There is not a single reference in the New Testament to reincarnation, nor of course is there any mention of it in the Old Testament.
The earliest Christian writings, by Polycarp, Ignatious, Clement, etc also are quite clear about Chrisian belief and I challenge you to produce a single reference in them or anywhere else, that indicates Christian belief in reincarnation.
What about this is compelling? I listened but Butterworth himself says “there is no proof that reincarnation is true, but there is no proof that it isn’t”. Sorry, that, stacked against earliest Christian writers, some writing within living memory of the apostles, and virtually all of these writers dying as martyrs is far more compelling than someone’s mere opinion of what “helps them understand things”.
You do realize that he does not provide evidence of his claims -- I would encourage you to go right to the source documents of the earliest Christians, and not folks with their own alternative histories largely presenting their own opinions as establihed facts, yet not offering any evidence of their beliefs and opinions.
It is simply not the case, that reincarnation was "a thing" in the early Christian (aka Catholic) Church -- not at the start, not in the 200's , or 300's, or at any time since.
St Thomas, who was an evangelist to India, would surely have encountered those who believed in reincarnation, yet we see not the slightest evidence that he ever attempted to "tie in" reincarnation to Christianity. He faithfully taught only what he was taught, by Christ, for 3 years of His public ministry,
You mention the crucifixion -- if anything, that also is a repudiation of reincarnation. After all, of what need would there be for Jesus to suffer such a horrible death to save souls from eternal loss in hell (which he warned of many times), if folks just needed a long enough "ground hog day" of repetition, until they got everything right. :) No. Reincarnation IMO is the lazy man's excuse for not picking up his cross in this one life we are given, and following Christ.
There is not a single reference in the New Testament to reincarnation, nor of course is there any mention of it in the Old Testament.
The earliest Christian writings, by Polycarp, Ignatious, Clement, etc also are quite clear about Chrisian belief and I challenge you to produce a single reference in them or anywhere else, that indicates Christian belief in reincarnation.
What about this is compelling? I listened but Butterworth himself says “there is no proof that reincarnation is true, but there is no proof that it isn’t”. Sorry, that, stacked against earliest Christian writers, some writing within living memory of the apostles, and virtually all of these writers dying as martyrs is far more compelling than someone’s mere opinion of what “helps them understand things”.
You do realize that he does not provide evidence of his claims -- I would encourage you to go right to the source documents of the earliest Christians, and not folks with their own alternative histories largely presenting their own opinions as establihed facts, yet not offering any evidence of their beliefs and opinions.
It is simply not the case, that reincarnation was "a thing" in the early Christian (aka Catholic) Church -- not at the start, not in the 200's , or 300's, or at any time since.
St Thomas, who was an evangelist to India, would surely have encountered those who believed in reincarnation, yet we see not the slightest evidence that he ever attempted to "tie in" reincarnation to Christianity. He faithfully taught only what he was taught, by Christ, for 3 years of His public ministry,
You mention the crucifixion -- if anything, that also is a repudiation of reincarnation. After all, of what need would there be for Jesus to suffer such a horrible death to save souls from eternal loss in hell (which he warned of many times), if folks just needed a long enough "ground hog day" of repetition, until they got everything right. :) No. Reincarnation IMO is the lazy man's excuse for not picking up his cross in this one life we are given, and following Christ.