Scandal of Particularity

While the title of this article may not be familiar to you, the concept or the opposite of the concept probably is. There are many facets to this and I do not want to overburden any one article so I will take it in small chunks. I would also love some interaction with readers as I work through it. To set it up, have you ever heard someone, maybe even yourself say "God is too big for one religion." Or something close to that idea like, "Why would god only be known through Christianity?" Think about it a bit, what other things have you heard or you yourself believe that go along those same lines.

It is called the scandal of particularity for a reason. That is, God chose a particular path to reveal himself and his plan. Not that the existence, or aspects of, God's character cannot be known outside the particular path, but the specifics of God and his plan can only be known through the one path. This is often referred to as natural versus revealed knowledge of God.

The scandal begins with Noah. Noah is the first time in scripture where God chooses one route to carry on his promise of redemption from sin for all of creation. Noah's family is the only one to survive the world-wide flood. The second big time is Abraham. God makes a covenant with Abraham that creation will be redeemed through his ancestral line. This is eventually where the 12 tribes of Israel come into the picture. The 12 tribes eventually became the people of Jewish ancestry today. Which is why they refer to themselves as God's chosen people.

That is of course an oversimplification of the history but it gives a quick glance at the path of God's specific revelation and his plan. And that is why it is particular. While a relationship with God was available to all people during these parts of history, it was only available through the particular path. If one wanted to be right with God and know him, one had to believe what the chosen line said about God and know him the way they knew him. Sounds very exclusive doesn't it? Perhaps that is why it is referred to as a scandal.

That is enough to chew on for today. What thoughts does this first step in the conversation bring to mind?