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Originally Posted by theophilus
All of these passages can be explained by showing a belief in resurrection rather than reincarnation. In fact, the ones who thought Jesus was John the Baptist must have had resurrection in mind because there hadn't yet been time for Jesus to grow to adulthood if he had been the reincarnation of John.
He couldn't have meant that John was the reincarnation of Elijah because Elijah never died. If you read 2 Kings 2:1-14 you will find that he was taken directly to heaven without undergoing death. Also, when he and Moses appeared to Jesus at the transfiguration the disciples identified him as Elijah, not as John.
You can find out what Jesus meant if you read what the angel said when foretelling the birth of John: And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.
It is possible that the one who asked Jesus the question might have had reincarnation in mind but Jesus told him that what he believed wasn't true.
Here is an article about some of the problems with reincarnation:
http://eternal-productions.org/PDFS/...%20Exposed.pdf |
During the period from A.D. 250 to 553 controversy raged, at least intermittently, around the name of Origen, and from this controversy emerged the major objections that orthodox Christianity raises against reincarnation. Origen of Alexandria, one of Christianity's greatest systematic theologians, was a believer in reincarnation.
The critics of Origen attacked him on individual points, and thus did not create a systematic theology to oppose him. Nonetheless, one can glean from their writings five major points that Christianity has raised against reincarnation:
(1) It seems to minimize Christian salvation.
(2) It is in conflict with the resurrection of the body.
(3) It creates an unnatural separation between body and soul.
(4) It is built on a much too speculative use of Christian scriptures.
(5) There is no recollection of previous lives.
Again the controversy flared up, and in the wake of this the Emperor Justinian composed a tract against Origen in 543, proposing nine anathemas against "On First Principles", Origen's chief theological work. Origen was finally officially condemned in the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, when fifteen anathemas were charged against him.
There you have it in a nutshell. So we can argue this until you reincarnate and it will not be settled.
The church throughout much of its history, has demonstrated a disregard for human freedom, dignity and self-determination. It has attempted to control, contain and confine spirituality, the relationship between an individual and god.