Christian Apologetics Free Course 5, Lesson 008
(Some Christians teach that passages in non-Christian scriptures that are similar to the Bible are also inspired. Bible does not support that view. In the last chapter the writers offered a study of the passages in non-Christian religious books that bear some similarity to statements in the Bible. This chapter continues the same theme — The Editor)
In the last chapter we indicated that many similarities are just accidental and that we do not have to take them seriously. We also reminded that many statements look similar because the Christian writers take just two to five words from a Hindu text, and then compare this with biblical statements. On the other hand, if they take the entire sentence from the Hindu scriptures, the similarity would vanish. In this chapter we mention some more causes for similarity, and also why this does not indicate that the non-Christian scriptures are inspired by Holy Spirit.
1. Similarity Because Of Blindness: Modern man is very intelligent, and he is able to detect even minute things. Yet in the field of establishing a link between the Bible and the non-Christian scriptures most people close their eyes. Consequently, differences are overlooked and only similarities are mentioned.
Some people go a step further, just overlook the difference, and announce that two passages are similar. For an example, we quote from the well-known tract known as SACRIFICE. According to this tract, the nine features of the sacrifice mentioned in the Rig Veda are fulfilled totally and completely in Lord Jesus. What this tract fails to mention is that the Rig Veda mentions HUNDREDS of characteristics of sacrifices, and that all of these are contrary to what was found in Christ.
If a hand full of features are selected from hundreds, anyone can prove anything by a doing a careful selection. This is not honesty, but pure deception. This is what everyone calls a white lie. On the other hand if the Rig Veda had mentioned only a total of nine characteristics (and no more), and if all of them were fulfilled in Christ, we could say that Rig Veda points to Christ.
The same selective argument can be used to prove that Rig Veda has been talking about Muhammad Sahib of Moslems, Buddha, or even Mahatma Gandhi. This is exactly the same false method used by Joseph Edamaruku to allegedly prove that Christ was not a historical person. Selective description and proof has been a well-tried weapon in the hands of infidels, atheists, antisocial elements, and all kinds of wrongdoers. While this is alright for their ethics, this practice is not appropriate for a Christian.
2. Similarity Because Of Imposed Christian Hermeneutics: Every statement has a context, and a proper understanding of it is essential for correct interpretation. If the context is ignored, any kind of meaning can be imposed upon what is said. That is why Biblical Hermeneutics is taught in all good Bible schools.
Muslims very zealously quote from the Bible and interpret according to their outlook. Christians do not accept this approach. Similarly, there are hundreds of Hindu gurus in India who quote from the Bible and try to establish Hindu doctrines. Then there are palmists who quote Job 37:7, "He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work", and claim that this proves that Palmistry is a God-made science.
No sensible Christian would every accept this kind of distortion. He would insist that every statement of the Bible should be interpreted only in the light of the Bible. It is only commonsense that Bible should be interpreted under biblical hermeneutics, while the Hindu scriptures should be interpreted under the Hindu hermeneutics. Further, since there are several competing philosophies and theologies in Hinduism, each religious book should be interpreted only according to the schools of philosophy to which it belongs.
What Christians often do is to take a fragmentary statement from the non-Christian scriptures, give it a Christian color, and then interpret it according to Christian hermeneutics. This is as unethical as the Hindus who try to interpret the Bible for justifying their religion.
Let us take the well-known quotation: ASATO MA SADGAMAYA, TAMASO MA JYOTIGRGAMAYA, MRUTYORMAM AMRUTAMGAMAYA, which being interpreted means, lead me from falshood to truth, from darkness to light, and from mortality to immortality. These sentences look very attractive, and they express a yearning in the hearts of our Hindu neighbors. This quote can even be used as a starting point to demonstrate that only Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. However, some people go much beyond that approach.
There are many Christians who quote this passage and claim that it is identical in meaning and in spirit with what the Bible says. That is false because they have assumed that the actual meaning and intention of this sloka is what is obtained by applying a Christian outlook or hermeneutics to it. That is totally wrong. The person who originally spoke it, and the scripture in which it is recorded have already assigned a definite meaning to this sloka. Every statement has to be interpreted in its context, and therefore Christians have no right to detach this sloka from its context and then claim that this statement has meaning identical to what is seen in the Bible.
When the Hindu scripture says ASATO MA SADGAMAYA, it is not saying that God should lead the devotee from all falsehoods into truth. Rather, it is saying that he wants to leave the false perception of creation and move to a true perception. The falsehood, according to him, is the idea that man and God are different from each other. The truth, according to him, is the idea that man, the universe, and God are all one. By TRUTH the Hindu here means the Advaita truth that says AHAM BRAHMASMI, TAT TWAM ASI: I am God, and likewise you are also God.
Similarly, each sloka or quotation that many Christian friends produce from the Hindu scriptures to show similarity with the Bible actually have meaning totally different from what the Christian friends tell us. The Christian friends are applying Biblical hermeneutics to Hindu scriptures to derive meanings that are totally alien to what those books say. This is a totally deceptive method for interpreting something, and using this a clever person can prove almost anything.
When we do not allow Hindus, Muslims, and Bahais to interpret the Bible according to their hermeneutics, in the like manner we should also be honest enough not to interpret their books according to principles of Christian hermeneutics.
Summary
In an era when there is a great burden in the hearts of Christians to lead others to Christ, it is tempting to quote from non-Christian religious books. This tendency started around 1930, and today it has degenerated into a serious heresy. According to the present heretical view, just as the Bible is the inspired word of God, in the same way inspired word of God is found in the religious books of others. Close to a hundred books, tracts, and articles have already appeared in the Malayalam language which promote this heretical viewpoint.
According to the Bible, divine revelation, inspired by the Holy Spirit is recorded in Bible and Bible alone. There is no inspired revelation of God outside the Bible. Though God makes Himself known to people through Nature, this knowledge is not sufficient to lead people to Christ. People come to Christ only through the message found in Bible.
Similarity between statements in the Bible and non-Christian books is either accidental or the result of deliberate deception on the part of Christians. There are no actual similarities in essence. Attributing divine inspiration (similar to that of Bible) to any non-Christian scriptures, or even to parts of them, is a serious heresy.
It is dangerous to add to the Bible by claiming that there are divinely inspired or Holy Spirit inspired messages outside the Bible. But since this message has been forgotten by many people in our generation, let this book serve as a warning to every believer who is careless about Bible study. Ignoring your Bible, and remaining ignorant about important doctrines, is a sure way to invite spiritual slavery and curse. May God help each one of us to remain away from the trap and bondage of ignorance.
Christian Apologetics Free Course 5, Lesson 008
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As the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is nearing and the age is also closing in on the schemes of satan – he is working fast around the human clock to spread his deceptions and heresies. 
