Can ordinary disciples do miracles? Can God’s Spirit speak through those ordinary mortals? Did Jesus Christ create strife and dissension?
Those sentences which are colored in orange are from Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati book Satyarth Prakash (The Light of Truth) and those which are colored in black are Jerry Thomas’s response.
."And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (10, 20, 34 – 36)
C. These are the very disciples one of whom betrayed Christ for 30 rupees, all others also forsook him and fled. All such things as one's being possessed of devils or casting them out, curing of disease without proper medicine and diet are impossible as they are opposed to the dictum of knowledge and contrary to the laws of nature.
Only the ignorant people can believe in them. If it be the spirit of God that speaks in man not the human soul what does the latter do? It must be God then Who enjoys or suffers the consequences of virtuous or sinful acts done by man. This is altogether wrong.
Christ came to set men against each other and cause them to fight and he succeeded. The same strife is raging among men to this day. How wicked it is to sow discord among men as it inflicts great suffering on them, but it seems that the Christians regard it as the highest doctrine, since when Christ thought it good to run men against each other, why should not they – his followers? Yes it becomes Christ alone to turn the members of one's own household into his foes; no good man will ever do such a thing.
Answer: Of course, Maharishi again brings his own prejudices against the Holy Bible rather than evaluating the Holy Bible by its teachings.
The Holy Bible clearly teaches that the human beings are the temple of God.
1Corinithians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
While the Holy Spirit guides and teaches the human beings, the Holy Spirit does not overrule the will of human beings. Let us see how the Holy Bible answers the Spirit guided speech and human will.
1 Corinthians 14: 27-33 “If anyone speaks in a tongue, [let there be] two or at the most three, [each] in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Another aspect of Maharishi’s question is regarding the strife and division. If Maharishi had read the entire passage before asking this question, he would have understood that Christ was referring to loving Him (God) more than parents which can cause divisions at home. It is irrational to assume that the truth and justice will always have supporters at home. Sometimes, it does not.
Matthew 10: 34-39 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law' and 'a man's enemies will be those of his [own] household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Good people always do what is right irrespective of what others think which can cause divisions and strives but a man without integrity will do anything to please others.
