The quest for divine truth often leads humanity to sacred scriptures, texts revered as the eternal voice of God. Among these, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Bible stand as monumental guides for Sikhs and Christians, respectively. Yet, when scrutinized for authenticity, preservation, and divine integrity, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji emerges as a uniquely perfect and infallible scripture, directly revealed and safeguarded by the Sikh Gurus themselves. In contrast, the Bible, despite its profound influence, bears marks of human authorship, delayed compilation, and textual discrepancies that challenge its claim to divine perfection. This article compares these two scriptures, demonstrating why the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji stands as the unparalleled embodiment of divine truth, while the Bible falls short of such infallibility.
Christianity: Bible
1. No Direct Authorship by Jesus Christ:
Unlike the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which was directly authored and authenticated by the Sikh Gurus, the Bible was not written or compiled by its central figure, Jesus Christ. Instead, it is a collection of texts penned by various human authors. The Old Testament predates Jesus by centuries, while the New Testament was written by his followers after his death. This lack of direct involvement from Jesus raises doubts about the Bible’s authenticity as a divine revelation tied to his teachings.
2. Delayed Writing of the Gospels:
The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—form the core of the New Testament and recount Jesus’ life and teachings. However, they were composed 30-70 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. This significant time gap means they relied heavily on oral traditions rather than immediate, firsthand accounts from Jesus or his closest followers. Such a delay increases the risk of inaccuracies, embellishments, or alterations, undermining the reliability of these texts as authentic records.
3. Multiple Authors and Potential Inconsistencies:
The Bible is not a single, cohesive work but a compilation of writings by numerous authors spanning centuries. The Old Testament includes texts from ancient Hebrew prophets and scribes, while the New Testament comprises letters, narratives, and accounts from Jesus’ followers, such as Paul and the Gospel writers. This diversity of sources and perspectives introduces the possibility of contradictions and inconsistencies, weakening the Bible’s claim to a unified, authentic divine message.
4. Issues with Transmission and Translation:
The Bible’s journey through history involves extensive translations and revisions across languages, including Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and modern tongues. This process has led to documented discrepancies between ancient manuscripts, such as differences between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament, or between the Codex Sinaiticus and later New Testament copies. These variations suggest that the Bible, as we know it today, may not fully reflect its original form, casting doubt on its unaltered authenticity.
5. Lack of Original Manuscripts:
Unlike the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which has preserved original manuscripts authenticated by the Sikh Gurus, the Bible lacks a single, definitive original text. What exists today are copies of copies, made years or centuries after the initial writings, with no direct authentication from Jesus himself. This absence of an original, authoritative manuscript further erodes confidence in the Bible’s integrity as a perfectly preserved divine scripture.
Sikhi: Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji
1. Divinely Authored and Authenticated by the Gurus Themselves:
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the only religious scripture in existence directly written, compiled, and authenticated by the founders of its faith—the Sikh Gurus themselves. This divine process, initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and completed under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, ensures that every word is a direct revelation from God, untouched by external influences or later interpretations. Unlike other scriptures, which were often compiled long after their founders’ time, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji embodies the living voice of the Gurus, making it the ultimate and unadulterated expression of divine truth.
2. Infallible Numbering and Sound Weight System (Pingal):
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is safeguarded by a divinely inspired numbering system and the science of sound weight, known as the Pingal system. Each line of Gurbani is meticulously structured, with every word, letter, and vowel sound assigned a specific weight, creating a harmonic and mathematical precision that locks the scripture’s integrity. This system renders any attempt at alteration or tampering impossible, as even the slightest change would disrupt the divine balance of the text. No other scripture in the world employs such a sophisticated mechanism to preserve its purity, affirming Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s divine origin and unmatched authenticity.
3. Pristine Preservation Free from Human Corruption:
The direct involvement of the Sikh Gurus in the compilation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji ensures its freedom from human interpolation or distortion. From its inception to its final form, the scripture was meticulously preserved under the Gurus’ divine guidance, with no reliance on later scribes or councils prone to error. This singular process of systematic preservation sets Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji apart as a scripture that remains exactly as God intended, a flawless and eternal guide for humanity.
4. Grammar (Vyakaran) as a Shield Against Adulteration:
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is composed in a unique grammatical system, divinely ordained, that serves as a built-in mechanism to detect any adulteration. This science of grammar (viaakaran) ensures that every verse adheres to a precise linguistic structure, making deviations immediately apparent. Such a divine safeguard is unparalleled in any other scripture, underscoring Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s authenticity as a text directly revealed by God, immune to human manipulation.
5. Uniformity Across Authorized Manuscripts:
Every authorized manuscript of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, as sanctioned by the Gurus, contains the same Gurbani, unchanged and consistent across time. This divine uniformity allows Sikhs to easily identify and reject any additions or alterations, such as the shabad attributed to Mira Bai, which the Sikh community unanimously recognizes as non-Gurbani. No other scripture maintains such absolute consistency across its original texts, proving that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji remains exactly as it was revealed—a pure, divine revelation untouched by human hands.
In conclusion, the examination of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Bible underscores a fundamental disparity in their authenticity and preservation. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, directly authored, authenticated, and preserved by the Sikh Gurus, stands as a flawless and infallible scripture, protected by divine mechanisms like the Pingal system and grammatical precision. Its uniformity and pristine condition affirm its status as the unadulterated voice of God. Conversely, Bible, lacking direct authorship from Jesus, original manuscripts, and textual consistency, bears the imperfections of human compilation and transmission. While it remains a cornerstone of faith for millions, it cannot match the divine perfection of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which shines as the ultimate, eternal guide for humanity.
