Pharmakeia

pharmakeia
Strongs number 5331

1. the use or the administering of drugs
2. poisoning
3. sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it
4. metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry

In the King James the word is most often translated as "witchcraft" and the verses it is in always show it in a negative light, for example;
Galatians 5:19-21
19 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,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
     So those who practice witchcraft will not inherit the kingdom of God.                
                       This is serious stuff!!!

So what is Witchcraft as outlined in this verse. We know from looking it up in the strongs the word that was translated was Pharmakeia the same word used as the root for words like pharmacy or pharmaceutical.

Same word for Sorcery, Witchcraft and administering Drugs. Imagine that..... A religious belief that taking drugs will somehow improve your condition, or placing trust in drugs more than even God himself. Surely this is a primitive practice that has no bearing on our more modern and educated lives. Who practices Idolatry any more? who would worship Idols and take or prescribe drugs in combination with worshiping Idols? All this must be the work of some primitive people way back when or perhaps some natives off in a jungle somewhere who did not go to community college like the rest of us experts. I mean it all seems a bit silly don't it Idolatry is something we don't practice today is it?
Worshiping Graven Images things made by the hand of man and abandoning reason for faith  in a system that has no basis in reality.

Kneeling at the Altar

       Just a thought. the other day I was watching the news and they were telling everyone to go get flu shots for the coming flu season. these are the shots that have been proven to contain mercury and cause massive complications in people when they get older. Out of all the test done on flu shots there have been little to indicate that there are more positive effects than negative and yet because big pharma pays for about 6 out of 8 commercials during the time the news is on they are given a news story for us to blindly believe because it came out of our box we watch religious every night thinking we are going to hear truth.

    My favorite commercial was for a bladder control drug that had the unfortunate side effect
 (mentioned at the end of the commercial very quickly and in a lowered tone of voice) of uncontrollable diarrhea. So some poor slob who has been deceived by this modern box of Idolatry can go and stop peeing in his adult diaper and start crapping himself instead.
     Out of all these commercial for modern Pharma-Business I have yet to see a cure for anything offered, only treatment. So for the rest of your life you would need to take the bladder control drug that makes you soil yourself rather than a one time cure. I guess there is no money in curing people only treating them. Out of all of this you would think we could spot our blind worship to a system of belief that tries to cloak itself in scientific rational thought.

Is it a pill or Satan's communion?

      Does it sound rational to you to take a drug for bladder control that makes you soil yourself? How bout a male erectile dysfunction drug that can make you go into cardiac arrest (sudden death during love making might just spoil the mood). I love the long list of warnings for the drugs that are supposed to help or cure us. Sounds more like VooDoo than science to me, but even if it did work the big question is, are we putting our trust and faith in something other than God? Are we practicing Pharmakeia something it says in the bible could keep us from inheriting the kingdom?

     When church is over on Sunday and you have a headache how many people do you ask for a aspirin before you consider asking for prayer? what does that say about your faith and what you trust more? Do we as Christians trust our doctors and pharmacist more than our pastors and elders? do we rely more on the PDR than the bible?
   I know at this point there are a few of you out there who will ask "what about Luke, he was a doctor"?
The thing i would point out is that if you went to see Luke I doubt that his office is entirely decorated with posters from drug companies that pay for all his vacations and give him free samples to encourage him to rely on drugs rather than reason.

    Not many years ago if you went to a Doctor and told him you saw an ad for a drug on TV and you think you want that one he would prescribe you a sugar pill to treat your blind belief in pills. In the last few years as we worship drugs more and more the placebo effect is increasing this is to be expected as we go from rational thought into idolatry and witchcraft (Pharmakeia). We are even debating in our government if there is a "right" to have full access to drugs you believe you need and healthcare from the current system of Pharma-business is a inalienable right.
       The worst part is that in church, even in spirit filled ministries that claim to believe in the healing power of the holy spirit through the laying on of hands and anointing with oil (see James chapter 5) when people hear me sniffle or cough they will offer every remedy from bee pollen to the newest cold pill before suggesting prayer or trusting in the finished work of the cross.

     Do we trust Jesus?
James chapter 1 verses 5-8 says;


5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.


If we don't trust that God is the healer and put all our faith in Pharmakeia how can we expect to receive any thing from God? Is God Creator of heaven and earth able to heal your cold symptoms, or can we only trust in pills and potions?
James chapter 5 Verses 14 and 15 say;

14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

I think it says it best in 1 Kings Chapter 18 verse 21
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word

Baal was most often religion of earth worship (anyone hug a tree or make recycling their justification lately) and just as our modern Idolitry box spews every day with news about global warming and save the planet earth worship religion while it sells us drugs we have a choice.

Choose this day who you will follow, God or Pharma it is that simple......