.
This belief alone reveals serious flaws in their
interpretation of the Bible. The prophecies of the
Bible that are yet to be fulfilled before Christ returns
are simply reinterpreted or ignored to support their
belief that the Messiah has already returned. A look
at other Baha'i beliefs further demonstrates the vast
differences between the Baha'i faith and Biblical
Christianity.
God is
Unknowable
One goal of the Baha'i movement is to bring about an all-inclusive global faith under a federalist world
government. Their views on the nature of God reflect
this desire to include all beliefs, gods, and religions
neatly into their belief system. In Baha'i thought,
people can never really know God personally. They
teach that God is so far beyond humans that no one can
really know the essence of God. While Baha'i is
clearly a monotheistic faith, an unknowable God means any
god will fit the mold, whether it be Allah, Yahweh or
Brahma. By ignoring what the Bible has to say about
God, and putting him out of man's reach, they are free to
worship anything and, in some cases, everything as God.
By contrast, the Bible tells us that God reveals Himself
to us (Hebrews 1:1-2), wants to be known (Isaiah 45:22-25;
Hosea 11:1-11), and invites us into a relationship with
Him (John 14:23; Revelation 3:20). He also makes
false teachings about God evidence of a false prophet, and
deserving of punishment (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).
Jesus
Christ was a "Manifestation" of God
Baha'is view Jesus' as merely one of many manifestations or
prophets of the divine. They also deny the deity of
Christ and his miracles, and argue that Jesus never
claimed to be God's only Son. They further deny that
Jesus was God. In fact, Baha'i theology views Jesus
as being inferior to Baha'u'llah, much as Islam views
Jesus to be inferior to Muhammad. They argue that
messianic passages such as Isaiah 9:2-7; 11:1-2; 40:1-5;
and 53 are references to Baha'u'llah, and that the "Spirit
of truth" that Jesus spoke of in John 14-16, was not the
Holy Spirit, but was actually a reference to Baha'u'llah.
The Baha'is view Jesus death as insignificant and serving
only as an example of self sacrifice. They don't
believe that Christ rose from the dead, or that his death
brought about salvation. They interpret the biblical
account of Christ's resurrection as something that went on
in the minds of the disciples, rather than a physical,
literal resurrection. Abdul Baha said, "The
disciples were troubled and agitated after the martyrdom
of Christ...The Cause of Christ was like a lifeless body;
and, when after three days the disciples became assured
and steadfast...his religion found life, his teachings and
his admonitions became evident and visible."1
In
II Corinthians 11:4 the apostle Paul spoke of those who
would believe in "another Jesus", other than the Jesus of
the Bible. The Baha'i rendition of Jesus falls in
this category.
Contrary to Baha'i beliefs, Jesus did refer to himself as
God's "one and only Son" in John 3:16 "For God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten son that
whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". The
words "only begotten" in the Greek carry the idea of
"unique" or "one of a kind". Jesus is the son of God
and has a divine nature. The Bible further tells us
that Jesus is God the creator: Col. 1:16 "For by him
all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers
of authorities; all things were created by him and for
him" (Also see John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2; 1:10; Revelation
3:14). It is unavoidable and indisputable that when
the disciples of Christ declared Jesus to be the one
through whom all things were created, they were
attributing deity to him (Isaiah 44:24).
Contrary to Baha'i claims, Jesus was an incarnation of
God, not a manifestation (Isa. 7:14; John 1:1, 14, 18;
Heb. 10:1-10; Phil. 2:5-11). The Bible says that to
deny either the undiminished deity or the perfect humanity
of Christ in the incarnation is to put oneself outside the
pale of orthodoxy.
I John 4:2-3 "This is how you can recognize the
Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit
that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard
is coming and even now is already in the world."
Paul further affirms that Christ is the fullness of the
Deity in bodily form in Colossians 2:9.
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is God the creator,
the Immanuel, and God with us.
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a
son, and they will call him Immanuel which means, 'God
with us'". Matthew 1:23
Baha'u'llah in Biblical Prophecy
Baha'is claim that the Bible speaks of Baha'u'llah,
however, the only reference to Baha'u'llah in the Bible is
an indirect one when Jesus and the apostles warned of the
coming of false prophets and false Christs (Matt. 7:15-16;
2 Cor. 11:13-15). The messianic verses from the
Bible cited by Baha'is as referring to Baha'u'llah, can
not truly support their claim because, among other things,
Baha'u'llah was of Iranian descent, where the Messiah was
to be Jewish (Matthew 1; Genesis 12:1-3; II Samuel
7:12-13). Also, the New Testament repeatedly cites
the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies in the person of
Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1; 3:14; 8:17; Luke 1:31;
Revelation 5:5).
The second coming of Christ also can not refer to
Baha'u'llah. Scripture indicates that the very same
Jesus who ascended into heaven will one day personally
return (Acts 1:9-11). The Bible also prophesies
several dramatic and highly visible signs that will
accompany the Second Coming (Matthew 24:29). None of
these signs were present when Baha'u'llah arrived on the
scene. He also didn't show up in the right place.
Scripture clearly indicates that at the Second Coming the
Messiah will come to Jerusalem and his feet will
physically touch the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4).
Baha'u'llah never did this.
The Spirit of truth in John 16:12-13 also can't be
referring to Baha'u'llah. John 14-16 clearly
identifies the Spirit of Truth as being the Holy Spirit
(John 14:16-17, 26). Jesus said that His promise of
the Holy Spirit would be fulfilled "in a few days" (Acts
1:5), not in the 1800s when Baha'u'llah was born.
That fulfillment came on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
The function of the Holy Spirit is to make known Jesus'
teachings, not to replace them with the interpretations of
another prophet. Jesus also said that the Holy
Spirit would be with us forever (John 14:16).
Baha'u'llah died in 1892 at the age of 75, far short of
forever.
Ephesians 1:18-21 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to
which he has called you, the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great
power for us who believe. That power is like the
working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and
authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be
given, not only in the present age but also in the one to
come."
Jesus is the Messiah and our salvation now and
forevermore.
1. Boykin, "The Baha'i Faith," 32.
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