Dr Paul Allen

A common question asked of (and by) Christians is “ What about those who have never heard the gospel? Can they be saved? Or is Jesus the only way?” Both universalism—which says all people will eventually be saved—and pluralism—which says there are many ways to God—say Jesus is not the only way to salvation. However, Scripture clearly and consistently says many will be eternally separated from God under divine judgment (Matthew 7:13; Revelation 20:15), and also condemns religions that reject him (Exodus 20:3–5; Isaiah 31:7; 1 Corinthians 10:7; 12:2). Neither universalism nor pluralism can be true. Exclusivism and Inclusivism The two views held by evangelicals are exclusivism and inclusivism. Exclusivists (restrictivists) say, “Only those who have heard the gospel and believe in Jesus as their Savior can be saved.”  Inclusivists say, “Jesus is the only way to be saved, but it is possible for those who have never heard the gospel and do not know Christ to be ac...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia What is inclusivism, how is it different than pluralism and exclusivism, and why is it important for  Christians to think biblically about this issue? Like exclusivism, inclusivism rejects pluralism, the view that all religions lead to God. Also like exclusivism, inclusivism holds that Jesus is the only Savior of humankind. But unlike exclusivism, inclusivism does not hold that one must trust Jesus as Lord and Savior in this life to be saved.  Inclusivists have a variety of reasons for this position, although not all inclusivists hold to all of the reasons. It is important for Christians to think biblically about this issue because the necessity of unsaved persons hearing the gospel in this life is at stake. Who are the major players in each camp? There are three major inclusivists: (1)  Cla...