Witchcraft is a practice that has been there for centuries. We know this because it was mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible which are believed to be the oldest books on earth.
Is witchcraft a sin? This question is a great concern for many Christians. In this article, we will prove from the Scriptures that any form of witchcraft is a sin and should be avoided by the believer in Christ.
What Is Witchcraft?
Witchcraft is a religious practice that involves magic with nature, usually within a pagan tradition [1]. People who practice witchcraft are believed to use magic or supernatural power to harm others. Most accused witches are usually women who are believed to usually attack their own families, communities and often to have communed with the dead.
In Christian tradition, witches are believed to derive their malevolent power from the devil. Witchcraft is normally associated with the devil. There are so many references to witchcraft in the Holy Scriptures.
Is Witchcraft a sin?
The quick answer is Yes. Witchcraft or any form of witchcraft (Sorcery, Divination, Magic and others) is sinful. In fact, the Lord considered practitioners of magic (witchcraft, divination, sorcery, medium or necromancing) abomination, and therefore punishable by death.
Leviticus 20: 27 [ESV]
"A man or a woman who is a medium or necromancer shall be surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them"
2 Chronicles 33:6 [ESV]
He sacrificed his sons on the valley of Hinnom as burnt offerings. He practiced divination and magic and consulted fortune tellers and mediums. He sinned greatly against the Lord and stirred up his anger.
We can see from the above verses that witchcraft or any form of magic is an abomination to the Lord.
One Christian put it this way:
Witchcraft or any form of sorcery is an abomination to the Lord according to the Bible. People who practiced magic or witchcraft were burnt on the stake in ancient times because they were considered evil.
Most Frequently Asked Questions About Witchcraft
Will People Who Practice Witchcraft Go To Heaven?
The Bible says no. People who practice witchcraft and any form of magic or divination will not be resurrected to eternal life at the end of time. Witchcraft is a deadly sin and should not be something Christians should indulge themselves into.
The Bible considers witchcraft a grave sin and warned against everyone who thinks of using magic. "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" Revelation 21:8 [ESV]
Is Witchcraft Real?
There are some Christians who doubt the existence of Witchcraft. Others have claimed the idea of witchcraft is based on superstition.
Witchcraft is real. There is Biblical evidence that suggests people were/are into witchcraft. There are other external evidence outside Christianity that support the existence of witchcraft.
Is God The Source Of Witchcraft?
There are some critics of Christianity who claim God is the source of all powers, and therefore magic is also from Him. These critics quote Isaiah to substantiate their claim. The verse says, "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil; I the Lord, do all these things" [Isaiah 45:7].
A closer look at the verse that not implies what critics say. Popular pastor Femi commented, "God created evil that we might know and appreciate the good. If we don't know darkness, we will not appreciate the light.
We can confidently say Isaiah 45 has nothing to do with God permitting witchcraft and any other form of evil.
Some Bible Verses About Witchcraft And Sorcery
There are so many witchcraft related verses in the Bible. Here are some few Biblical verses about witchcraft:
Deuteronomy 18 :14 ESV
For these nations, which you are about to disposes , listen to fortune tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this.
Isaiah 19:3 [ESV]
And the spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the mediums and the necromancers.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 [ESV]
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interpret omens, or a sorcery or a charmed or a medium or a necromancer or anyone who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.
Acts 16:16 [ESV]
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.
Ezekiel 13: 20 [ESV]
"Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I am against your magic bands with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms, and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the souls like birds.
Isaiah 8:19-20 [ESV]
And when they say to you, "Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter," should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
1 Samuel 28:9
The woman said to him, "surely you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and necromancers from the land. Why then are you laying a trap for my life to bring about my death?"
Conclusion
We have tried our best to answer the question "Is Witchcraft a sin" based on the Christian point of view. The Bible expressly condemns all forms of witchcraft.
There is no historical evidence that suggests any Christian theologian has ever taught that witchcraft is not a sin. There were many heretics in the early Church, but non of them taught the congregation to practice magic.
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