Dying for Our Sins
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Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Rachel Woodlock, Dying for Our Sins, bahai-library.com.
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Dying for Our Sins

Rachel Woodlock

1998

In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful!

This essay will address the Christian doctrine of the
substitutionary atonement and consider whether such a doctrine has a place within a
Bahá'í theological framework. It does not seek to harmonise traditional Christian
interpretations of Biblical passages with Bahá'í scripture, rather it is limited to
addressing whether such interpretations can be drawn from Bahá'í texts.

The Christian doctrine of atonement is the belief that humanity,
having fallen into a state of separation from God, is in need of reconciliation. Whilst
interpretation of this Christian tenet has varied over the centuries, the majority of
Christians today believe this reconciliation was achieved by God incarnating Himself in
the sinless person of Jesus Christ, who through the suffering of his life and eventual
martyrdom, himself undertook the punishment humanity deserved as a consequence of its sins
and thus settled the debt owed by man to God. (Matt 1:21; 20:28; 26:28; Heb 9:28; 1 John
2:2 etc).

The roots of this doctrine can be found within Jewish thought,
and indeed Christian theologians point to the Old Testament use of animal sacrifices as
atoning agents symbolically pre-empting the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ who is
titled as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). However an explicit working of the doctrine did not
appear in Christian theology until the fourth century.1

In summarising the argument of the great Catholic theologian St.
Anselm, the Catholic Encylopedia says:

Anselm's answer to the question is simply the need of
satisfaction of sin. No sin, as he views the matter, can be forgiven without satisfaction.
A debt to Divine justice has been incurred; and that debt must needs be paid. But man
could not make this satisfaction for himself; the debt is something far greater than he
can pay; and, moreover, all the service that he can offer to God is already due on other
titles. The suggestion that some innocent man, or angel, might possibly pay the debt
incurred by sinners is rejected, on the ground that in any case this would put the sinner
under obligation to his deliverer, and he would thus become the servant of a mere
creature. The only way in which the satisfaction could be made, and men could be set free
from sin, was by the coming of a Redeemer who is both God and man. His death makes full
satisfaction to the Divine Justice, for it is something greater than all the sins of all
mankind.2

St. Anselm’s position has since been challenged and modified
but the fundamental concept of Jesus’ death paying for the sins of humanity has been
retained throughout the doctrine’s permutations both within the Catholic and also
Protestant churches.

Following on from this belief - that God incarnated as man
suffered the penalty of death in payment for sins committed by humanity since the fall of
Adam – is the concept of the exclusivity of Jesus’ atoning act. The book of
Hebrews says:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.3

As Christians believe Jesus’ death already paid the price
for all sin, it naturally follows that there is no room for any other atoning figure.
According to Christian belief, Jesus Christ is without parallel in religious history. As
God incarnate, there is no other religious founder like him. Others such as the Buddha or
Muhammad, or even the Jewish prophets such as Abraham and Moses, are considered to be
under the stain of original sin "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God"4. As such, they do not
have the spiritual rank and standing that Christians give to Jesus Christ, and are not
suitable candidates for the substitutionary atonement.

With the appearance of Islam, the doctrine of the substitutionary
atonement with Jesus Christ as the central figure was not addressed. Mainstream Muslim
theologians completely rejected belief in the death of Christ in accordance with a literal
understanding of the Qur’anic verse:

That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son
of Mary, the Apostle of God";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it
was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no
(certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-
Nay, God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise…5

Furthermore it rejected entirely the doctrines of incarnation and
original sin – both necessary for the Christian comprehension of the subject.

It is important to note however, that the minority sect of
Shi’ite Islam did develop a doctrine of atonement with the martyrdom of the Imam
Husayn. As David Waines notes in his An Introduction to Islam:

[S]ince al-Husayn’s martyrdom was believed to have been
divinely ordained, Karbala[6]
became a symbol of Allah’s mercy and justice, through which the redemption and
condemnation of mankind are achieved.7

Believed to be God’s chosen mediator for humanity, Husayn
was given a role in Shi’ite belief almost unapproachable by any other figure.

The Bahá'í holy texts on the other hand reaffirmed both the
death of Christ by symbolically interpreting "An-Nisa" 4:157-8 and the doctrine
of the atonement between God and man but in a dramatically different way than it had
previously been argued by mainstream Christian or even Muslim religious thinkers.

Bahá'í scripture maintains that God has sent many revelators of
His will known as Manifestations, one of whom is Jesus Christ8. Others named include Adam9, Krishna10,
Noah11, Abraham12, Moses13, Zoroaster14,
the Buddha15, Muhammad16, the Báb17 and Bahá'u'lláh18. However the Bahá'í texts tell us there have been other Manifestations
whose names are lost to history19.

According to Bahá'í belief, these various Manifestations of
God, from before Adam to the latest - Bahá'u'lláh, all occupy two stations. The first is
one of essential unity; in that they all manifest the attributes of the one God to
humanity20, are the exponents of
one Cause21, they all call
humanity to its salvation22,
they are all the manifestations of the Creative Word23, they are all the appearance of the Primal Will24.

Bahá'u'lláh writes in the Kitáb-i-Iqán:

These Manifestations of God have each a twofold station. One is
the station of pure abstraction and essential unity. In this respect, if thou callest them
all by one name, and dost ascribe to them the same attribute, thou hast not erred from the
truth. Even as He hath revealed: "No distinction do We make between any of His
Messengers!" For they one and all summon the people of the earth to acknowledge the
Unity of God, and herald unto them the Kawthar of an infinite grace and bounty.25

In this station, there is no distinction between Jesus or
Muhammad, Krishna or Moses.

For they are all but one person, one soul, one spirit, one being,
one revelation. They are all the manifestation of the "Beginning" and the
"End," the "First" and the "Last," the "Seen" and
the "Hidden" - all of which pertain to Him Who is the Innermost Spirit of
Spirits and Eternal Essence of Essences.26

However the Manifestations all occupy a station of distinction in
the mortal world. Bahá'u'lláh explains:

The other station is the station of distinction, and pertaineth
to the world of creation, and to the limitations thereof. In this respect, each
Manifestation of God hath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission, a
predestined revelation, and specially designated limitations. Each one of them is known by
a different name, is characterized by a special attribute, fulfils a definite mission, and
is entrusted with a particular Revelation.27

In their human personalities, all the Manifestations were
different people, living at different times, with specific messages to bring to the
peoples to whom they were sent. However it is important to note that the differences
between them are not due to their own innate spirituality, but rather due to the needs and
exigencies of the times in which they lived. Jesus was not a better soul than Muhammad or
vice versa: they simply lived at different times and in different contexts. Bahá'u'lláh
says:

It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation
in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be
attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world.28

and in a letter written on his behalf, Shoghi Effendi says:

As regards your questions concerning the station of Jesus Christ,
and His return as explained in the Gospel. It is true that Jesus referred to Himself as
the Son of God, but this, as explained by Bahá'u'lláh in the Iqán, does not indicate
any physical relationship whatever. Its meaning is entirely spiritual, and points out to
the close relationship existing between Him and the Almighty God. Nor does it necessarily
indicate any inherent superiority in the station of Jesus over other Prophets and
Messengers. As far as their spiritual nature is concerned all Prophets can be regarded as
Sons of God, as they all reflect His light, though not in an equal measure, and this
difference in reflection is due to the conditions and circumstances under which they
appear.29

'Abdu'l-Bahá addresses this subtle point in Some Answered
Questions. He points out that if Jesus were placed in the same time and conditions as
those in which Muhammad lived, then he too would have took up arms to fight against
oppression. That Jesus and Muhammad acted differently was dependent not on their own
morality, but rather the specific conditions in which each lived.30

[W]e must follow and adore the virtues revealed in the messengers
of God whether in Abraham, Moses, Jesus or other prophets but we must not adhere to and
adore the lamp. We must recognize the sun no matter from what dawning-point it may shine
forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we are
lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps
and candles.31

And so we come to the first difficulty in considering whether the
Christian doctrine of atonement has a place within Bahá'í belief. Fundamental to the
Christian approach, is the belief that Jesus is paramount amongst religious founders, that
only he is worthy to pay for our sins, and yet Bahá'í scripture specifically states that
humanity must not make such a distinction between the spirituality of the various
Messengers of God.

Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God
is one and the same…To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above
the rest, is in no wise to be permitted.32

The Christian belief in the innate superiority of Jesus over any
other religious figure is argued by two claims33. Firstly that Jesus, by virtue of the fact of his miraculous birth, is
free from the stain of original sin, and secondly that Jesus never committed any voluntary
sin.

The Catholic Encyclopedia quotes an early creed describing the
Christian belief in Jesus’ sinless nature due to his miraculous birth:

"We believe . . . in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
begotten of God the Father . . . that is, of the substance of the Father . . . in Him Who
for us men and for our salvation came down and was made Flesh, that is, was perfectly
begotten of Mary ever Virgin by the Holy Spirit; Who became Man, that is, took perfect
human nature, soul and body and mind and all whatsoever is human save only sin, without
the seed of man; not in another man, but unto himself did He form Flesh into one holy
unity [eis mian hagian henoteta]; not as He breathed and spoke and wrought in the
prophets, but He became Man perfectly; for the Word was made Flesh, not in that It
underwent a change nor in that It exchanged Its Divinity for humanity, but in that It
united Its Flesh unto Its one holy totality and Divinity [eis mian . . . heautou hagian
teleioteta te kai theoteta].'34

and describes Jesus’ inability to sin:

The effect of the Incarnation on the human will of Christ was to
leave it free in all things save only sin. It was absolutely impossible that any stain of
sin should soil the soul of Christ. Neither sinful act of the will nor sinful habit of the
soul were in keeping with the Hypostatic Union.35

However the Bahá'í Writings specifically deny that Jesus’
divine and sinless nature was due to his lack of a natural father.

The honor and greatness of Christ is not due to the fact that He
did not have a human father, but to His perfections, bounties and divine glory. If the
greatness of Christ is His being fatherless, then Adam is greater than Christ, for He had
neither father nor mother.36

The Bible says "[f]or all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God"37 but for
Bahá'ís this description does not apply to the various Manifestations of God such as
Abraham or Zoroaster any more than it applies to Jesus Christ. 'Abdu'l-Bahá says:
"[f]or these Holy Souls [the Manifestations] are pure from every sin and sanctified
from faults."38

They are all pure and sinless, not by virtue of the physical
conditions surrounding their advents, but because the spiritual nature of the
Manifestation of God is different from that of the ordinary human. Whilst they share with
us the human condition: that is they are born, live out their lives on earth, suffer
weaknesses such as hunger and illness, enjoy human emotions such as love, and eventually
they suffer physical death (see endnote 30) - nevertheless they have a different spiritual
nature than the rest of humanity. "The Prophets, unlike us, are pre-existent"39 and are "pure from sin".40

The reason given in Bahá'í scripture for the appearance of
Manifestations of God, is that without some sort of intermediary, humanity would be unable
to access God who is considered to be completely transcendent. Each chosen representative
manifests God to the degree that humanity is able to receive the message he is commanded
to bear. So one Bahá'í interpretation of Jesus’ claim to exclusivity "no man
cometh unto the Father but by me"41, is that he was pointing to the notion of the Manifestation being the
sole source of access to God, rather than to his own individual being. The "me"
in John 14:6 is not the "me" of Jesus, but the "me" of the Christ, the
Primal Will.

To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God,
the unknowable Essence, the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human
attribute, such as corporeal existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress…The
door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all
beings…hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness [the Manifestations of God] to
appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made
manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the
unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence…These
attributes of God are not, and have never been, vouchsafed specially unto certain
Prophets, and withheld from others. Nay, all the Prophets of God, His well-favored, His
holy and chosen Messengers are, without exception, the bearers of His names, and the
embodiments of His attributes. They only differ in the intensity of their revelation, and
the comparative potency of their light.42

This brings us to an essential Bahá’í theme described in Gleanings
from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh p64-69: the idea that God chooses to
allow humanity knowledge of Him through the appearance of the Manifestation of God.
Without this gift given freely by God’s grace which humanity cannot earn by its own
actions, humanity would perish. This is the fundamental purpose of the appearance of all
the Prophets of God. This is the reason why Jesus was sent into the world: to bring
humanity into reunion with God through revealing teachings by which humans can develop
their spiritual potential.

