![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/map-300x169.jpg\")
On a map, you can see many roads leading to any major city. You can pick whatever route suits you. Many people think the same thing about variety among churches — “We’re all on different roads to the same place,” they say. Can such a thing be so?<\/p>\n
Do you believe we can follow different roads? What does the Bible say about it? The Bible speaks of only two roads. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “… the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.<\/em>” Yes, there are different roads, but only one goes to Heaven, and it is narrow.<\/p>\n In John 4, when the woman at the well met Jesus, she immediately pointed out that her people worshipped differently from His (John 4:19-20). Jesus did not reply that both roads led to the same place — He said that one road was right and the other was wrong (John 4:22) and that if she wished to please God, her worship must be “in truth” (John 4:24).<\/p>\n In Acts 15:1-31, the apostles disputed with some who believed in Jesus but taught error about what one must do to be saved. Instead of concluding that there were different roads, they gave notice to the churches that one road was right and the other was wrong.<\/p>\n The idea of “different roads” is used to avoid discussing different religious teachings and practices. After all, does doctrine really matter if your attitude is right? Indeed it does. The Bible says that there are doctrines that God hates (Revelation 2:15) and that some doctrines are of demons (I Timothy 4:1). Taking heed to doctrine is necessary for salvation (I Timothy 4:16, II John 9) because obedience to God’s “form of doctrine” is what makes one free from sin (Romans 6:17-18). Even many who believe in Jesus are on the wrong road because they do not obey (Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:21-23).<\/p>\n Multiple roads result when men choose their own ways, but only God’s way is right. The “different roads” philosophy has led churches to abandon the question of what is right, and instead accept a wide diversity of beliefs. But we should not be ashamed to say that some beliefs are right, and others are wrong, because that is what God says. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death<\/em>” (Proverbs 14:12). If people are on different roads, they are not all headed for Heaven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Erin Percell via The Beacon, March 10, 2009 On a map, you can see many roads leading to any major city. You can pick whatever route suits you. Many people think the same thing about variety among churches — “We’re all on different roads to the same place,” they say. Can such a thing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[78,54,47],"class_list":["post-57060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-authority","tag-obedience","tag-salvation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39454,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-difference-between-seeking-and-striving-to-enter-the-narrow-gate\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":0},"title":"What is the difference between seeking and striving to enter the narrow gate?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I know in the Bible if say many shall seek but only a few shall find then it says to strive. So what's the difference between seeking and striving? What's the definition Bible-wise. Can give me an example? And the example can be about anything between a seeking person\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12598,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-does-it-say-that-only-members-of-the-church-of-christ-will-go-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":1},"title":"Where does it say that only members of the church of Christ will go to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does it say anywhere in the Bible that only the church of Christ will go to heaven? That is, only people who go to the church of Christ? What about the other churches, such as the Church of God, or a none denominational church, or the baptist? The reason\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Eye-of-the-Needle-Gate-114x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12755,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-warnings-about-believing-you-are-the-only-denomination-going-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":2},"title":"Are there warnings about believing you are the only denomination going to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 19, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Some church denominations say, \"We are right and all other churches are wrong\" (concerning Bible interpretations). Or they say, \"We are going to Heaven. All other denominations are not.\" Do the Scriptures give any warnings or guidelines about this \"attitude\" held by certain groups? Thank you! Answer: Behind this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53880,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-many-are-going-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":3},"title":"How many are going to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How many are going to heaven? Answer: We don't know how many there will be. There is no upper limit on how many heaven could hold. Descriptions of heaven tell us that there will be a great multitude of all who followed God through the ages. \"After these things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":85055,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-narrow-way\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":4},"title":"The Narrow Way","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Chadwick Brewer \"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/narrow-cave-300x225.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67110,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-the-churches-of-christ-the-only-correct-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":57060,"position":5},"title":"Are the churches of Christ the only correct church?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Jeffery, In the article \"Wasn't Babel the city of Eridu?\" you mentioned, \"You will not find any claim that the churches of Christ are the only correct church on this site.\" Do you no longer believe in the one true church? I understand that not every church with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57060\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}