Is Reincarnation Biblical?

[Ark~Magic]

Is Reincarnation Biblical?
by

Ron Rhodes

Today approximately 30 million Americans (one in four) believe in reincarnation. The word reincarnation literally means to come again in the flesh. The process of reincarnation--continual rebirths in human bodies--allegedly continues until the soul has reached a state of perfection and merges back with its source (God or the Universal Soul).

One's lot in life, according to those who believe in reincarnation, is based on the law of karma. This law says that if bad things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of bad karma. If good things happen in one's life, this is an outworking of good karma.

Karma refers to the debt a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions committed during one's life (or past lives). If one accumulates good karma by performing good actions, he or she will be reincarnated in a desirable state. If one accumulates bad karma, he or she will be reincarnated in a less desirable state. In Shirley MacLaine's book, Out on a Limb, we are told, "Reincarnation is like show business. You just keep doing it until you get it right."

Some people twist the Scriptures and say that Jesus Himself taught reincarnation or cyclical rebirth. In Matthew 11:14, for example, Jesus said, "And if you are willing to accept it [John the Baptist] is the Elijah who was to come." Likewise, in John 3:3 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

But these passages, rightly interpreted, do not support reincarnation. Matthew 11:14 does not really teach that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah. Luke 1:17, an important cross reference, tells us that the ministry of John the Baptist was carried out in the spirit and power of Elijah. Moreover, reincarnationists conveniently forget that John the Baptist, when asked if he was Elijah, flatly answered, "No!" (John 1:21).

Regarding Jesus' words about being born again in John 3:3, the context clearly shows that Jesus was referring to a spiritual rebirth or regeneration. In fact, the phrase born again carries the idea of born from above and can even be translated that way. Jesus clarified His meaning by affirming that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (vs. 6).

There are other Scriptures that clearly debunk the notion of reincarnation. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...." Each human being lives once as a mortal on earth, dies once, and then faces judgment. He does not have a second chance by reincarnating into another body. 2 Corinthians 5:8 indicates that at death the Christian immediately goes into the presence of the Lord, not into another body. Luke 16:19-31 indicates that unbelievers at death go to a place of suffering, not into another body.

We must also remember that Jesus taught that people decide their eternal destiny in a single lifetime (Matthew 25:46). This is precisely why the apostle Paul emphasized that "now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Further, Jesus taught the concept of resurrection, not reincarnation. In fact, He predicted His own resurrection early in His public ministry (John 2:19). And after Jesus resurrected from the dead, He appeared to some disciples and said, "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Jesus resurrected in the same body that went into the tomb. His body even retained the scars and wounds in His hands, feet, and side from the crucifixion (John 20:27-28).

In addition to biblically refuting reincarnation, we must also point to some of the practical problems involved in the theory of reincarnation.
For example, we must ask, why does one get punished (via bad karma) for something he or she cannot remember having done in a previous life? Moreover, if the purpose of karma is to rid humanity of its selfish desires (as reincarnationists say), then why has there not been a noticeable improvement in human nature after all the millennia of reincarnations on earth?

Finally, if reincarnation and the law of karma are so beneficial on a practical level, as reincarnationists claim, then how do they explain the immense and ever-worsening social and economic problems--including widespread poverty, starvation, disease, and horrible suffering--in India, where reincarnation has been systematically taught throughout its history?

SOURCE: http://doesgodexist.org/SepOct05/IsRein ... lical.html

[andy]

To me, Reincarnation is impossible cause
1) The Bible clearly says True Christians die in the flesh and their Spiritual Soul will be with Christ in Paradise while unbelievers souls will be in Hell suffering eternally
2) If Reincarnation is true, the number of people on earth should not be increasing or decreasing but the fact is tat the earth population is increasing every single year...

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Reincarnation isn't biblical.

Here are a few passages you may look up for confirmation:

Job 6:9
Job 7:8-10
Job 10:21
Job 14:12
Job 16:22
Psalms 78:39 and my favorite:

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.
-Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

Seems pretty clear.

FL

[charlottecowell]

As far as I am aware reincarnation is a taboo subject but nonetheless accepted at the mystical/esoteric level of Christianity...think about what it means to be 'born again' and you will get the gist....

[zoegirl]

Being regenerated in Christ "born again" is certainly not the same as incarnation. Regeneration does not invovle changing bodies, beginning a new life (insofar as the setting and plot of that new lif)e.

[charlottecowell]

Being regenerated in Christ "born again" is certainly not the same as incarnation.

I thought it invovled freeing your spirit and relinquishing your own will so that the will and spirit of God can move through you. Isn't Christ an incarnation of God and, if so, have there not been others? Isn't charisma about a divine spirit entering into someone and acting through them...isn't that an incarnation?

Having said that, looking at the history of religion, the philsophy of Buddhism came much earlier on Christianity and obviously the focus there was on breaking the wheel of reincarnation, so with Jesus Christ that is achieved....but maybe there can be exceptions to the general rule that reincarnation is no longer necessary since the resurrection of Christ, who knows?

