Do you believe on ghosts? Any reference in the bible?

[User46952]

Apart from evil/unclean spirits which can possess a person,
do you believe on visible ghosts as we see on some videos (like ghost hunter videos)?

Seeing the below verses (NASB), it seems disciples of Jesus believed it.
Matthew 14:26: And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost! " And they cried out for fear.
Mark 6:49: But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

If you believe it, how can a spirit (other than God and angels) take a visible body? Please mention if we have any reference in the bible..

 

[maxwel]

Apart from evil/unclean spirits which can possess a person,
do you believe on visible ghosts as we see on some videos (like ghost hunter videos)?

Seeing the below verses (NASB), it seems disciples of Jesus believed it.
Matthew 14:26: And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost! " And they cried out for fear.
Mark 6:49: But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

If you believe it, how can a spirit (other than God and angels) take a visible body? Please mention if we have any reference in the bible..

Recording of Nonfactual Statements:

The Bible often allows the inclusion of nonfactual statements, which the Bible does not affirm to be true.
In the gospels some of the Jews called Jesus a blasphemer, and that wasn't true.
In Proverbs there is someone claiming "there is no God", and that wasn't true.
So sometimes the Bible will record someone making a statement which is not a true statement.. that's just a normal part of writing and explaining stories.
If your neighbor said the moon was made of cheese, you could quote him saying that, and tell a funny story about how he said that, but the fact you quoted him doesn't mean you are AGREEING with him.

Since the Bible is full of stories and history, the Bible often quotes people saying all kinds of things.
Not every person the Bible records is making a true statement.
To figure out what is going on, we just need to look carefully at the context of the passage.
Sometimes we have to go even further, and look at doctrinal passages in other parts of the bible.
But if we do a bit of study, we can sort out these tricky passages.

So the Bible often records someone making a nonfactual statement, and that is what's happening in the verses you quoted.
Just because a disciple got scared and said, "OH! Is that a ghost!", that does not mean the Bible is confirming the existence of ghosts.

After Death:

The Bible gives no indication that humans leave "ghosts" behind when they die.

The Bible says that when humans die, their souls leave the earthly realm to await judgement, and those souls do not come back and wander around.
There are no "ghosts", and the Bible doesn't confirm any such thing as ghosts.

TV Shows:

And as far as TV shows like Ghost Hunters...
of all the places on earth you might seek truthful information, TV shows are the least likely place to find anything truthful.
Those people are actors, and they're getting paid a lot of money; they're more than happy to lie to you.


God Bless


.

 

[User46952]

Recording of Nonfactual Statements:

The Bible often allows the inclusion of nonfactual statements, which the Bible does not affirm to be true.
In the gospels some of the Jews called Jesus a blasphemer, and that wasn't true.
In Proverbs there is someone claiming "there is no God", and that wasn't true.
So sometimes the Bible will record someone making a statement which is not a true statement.. that's just a normal part of writing and explaining stories.
If your neighbor said the moon was made of cheese, you could quote him saying that, and tell a funny story about how he said that, but the fact you quoted him doesn't mean you are AGREEING with him.

Since the Bible is full of stories and history, the Bible often quotes people saying all kinds of things.
Not every person the Bible records is making a true statement.
To figure out what is going on, we just need to look carefully at the context of the passage.
Sometimes we have to go even further, and look at doctrinal passages in other parts of the bible.
But if we do a bit of study, we can sort out these tricky passages.

So the Bible often records someone making a nonfactual statement, and that is what's happening in the verses you quoted.
Just because a disciple got scared and said, "OH! Is that a ghost!", that does not mean the Bible is confirming the existence of ghosts.

After Death:

The Bible gives no indication that humans leave "ghosts" behind when they die.

The Bible says that when humans die, their souls leave the earthly realm to await judgement, and those souls do not come back and wander around.
There are no "ghosts", and the Bible doesn't confirm any such thing as ghosts.

TV Shows:

And as far as TV shows like Ghost Hunters...
of all the places on earth you might seek truthful information, TV shows are the least likely place to find anything truthful.
Those people are actors, and they're getting paid a lot of money; they're more than happy to lie to you.


God Bless


.

We may not prove ghosts unless any reference in the bible.
But we cannot deny the fact that "desciples believed on ghosts". right?

 

[Hevosmies]

We may not prove ghosts unless any reference in the bible.
But we cannot deny the fact that "desciples believed on ghosts". right?

By that logic we should accept reincarnation or pre-existence of the soul as well:

Joh 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

How could the man have sinned if he was blind from BIRTH?

 

[maxwel]

We may not prove ghosts unless any reference in the bible.
But we cannot deny the fact that "desciples believed on ghosts". right?

What is a disciple?

The only thing we cannot deny is that the disciples sometimes said stupid things.
They did this often, all throughout the gospels.

During the time they were "disciples" they were still learning; that is what "disciple" means, a student.
They didn't yet know everything.
They often got things wrong; they often said dumb things.

After the resurrection, they became apostles.
Once they became apostles they were no longer learners, but they were "sent ones", sent out as teachers.
When they were sent out as teachers they no longer said the stupid things they said before, back when they were "learners."

.

 

[Deade]

Apart from evil/unclean spirits which can possess a person,
do you believe on visible ghosts as we see on some videos (like ghost hunter videos)?

Seeing the below verses (NASB), it seems disciples of Jesus believed it.
Matthew 14:26: And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost! " And they cried out for fear.
Mark 6:49: But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

If you believe it, how can a spirit (other than God and angels) take a visible body? Please mention if we have any reference in the bible..

Like maxwel said, there are to disembodied human ghosts walking around. When a person dies, God somehow preserves their spirit along with their memories and character. We are not told how He does this, only that they sleep unconsciously.

Ecclesiastes 9:5,6: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”

Psalms 6:5: “For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”

Psalms 30:9: “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?”

Psalms 115:17: “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”

Isaiah 38:18: “For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.”

Psalms 88:10-12: “Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

Psalms 115:17: “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”

That said, there are spirits. Both unclean (demons) and holy angels all around us. When God gives them permission to be seen, it's always a serious matter.

Num. 22:31-33 "Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive."