“SORCERY” (GAL. 5:20)

INTRODUCTION:

1. When a person develops a strong interest in Christianity, certain questions usually come to mind.

2. One of the questions that has crossed the minds of many involves magic.

I. CAN A CHRISTIAN BE A MAGICIAN? IS WATCHING A MAGIC SHOW WRONG? IS MAGIC EVIL? IS IT SOMEHOW CONNECTED WITH THE DEVIL?

A. These questions are raised because the Bible uses words like: “witch, sorcerer, magical arts, and

signs.

B. If we were to do a careful study of both testaments, we would find that the Bible describes the

occult.

C. Spells and enchantments were and are part of Satan’s dominion.

(1) In the past, some who were children of God and some who were not children of God became involved with the occult.

(2) At times the nation of Israel flirted with the occult.

(3) Passages which substantiate this are:

(4) Isa. 28:15 – people thought the occult would help them avoid death.

(5) Ezek. 13:17-23 is another OT reference.

(6) People were using the occult to keep people alive and kill.

(7) Most remember that Moses faced some “magicians”.

(8) Micah 5:12 shows that the occult was not rare in Israel.

D. No matter which testament we examine, God says that the occult is wrong.

E. The word “magic”, if we are describing a series of tricks done by a magician, is not what the Bible

means by “magic/enchantments”.

F. From what I have read, magic tricks only became popular a few hundred years ago.

G. The magicians who perform for audiences used to be called “jugglers”.

H. This word was used because magicians “juggle” their hands.

I. One cannot condemn this kind of magic if the Bible is properly used.

J. Here’s why. Our magicians do not claim to have supernatural power.

(1) These men are not calling on a force outside of themselves.

(2) There is no appeal to a spirit for help.

(3) There is no appeal to the dead for help.

(4) No “god” is being called upon for assistance.

(5) The “magic” of the Bible does call upon the occult.

(6) The people who were involved with Bible magic, either believed in or had supernatural

power.

(7) The magicians we see today make no such claim.

(8) A magician’s power is sleight of hand; smoke and mirrors.

K. One professional magician said that tricks fall into 1 of 3 categories.

(1) First, there are “puzzlers”:

These are tricks that fool the eye.

If people think about the trick, they can often determine how it is done.

(2) The second level in magic is the “foolers”.

With these tricks both the eye and the mind are tricked.

One example of a fooler is a dove coming from a handkerchief.

(3) The highest form of trickery is “bafflers”.

These tricks sometimes fool even accomplished magicians.

(4) No matter which level of trick is examined, the success or failure of the trick comes from

the magician. There is no appeal to some other power source.

(5) With the magic of the Bible, this is not the case.

(6) Most of us have heard of “white magic” and “black magic”.

L. Black magic means that people form an alliance with evil spirits.

M. This joining is done to produce some type of evil.

N. People or things are cursed or destroyed.

O. White magic is somewhat related.

P. A person tries to compel a god, a demon, or a spirit to work for them.

Q. Forces are channeled to do what a person wants.

R. Perhaps the intentions are good.

S. Even if the intentions can be considered to be good, white magic calls upon forces beyond man

for help.

T. The magicians that we see or watch do not do that.

U. You may be wondering, “Why all this information about magic?”

V. A little while ago we heard the “works of the flesh” listed.

W. In this list is the word “sorcery”.

(1) Most of us know that time can change the meaning of words.

(2) Growing up we used or heard someone else use a word.

(3) 20 years ago a certain word meant one thing. Now it means something else.

Same word, different definition.

(4) Some of the NT words are just like this.

(5) As time progressed, the meanings of these words changed.

(6) The word “sorcery” went through some changes.

X. At first, this word had a good meaning.

(1) This might surprise us, but it is true.

(2) 400 years before Christ this word described medical drugs.

(3) To use sorcery was to dispense proper medical drugs.

(4) Sorcery helped people get better.

(5) Some time passed and the meaning of this word changed.

(6) Instead of describing medical drugs which help sick people, sorcery came to mean

drugs to poison people.

(7) Some more time passed as we get closer and closer to the time of Jesus.

(8) About 250 years before Christ, the Septuagint was produced.

(9) The Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek.

Y. These translators knew about this word “sorcery”. They used this word.

Z. 200 years before Christ this word was used to indicate witchcraft, sorcery, enchantments,

wizardry, and the like.

A. The meaning of this word went from something that was good to something that was very bad.

II. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WHEN THIS WORD IS USED IN THE “WORKS OF THE FLESH”, IT DOES NOT DESCRIBE ANY KIND OF MAGICAL TRICK THAT IS DONE BY A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN, A CHRISTIAN, OR EVEN ONE OF OUR CHILDREN.

A. This is good to know because magic tricks have been a matter of concern.

B. The word “sorcery” is in a much different category.

C. If we take a close look at life in the first century, we find that sorcery was common.

(1) Most will recall in Acts 19 people had lots of magic books.

