Ask a pastor column

Q: What should Christians make of near-death experiences?

A: The Bible lays out a careful balance between subjective experiences and the objective truths of God. Whether we’re talking about near-death experiences, visions or something else, we must make sure we have the right understanding of what happened. Passages such as II Corinthians 11:14-15, I John 4:1, and I Thessalonians 5:21 warn us to test our experiences for conformity to the truth. Now, I don’t want to minimize the value of spiritual experiences. They are an important part of the Christian life. Without experiencing the Truth and...