If people(Christian s) Don't believe in reincarnation, what do they mean by the phrase...

" he/she has been here before''

Now, I have nothing at all against this phrase,so this thread isn't to get anyone to raise pitch forks and look for a dark meaning in these string of words. My question is simply, what do some christians mean when they throw this phrasw around to describe someone.

For me,it was my aunt whose a pastor that used it describing my brother. Right now he's seventeen- ish and he has been called to a high calling, thats been prosphesied over him by pastors and apostles. One,apostle..or pastor,evangelist. .cant remember said he'd be an apostle by the age of thirty..

However, when my brother was a baby ..my aunt said that abt him( not the apostle thing..but the been here before thing)

My thing is, I always thought the phrase was associated. With wisdom,,,like my friend, who is 19..seemed so well rounded(socially,carried himself well,and was ambitious) and I used that term for him bc ,to me he expressed a knack for navigating through life obstacles and suceeding..that it seemed as if he gained the skillfullness to do so..by being here prior..( so that' . How I used it..to describe wisdome)

As for my brother.. ( Im not being mean...I love him) but he's. Lnot the wisest person, and he has alot to learn..and,like anyone, has alotto learn.
So, I just wwonder what could shw mean by this phrase when describing my brother? (I know its all good intentions. .but if you don't believe in reincarnation. And said person being talked about is a tad immature...what could you possibly mean
 
I believe that the phrase used was used out of the lack of knowledge or wisdom about the truth. Culture has inserted itself in the language and we ought to be mindful of these things and use care about uttering common phrases or idioms that attest to an ungodly belief....and that have the potential to promote a lie in a subtle way.

Matthew 12:36
And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
 
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I dont know bout your situation its a tad confusing in your post, but when I say to someone Ive been there before I mean Ive walked the same path or had the same struggles.

It has nothing to do with reincarnation.
 
I doubt they are referring to reincarnation, it may well mean the same thing as "been there, done that, got the t-shirt".
Or, they could very well be talking through their hats. People often do say very silly things.


Yah..maybe . :)

I heard that phrase too,been there done that...got the t-shirt :)
 
The phrase the OP is referring to has its roots in the occultic belief in reincarnation, and we as believers need to be aware of these kinds of idioms and phrases, that we do not include them in our vocabulary.

@pancakes -- you are very astute in picking that up.
 
You might want to ask your aunt what she meant. Maybe you misheard her. Im sorry reading your post again it sounded odd to me.

Christians dont believe in reincarnation, and we dont prophesy those things like make our own predictions we prophesy whats actually in the bible. Eg when Peter got up and prophesised in book of acts after pentecost, he was prophesying from Joel, and when Jesus got up and spoke in the synagogue in the gospels, he prophesised from Isaiah.
 
Joel and Isaiah were prophets.
Jesus was the last prophet. We stand on the foundations of the apostles and prophets.

Im sorry..you aunt may be well meaning, but she might be mistaken.
 
The phrase the OP is referring to has its roots in the occultic belief in reincarnation, and we as believers need to be aware of these kinds of idioms and phrases, that we do not include them in our vocabulary.

@pancakes -- you are very astute in picking that up.


Thankyou lol, however..I don't want to blow this thread out of proportion. I know its just a saying, My aunt as a Christian has no ties to occultic/ Hindu beliefs, she just used it as a saying.
I know very well it simply means that God has blessed someone with wisdom beyond their current years(age)..

So I know its probably nothing, I analyze things a good bit lol...
 
You might want to ask your aunt what she meant. Maybe you misheard her. Im sorry reading your post again it sounded odd to me.

Christians dont believe in reincarnation, and we dont prophesy those things like make our own predictions we prophesy whats actually in the bible. Eg when Peter got up and prophesised in book of acts after pentecost, he was prophesying from Joel, and when Jesus got up and spoke in the synagogue in the gospels, he prophesised from Isaiah.


Yes, I know Christians don't believe or aren't supposed to believe in reincarnation... But some of the phases we say, which are no fault of our own...as we've heard it said time and time again, reflect other beliefs...
 
Thankyou lol, however..I don't want to blow this thread out of proportion. I know its just a saying, My aunt as a Christian has no ties to occultic/ Hindu beliefs, she just used it as a saying.
I know very well it simply means that God has blessed someone with wisdom beyond their current years(age)..

So I know its probably nothing, I analyze things a good bit lol...

Many Christians have no occultic ties, but the language does, and so if we are wanting to be wise and have our words reflect His truth only, we will endeavour to know what it is we are actually saying, and you have shown some real insight. I am merely agreeing with that.

What you think it means is not correct.
 
Well, dont worry bout it then.
If you confused, dont ask us..ask the person who confused you for clarity. If you know that person believes in Jesus...then they just not going to say anything that would be deliberately contrary to his Word. If they did, maybe we misheard, or they meant something else.

Happens to all of us. We weak and our human expressions sometimes cannot explain stuff, specially if say english is not our first language.

God is not the author of confusion.
 
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