After I moved to Kerala in 1994, what can be called the “Prajapati Affair” was my second major doctrinal campaign, something that definitely resulted in a separation between Scripturalists and Universalists amogng the Brethren. The Scripturalists affirmed that only the 66 books of the Bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit, while the Universalists claimed that the scriptures of all religions were Holy-Spirit-inspired.

It all started around 1995 when Arun K. Paul, a BTh student at the Brethren Bible Institute (Pathanamthitta, Kerala) showed me a book by a certain Dr. Koshy Abraham. Dr. Koshy had authored close to 50 books and booklets with the claim that the Hindu god Prajapati and Lord Jesus were one and the same persons. To establish this claim, he had thoroughly devalued the Bible and watered down fundamental doctrines in his books. He had also misinterpreted the Hindu scriptures about which many Hindus were very upset. Arun felt that he should write a thesis on this dangerous trend among Christians. The same also motivated me to write apologetically on this subject.

Neither of us realized what a turning-point this would become in their lives and also in the history of the Indian Brethren assemblies. [To Continue…]