Readers’ Comments

In writing about the subject of the Pre-existence of the Sou1, we realised that it would come as a shock to some, as abhorrent to others, but as an acceptable revelation to a few. The following letters, extracts, and phone/fax messages have been received from just after the last mailing until the end of January 1998. [Read more…]

We have some very fine Christian friends of many years standing, men and women whose integrity is without question, and whose love and care has been afforded us time and again. Differences of understanding on odd points of Biblical interpretation have never demolished the trust and care we have for each other. And this has been said as a prelude to one such point – the subject of SOUL SLEEP. The fact that they believe in it and we do not will make the reading of these papers on pre-existence a possible bone of contention, but we are assured that if will make no difference to our fellowship. Indeed, we all aspire to ‘keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace’. [Read more…]

Bible Dictionaries all refer to John 9:1-3 as the only “intimation” of pre-existence. It reads as follows:-

And as Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him.” [Read more…]

APOCRYPHAL, PSEUDEPIGRAPHICAL AND OTHER WRITINGS

We were brought up in evangelical circles, where any writings OUTSIDE ‘Holy Writ” were considered not only suspect, but even dangerous to read! This applied to the Apocryphal works, found these days in many new editions of the Bible, and accepted by Roman Catholics. Over many years of change and recollection, we have come to see that there are numerous ancient documents that add colour, and often help, in the understanding of Scripture. We are no longer afraid to read them!Origen referred to a work called “The Prayer of Joseph” which sadly is no longer extant, but we do have a quote from it, concerning, first John the Baptist, and then Jacob and his re-naming to Israel. It is as follows, and comes from Origen’s Commentary on John 2:31. [Read more…]

GREEK EVIDENCE FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY B.C.

The last story in Plato’s Republic, which the author relates to his friend Glaucon, concerns a certain hero from the wars, one Er, son of Armenius, a Pamphylian by birth. He was slain in battle, and ten days afterwards, when the bodies of the dead were taken up already in a state of corruption, his body was found unaffected by decay, and carried away home to be buried. On the twelfth day as he was lying on the funeral pile, he returned to life and told them what he had seen in the other world. His account was lengthy, and cannot all be retold here, but what concerns us most is what he saw happening to the spirits (or souls) of men BEFORE THEY CAME TO EARTH. [Read more…]

In a recent edition of the Telegraph, we mentioned a book entitled “Embraced by the Light” by Betty Eadie. Several of our readers have written in to say that on reading this book, issues were raised that were totally new to their thinking. This was also the case with ourselves, and in particular the section on the PRE-EXISTENCE OF THE SOUL. Believers have found it quite a “jolt” to their spirits when first presented with the possibility of being created in the beginning as “spirits”, and that in the process of time they came down to earth to be born as human babies. [Read more…]