Is Jesus really the only way to be saved?

In Acts 4:1-13, Peter stands before the rulers who killed Jesus and makes a bold claim: there is salvation in no one else. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why the name of Jesus is the one name that saves.

After Peter and John healed a lame man and preached the resurrection, the authorities arrested them — but thousands believed. Hauled before the council and asked by what power they had acted, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, pointed to “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” Then he declared that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Dr. Holt explains that this exclusive claim was offensive then and now, but it is the heart of the gospel: salvation is found in Christ alone.

Questions this study answers:

1. Does the Bible really teach Jesus is the only way? Yes. Peter says plainly that there is salvation in no one else, “for there is no other name under heaven ... by which we must be saved.” The New Testament repeats this truth elsewhere.

2. Why was this so offensive to Peter’s audience? The rulers had rejected and crucified Jesus, yet Peter told them this same Jesus was their only hope. The claim challenged their power and their pride.

3. What does this mean for other religions today? It means salvation is not one option among many. Christianity claims Jesus is the only Savior, which is why the message both draws people and provokes opposition.

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Acts Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.