[Alamo-Girl]

me: These words are setting off the alarms in the Spirit. The doctrine [that disciples believed in riencarnation and Christ did not rebuke them] you embrace rejects that which God Himself declared

You: You then quote Mat 11: 11:15 and Matt 17:9-13 (both of which speak of Elijah). As you know, Elijah never died, so incarnation is not an issue, but I am talking about the disciples saying Christ was John the Baptist and Jeremiah (both of whom were dead).

Actually, what you said is this:

Thus, when the Apostles believe that Christ is Elijah, or Jeremiah, or John the Baptist, they are expressing a Judaic pagan-ifluenced belief (common in those days) in reincarnation, for which Christ, curiously, does not rebuke them. Yet Christianity rejects reincarnation.

In Matt 16, Mark 8 and Luke 9 – Christ is asking the disciples who the people are saying that He is – and their replies are Elijah, Jeremiah or John the Baptist. That is not a statement of the disciples’ beliefs. When asked who they think He is, Peter responds with Christ, the Son of the living God.

We have discussed re-incarnation previously. The resurrection body we shall receive is a re-incarnation, we retain our identity. The two witnesses in Revelation are re-incarnated (then die and are re-animated) and retain their identity. I have no further leaning in the spirit concerning re-incarnation nor am I suggesting that all of us are merely re-incarnations of previously existing identities.

But Christ made it very clear that John the Baptist is the prophesied Elijah who would appear before He comes, and did. This requires spiritual discernment – like the body and the blood of Christ we are to eat in John 6 and being born again in John 3.

John the Baptist was not the same, whole identity as Elijah, re-incarnated (John 1:21) as we shall be in our resurrection bodies. He was John the Baptist. Nevertheless, he was also Elijah.

Elijah again appears with Moses on the mount (Matthew 17) in his own, whole identity. Notably, Moses died (Jude) but Elijah did not – and neither did Enoch. Some believe the two witnesses in Revelation will be (or were) Moses and Elijah – others say Enoch and Elijah because neither died. I have no leaning in the Spirit, but my musing is Enoch and Elijah.

At any rate, the apostles were not expressing a Judaic pagan-influenced belief by answering Jesus’ question. Nor is Christ's response or lack thereof - nor is His declaration that John the Baptist is Elijah - a Judiac pagan-influenced belief. It is Truth.

He who lives in eternity knows of Adam from all eternity, but Adam did not exist from all eternity. Therefore knowledge and existence are not one and the same. Adam's soul did not pre-exist his body.

Nor did I claim that it did – only that Adam (like kosta50 and Alamo-Girl) is always known to God because time is not a property of the Creator but rather, the Creation.

[hosepipe]

[.. John the Baptist was not the same, whole identity as Elijah, re-incarnated (John 1:21) as we shall be in our resurrection bodies. He was John the Baptist. Nevertheless, he was also Elijah. ..]

Interesting concept eh!.. John the baptist being Elijah..

Would be an easy task IF "the body" was just transportation for the spirit..
i.e. Elijahs spirit was John the Baptists spirit.. different bodies..
Would also explain much of what Jesus was TALKING ABOUT most of time..

[kosta50]

At any rate, the apostles were not expressing a Judaic pagan-influenced belief by answering Jesus’ question

Sorry, AG. If they believed Christ was Jeremiah, they believed in reincarnation. Christianity doesn't believe in reincaration. Resurrection is not reincarnation, contrary to what you say.

My point was, and is, that it doesn't matter what the Jews believe. We are not Jews, but Christians. I have no business seeking kabbalistic or buddhist wisdom or mysticism in hopes of finding greater thruth than what is contained in Christianity.

[betty boop]

...Adam (like kosta50 and Alamo-Girl) is always known to God because time is not a property of the Creator but rather, the Creation.

From the perspective of timelessness, Adam, Alamo-Girl, kosta50, hosepipe, I, et al. are all eternally known by God, from beginning to end. If this suggests pre-existence (i.e., some kind of existence prior to physical incarnation), then maybe that's just what it "looks like" to observers who are captured in "the net of space and time."

The point is, we do not see as God sees.

Thank you so much, dearest sister in Christ, for your beautiful and graceful essay/posts!