What Does the Bible Say About Reincarnation?
- Those who believe that passages about reincarnation were removed from the Bible believe this happened at the Council of Nicea. The Council of Nicea met in June of 325 A.D. with Constantine in attendance. It was at this point that Christian doctrine defined Jesus as God's only Son rather than as an example of how anyone could become a "son of God" by becoming more like God, just as Jesus exemplified the characteristics of God in the way that he lived.
- If reincarnation passages were originally included in the Bible, then the meaning of many of the Biblical passages referenced today are incomplete. Some people feel that embracing a belief in reincarnation as part of God's plan brings a new level of depth to Christianity. Those who support a belief in reincarnation point out that many of the passages in the Bible that make God seem unjust (such as I Samuel 15:3) actually make sense.
- Those who disagree with reincarnation point to Hebrew 9:27 for support, which says, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..." However, those who support reincarnation point out that Jesus must have reincarnated for neither Mary Magdalene (John 20:10-18) nor the men walking on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) to recognize him. Some advocates says that Jesus' mention of Elijah returning also supports a belief in reincarnation (Matthew 17:10-12). Many others do not believe this kind of interpretation.
- If reincarnation exists, argue advocates, then the function would be to give people multiple opportunities to learn life lessons and to become more like God. They claim that it takes time to develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and some would argue that it takes more than one lifetime to develop these spiritual fruit. Reincarnation would also explain why some people are born into easier lives while others struggle with serious issues from birth, such as the man in the Bible who was born blind (John 9).
- If reincarnation passages were removed from the Bible, as some people argue, then they feel that many of the big questions in Christianity have answers. For example, the Bible records God's frustration with His people "forgetting" all He has done for them when what He is talking about happened to prior generations (See 1 Samuel 12:6-15). They feel that therefore God does not seem cruel in obliterating men, women and children to cut off an evil society (I Samuel 15:3). For those that merge reincarnation and Christianity, certain areas of the Bible therefore make more sense when viewed against the backdrop of reincarnation.