All praise to the unity of God, and all honor to Him, the
sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter
nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into
being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His
creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath
received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory…

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein,
He…chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to
love Him …

And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the
one true God with His creation…He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a
pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven…

These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the
channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and
invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their
words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their
Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross
and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God,
latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine
Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed
glory upon the summits of men's hearts…

Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth every man will
advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the
potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very
purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have
appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only
the Eternal can reveal.43

'Abdu'l-Bahá reaffirms this central Bahá'í doctrine:

God has sent forth the Prophets for the purpose of quickening the
soul of man into higher and divine recognitions.44

and gives the example of Christ:

The purpose of the appearance of the Manifestations of God is the
training of the people. That is the only result of Their mission, the real outcome. The
outcome of the whole life of Jesus was the training of eleven disciples and two women. Why
did He suffer troubles, ordeals and calamities? For the training of these few followers.
That was the result of His life. The product of the life of Christ was not the churches
but the illumined souls of those who believed in Him. Afterward, they spread His
teachings.45

All the Prophets of God, including Jesus Christ, appeared in the
world for the education of humanity, to develop immature souls into maturity, to transform
the ignorant of mankind into the knowing, thereby establishing love and unity through
divine education and training.46

Shoghi Effendi also describes the essential design of the
religions that the Manifestations founded:

…the fundamental purpose of all religions - including our
own - is to bring man nearer to God, and to change his character, which is of the utmost
importance.47

The Christian doctrine of the substitutionary atonement holds as
its central theme, the belief that the purpose of the advent, life and death of Jesus
Christ was to pay for the sins of humanity; that this was the chosen method for humanity
to be allowed forgiveness and achieve oneness with God.

Yet the Bahá'í texts say that the fundamental purpose for the
appearance of Christ was so that human beings might develop their spiritual potential and
thus enter into reunion with God48. This was achieved through recognition of Christ as a Manifestation of
God, and through the belief and practice of his teachings. As such, the meaning of the
word atonement as it figures in Bahá'í scripture rests upon the belief that humanity is
united with God through the teachings he sends via his Manifestation; that through the
voluntary acceptance and practice of these teachings, humanity develops the ability to
reunite with its Creator.

The very name of the doctrine "atonement" is derived
from a medieval Latin word meaning to "unite". The Oxford dictionary defines the
original "onement" (from which the word atonement later developed) as:
"[t]he fact of being made into one; physical union; mental or emotional union,
agreement."49 It was much
later that the word came to carry the meaning of payment due for an offence, which the
Christian doctrine emphasizes.

In a passage describing Muhammad, but germane to this point,
Bahá'u'lláh writes that through active belief in Muhammad the remission of sins was
achieved:

The following is an evidence of the sovereignty exercised by
Muhammad, the Day-star of Truth. Hast thou not heard how with one single verse He hath
sundered light from darkness, the righteous from the ungodly, and the believing from the
infidel? … Whosoever acknowledged His truth and turned unto Him, his good works
outweighed his misdeeds, and all his sins were remitted and forgiven. Thereby is the truth
of these words concerning Him made manifest: "Swift is He in reckoning." Thus
God turneth iniquity into righteousness, were ye to explore the realms of divine
knowledge, and fathom the mysteries of His wisdom. In like manner, whosoever partook of
the cup of love, obtained his portion of the ocean of eternal grace and of the showers of
everlasting mercy, and entered into the life of faith – the heavenly and everlasting
life. But he that turned away from that cup was condemned to eternal death. By the terms
"life" and "death," spoken of in the scriptures, is intended the life
of faith and the death of unbelief. The generality of the people, owing to their failure
to grasp the meaning of these words, rejected and despised the person of the
Manifestation, deprived themselves of the light of His divine guidance, and refused to
follow the example of that immortal Beauty.50

Furthermore Bahá'í scripture specifically denies as
superstition, the notions that Christ’s death was a necessary payment for the
inheritance of original sin or that it was a necessary payment for the inherited human
ability to sin. 'Abdu'l-Bahá says:

[The churches] teach that because of Adam's sin all His
descendants have, likewise, committed transgression and have become responsible through
inheritance; that, consequently, all mankind deserves punishment and must make
retribution; and that God sent forth His Son as a sacrifice in order that man might be
forgiven and the human race delivered from the consequences of Adam's transgression.

