What is The Urantia Book? An Introduction for Christians

So how shall we classify The Urantia Book? Is it a new Bible? Is it an update to the Bible? 

No. Nothing can replace the Bible. It has carried Jesus’s teachings and his life story down through the centuries, through wars and the rise and fall of kingdoms. But despite the value of it to many even today, it does not tell us a great deal about God and the universe. The Urantia Book does expand that knowledge. The authors say it is the fifth epochal revelation. 

Does that mean it came from God? No. The authors identify themselves as spiritual beings who are at spiritual levels above ours. They tell us that human sources were used in some of the book’s papers. In fact, The Urantia Book contains around 2000 quotes from the Bible where appropriate. 

Should we believe this book? After many years of study, I think it describes God and the universe as they really are, and expands our knowledge of Jesus’s life and ministry. But each person needs to read and evaluate its truth for themselves.

The Urantia Book has four parts as follows:

Part I: This part discusses the nature of God as manifested in three divine persons, and their combined nature in the Trinity, but the Trinity is not a person. This part also describes the Isle of Paradise where the three deities reside. Paradise is not in the realm of time and space and is the source of energy from which all material existence is created.

Part II: This part describes the spiritual government that exists at various levels within the universe, life on the next level after resurrection, and a spiritual rebellion at a higher level.

Part III: This part discusses many subjects, such as the origin of our planet, and the origin and evolution of life that resulted in us. But this paper says that the origin of life is not accidental. Other papers discuss a spiritual rebellion early in the history of our planet as well as explaining who Adam and Eve were, and how they defaulted on their mission. Other papers address marriage and family life, the history of the various races, the development of religion, prayer and worship, and the spirit of God that dwells in us. Papers toward the end of this section describe how we survive into the next life, and our guardian angels.

Part IV: This part is titled “The Life and Teachings of Jesus.” It describes Jesus as a dual being, both human and divine, as does Christian theology.  But unlike the Bible, the first papers describe his childhood and passage through the various stages to adulthood. This section describes Jesus’s interaction with his younger brothers and sisters and the tragic death of his father in a construction accident. At this point, the 14-year-old Jesus has to work at carpentry to support the family. He continues in this role until his brothers are old enough to support the family.

After Jesus was baptized by John, he spent 40 days alone, planning his ministry. After this, John was arrested and executed, and Jesus began his ministry by selecting the apostles. Then, Jesus and his apostles began traveling around what is today Jerusalem, preaching the gospel of love and service for several years. Their travels are described in the three gospels of the New Testament, but The Urantia Book supplies more details about this time.

And sadly, Jesus dies a tragic death on the cross as described in both The Urantia Book and the Bible, and is resurrected as told in both books. But the reason for his death on the cross differs between the two sources. The authors of The Urantia Book reject the idea that Jesus’s death was needed to satisfy God’s justice. Rather, Jesus demonstrated God’s love through his willingness to die on the cross. But in both Christian theology and The Urantia Book, Jesus’s resurrection was a triumphant return from a tragic death, a sign that there is life beyond this one.

What messages would you highlight from The Urantia Book if introducing it to a Christian? Leave a comment below.