(2) When people became Christians, those books were burned.

(3) Outside the Bible, we find examples of people making wax images.

(4) These images were then slowly melted or destroyed in some other way.

(5) Others used sorcery to secure some kind of secret knowledge, especially knowledge of the

future.

(6) Those involved with what sorcery describes would be the people who mixed potions,

recited magical formulas, and even sacrificed to some real or imagined power.

(7) The contents of the books burned in Acts 19 are not given.

(8) What I have just listed could be a pretty good description.

(9) Though we are far removed from that time, we have Blockbuster movies and many TV shows where magical words are said, spells are cast, mystical formulas are recited, and

people supposedly gain secret knowledge.

(10) Most who view these programs see them as innocent and fun.

(11) Technically speaking, these things qualify as sorcery.

D. The world knows that the occult has a lot of appeal.

E. The Bible has enough examples to show that man has an interest in the occult.

F. One of the places where this is indicated is Num. 22.

G. This chapter provides us with information about Balaam and Balak.

H. Listen to just one verse from the story about these two. READ Verse 7.

I. Early in Israel’s history, men had an interest in sorcery.

J. There is also a little statement buried in 2 Kgs. 9:22.

K. The writer says that Jezebel was involved with witchcraft.

L. If we take a general survey of the Bible and the occult, we find this activity was practiced in:

(1) Egypt – Ex. 7:11

(2) Babylon – Ezek. 21:21

(3) Assyria – 2 Kgs. 17:17

(4) Chaldea - Dan. 5:11

(5) Canaan – Deut. 18:14, 21

(6) Asia – Acts 19

(7) Macedonia – Acts 16:16

(8) The interest in this was widespread and nothing has changed.

M. Throughout the world, and I include America, there is an interest in the occult.

(1) Some of the interest is direct and active.

(2) There are people who actively pursue sorcery activities:

spells are cast, books are bought, people work together.

(3) Some actively explore the dark side of the occult.

N. If people are not willfully exposing themselves to this, we are passively exposed.

(1) We hear about “free psychic readings”.

(2) Some radio shows bring on people who are sorcerers. These people are not called

sorcerers but they are.

(3) Theatre movies and TV shows flirt with the occult.

(4) The producers of these shows may make the programs funny or maybe they use suspense

so viewers are eager to watch – whatever technique used, people are led a bit closer to

sorcery.

(5) Sorcery covers a wide range of areas: fortune tellers; astrologers; in some cases,

hypnotism; Ouija boards; Satanism and superstition.

(6) There are many websites on the internet, many musical groups, many games, and several

comic books that head people towards sorcery.

O. These things are not, as many say, a “hobby” or an “innocent pastime”.

P. Gal. 5 calls them a “work of the flesh”.

Q. Not only are they a work of the flesh, but Paul added, “those who practice such things shall not

inherit the kingdom of God.”

(1) The occult – the dark side – separates people from God.

(2) For Christians, the last thing we want is separation from God.

III. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE WORD “SORCERY”, THERE ARE REALLY TWO IDEAS THAT ARE TIED IN WITH IT.

A. One of these things is what has been mentioned – the dark side – the occult.

B. This includes witches, spells, potions, plus everything else that has already been discussed.

C. The other thing that is indicated by sorcery is drugs.

D. At one time helpful drugs were described by the word “sorcery”.

E. In Paul’s day, bad drugs – illegal drugs – were also indicated by this word.

F. The next time you go to a pharmacy to fill a prescription, or the next time you see a sign which says “Pharmacy”, think of Gal. 5.

G. Our word pharmacy is almost identical to the word translated sorcery.

H. The words are close to each other, but the drugs are not.

I. If we would ever wish to produce a verse which condemns illegal drugs, or

if we need to sit down with a young person and say:

(1) “You need to stop smoking marijuana.”

(2) “You need to quit using cocaine if you want to go to heaven.”

(3) Gal. 5:20 gives us all the proof we need.

J. It should not surprise us to see illegal drugs and the occult connected.

K. Throughout the world right now the two often go hand in hand.

L. Such is true in the Bible.

M. Sin comes in a lot of different packages.

(1) With the occult, it can be packaged as a game.

(2) It can be wrapped up as a musical group.

(3) Maybe it is presented in the form of a movie.

(4) It may even come in the form of a book.

CONCLUSION:

1. It is not my job to say what movies people should watch or what books they should read.

2. God never appointed me as judge and jury.

3. My job is to teach the Bible.

4. The Bible says that sorcery is bad.

5. The occult separates people from God.

6. Illegal drug use, or the other things that are covered by sorcery, need to be left alone by God’s

people.

7. When we find people who are involved with sorcery, and there are many, we need to encourage them

to take another path.

8. We hope that you are someone who has already found this other path.