Bible Study one soul life time or many?

[By Grace]

Wow! Twelve times you used that word, "reincarnation"

Since I am now flogging a dead horse, I will make this my final post on this thread (please, hold your applause). The consensus of New Testament scholars is that Paul did not write Hebrews.

You used the word "consensus". Could you explain how you came to use that word? Which "scholars" did you consult? You see, without demonstrating and citing evidence, there is nothing but opinion expressed there.

If you are using the Wikipedia article as a source, then you are not quoting it correctly:

The Epistle to the Hebrews of the Christian Bible is one of the New Testament books whose canonicity was disputed. Traditionally, Paul the Apostle was thought to be the author. However, since the third century this has been questioned, and the consensus among most modern scholars is that the author is unknown.[1][2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Epistle_to_the_Hebrews

The word "unknown" does not mean to say "We do not believe that Paul wrote Hebrews." That is because "unknown" means "we do not know for sure".

From the early days of the Christian era, there was doubt about Pauline authorship and whether Hebrews belonged in the canon at all. I happen to enjoy Hebrews

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The same happened to the book of James

but it is a dense, difficult letter.

Your opinion is noted, but not all share that viewpoint. Me, I delight in the simple manner the author uses to defuse complex theological thought.

A more pertinent question would be whether Hebrews 9:27-28 was intended to have any relevance to reincarnation or can reasonably be applied to the reincarnation scenario. It obviously can be applied to the reincarnation scenario since it typically is, but this is clearly not the context of the verse and it is arguably one of those verses that have been lifted out of context to support a particular doctrine.

Reincarnation is a Hindu belief, not a Christian belief. There is nothing in the entire 66 books of the Bible to suggest that, and surely Jesus Christ, fully God in the flesh did not teach that.

In fact, there is a long history of debate about reincarnation within Judaism and Islam. To quote a 2003 paper on reincarnation in Islam, "Thus the debate goes on. One thing, however, is certain: most of the greatest saints Islam has produced believed in reincarnation and it does constitute a part of many Muslims' belief system.

Properly this sort of thing should be placed in another forum that is not dedicated to Christian thought as this one seems to be. However, I reserve the right to be wrong on that one.

This is primarily caused by a reluctance on the part of many Muslims to believe that God will merely reward or punish human beings on the basis of a lifetime in which they may not have received the guidance necessary to improve their conduct. That God will just be reconciled to their being sent to an eternal life in heaven or hell without their being given another chance to improve themselves becomes a proposition difficult to believe." http://www.adishakti.org/_/reincarnation_in_islam.htm#sthash.emUvfBC0.dpuf.
In addition, some of the most compelling modern-era reincarnation research has been conducted by Jews and has focused on Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

What does this generalization have to do with Christianity?

My point is simply that the issue is not cut and dried. "No reincarnation" is unquestionably the mainstream Christian position, but I question whether it is compelled by Hebrews 9:27-28, it does raise some difficult questions, and it is countered by a sizable body of evidence that must be accounted for somehow.

What are you attempting to address here?

First you say that there is "wiggle room" about reincarnation.
Second you correctly state that reincarnation is not in the mainstream of Christian thought
Third, you state that you believe that one Scripture verse, ripped from its context supports what is NOT a part of mainstream Christianity.​

Can you not see the inconsistency in that, which you posted?

Moreover, there are many possible reincarnation models that the typical argument against reincarnation does not take into account. I have said that, even if reincarnation of some sort happens to be true, betting your soul that you are going to get another opportunity to turn to God after this lifetime would be an insane gamble.

Among the Hindus, there may be seveal "reincarnation models" but among those who are Christian, and get their theology from the Bible, there is one, unanimous position: "Reincarnation is not taught nor hinted at in the Bible."

But if someone like thesaintman sincerely wants to deal with the reincarnation issue, I believe it is incumbent on me to provide a thoughtful response and not just point him to one debatable verse in the Bible and suggest his questions are impertinent and not worth asking.

You are free to discuss or believe in anything that you want, but if you are one who believes as I do that the Bible is the only rule that Christians have for both their faith, and the practice of that faith, then the only true option that you have is to not talk about it because it does not exist. Otherwise, Jesus would have made a clear statement about it. Therefore you are essentially creating your belief about reincarnation from sources other than the Bible.