The Fifth Ecumenical Council took place from May 5 to June 2, 553, in Constantinople, initiated by Emperor Justinian, who exerted significant pressure. During this council, reincarnation was officially denounced as heretical. Despite opposition from Pope Vigilius and the majority of bishops, the emperor convened 164 bishops who endorsed his stance and enacted this decree.
The Church Fathers who discussed reincarnation were anathematized, and Pope Vigilius, who resisted signing the conciliar decree, was exiled by Justinian. Consequently, many Church Fathers contended that “the Holy Spirit was not present at this council, which lacked leadership, and could not be considered even a local council, much less ecumenical.”
Reincarnation was acknowledged in early Christianity, and not explicitly refuted by Jesus. However, following the Council, extensive revisions were made, removing references to reincarnation from the Holy Scriptures.
The concept of rebirth after death was inconceivable for slaves, as it did not serve as a punishment for sins. Consequently, the church was deemed superfluous, given that individuals bore personal responsibility for their lives and required no mediator to commune with God. This implied a significant loss for the church, akin to losing a source of sustenance.
Reincarnation as the meaning of life
Reincarnation features in all ancient religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and early Christianity. It is absent in later Christianity, following the Fifth Council’s decision, and in Islam, which is the youngest of the Abrahamic religions, having originated from Judaism in 622.
The concept of reincarnation suggests that living just one life is insufficient for the soul to gain ample experience. To this end, texts such as the Egyptian and Tibetan Books of the Dead were created to guide preparation for subsequent lives.
Thus, with each visit to Earth, the soul accrues karmic experience, enabling its moral and spiritual evolution.
The number of a soul’s incarnations determines its proximity to God; the more incarnations, the closer it is, or conversely, the further away it becomes. In each new life, the soul addresses the deeds of its past lives.
This notion offers explanations for life’s inequalities and sufferings, such as why some endure grave illnesses, why children may die young, or why wealth is unevenly distributed.
These teachings are echoed in the Vedic Canon of Hinduism, the oldest religion, predating Judaism by a millennium.
Remarkably, some of Jesus’ teachings on reincarnation are believed to have been preserved in the Gospel of Matthew.
“The disciples questioned Him, “Why do the scribes claim that Elijah must come first?”
Jesus replied, “Indeed, Elijah is to come first to restore all things.
However, I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not acknowledge him but did to him whatever they pleased.
Likewise, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples realized He was referring to John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:10-13).
Jesus healed people by laying on hands, which some believe involved opening the chakras. At the age of 12, it is said that he traveled to India, learned Sanskrit, and studied the Vedas. He is claimed to have taught the five Sāṃkhya Vedas, proclaiming, “I and God are one,” and “I am God; I am the Son.”
It is often noted that the Gospels do not detail his childhood and adolescence, as those parts are absent. Out of the 72 gospels, many authored by his contemporaries, including the apostles, only four were canonized – those of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, written several decades after Christ’s death. It is believed that Matthew and Luke largely based their texts on Mark’s gospel.
Why was Origen’s concept of the pre-existence of the soul considered controversial?
At the Council, the Fathers examined the teachings of the renowned third-century church teacher, Origen (185-253), regarding the pre-existence of human souls, which they condemned.
Origen, martyred for Christ in 253, mentored a host of Church Fathers, including:
Eusebius Pamphilus, Gregory the Theologian, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Jerome, among others.
Origen authored over 2000 treatises. He was the first to introduce the concept of the “God-man” in his writings, asserting that Jesus’s mission was not only to redeem humanity but also to transform humans into a “new creation” – the God-man, the sons of God.
Emperor Justinian, along with his wife Theodora, who was a former circus performer, opposed Origen’s teachings. Theodora persuaded Justinian that the idea of people being children of God posed a threat to his authority.
At that time, the empire experienced severe reprisals during the quelling of rebellions. The belief that people, as children of God, were equal to the emperor could potentially lead to his overthrow.
Thus, it became imperative to distinguish Christ from humanity by affirming his divine nature and denying any resemblance to people.
Those who propagated such ideas were subject to torture and execution.
Regarding the concept of reincarnation or the pre-existence of souls, Origen elaborated on this in his 230 work “On the Elements”, stating:
“Those who pass away from an ordinary death are assigned places according to their earthly deeds. Thus, individuals deemed worthy of the so-called infernal regions are allotted different abodes based on their transgressions. Similarly, it is possible that those who perish there may descend into this realm, considered suitable to inhabit various abodes, better or worse, across the earth. They may be reborn to different parents, leading to an Israelite emerging among the Scythians, or an Egyptian transitioning to Judah.”
In contrast to Hinduism, Origen held the belief that human souls do not reincarnate as animals or plants but instead advance through human lifetimes on a spiritual evolutionary path.
Souls undergo reincarnation, moving progressively through a conditional hierarchy of intelligent beings.
Origen did not deem it necessary for all to embrace his reincarnation doctrine, particularly those at the earliest stages of spiritual growth.
Additionally, Origen proposed the concept of cyclicity. He rewrote the Holy Scriptures six times, translated them six times, and observed the repetitive cycles of history.
What has occurred will occur again; what has been done will be done again; there is nothing truly new under the sun.
There is a saying about certain things: “Look, behold, this is new”; yet these have existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of former things; nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to happen among those who will come after. (Ecclesiastes chapter 1)
St. Gregory of Neocaesarea, a disciple of Origen (c. 213-c. 270-275), spoke of his mentor in his “Eulogy to Origen”:
“This man was endowed by God with the greatest gift – to be an interpreter of God’s word to people, to comprehend the Word of God as God Himself intended, and to elucidate it in a way that people could grasp.”
Origen posited that an individual should experience multiple lifetimes to amass wisdom, as achieving this in a single lifetime is exceedingly challenging. A person should not retain memories of past lives to avoid repeating past errors.
The advent of Christ aimed to guide humanity in cultivating their eternal soul and in recognizing their connection to God.