We wish to consider these statements from the standpoint of
reason. Could we conceive of the Divinity, Who is Justice itself, inflicting punishment
upon the posterity of Adam for Adam's own sin and disobedience?51

Yet, the Bahá'í texts do make certain statements that at a
superficial reading appear to confirm the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. In
particular Bahá'u'lláh, describing the intended sacrifice of the son of Abraham, the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn, says:

The purpose of God, moreover, was to sacrifice him as a ransom
for the sins and iniquities of all the peoples of the earth.52

furthermore Shoghi Effendi writes that Bahá'u'lláh’s son
Mirza Mihdi was "offered up as a ransom by Bahá'u'lláh for the quickening of the
world and its unification".53

So what is the purpose of Jesus’ death, according to
Bahá'í scripture? The question is answered succinctly by 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Jesus accepted
to be crucified so that his teachings could become known and therefore elevate humanity.
He knew that his mission would attract persecution, yet because he loved humanity and
desired that everyone might have God’s teachings, he willingly accepted the abuse and
torture heaped upon him. As explained before, it is only through the belief and practice
of the teachings of God that humanity can attain reunion and atonement with God: so Jesus
was willing to suffer that humanity might have access to these teachings.

In order to understand the reality of sacrifice let us consider
the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is true that He sacrificed Himself for our
sake. What is the meaning of this? When Christ appeared, He knew that He must proclaim
Himself in opposition to all the nations and peoples of the earth. He knew that mankind
would arise against Him and inflict upon Him all manner of tribulations. There is no doubt
that one who put forth such a claim as Christ announced would arouse the hostility of the
world and be subjected to personal abuse. He realized that His blood would be shed and His
body rent by violence. Notwithstanding His knowledge of what would befall Him, He arose to
proclaim His message, suffered all tribulation and hardships from the people and finally
offered His life as a sacrifice in order to illumine humanity - gave His blood in order to
guide the world of mankind. He accepted every calamity and suffering in order to guide men
to the truth.54

Bahá'í scripture makes several illuminating comments about the
purpose of the life and death of Jesus Christ. They include describing the aim of
Jesus’ appearance in the world to educate humanity55; that he unified divergent peoples and proclaimed peace56; that he established a divine civilisation57; that his "essential teaching was the
unity of mankind and the attainment of supreme human virtues through love"58; that he was willing to die in order to
raise the call of unity and love59; and that he died on the cross for the purpose of achieving the unity of
humanity60.

But was it only Jesus that was sacrificed for our sake? According
to the Bahá'í texts, all the Manifestations and Prophets of God suffered for us and
because of us. Jesus’ sacrifice was in his willingness to undergo any suffering, and
'Abdu'l-Bahá affirms that in a like manner Abraham (for example) made the same sacrifice
as Jesus.

In reality, Abraham sacrificed Himself, for He brought heavenly
teachings to the world and conferred heavenly food upon mankind.61

He says that each and every Manifestation and Prophet suffered to
atone us.

Consider to what extent the love of God makes itself manifest.
Among the signs of His love which appear in the world are the dawning points of His
Manifestations. What an infinite degree of love is reflected by the divine Manifestations
toward mankind! For the sake of guiding the people They have willingly forfeited Their
lives to resuscitate human hearts. They have accepted the cross. To enable human souls to
attain the supreme degree of advancement, They have suffered during Their limited years
extreme ordeals and difficulties. If Jesus Christ had not possessed love for the world of
humanity, surely He would not have welcomed the cross. He was crucified for the love of
mankind. Consider the infinite degree of that love. Without love for humanity John the
Baptist would not have offered his life. It has been likewise with all the Prophets and
Holy Souls. If the Báb had not manifested love for mankind, surely He would not have
offered His breast for a thousand bullets. If Bahá'u'lláh had not been aflame with love
for humanity, He would not have willingly accepted forty years' imprisonment… all the
divine Manifestations suffered, offered Their lives and blood, sacrificed Their existence,
comfort and all They possessed for the sake of mankind.62

