Can a Christian practice Magic?

[Revmitchell]

Like you? No I clearly stated in my open air sermon that I am not preaching a hate gospel, not unlike some that preach against Homosexuals and target them. Homosexuals will not be in heaven, but there is no reason for a believer to show hate towards them.

So what is the difference between you confronting "magic" and others confronting homosexuality?

 

[evangelist6589]

I think the NIV & ESV use magic cause its missing verses like they just up and vanished... you should use a KJV

just a little ribbing sorry. are we still friends?

The KJV is a good translation and my fiancés favorite. However I generally prefer the ESV or NIV. Have you read them?

 

[evangelist6589]

So what is the difference between you confronting "magic" and others confronting homosexuality?

None. Both need to preached against. I also preached in my sermon that Homosexuals will not inherit heaven. But I preached that God does love them and desires for them to REPENT and TURN from their sins for God will judge them one day (Heb 9:27). Too bad I did not get todays sermon on audio record as there was lots of drama and hecklers on me!

 

[Gorship]

The KJV is a good translation and my fiancés favorite. However I generally prefer the ESV or NIV. Have you read them?

unfortunately yes. NIV is just flat out garbage (im sorry i know you like it, but its terrible, and the translators continue to fail with it), ESV has some moments where your like "hey thats kinda" and then it gets smooshed. Again the removal of verses is a big deal for me, and I am one of those crazy people that believes the "thee, thy and thou's" are important to the text.

 

[jbh28]

The appearance of evil! Come on both the ESV and NIV speak and condemn magic! Why make excuses for it? Its the appearance of evil, even if its not real.

First, "appearance of evil" doesn't mean something that isn't evil but someone could make it look like it. Appearance, form, kind of evil, in other words, abstain from all forms of evil.

Second, magic(like card tricks) in no way has any appearance of sorcery.

 

[TadQueasy]

The KJV is a good translation and my fiancés favorite. However I generally prefer the ESV or NIV. Have you read them?

Something is extremely fishy with all your posts.

First, they are always very me centered. You have a deep desire to make sure everyone here knows all that you do. You have probably typed "I" and "me" more than any other word.

Second, are you married or not? In recent posts you have talked about your wife and now you refer to her as your fiance. Which is it?

 

[Steadfast Fred]

Today while I was out witnessing after I had passed out several hundreds tracts I did some open air preaching. A man was doing a magic show and he claimed to be a Christian and so I confronted him and his so called magic in my preaching. He then started to heckle and really antagonize me. I probably should have then ignored him and focused on my audience whom left after me and this man started to debate. A security guard had to come and break it up. What amazed me is that a professing believer claimed to do magic and he really heckled me which indicated devils may have been at work in this man. Devils hate the gospel and those that preach it, so this man hated me. I think a reading of Revelation 22 will indicate that those that practice magic will not be in heaven. However the NIV may be wrong on this interpretation.

Rev 22:15 (ESV)-Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Rev 22:15(NIV)- Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

The ESV is more literal, however I wonder if the NIV is correct to a degree here. Can anyone whom has a familiarity with the Greek clue me in on this one? Thanks..


John

the word 'sorcerers' in Revelation is not speaking of magic or magicians.

It is speaking of druggist's.


5333 φάρμακος [FA/RMAKOS] {phármakos} \far-mak-os'\
the same as 5332:--sorcerer.

Phasmakos is where we get our modern word pharmicist from.

 

[saturneptune]

And for my next trick, I will make a doctorate for my pet dog appear.....................

 

[Gib]

There's a 3rd grader in my church that can remove her thumb from her hand and then put it back. My grandpa used to do that. She does it much better.

 

[DrJamesAch]

Westcott & Hort were magicians; they made several thousand verses disappear! There's also a popular poisonous flower that made sound Bible doctrine disappear in a lot of good churches!

 

[padredurand]

He then started to heckle and really antagonize me. I probably should have then ignored him and focused on my audience whom left after me and this man started to debate. A security guard had to come and break it up.

And you're worried about the other guy pulling a rabbit out of his hat?

 

[evangelist6589]

unfortunately yes. NIV is just flat out garbage (im sorry i know you like it, but its terrible, and the translators continue to fail with it), ESV has some moments where your like "hey thats kinda" and then it gets smooshed. Again the removal of verses is a big deal for me, and I am one of those crazy people that believes the "thee, thy and thou's" are important to the text.

I do not agree with you. Notice that I am not bashing the KJV like you do my favorite translations. I respect the KJV, but its not the most accurate translation given the older manuscripts it uses. However I still open air with it on occasion as like the NKJV it seems to render better most of the time in open air sermons.

 

[evangelist6589]

First, "appearance of evil" doesn't mean something that isn't evil but someone could make it look like it. Appearance, form, kind of evil, in other words, abstain from all forms of evil.

Second, magic(like card tricks) in no way has any appearance of sorcery.

You say this and at the same time promote a MacArthur book??? Have you read Our Sufficiency in Christ?

 

[evangelist6589]

And for my next trick, I will make a doctorate for my pet dog appear.....................

Thats fine. But just dont call that evangelism.

 

[evangelist6589]

There's a 3rd grader in my church that can remove her thumb from her hand and then put it back. My grandpa used to do that. She does it much better.

Impossible unless she has something wrong with her body.

 

[evangelist6589]

Westcott & Hort were magicians; they made several thousand verses disappear! There's also a popular poisonous flower that made sound Bible doctrine disappear in a lot of good churches!

You saying the KJV is superior to the ESV and NIV?

 

[evangelist6589]

And you're worried about the other guy pulling a rabbit out of his hat?

I admit I made a mistake in arguing with him and should have just focused on preaching yes...

 

[Revmitchell]

Everything is superior to the NIV

 

[Don]

Something missing from the story: Was the guy doing magic tricks and presenting the gospel? Or was he doing magic tricks, and Evangelist attacked the magic tricks as being evil, and the guy announced that he was a Christian?

I agree that the other guy was way out of line for attacking Evangelist. He should have just ignored him.

I also agree that Evangelist was way out of line for attacking the guy in the first place. By his own admission, his actions lost people who were originally listening to him; and lost more people who might have listened to him.

 

[Herald]

No that I know of. However after having a long chat with my fiancé just know about the whole incident, she says I should not have argues with him like I did which turned some away whom had sat down to hear me preach. She also said he was way out of line in his attacking and reaction to my preaching, even after I apologized for calling him in league with satan. I did so after he told me he was doing tricks and not real magic.

Your fiance gave you good counsel. You were out of line in confronting him; mostly because he was not engaged in real magic or sorcery. Trust me, it's hard for us to admit when we're wrong. In this case you were. Was he right for heckling you? No. Two wrongs do not make a right. But you did bring it upon yourself. I'm not telling you this to be mean.