XII. Exclusivism in Fourth Gospel (Based on Culpepper, 299-303)

1. XII. Exclusivism in Fourth Gospel(Based on Culpepper, 299-303) • The Problem • FG makes strong claims that salvation is found only by faith in Christ. • “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6). • See Culpepper, p. 300. • How do we interpret this exclusivism in a pluralistic world? • Any basis in FG for dialogue with other faith traditions? • Or no hope apart from explicit confession of Jesus?

2. Proposed solutions • Dickson Kazuo Yagi: “Yellow Theology” • Gospel has two centers: faith (Paul) and love (John). • Leads to two unanswerable questions: • “What can we say about those who believe in Jesus but do not love?” • “What can we say about those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and yet love their neighbor?” • “Just as Christians who do not love are solidly rejected by one center, non-Christians who do love are affirmed by the other center” (Culpepper, p. 301).

3. Proposed solutions 2. John N. Jonsson: “Logos Christology” • The “Logos” (God’s Word/Wisdom) is the eternal “Cosmic Christ,” which is manifested throughout Creation. • Universality of revelation in the Cosmic Christ: • Since dawn of Creation, God has been revealing himself through the Logos/cosmic Christ – always, everywhere, to all people (John 1:1, 3-5, 9-14). • “Cosmic Christ” is “the light of all people” (1:4), “the true light that enlightens every person” (1:9). • Particularity of revelation in Jesus: • Eternal Logos is incarnated, most fully revealed in Jesus of Nazareth (1:14). • Paradox: Jesus is the Incarnation of same Logos who spoke in Creation and through all time – spoke to Abraham, Moses, prophets, Greek philosophers (so Justin Martyr); continues to speak through other religious traditions. • John’s Logos Christology allows Christians to affirm that other religions can know something of God through work of the Cosmic Christ.

4. Proposed solutions 3. Hugo H. Culpepper: Salvation as Relational • Popular view of Acts 4:12 misunderstands “salvation” as something objective which we can “have” or “not have.” • Misses the personal (what we are) and relational (how we relate to God and others) aspects. • Surely God uses every culture, every religious tradition, and all history in seeking to bring as many as possible into relationship with himself.

5. John 1:1, 3-5, 9-14 1 In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it… 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us…