The Nugget:
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The Muslim Challenge:
Posted by Hayatuddeen Ameen today (September 14, 2019):
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY SAVIOUR:
Our Christian brothers were programmed to be vicarious. They say all your lengthy treatise and literary masterpiece will never satiate me; I believe in Christ as my personal lord and saviour. That is what a Christian lady told me during a one on one dialogue. When I enquire of a biblical reference vindicating her claim, she quoted the Gospel of John 14:6 which says,
I am the truth, the way and life; no one goes to the father but by me.
I replied, the verse you have quoted is incompatible with the reference I have requested, but however, lets analyze it before we proceed with the normal argument. I re enquired if she is familiar with the context of the passage; after a lengthy irrational explanation, she admitted that she didn’t know the context. I said, the context of the passage is in verse one (John 14:1). Jesus said to his disciples,
Believe in God; believe also in me
The above aphorism is applicable not to Jesus, but to all Messengers of God. All the prophets sent by God will say the same thing to the people to which they are sent (Believe in God; believe also in me). What it means is that you can only reach God through believe in his prophets. In this way, during the reign of Moses, Moses is the truth, the way and life, and no one will go to the father but through Moses (pbuh). Likewise, in the reign of Prophet Noah; without you getting into the boat; you will definitely perish. So, in the time of Noah, Noah is the truth, the way and life, and no one will go to the father but through Noah (pbuh). Similarly, during this time of Prophet Muhammad; Muhammad is the truth, the way and life; no one will go to the father but through Muhammad (pbuh). This is the context of the passage which you have quoted. However, what I have requested is the biblical reference that infers Jesus Christ as the only saviour. Is there any such reference in your Bible? She exclaimed, NO! However, being a savant in the realm of comparative religion, I insisted, there is, while at the same time quoting the following biblical verse.
She (Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
I asked the lady if this is the reference I have requested from her Bible. The helpless lady is evasive; if not embarrassed. She answered reluctantly, YE! YES. I proceed; cant you see that Jesus is only a saviour to his people? The lady asked emphatically: then tell me, who are his people? The lady thinks she has a point. The Bible has already answered your question, I insisted, reading the Gospel of Matthew 15:24.
He (Jesus) answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
I enquired, are you an Israelite? The lady becomes pathetic in a deep silence. Having experienced that the lady is pessimistic, I continued; haven’t you read in the Gospel of John 17:9 where Jesus is saying,
I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me for they are yours.
So, even your Bible testifies that Jesus Christ will only intercede for his people. Those are Israelites who believe in God and his teachings as discussed earlier. With this Christian lady, I won the debate.
My Response:
You can only claim to win such a debate because the lady was not really knowledgeable about the Bible.
Can I produce from the Bible even one verse that states our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Savior?
Yes.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Is Jesus the savior for the whole world?
Yes.
1Jn 2:2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.
The Bible emphasizes that our Lord Jesus Christ died to save all people everywhere as the following cross references for 1 John 2:2 demonstrate:
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
As for your citation of Matthew 15:24, Jesus did not always limit or restrict his ministry to none but the Jews. He also ministered to Gentiles as here in context to the Canaanite woman. He previously healed the centurion’s servant (Mat 8:13); He declared his Messiahship to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:25, 26), and as a result of her vibrant testimony Jesus was asked by the townspeople of the Samaritan city of Sychar to stay two more days with them, which he did, and many of them believed (John 4:42).
Note the testimony of the Samaritans of Sychar after hearing Jesus for themselves:
John 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
They testified that they believed and knew that Jesus (1) is the Messiah, the Christ; (2) that Jesus IS INDEED THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
When Jesus healed the ten lepers, one of them was a Samaritan, the only one who returned to give thanks (Luke 17:11, 12; Luke 17:15, 16).
Christ’s directive (Matthew 10:5, 6) that his disciples minister only to the lost sheep of Israel and not enter into any city of the Samaritans nor go in the way of the Gentiles was clearly a directive for that immediate mission, and does not mark a permanent policy of the ministry of Christ that limited His work only to the Jews.
It is most clear that Christ came to save the world, not merely the lost sheep of the house of Israel, for He commanded that His Gospel be proclaimed to every creature (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:27; John 1:29; John 3:16; John 4:42; Acts 1:8; 1 John 2:2). This accords precisely with what was prophesied of the Messiah (Isaiah 49:6; Acts 13:47; Acts 26:23).