Souls – Return to Incarnation Part 2

His Holiness Pope Shenouda speaks about spirits and the rejection of reincarnation, clarifying that some misinterpret passages like (Matthew 12:43–45) and (Luke 11:24–26) as referring to the return of human souls, while in fact they refer to evil spirits (demons) departing from humans.

Meaning of the Verse

The verse “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man…” refers to a demon leaving a person and returning later with more spirits, not to a human soul leaving and returning. The context in Matthew and Luke follows the miracles of casting out demons, confirming it speaks of unclean spirits, not human ones.

Difference Between Human Spirit and Demon Spirit

• The human spirit is limited and weak.

• The demon spirit was once an angelic being who fell but retained its power and angelic nature.
  Thus, demons can possess humans or animals, but human spirits cannot enter other bodies. Angelic nature differs completely from human nature.

God’s Sovereignty Over Spirits

Even demons act only by God’s permission, as seen in the story of Job and the demons entering swine in Luke 8 — they asked Jesus for permission. No spirit can move freely; all remain under God’s dominion.

The Fate of Souls After Death

• Righteous souls go to Paradise, carried by angels.

• Wicked souls go to Hades or “the prison” (1 Peter 3:19).
  Souls cannot leave their state or reincarnate; “The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)

Rejection of Spirit Summoning

The Pope condemns spirit summoning (spiritualism) as deception by evil spirits. The righteous cannot leave Paradise for trivial matters, nor can the wicked escape torment. Those “spirits” that appear are demonic impersonations meant to mislead people.

Refutation of Reincarnation

He firmly rejects reincarnation, affirming that after death, every soul is judged by God and cannot return in another body. The Bible gives no support for such a belief.

Meaning of “Unclean Spirit”

In Scripture, “unclean spirit” refers to a demon, not a human soul. The term “unclean” encompasses all sin, not only sexual impurity. Hence, when the Bible says “cast out unclean spirits,” it means “cast out demons.”

Conclusion

Pope Shenouda concludes that human souls neither reincarnate nor wander freely. After death, they return to God, and only He decides their place. To confuse human souls with demons is a serious doctrinal error. The universe is governed by God’s authority, not by random wandering spirits.