Incarnation Vs. Avatar: 8 Differences

Some tend to confuse the incarnation of Christ with the avatars of Hinduism. There are a few who even consider Christ to be the tenth avatar or the Kalki avatar. However, there are significant fundamental differences between the incarnation and the avatars. Following are a few of them:

THE INCARNATION	THE AVATAR
1. Real. Christ truly incarnated in flesh, real flesh.	1. Appearance. The avatar appears to be in flesh. The physical body is a mere garment that the soul puts on and puts off (Bhagavad Gita 2.22).
2. Permanent. The incarnation was permanent and irrevocable. Christ continues to be in flesh.	2. Impermanent. The avatar returns to its former form after the fulfillment of its mission.
3. Complete. Christ became full man. He is full man and full God.	3. Partial. The avatar is semi and partial. It is never fully incarnated. The avatar is considered to be purna (full) when the divine is fully manifested in the human; however, it does not mean that the avatar is also fully human at the same time, i.e., fully participates in human pain.
4. Propitiatory. Christ’s incarnation was propitiatory. He came in flesh to represent man to God as a Mediator and High Priest, and to sacrifice His body for the sins of the world. There would not be a need for omnipotent God to incarnate in order to destroy sinners.	4. Vindicatory. The avatar appears to destroy the sinners and to save the righteous.
5. Revolutionary. Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection destroys the old order and establishes a new order. The new order is the Kingdom of believers in Christ, who partake of the resurrection from the dead and inherit the Kingdom of the Son.	5. Restorative. The avatar restores the world to its original state of balance (dharma) by removing the elements of wickedness (adharma). The world then moves along in the same way until the surge of iniquity again invokes another avatara.
6. Impartational. The virtue of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ is imparted to the believer who is reckoned to be united with Christ in His Body.	6. Segregated. The avatar preserves a discontinuity between the world and the deity throughout. They are never united in one.
7. Final. Christ’s incarnation was final. It can’t be repeated again.	7. Several. The avatars are many and cyclical.
8. Trinitarian. The doctrinal setting of incarnation is Trinitarianism. There is only One God who is Triune, Tri-personal, and distinct from the universe.	8. Polytheistic. The setting of avatars is polytheistic that avouches myriads of finite gods, demons, the world of magic, and a cyclical and evolutionary view of the universe.

Updated November 24, 2015

A Tale of Something, or Nothing, and God

In the beginning was God and nothing. Then, God created something out of nothing. But, soon that something forgot she was once a nothing. And, forgetting herself and God, she assumed herself to be everything. And, assuming herself to be everything, she died to everything else and God. After many days, when this something had run out of everything she got, She came to her senses and "Who am I? Where am I?" she thought. Then, she realized she was a nothing without her God, And so returned to her original place in God. In the end was God and something.

Fight Against Corruption

Denmark ranks as the 1st among the world's least corrupt countries. Singapore ranks 8th. India ranks 65th. North Korea and Somalia rank 149th. A study of these systems reveal the following facts. 1. An Anti-corruption agency, independent of the police and executive is crucial to check corruption. Countries having multiple anti-corruption agencies don't seem to have much success. One cannot remove dirt with dirt; one has to use an agent that is intrinsically anti-dirt (soap-water). Singapore's "anti-corruption agency, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), is well resourced and independent. It is empowered to investigate any person, even police officers and ministers, and conducts public outreach to raise public awareness and shape social norms." (Lee Hsien Loong) 2. In countries like Singapore, the high-level officials are paid well and corruption is kept at bay at that level. The idea is that anti-corruption begins from top to bottom. "There is a...

Not I but Grace

I worked...yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Cor. 15:10) I get tired and weary most times; grace, never. I feel weak sometimes; grace, never. I get confused at times; grace, never. I see darkness at times; grace, never. I wish to give up sometimes; grace, never. I fail many times; grace, never. I have misunderstandings at times; grace, never. I am afraid at times; grace, never. I feel broken sometimes; grace comes to heal. I feel estranged sometimes; grace comes to comfort. I feel purposeless sometimes; grace comes to guide. I feel powerless sometimes; grave comes to strengthen. I feel I am that I am because of what I am; grace departs.... For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Marbaniang, Domenic

Search This Blog