Yokefellow
Active Member
I think there is plenty in the biblical scriptures which refute reincarnation…
Hi @InChrist . Good points you posted. I will address...
“The concept of reincarnation, in any of its forms, is completely without foundation in the Bible.
I disagree of course.
The truth is that we die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
The above verse is almost always misinterpreted with a bias towards making it sound like everyone 'has to die' and that it is 'only one time'.
Remember, there is a Second Death as well...
Revelation 21:8
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
To teach that people only die one time is clearly a false teaching. Moreover, if everyone has to die, then verses about the Rapture are in error...
1 Thessalonians 4:17
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Many Christians look forward to being raptured as opposed to having to die.
Let us not forget about Enoch and Elijah. They never died. There are even those who died more than one time after being brought back to life. Lazarus is one example...
John 11:43-44
"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go."
The Bible never even remotely suggests that people have a second chance at life...
On the contrary. The Bible teaches 'second chances' many times. Look at what happened to Jonah...
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie - Second Chances
...or that they can come back as different people or animals.
This is debatable. A 'beast's heart' was given to Nebuchadnezzar...
Daniel 4:16
"Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him."
We are made of Eukaryotic Cells. Animal cells...
Ecclesiastes 3:18
"I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts."
Reincarnation has been a popular belief for thousands of years, but it has never been accepted by Christians or followers of Judaism because it is contradictory to Scripture.
Now they are just telling lies.
Several passages in Scripture refute the idea of reincarnation.
Nope. There is not a single one.
Jesus told the criminal on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)—not “You will have another chance to live a life on earth.”
True, however that is a strawman argument. Some are born again (reincarnated) into a body of glory, while some are born again (reincarnated) into a body of corruption.
Matthew 25:46tells us that, upon death, believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go on to eternal punishment.
Already addressed in post #3.
'Eternal Punishment' is where we exist currently.
We are created as individuals, and our identity does not change after death (see Luke 9:30).
Oops, that contradicts this verse...
Revelation 2:17
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it."
We get a 'new name', or more specifically, a new Genome. In other words, we get a new identity.
Moses and Elijah had not received theirs yet because it is still future.
Some who believe in reincarnation point to Matthew 17:10–12 as biblical support for reincarnation. The disciples ask Jesus about the commonly taught prophecy that Elijah must come before the Messiah (verse 10; cf. Malachi 4:5), and Jesus responds by identifying the “Elijah” of the prophecy as John the Baptist (Matthew 17:11–13).
The debate ends there. Jesus specifically said that John was Elijha...
Matthew 11:14
"And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come."
They even dressed similar and had similar manners. The Bible is going out of its way to teach basic reincarnation concepts.
However, Jesus was not teaching that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated.
That contradicts Matthew 11:14. Confirmation bias strikes again.
For one thing, Elijah did not die; he was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11), so the literal “coming” of Elijah would have been a descent from heaven, not a reincarnation.
That is opinion which is again based on a false interpretation of Matthew 11:14.
Jesus calls John the Baptist “Elijah” because he came in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17)
That is the literal definition of Reincarnation as plain and succinct as can possibly be written!
not because he was Elijah in a literal sense.
Lol. Here we go with the 'that is not literal!' comments. See how the game is played?
The fact is that Jesus was absolutely being literal.
Also, Elijah himself had just appeared, talking with Jesus (Matthew 17:3), which shows that Elijah had not changed his identity—he had not become John.
The Transfiguration was to show that both Elijah and Moses were to be reincarnated. This is a Mystery that Christians have yet to wake up to.
Finally, the people had earlier asked John the Baptist if he was Elijah, and he said, “No, I am not” (John 1:21).”
So, who lied? Jesus or John? You have to pick one.
I say it was John who lied. Either he did not know, or he feared for his life.