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The Myth of Reincarnation

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The Myth of Reincarnation Introduction This essay is an exploration of an article I found at Spirit of the Scripture dot com, which is described by the site's owner as, "a blog dedicated to discussing the hidden meanings beneath the literal interpretations of the Bible." You will see what they mean by "hidden meanings" in the article we're reading. The title is "Reincarnation and the Bible: A Forgotten Doctrine" and was written by Joshua Tilghman (the owner of the site). The Claim Considered We begin reading, So where does the idea of reincarnation surface in the Bible? Actually, there are too many places for one blog post, so let’s go over the more popular ones used for reincarnation discussions B efore we move on, I'll list the texts and scriptures the author is citing : Matthew 11:14; Luke 1:17; John 1:21-23; Hebrews 9:27; "Gospel of Philip." Tilgham makes the claim that there are "too many" places for one blog pos t...
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Divorce & Remarriage

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Divorce & Remarriage I understand that this is a very difficult subject to write about; but as with anything related to the teachings of Messiah, it's of vital importance. I want you to know that I myself come from a severely broken home. I remember hearing the news like it was yesterday. Even in my own wonderful marriage, I found myself at one point staring into the same abyss due to my own selfishness. So I personally understand the issue, and well. It wasn't easy for me to accept the conclusions I'm about to present at first either. But that doesn't change the reality of the words we are about to unpack. Jesus says in no uncertain terms the following concerning the Marital Relationship between Men and Women (from the YLT): Matthew 5:17-32 - `Ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I--I say to you, that every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart. `But, i...
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Holier Than Thou!

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Holier Than Thou! Introduction Part 3 in this series on "Faith Alone" finishes by examining another often twisted phrase from the book of Isaiah, namely the concept of the infamous "Holier Than Thou." Surely, opponents to the notion of a pure works-based Gospel will call people such as myself, "Holier Than Thou!" They'll say, "You just think you're better than me! You're a 'Holiler Than Thou'!" But this is completely divorced from context and is fallacious. We have learned that the notion of "Faith Alone" is impossible in view of the Greek meaning of pisteuo eis used in the Gospels; we began to look at two bed-rock concepts that underlie the "Faith Alone" conclusion, starting with Isaiah 64:6. Part 3 will continue that examination by looking at the second concept, that of the "Holier Than Thou." As has been mentioned before, these two verses in Isaiah are probably two of the most often-cited, ...
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