Jesus demonstrated reincarnation when He returned after His death on the cross.
In His discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus confirms that Nicodemus must reenter the womb. As an old man, he could not accomplish what Jesus requires from us - repay our debts - love our enemies - become perfect - so it was logical for him to ask about reincarnation. But Jesus said you need do more than just be born again, you need to become a spiritual person, to become virtuous.
I can’t believe what I’m reading.
Your interpretation fundamentally misrepresents what Jesus actually says in both passages.
First, Jesus did not demonstrate reincarnation by rising from the dead, He demonstrated resurrection, which is something entirely different.
Reincarnation involves a soul entering another earthly body through a new birth, Jesus did nothing of the sort.
He rose from the dead as the same Jesus who had been crucified, retaining His personal and bodily identity.
In Luke 24:39, the risen Christ explicitly demonstrates His bodily reality to the disciples, inviting them to touch Him. He then eats in their presence (Luke 24:42–43).
In John 20:27, He invites Thomas to examine the wounds in His hands and side.
Second, your interpretation of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus is even more problematic, because you have effectively reversed the meaning of the passage.
You write: “Jesus confirms that Nicodemus must reenter the womb.”
No. He does absolutely nothing of the sort.
In John 3:3–8 Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born anōthen, a Greek word that can mean either “again” or “from above.”
Nicodemus misunderstands this statement as referring to another physical birth and asks how an elderly man could possibly enter his mother’s womb again.
But Jesus responds by explaining that the birth He is describing is a birth of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).
He then explicitly distinguishes physical birth from spiritual birth in John 3:6.
In other words, Nicodemus introduces the idea of another physical birth because he misunderstands Jesus. Jesus then corrects his misunderstanding by explaining that He is speaking of spiritual regeneration.
And you have taken Nicodemus’ misunderstanding and presented it as though it were Christ’s actual teaching!
The biblical text establishes the very opposite of what you claim.
Third, your appeal to Jesus’ command to become perfect (Matthew 5:48) does not establish reincarnation either.
Read the immediate context: Jesus is instructing His disciples to love their enemies and imitate the Father’s goodness, which extends even to the wicked.
Nothing in that passage suggests that human beings must undergo multiple earthly lives to achieve perfection.
Nothing refers to karmic debts, successive incarnations, or the necessity of returning to earth in another body.
you are born again / resurrected well before your physical death - or as I say:
to live forever
is the art
to learn to live
in Jesus heart
Small words change the meaning…
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus positively acknowledges Nicodemus’ statement, before moving on to His point.
Rather you than me. It’s your funeral.
Richard
The funeral for whatever remained of your credibility and intellectual honesty has already been held
Thanks for sparing me the effort, brother.
Boy do you have some nerve.
I certainly would not risk publicly declaring what you just did, but you never know, God might not have been looking on the Internet.
No one on earth judges me, not even you.
Still, I guess there is something to be said for being despised by men on behalf of my faith.
Go on, keep going. God loves His servants being mocked, insulted and despised, He is so forgiving about it.
Richard
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” -Colossians 4:6
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