Distinguishing Scripture from Hindu Mythology

Indian Christians grapple with heresies and cultural confusion.

American evangelicals are moving away from orthodox understandings of God and Scripture. This year’s State of Theology survey revealed the top five misconceptions that US evangelicals hold, as follows:

• Jesus isn’t the only way to God.
• Jesus was created by God.
• Jesus is not God.
• The Holy Spirit is not a personal being.
• Humans aren’t sinful by nature.

CT reached out to three Christian leaders from Bengaluru, Chennai, and New Delhi to learn what modern heresies are widespread in India and how believers can address them.

Jacob Cherian, dean of faculty at Southern Asia Bible College, Bengaluru, Karnataka

Unfortunately, Western evangelicals do not possess a monopoly on modern heresies, which I’ll loosely define as deviations from commonly held orthodox teachings. Popular and unhealthy theological trends quickly find welcoming minds in India.

While believing in the authority of Scripture, we often struggle to parse out what that entails and how Scripture could be appropriated in the nitty-gritties of Indian contexts. A pernicious problem of using random bits of Scripture (such as Christian healers quoting “By his stripes we are healed”) remains a pet weakness of far too many.

While we do see a plague of blatant and flashy prosperity teaching, many evangelicals and charismatics have succumbed to a soft-prosperity gospel, imagining that God owes the believer a long and comfortable trip through this world, apart from a wonderful future in heaven. This ill-prepares believers to courageously face illness, tragedy, and death.

Leaders must instead teach the church both the harsh vulnerability of life and the bold hope we have in Christ, even as we courageously engage in kingdom work.

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from Christianity Today Magazine
Umn ministry