1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Featured Near Death Experiences

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by evangelist6589, Nov 16, 2014.

Top Posters
Page 1 of 3
  1. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    10,285
    Likes Received:
    163
    Faith:
    Baptist
    You know both Stephen and Paul had one. Stephen saw the Christ as he was nearing death, and Paul was caught up to the third heaven which is beyond the atmosphere of the earth, and that of space. Anyone ever had one? Some are skeptics and NDE's cannot all be trusted, but perhaps some are accurate, especially if they line up with the Bible.

    I am working on a writing project and my topic is on the AfterLife and Near death Experiences will be one topic I will be covering, as well as angels and devils, heaven and Hell, etc..
     
    #1 evangelist6589, Nov 16, 2014
  2. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    Neither one of those instances were near death experiences.
     
    #2 annsni, Nov 16, 2014
  3. JonC

    JonC Moderator
    Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2001
    Messages:
    33,424
    Likes Received:
    3,558
    Faith:
    Baptist
    How do you conclude that Stephen and Paul had “near death experiences”? Is this tradition or is there a biblical basis for this belief?

    (Other than, of course, that everyone who has died was experiencing something right before it happened).
     
    #3 JonC, Nov 16, 2014
  4. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2006
    Messages:
    52,013
    Likes Received:
    3,649
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Because he read it in a book somewhere?
     
    #4 Revmitchell, Nov 16, 2014
  5. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2008
    Messages:
    18,441
    Likes Received:
    259
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I had a good friend, a very strong Christian who had a near death experience. She said after that experience she had no fear of death.
     
    #5 Crabtownboy, Nov 16, 2014
  6. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    I heard the same from a very unsaved person. They now know that God will accept them into heaven no matter what they believe.
     
    #6 annsni, Nov 16, 2014
  7. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2008
    Messages:
    18,441
    Likes Received:
    259
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Your point is? I would like to know what they said they saw and heard.
     
    #7 Crabtownboy, Nov 16, 2014
  8. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    10,285
    Likes Received:
    163
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I disagree. Stephen was stoned and was near death. Paul was presumed dead and may have actually died.
     
    #8 evangelist6589, Nov 16, 2014
  9. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    10,285
    Likes Received:
    163
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Doing research involves reading books and of which these are my sources.

    The Bible
    Afterlife by Hank Hanegraaf
    One Minute aftr you Die by Erwin Lutzer
    The Glory of Heaven by John MacArthur
    Angels by David Jeremiah
    Hell on Trial by Robert Peterson
    Heaven and Hell by Edward Donnelly
     
    #9 evangelist6589, Nov 16, 2014
  10. JonC

    JonC Moderator
    Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2001
    Messages:
    33,424
    Likes Received:
    3,558
    Faith:
    Baptist
    John, Annsni has Scripture on her side, you need to back up your conclusion with whatever support you have. As it stands, you are contradicting Scripture regarding Stephen and adding to it regarding Paul.

    I suggest that you tread carefully if you want to go down the road of developing an extra-biblical doctrine of near-death experiences. You are already altering and adding to the Word of God, and from what I gather you are just beginning. Please take this as a gentle reminder to turn back to Scripture as your source for doctrine.
     
    #10 JonC, Nov 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 16, 2014
  11. Bro. Curtis

    Bro. Curtis <img src =/curtis.gif>
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2001
    Messages:
    22,016
    Likes Received:
    487
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Those that think with their hearts, when the heart is so wicked….
     
    #11 Bro. Curtis, Nov 16, 2014
  12. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    10,285
    Likes Received:
    163
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Hogwash. Stephen saw Jesus read this text.

    Acts 7:55-56 (NKJV) the text reads "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

    How could he see Jesus without a NDE? He died right after that so he was at deaths door.

    Paul on the other hand also had an experience.

