Past Lives?

Once you go to Heaven or Hell is that it? There are so many stories about people returning from both or either of those two places, and there are even stories about them being reborn as somebody (or something) else that sound really convincing. The only problem is that I don't think the Bible mentions anything about near death experiences or reincarnation to support these claims does it?

HeIsRisen2018 said:

The only problem is that I don't think the Bible mentions anything about near death experiences or reincarnation to support these claims does it?

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No it doesn't. It does mention quite a few resurrections, though nobody can be sure the actual number of them. Those are all folks coming back as people knew them, so it is quite different from what another religion would call reincarnation.

Northman said:

No it doesn't. It does mention quite a few resurrections, though nobody can be sure the actual number of them. Those are all folks coming back as people knew them, so it is quite different from what another religion would call reincarnation.

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Yes, but Jesus was and will always be the cause for resurrection.

HeIsRisen2018 said:

Yes, but Jesus was and will always be the cause for resurrection.

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No doubt

HeIsRisen2018 said:

Once you go to Heaven or Hell is that it? There are so many stories about people returning from both or either of those two places, and there are even stories about them being reborn as somebody (or something) else that sound really convincing. The only problem is that I don't think the Bible mentions anything about near death experiences or reincarnation to support these claims does it?

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As in daniel 12:1 the resurrection Jesus spoke of was on the last day and he will send out His angels to gather His elect from the end of the heavens. The resurrection of us all at once. And Jesus stated He is the resurrection and the life. As far as coming back they wouldn't be allowed to tell. Only John in regard to Revelations. "was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." There is no teaching of reincarnation in regard to what Jesus and His Apostles taught. And again the bodily resurrection Jesus spoke of was on the last day.

The Bible doesn't say anything about quantum physics, calculus or innumerable other subjects either.

Near-Death Experiences and reincarnation are two entirely different subjects. By definition, an NDE is not a "death" experience. There is nothing inherently unbiblical about NDEs. The basic phenomenon as originally described by Raymond Moody in Life After Life is remarkably consistent with Christian theology. One of the most noted NDE researchers, Dr. Michael Sabom, is a fundamentalist Christian. One of the foremost experts on the Resurrection, Gary Habermas, is extremely interested in and excited about the NDE phenomenon.

The content of many NDEs is not consistent with Christian theology. The theology that some NDE groups develop on the basis of the content of such NDEs is not consistent with Christian theology, being more Buddhist or New Age in nature. However, many NDE experiencers do integrate their experiences into their Christian beliefs. Others are led to Christianity through their NDEs. Others abandon Christianity as the result of their NDEs. I know one woman who experienced two profound NDEs and is a militant atheist. NDEs are simply a phenomenon, a body of evidence to be dealt with like any other body of evidence.

Reincarnation is deemed by many to be inconsistent with Christian theology, largely on the basis of Hebrews 9:27. When Hebrews 9:27 is read in context, it seems to me a weak basis on which to disregard a pretty substantial mountain of evidence pointing toward reincarnation, but each person must do what he or she will with the evidence. Certainly a number of doctrinal difficulties would be eliminated if reincarnation were true.

Regardless of the extent to which the NDE phenomenon and reincarnation do or do not have support in the Bible, they are both part of the reality in which we live. The NDE phenomenon, as a phenomenon, is undeniable - it exists, it is evidence of something, and it is studied by researchers and scholars of the highest caliber. To some extent the same is true of reincarnation - researchers and medical professionals of the highest caliber, such as the late Dr. Ian Stevenson of the University of Virginia, have amassed a huge body of anecdotal evidence (and even medical evidence, such as Dr. Stevenson's work with birthmarks).

One reason many Christians exist in a state of cognitive dissonance is this bizarre attitude that any aspect of reality which doesn't correspond to something in the Bible must be suspect or even demonic. At the extremes, they feel they must believe (or at least pretend to believe) the earth is flat and/or 6,000 years old because "this is what the Bible says" when the rest of the world (including most of Christendom) knows these things are not simply false but laughably delusional. At a lesser extreme, they hide from evidence, such as that for NDEs or reincarnation, that they fear might challenge their "biblical" worldview.

HeIsRisen2018 said:

Once you go to Heaven or Hell is that it? There are so many stories about people returning from both or either of those two places, and there are even stories about them being reborn as somebody (or something) else that sound really convincing. The only problem is that I don't think the Bible mentions anything about near death experiences or reincarnation to support these claims does it?

