Galatians 5:19-20 KJV
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these ; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, [20] Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
This word witchcraft in the above verse is the same word in the Greek that we get our word, pharmacy from. This is why I would consider any mind altering drug or beverage to be a form of witchcraft or sorcery[drug related sorcery]. Here is the breakdown from a Greek lexicon:
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Strong’s Concordance
pharmakeia: the use of medicine, drugs or spells
Original Word: φαρμακεία, ας, ἡ HELPS Word-studies
5331 pharmakeía (from pharmakeuō, “administer drugs”) – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts, etc. (A. T. Robertson). http://biblehub.com/discovery.htm NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 5331: φαρμακεία φαρμακεία (WH κια, so T (except in Galatians 5:20; cf. the Proleg., p. 88); see Iota), φαρμακείας, ἡ (φαρμακεύω);a. the use or the administering of drugs(Xenophon, mem. 4, 2, 17). b. poisoning (Plato, Polybius, others): Revelation 9:21 (here WH text Trmarginal reading φαρμακῶν; many interpretations refer the passage to the next entry). c. sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it: Galatians 5:20 (where see Lightfoot) (Wis. 12:4 Wis. 18:13; for כְּשָׁפִים, Isaiah 47:9; for לָטִים, Exodus 7:22; Exodus 8:18; for לְהָטִים, Exodus 7:11); tropically, of the deceptions and seductions of idolatry, Revelation 18:23. STRONGS NT 5331: φάρμακον[φάρμακον, φαρμάκου, τό, from Homerdown, a drug; an enchantment: Trmarginal reading WH text in Revelation 9:21 (R. V. sorceries), for φαρμακεία, which see (in b.).] Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
sorcery, witchcraft.From pharmakeus; medication (“pharmacy”), i.e. (by extension) magic (literally or figuratively) — sorcery, witchcraft. |
This is why the Bible says to stay away from alcohol for social purposes. It alters your mind. And drugs are an obvious no. These are a form of witchcraft. Outside of the medical reasons this would also explain why drugs and alcohol are so addicting. And this is also why it is a spiritual bondage and only Jesus Christ can break the chains of addiction.
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