The Bible completely rejects the idea of reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that after death, a person’s soul returns to live another life in a new body. This concept is rooted in pagan religions and is not found anywhere in Scripture.
Hebrews 9:27 states the biblical position clearly:
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
This verse leaves no room for multiple lifetimes or repeated opportunities. Each person lives one life, dies once, and then faces judgment. There is no cycle of rebirth. The soul’s eternal destiny is determined by its response to God during this one lifetime.
Jesus never taught reincarnation, nor did any prophet or apostle. In fact, teachings about resurrection and eternal life always point to a single bodily resurrection, not a return to earthly life in another form. Job 14:10–12 says:
“But man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last, and where is he?… So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep.”
Some have wrongly interpreted John 9:2, where the disciples ask Jesus whether a man sinned before birth, as evidence of reincarnation. But Jesus corrects them without affirming the idea. The passage reflects confusion, not doctrine.
The Bible teaches that eternal life or eternal punishment follows this life. There are no second chances, no new identities, and no karmic progression. 2 Corinthians 5:10 affirms:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”
Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ during this lifetime. Any belief in reincarnation denies the urgency of repentance and the sufficiency of the cross.
