If the bible does not preach reincarnation then why this quote?

Question

"John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, 'This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" John 1:15

http://reluctant-messenger.com/reincarnation-pope.htm

Kayl Q, I think it very possible. In fact Christians like Edgar Cayce believed Jesus was the reincarnation of Adam.

flyersbiblep..., Every time we die we are judged by our karma. If indeed we reincarnate again our form may have changed so much it indeed is like only dying once before judgement. Just like there is more than one birth, i.e. being born again, there is more than one death.

Ik Weet Niets!, Didn't Jesus say we are all gods and would do greater things than him?

Ariell, The Hindus believe God has incarnated many many times upon this earth. This concept was around long before Jesus incarnation. The Hindus would believe this Jesus to be just one more of many incarnations of God.

Fortunato, To get a better understand I just you not skim the text. This indicates you have made up your mind and anything you read is merely a text to prove or disprove what you already believe.

Parsu, Yes, you are right, resurrection is a form or reincarnation. It should not be too much more of a stretch for Christians to believe this happens many times until all souls rest with God in heaven. If you click on the link I gave you will see how this once common belief was viscously stamped out. Over a 1/2 a million Christian Cathars were killed off for this very belief. Even the psyches of modern day Christians have been sacred by millennium of oppression.

yeahbabe, what do you mean "he came back in Johns form". Interesting choice of words. I think your subconscience knows better.

sometime T.O..., I have read the New Testament, many times over, maybe even before you ever heard of it.

luvwinz, I know resurrection theory. It should be obvious that God incarnating on earth and reincarnation are not two mutually exclusive concepts.

Hunk Master, that's another interesting quote you have there. It's too bad that the church has been coerced into this doctrine. I suggest you read the history of the Christian Church. This is surprising variation and blood to stop such variations. It seems like they have succeeded for the most part. Give it time.

spamandham, Yes you are right the concept of reincarnation was stronger in the early Christian Church but thanks to the Catholic Church and the Roman empire such variation has been all but completely annihilated via much bloodshed.

cj, thank you. You have shown me something that though I knew in theory I did not know in detail. Do you have a source I can read up on on Horus. Very fascinating.

jak834, This is exactly what the Hindus and Buddhists believe, except instead of terming it meaninglessness they term it it Samsara, meaning suffering. This is why via many lifetimes of karma they work to liberate themselves (Moksa or Nirvana) from the bondage of this cycle.

Answer 1

I do not understand why people find this so hard to believe or even comprehend. Don't Christians understand that the Bible does not give the Trinity explanation? That was invented my men so that Christianity would not seem like a polytheistic religion with 3 different gods? So how can they try to explain this quote from the bible with their man made explanation of the Trinity?

Yes, I believe that it is referring to reincarnation. I have read about Edgar Cayce and his theories that Jesus has reincarnated many times, and the first time was as Adam. There are many dying god man myths in the world that are far older than the birth of Jesus and are almost identical in the story of Jesus life. They really exist and are out there, the oldest being the Story of Horus (but not the only one), the Egyptian god. If you seek and study these you cannot deny the similarities as coincidence. When we read these and they are dated by science as existing before the birth of Jesus, what can we say? Either that they are all myths and that Jesus never existed, given the fact that there is no physical proof of his life. Or that Jesus has existed many times and was reincarnated many times as a savior that came to teach all different tribes of people. Maybe this is how Jesus word was to be spread to all of the people on earth before the second coming. Many people do believe that Jesus Reincarnated many times.

Similarities between Jesus and Horus
Both were a god
Both were a son of god
Both born a virgin birth
A star signified both their births
Both of their birthdays are 12/25
Both performed miracles, healed the sick and the blind and both raised a man named Lazarus from the dead.
Both walked on water
Both died on a cross between 2 thieves
Both ascended into heaven

Answer 2

He's referring to (i.e., prophesying about) Jesus, who John believed to truly be the Son of God.

So Jesus comes after John (both in birth and in ministry), but because he was incarnate God, to John this means he had to have preexisted John as well.

Nothing more than that, it's pretty basic Christian theology.

Skimming through the site URL you've posted, the verses on the "scriptural proof of reincarnation" page are twisting the most obvious interpretation or stretching them beyond credulity, making them say more than they do.

(If you want to believe in reincarnation, go ahead -- and there are some cases that we haven't yet explained, leading some people to believe in reincarnation-- but I think it's a disservice to the Biblical text to use it the way it's been used here. The Bible both says and suggests that humans live and die once, then move on to whatever comes next.)

Answer 3

Because Jesus is God. Having created everything including John himself, He would have come before. You've picked out one verse out of thousands without finding out the whole story.

God doesn't is timeless. Most believers believe He exists in the past, present and future simultaneously.

You should look into resurrection.

Answer 4

I would say the greater argument in favor of reincarnation being taught as part of early Christianity is that when Jesus rose from the dead, no-one recognized him from his physical appearance. There's something to be said for 'resurrection' originally meaning 'reincarnation'.

Answer 5

there are many such instance in Bible..
Bible does speak on life after death in the sense going to Heaven or Hell.. Well Going to Hell is taking another body there.. that is reincarnation...
Jesus himself came back again after death..
and Still they want to say that they do not believe in reincarnation just to keep themselves separate from Law of karma etc ...

Answer 6

John the Immerser was speaking about Jesus, who didn't begin to exist after John began to exist, but was eternal.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the judgment:

Answer 7

Jesus is God, therefore he has always been. His human form came after John so he says that he came after. John also knew he was God, and knew that meant that he was always around.

Answer 8

Because the one he is talking about always was and you can read this at the very beginnig of "The Gospel of John" in the New Testament.
And it has nothing to do with re-incarnation, what your talking about !

Answer 9

that is not reincanaton, Jesus was before him anyway jesus was there when Elijah was alive and elijah did not die, he got taken away and he came back in Johns form and Jesus was before john so that is why john said that and Jesus was from the beginning of ages anyway

Answer 10

No I don't think there is any reincarnation here. He who comes after me is Jesus. He who was before him Jesus was there.

John 8:58

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"