Tao Ching

Don Richardson observes that ancient cultures have memories of the events prior to the tower of Babel preserved in their folk tradition and myth. Since the story of the cross is hidden in the narrative of the Bible before the tower, that elements of the salvation message are embedded in the myths as well.

This section will compare the Tao Ching with the Bible.

Chapter 1

The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao

If you can completely describe truth, it is not the eternal truth.

The name that can be named is not the eternal name

God has no name since there was no one to name him. For the sake of communicating with us he calls himself Yahweh... the sovereign self-existent one.

The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth

God created the heavens and the earth.

The named is the mother of myriad things

The 'named' refers to those things which are created, which beget things after their own kind.

Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence

If one has no desire to usurp the position of God, then one can have an intimacy with God.

Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations

If you desire to be God, you can only see representations of him.

These two emerge together but differ in name

The Father and the Son are one. Yahweh becomes Yeshua.

The unity is said to be the mystery

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Chapter 2

When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises

The world is 'being' in that it exists. When the world perceives beauty, it usurps God's position, and chooses to make it's own rules for good and evil and generates it's own perception of ugly. But God said it was 'good'.

When it knows good as good, evil arises

Likewise, the world invents evil by determining for itself what is good and evil.

Ro 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Thus being and non-being produce each other

--The non-being can't produce being, only the being can imagine things that aren't true.

Difficult and easy bring about each other Long and short reveal each other High and low support each other Music and voice harmonize each other Front and back follow each other

Therefore the sages: Manage the work of detached actions Conduct the teaching of no words

Live what is true

They work with myriad things but do not control They create but do not possess

The Christian is in the world but not of it. 2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

They act but do not presume

Pr 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

They succeed but do not dwell on success

1Co 3:21 ¶ Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

It is because they do not dwell on success That it never goes away

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.