One Prophet Among Many
Some accept Christ as a prophet of God (Acts 3:22), but contend that he was merely one figure in a long line of divine spokesmen. According to them, he was not the greatest one, and most certainly not the last. For example, the religion of Islam speaks very highly of Jesus as a prophet, but alleges that Christ disclaimed being deity (his followers deified him), and that he never died upon the cross (Anderson, 1950, 62-63). To those of the Islamic persuasion, Mohammed was the last and greatest of the prophets.
Similarly, there is the Baha’i movement, founded by Mirza ‘Mohammed in Iran (c. 1844). This apostate form of Islam proclaimed the coming a great World Teacher. In 1863 Mirza Husayn ’ Ali announced that he was that Teacher. He adopted the name Baha’u’llah (from which Baha’i is derived). Baha’i teaching asserts there has been a series of prophets, beginning with Adam. Adam’s successors were Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zarathushtra, Christ, Mohammed, and finally Baha’i — the most important of all. But the fact is, Christ was not just one figure in a series of prophets. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and apart from him there is no salvation (Acts 4:12).