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People have come back from the dead. Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11) and the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5, Luke 8) and the only son of the widow.(Luke 7) Paul raised the young man who fell asleep and fell out the 3rd story window. (Acts 20)

Reincarnation? No.
That comes from Greek philosophy and eastern religions like Hinduism.
It has nothing in common with Christianity.
This is the one life you get.

iakov the fool

Sort of a rule of the thumb, if it's not found in the Bible it probably is not true even if other religions teach it is true. Just ask the Holy Spirit to discern that of what you hear, 1 John 4:1-6.

John 9:1-2
As he went along he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
the disciples that walked with Jesus believed it was possible a man could be punished for sins committed before birth.

Hebrews 9:27 is often used as clear Scriptural contradiction for reincarnation (resurrection is quite the different topic). I have some questions concerning this.

Going off the KJV translation, that passage reads: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment". Does this syntax necessarily contradict multiple lives? All it may actually say is that after each life, there is a mandatory review (judgment). Why use such ambiguous wording? I've heard theories that nearly all references to reincarnation were sanitized from the Bible by the Nicean Council in 553 A.D. for the purpose of spiritual and political control. Could this passage have been misinterpreted (intentionally) for the past millenium-and-a-half?

I have a working theory that maybe reincarnation does take place, but at some point a final judgment is handed down. You never really know whether your current life is your final one, so in practice it's the same as having only the one life to begin with.

Maybe someone has more backround on how that passage was translated?

jaybird said:

John 9:1-2
As he went along he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
the disciples that walked with Jesus believed it was possible a man could be punished for sins committed before birth.

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Yes, this passage is often referenced as a possible support to reincarnation. Jesus proceeded to simply answer the question. If there was no such thing as reincarnation, wouldn't He have said so immediately?

KevinK said:

Hebrews 9:27 is often used as clear Scriptural contradiction for reincarnation (resurrection is quite the different topic). I have some questions concerning this.

Going off the KJV translation, that passage reads: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment". Does this syntax necessarily contradict multiple lives? All it may actually say is that after each life, there is a mandatory review (judgment). Why use such ambiguous wording? I've heard theories that nearly all references to reincarnation were sanitized from the Bible by the Nicean Council in 553 A.D. for the purpose of spiritual and political control. Could this passage have been misinterpreted (intentionally) for the past millenium-and-a-half?

I have a working theory that maybe reincarnation does take place, but at some point a final judgment is handed down. You never really know whether your current life is your final one, so in practice it's the same as having only the one life to begin with.

Maybe someone has more backround on how that passage was translated?

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the Hebrews passage is always the go to passage when refuting rebirth/reincarnation/per-exestance, its a good argument but to make the argument work you have to take the passage literal, scripture speaks of a second death, Lazuras died and was brought back, both of these facts would make me take a second look at the Heb passage. the subject of the Heb passage is not reincarnation, can the example of one death be used against reincarnation, IMO sure, but i dont think its wise to accept one example and ignore others.
all the sects in the days of Jesus and the 12, with exception to Sadducees, believed in pre existence. the idea was not taught against until hundreds of years after Jesus ascended.
i dont believe any sect taught to live a good life so your next life (physical) is better, the idea was to stop the rebirth process and ascend back to your true self, a son of the Most High.

KevinK said:

Yes, this passage is often referenced as a possible support to reincarnation. Jesus proceeded to simply answer the question. If there was no such thing as reincarnation, wouldn't He have said so immediately?

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if the idea was the "heresy" that we call it today IMO Yeshua would have corrected His disciples not to entertain such dark beliefs.

jaybird said:

John 9:1-2
As he went along he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
the disciples that walked with Jesus believed it was possible a man could be punished for sins committed before birth.

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That's not what the passage says.
They believed his blindness could be a punishment for his sins or the sins of his parents.
There is no indication of a belief that a person could have committed sins before he was born.

Traditionally, Christianity has believed in one life, one death, and then one faces judgment. Boom. I think the Gnostic sects entertained the idea of reincarnation.

Jim Parker said:

That's not what the passage says.
They believed his blindness could be a punishment for his sins or the sins of his parents.
There is no indication of a belief that a person could have committed sins before he was born.

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how do you commit a sin before you are born?

jaybird said:

how do you commit a sin before you are born?

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It's impossible.

Jim Parker said:

It's impossible.

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the disciples thought it possible.

jaybird said:

the disciples thought it possible.

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ANd Jesus corrected them.

Jim Parker said:

ANd Jesus corrected them.

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Jesus didnt correct them on believing such things, he says thats not why the man was born blind. had Jesus supported your view He would have rebuked them for entertaining such ideas.
none the less its an idea the disciples believed possible.