[zoegirl]

I think you're mixing up terms, incarnation as a Christian term and reincarnation as a New Age religion mystical term. THe meaning of the word incarnation with respect to CHrist is a unique event. Christ, in HIs Deity, was made flesh, He was incarnated into HIs fleshly body.

REincarnation is the idea that we are placed into a new body over and over again.

[charlottecowell]

yes, I may be mixing the terms as I do find reincarnation a particularly grey area, but I guess the doctrine of resurrection takes away the 'need' for it? Or maybe souls can reincarnate until such times as they find Christ, or return for a while to fulfill some sort of mission....just trying to think outside the box!

[Cross.eyed]

yes, I may be mixing the terms as I do find reincarnation a particularly grey area, but I guess the doctrine of resurrection takes away the 'need' for it? Or maybe souls can reincarnate until such times as they find Christ, or return for a while to fulfill some sort of mission....just trying to think outside the box!

Hi charlottecowell, welcome to the board.
With Christianity there is no need to think outside the box on reincarnation as the Bible will give no support for it. I can' t concieve how anyone who believes in a religion with a doctrine of reincarnation would care about Christ unless they converted, but then I don't know about all religions anyway.

The message of Christ was that when we who believe and overcome and leave the flesh we will be judged by God. Two births equal one death. Amen?

[charlottecowell]

yes, I may be mixing the terms as I do find reincarnation a particularly grey area, but I guess the doctrine of resurrection takes away the 'need' for it? Or maybe souls can reincarnate until such times as they find Christ, or return for a while to fulfill some sort of mission....just trying to think outside the box!

Hi charlottecowell, welcome to the board.
With Christianity there is no need to think outside the box on reincarnation as the Bible will give no support for it. I can' t concieve how anyone who believes in a religion with a doctrine of reincarnation would care about Christ unless they converted, but then I don't know about all religions anyway.

The message of Christ was that when we who believe and overcome and leave the flesh we will be judged by God. Two births equal one death. Amen?

Hello Cross-eyed, thank you for the welcome I was bored the other night surfing the net and found this site and thought I'd sign up to see the way people were thinking about God.

Reincarnation is a very tricky subject, and I'm not arguing for its 'reality' here, just looking at the concept....maybe in itself it is a past idea, but related ideas, such as Karma and Dharma, are very much alive. Also, if you look at reincarnation as a metaphor in a mystical, or scientific sense, we have to accept that all energy is ultimately a form of light energy and will return to its source until such times as it becomes transformed by chemical, biological and physical reactions into another form of energy....is that not a form of reincarnation?

What you say about other religions - those which believe in reincarnation - I have to say that I think they're often more tolerant (in the sense of being open-minded) than a lot of modern Christian religions except Gnosticism, it is more of a live and let live attitude. Also, we cannot deny that the links between Hinduism and the Western religions which lead to resurrection in the afterlife are profound. As Christianity is the perfection of the philosophy of Buddha - enabling the faithful to break free of the wheel of suffering - perhaps resurrection is the perfection of reincarnation, so still contains within it the transcendant principles of the first?

Most religions have enormous respect for the figure of Jesus Christ, even if they differ regarding his actual role. Even from a Kabbalistic perspective Jesus is a critical figure and Christians are essential to the universal mission in which they serve as messengers for those - the chosen people - who must not reveal their own secrets. This is an intriguing counterpoint to the original stream of esoteric Christianity, to whom silence and non-evangelism (in deference to mystery and conversion through initiation) were also essential codes of conduct. In reality, however, most people who actually are converted to Christianity prove incapable of keeping this knowledge to themselves and it is this very open-ness - this desire with best intentions to pass on the good news - that so often results in persecution.

The risen Jesus - the one who in his lifetime counselled that the truth, which may be found within yourself, will set you free -to me, is an all-encompassing being - a perfected being - who by definition incorporates the truth of all things, past, present and future. The Jesus I know would not throw Gautama Buddha out of his house any more than he would Mohammed (I am speaking figuratively here I hope everyone realises).

How is the universal messiah to fulfill his mission without being all things to all men/women, whatever their culture; would he speak to a woman in the Western world in the same voice as an aboriginal tribesman in the rainforest or would be know them both by different means? I think the ways in which God works are as multifarious as the people on Earth themselves ...

[Canuckster1127]

The question is, Is Reincarnation Biblical?

The answer is, an unequivical, NO!

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

2 Samuel 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Job 30:23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

Psalms 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

Psalms 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

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.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Introducing the ideas of other religions, new age philosophy and gnosticism or any other form of post-modern syncretism is irrelevant to the question, as those sources are not Biblical. Reincarnation is simply not a Biblical or a Christian concept.

[charlottecowell]

yes, that's true, looking at the original question, which was specifically about reincarnation biblical, the definitive answer would indeed seem to be no!

[Cross.eyed]

yes, that's true, looking at the original question, which was specifically about reincarnation biblical, the definitive answer would indeed seem to be no!

Then we agree. Also thanks for the conceptual explanation in your previous post.This clears up any muddy water for me. Sometimes it is difficult to determine conviction when reading type.