All the Prophets of God have been sent to free us from sin:

Evil is imperfection. Sin is the state of man in the world of the
baser nature, for in nature exist defects such as injustice, tyranny, hatred, hostility,
strife: these are characteristics of the lower plane of nature. These are the sins of the
world, the fruits of the tree from which Adam did eat. Through education we must free
ourselves from these imperfections. The Prophets of God have been sent, the Holy Books
have been written, so that man may be made free.63

In conclusion, we can see that the concept of atonement, as it is
understood in the Bahá'í texts, denies the idea that God requires the payment of a blood
sacrifice in order for the forgiveness of sins to be achieved; it rejects belief in the
inherent supremacy of Jesus over other religious founders and discards the notion that
only Jesus suffered and died for humanity’s sake.

As such it cannot reasonably be argued that the traditional
Christian doctrine of the substitutionary atonement has a place within Bahá'í theology
as the Bahá'í texts instead promote the belief that God has sent an unending stream of
chosen Messengers - united in aim, purpose and spiritual station - to bear His revelation
at the cost of their own lives; that belief in these Manifestations constitutes belief in
God Himself, and that the practice of their teachings achieves the remission of sins and
atonement with God.

Footnotes

1 Karen Armstrong, History of God, p104

2 http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/02055a.htm

3 Bible, "Hebrews" 9:28

4 Bible, "Romans" 3:23

5 Qur’an, "An-Nisa" 4:157-8

6 The battle in which Husayn was killed.

7 David Waines, An Introduction to Islam, p161-2

8 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 64

9 The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb,
p126

10 Shoghi Effendi, Buddha, Krisna, Zoroaster, p20

11 The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb,
p126

12 ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p449

13 ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p366

14 ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p197

15 ‘Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p197

16 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, page
99

17 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Will and Testament, page 19

18 Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, page 161

19 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p. 142

20 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 103

21 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 159

22 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 152,
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 55

23 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 51,
Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 76-7

24 The Báb, Selections from the Bab, p126

25 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 152

26 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p54

27 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 176

28 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p79

29 From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an
individual believer, November 29, 1937 and quoted in Lights of Guidance, p492

30 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 20

31 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p.16

32 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p78

33 It should be noted that as well as the claims to innate
superiority, the Christian belief in Jesus’ literal resurrection (and therefore
triumph over death to which the rest of humanity must submit) also differentiates him from
any other religious figure. The Bahá’í texts deny a literal reading of the
resurrection and instead emphasise the spiritual victory of Jesus’ resurrection
through the body of the believers. The same status of victory over death is therefore
argued for all Manifestations of God and is not exclusive to Jesus.

"The resurrections of the Divine Manifestations are not of the body. All Their
states, Their conditions, Their acts, the things They have established, Their teachings,
Their expressions, Their parables and Their instructions have a spiritual and divine
signification, and have no connection with material things." `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some
Answered Questions, p103. See also: Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours, p69-70 and
Multiple Authors, Lights of Guidance, #1649

34 http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/07706b.htm

35 http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/07706b.htm

36 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 89

37 Bible, "Romans" 3:23

38 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p170

39 Shoghi Effendi, High Endeavours, p72

40 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p170

41 Bible, "John" 14:6

42 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p46-48

43 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá’u’lláh, p64-69

44 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p300

45 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p437

46 `Abdu'l-Bahá: Promulgation of Universal Peace, p40

47 Shoghi Effendi, A Chaste and Holy Life, p61

48 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p109

49 Excerpted from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopedia.
Developed by The Learning Company, Inc. Copyright (c) 1997 TLC Properties Inc. All rights
reserved.

50 Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Iqán, p. 111-4

51 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p449

52 Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p76

53 Shoghi Effendi, Bahiyyih Khanum, p63

54 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p450

55 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p85

56 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p97

57 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p11

58 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p5-7

59 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p234

60 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p5

61 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p451

62 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace,
p256-7

63 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p177-8

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