WHAT WE BIBLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT DRUGS

by Charles Morton

Now I'm not just talking about the kind some folks smoke or snort up their noses. I'm talking about all drugs, legal as well as illegal. I'm talking about common over-the-counter drugs as well as prescription drugs. Does the Bible mention them at all? is it for them or against them?

"Normally, if you want to study a subject in the Bible, all you have to do is look it up in a reference book called a concordance. This book lists every word in the Bible and refers you to all the texts where it is located.

"When you look for the word "drug", however, you discover that it is not listed. This has led many people to the erroneous conclusion that the Bible does not mention drugs. Because of this, most people have never heard the subject of drugs expounded from a Biblical viewpoint.

"By studying the original Greek text we find that the use of drugs is mentioned four times in the New Testament. The Word ''sorcerers" in Rev. 21:8 and 22:15 and "sorceries" found in Rev.9:21 and 18:23 are all de rived from the original Greek word "pharmakon". '

"We read in Rev. 22:15: "For without are dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

"Whatever "sorcery" is, it certainly keeps pretty bad company, doesn't it? Now we read in Rev. 18:23: "Thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy sorceries were all nations delivered".

Strong's exhaustive concordance of the Bible, which lists every word in the Bible, also gives the meaning of

the original word. It lists the word "sorcery" as word #5332, and tells us that it is translated from the original Greek word "pharmakon" and it gives the definition as: #1 —a drug i.e. a spell-giving potion #2—a druggist or pharmacist #3 — a poisoner.

"Isn't that amazing. A pharmacist today has the same Greek title that he had at the time the New Testament was written nearly 2000 years ago, and he is still doing the same thing — dealing in poisonous drugs!

"The Bible says that "sorcery", or the use of poisonous drugs, has deceived all nations. All nations practice sorcery through the use of drugs, but they are deceived into thinking it's right. If a person is deceived, he won't know he is deceived, now will he? God condemns the merchandising and use of poisonous drugs along with murder and idolatry. Read it in your own Bible. Study it for yourself. If you don't own a concordance, borrow one from your library and see it with your own eyes.

"When I first became aware of it, my reaction was to deny it. Surely the word must have changed meaning. I looked in Webster's 2nd Collegiate Dictionary published in 1980 under the word "pharmaceutical" and I could scarcely believe my eyes when the definition read: "pharmaceutical"—the practice of witchcraft or the use of poison.

"Now, this brings us to ask: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT MEDICINE?

"Are we to conclude from what the Bible has to say about drugs that all medicines are condemned? If we want wisdom and knowledge about a certain subject, Is. 28:9 & 10 tells us how to obtain it. "VS: "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast." VS:10 "For precept must be upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little."

How are we to put precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little? That is exactly what we were doing when we used the concordance as a tool to study what the Bible has to say about drugs. Let us once again apply this method to the study of the word "medicine".

The very first place the word "medicine" is used in the Bible is in Proverbs 17:22 and it says, "A merry heart doeth good, like a medicine." If medicine and drugs are the same thing, this would, at first glance, seem to reveal a contradiction in the Bible. This question is answered in the very next text listed in the concordance under medicine: EZ. 47:12 "The fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine." The Bible is telling us that medicine is good and it tells us where to obtain it — from the leaves—or what we commonly call "herbs".

The original Hebrew word used for medicine in Proverbs 17:22 is listed as word #1456 in Strong's concordance. We find that the Hebrew spelling is g-e-h-a-h and it means: a cure. The original word used in EZ. 47:12 is t-e-r-v-w-p-h-ah, and it means: a remedy.

Today the words "medicine" and "drugs" are used interchangeably. Language is dynamic and it changes to reflect common usage. We have found that the original word for "sorcery" means a drug, a druggist, or a poisoner. We have found that the original word for "medicine" means a cure or a remedy. We therefore can clearly see that drugs and medicine are not the same thing when spoken of in the Bible. The Bible condemns the use of poisons for medicine and labels it as sorcery, and very plainly tells us that true medicine is leaves.

The common name used for medical leaves is herbs. Ps.104:14 says that he has given us "herbs for the service of Man".

A woman said, "Isn't this interesting? You know what? You're right except for one thing. There are plenty of folks that I know of who are paying attention, and they have quit the use of drugs, both legal and illegal. You're not the only one who has been learning this past year. Every week I've been attending a lecture on medicinal herbs where there are a lot of people who used to be considered incurable and are now well and healthy. Why, one lady spent $15,000 at a leading hospital to be told she was incurable and they wanted to try a new experimental medicine on her. She decided instead to try herbs. Her doctor was amazed when she began to recover. I know another little boy who was allergic to everything and nothing could be done for him. His mother turned to herbs and now he is leading a normal life. My friend, Mildred, started taking herbs for her diabetes and she was able to gradually reduce the use of insulin, with her doctor's approval, until now she's completely off the use of insulin. I know of lots-of others who have been helped also."

THERE ARE NO INCURABLE DISEASES for our God "HEALETH ALL THY DISEASES." (Ps 103:3)

God says. "I am the Lord that healeth thee," EX 15:26. One of the commandments is "Thou shall not have any Gods before me". Are we not provoking Him when we use poisonous drugs which He condemns as sorcery instead of using herbs which He calls medicines?

God heals some people by faith, but many are not healed in this manner. Faith healing is not the subject of this article, but sufficient to say here that the use of herbs for medicine is given to us by the same God who gives us faith healing, both are valid, both are necessary.

God does not condemn doctors; the apostle Luke was called "the beloved physician," but He does condemn the use of drugs for medicine. What about you my friend, will you return to true medicine and forsake sorcery?

Many people have run the course of sorcery/drugs only to be told that everything medically possible had been done but that they were incurable. The good news is that THERE ARE NO INCURABLE DISEASES. Thousands of people around the world have been cured by using herbs after they were told they were incurable.
 

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