    The apostle Paul had a similar experience, however in his case he may have actually been dead (Acts 14:19-20). In 2 Cor 12:3-4 (NKJV) Paul writes "And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

    I do test the authors with the scripture but sometimes scripture is vague and we have to use our mind that God gave us. For example I was just reading an author whom cited NT Wright. I then read the page in the book that I have by NT Wright whom gave the idea that heaven is actually right here on earth just in another dimension. Heaven is not in some distant galaxy, but right here with us. Interesting.... Scripture support? NT Wright just used his mind, and may or may not be correct.

    But yes you are correct I am just starting and will give myself plenty of time to complete this one (end of the year). I want to edit and proofread my article to make sure its Biblical.
     
    #12 evangelist6589, Nov 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 16, 2014
  13. JonC

    JonC Moderator
    Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2001
    Messages:
    33,424
    Likes Received:
    3,558
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I am not denying Stephan saw Jesus. I am noting that Luke does not portray this as a "near death experience".

    Please show where Stephen's vision has an origin linked to his death (Scripture links it to being filled with the Holy Spirit and states his revealing of the vision to be the reason he was stoned). Please show where Paul had a near death experience.
     
    #13 JonC, Nov 16, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 16, 2014
  14. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,796
    Likes Received:
    700
    Faith:
    Baptist
    From the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, "The Reformation Piety of Theodore Beza":

    http://www.sbts.edu/resources/files/2010/02/sbjt_104_wright.pdf

    [Dr. Wright serves as an elder at Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and is the author of Our Sovereign Refuge: The Pastoral Theology of Theodore Beza (Paternoster, 2004). He is also the editor (along with Thomas R. Schreiner) of the forthcoming book, Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (Broadman & Holman, 2007)]
     
    #14 Jerome, Nov 16, 2014
  15. blessedwife318

    blessedwife318 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2014
    Messages:
    2,358
    Likes Received:
    445
    Faith:
    Baptist
    I've never heard of a near death experience that lined up with Scripture. Not to mention that looking at near death experience to learn about heaven is a direct attack on Sola Scriptura. Everything God wants us to know about heaven is in the Bible. We do not need anything else. As JonC Pointed out Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit when he saw Jesus. It is only speculation to say that Paul died when he went to the third heaven. And John was also in the Spirit when he saw heaven. And if you look at the OT, those prophets were also in the Spirit when they saw heaven. None of those are like near death experiences. If you want to know about heaven study the Bible, not what people say they saw about a bright light and feeling love and peace.
     
    #15 blessedwife318, Nov 16, 2014
  16. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    Stephen was not stoned until AFTER his vision. Read the passage.

    Paul never said that he was near death when he saw his vision.
     
    #16 annsni, Nov 17, 2014
  17. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706

    You can call God's Word hogwash - that's between you and Him but let's not take a verse out of context and add in our own experiences and beliefs to the text. Here is the entire passage:

    Note he saw the Son of Man at the right hand of God BEFORE they stoned him and it was even a period of time before they stoned him!

    Can you show me where this says that he was sick/injured/near death? Again, you are adding your own understanding to what is actually written.
     
    #17 annsni, Nov 17, 2014
  18. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2010
    Messages:
    10,285
    Likes Received:
    163
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Okay it would appear this author is incorrect and missed the text. Will make corrections in my article.
     
    #18 evangelist6589, Nov 17, 2014
  19. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,796
    Likes Received:
    700
    Faith:
    Baptist
    So?

    How is that not near death?

    The Geneva Bible sure doesn't cavil with this scripture:

     
    #19 Jerome, Nov 17, 2014
  20. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    May 30, 2006
    Messages:
    20,914
    Likes Received:
    706
    Sure it's near death. As near death as I am.

    According to the dictionary, an NDE is "an unusual experience taking place on the brink of death and recounted by a person after recovery, typically an out-of-body experience or a vision of a tunnel of light."

    So, was he on the brink of death and recounted the story after recovery?
     
    #20 annsni, Nov 17, 2014
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 3
Loading...