Witchcraft......real or harmless?

the bible deals with magic as if it were real, giving
no hint to the contrary, so that's good enough
for me.

many may assume magic isn't real based on
their secular, rationalistic education but the bible
paints a different picture i think.

do you believe in demons?

[ July 03, 2003, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: timothy 1969 ]

 

How about them? Magicians are workers of illusion, without regard to spiritual state. Works of magic are not supernatural, they're illusional. </font>[/QUOTE]this was an illusion?

Exodus 7: 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

according to the word of god, these magicians transformed their rods into snakes with their enchantments.

 

timothy 1969 said:

the bible deals with magic as if it were real, giving no hint to the contrary, so that's good enough for me.

The Bible forbidding involvement in witchcraft does not mean that magic is a real power, any more than the Bible forbidding idolatry means Dagon and Zeus are real gods.

 

timothy 1969 said:

according to the word of god, these magicians transformed their rods into snakes with their enchantments.

So did Moses. Was that "magic"?

 

no, the bible does not say that moses (or aaron) used enchantments. every word of the bible is important.

 

So hypothetically speaking, if I had a rod and knew the right enchantment, it is guaranteed that I could turn the rod into a snake?

 

i know that magic is real, since the egyptian magicians performed magic "with their enchantments". that's what the bible plainly says.

1cor 10:
19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

it sounds like demons sometimes "play god" by being the real power behind lifeless idols and false religions.

here's another example of real, demon powered magic -

acts 16:
16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

 

hmm. i don't think so, if i understand things right it requires the cooperation of a demon, but i may be wrong. i'm not an expert in magic, nor do i wish to be

[ July 03, 2003, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: timothy 1969 ]

 

Acts 16:
16: And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18: And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19: And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,


a servant of Christ,
Drew