What about Smoking?

If I were to say to you the word, “witchcraft,” what images would fill your mind? How about the word, “sorcery?” Would witches, ghosts, spells, demons, and satanic images be in your mind? Biblically speaking, these items would not be excluded, but there are a few important items that we left out.

Would you be surprised to learn this biblical term also includes the abuse of drugs? In this category you could include pot, hash, cocaine, heroin, and even prescription drugs taken without a doctor’s orders.

The Greek word, “pharmakia” (far-ma-key’-ah) is where we get our word, “pharmacy”. Of course our pharmacy is the place we go to purchase drugs and medicines to help us to heal and feel better. In the Bible, medicines were used often but were not referred to as “pharmakia.” This word was reserved for those drugs used in various types of demon worship and satanic rituals. These drugs were not prescribed by the doctor to help people get well. They were drugs used by ungodly worshippers to enhance their “spiritual” experience.

“And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” Revelation 9:21

In Revelation 9:21 these evil people refused to repent of their wrong use of drugs. This is probably due to the addiction they experienced. They would rather feed the addiction of the body than to give it up to God. They would rather die with the addiction than live without it.

“And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Revelation 18:23

Whole nations will be addicted to drugs and will be led into deception because of their use. Men’s minds will become willing puppets because of the drugs and the affect of addiction.

In the book of Galatians we have a list of nineteen works of the flesh. Among the sins of adultery, hatred, and murder is listed the sin of witchcraft, “pharmakia”. The scripture says:

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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.” Galatians 5:19-21

Those people who make addiction to drugs a priority over God do not inherit the kingdom of God. Not because of the presence of the drug, but because of the absence of God’s power to overcome. A Christian will act like a Christian. A Christian will at times do things wrong, but they can not sin continuously without repenting or dying.

Here is the real shocker. Guess what "drugs" are included in pharmakia?

Here is a hint from the Regents of the University of Minnesota web site:
“Tobacco is as addictive as heroin (as a mood & behavior altering agent).
· Nicotine is:
· 1000 times more potent than alcohol
· 10-100 times more potent than barbiturates
· 5-10 times more potent than cocaine or morphine

Additional information is found in an article titled “Smoking” by James Broomfield, MD:
“Smoking involves inhaling and absorbing nicotine into the body. Nicotine is a poisonous, addictive chemical found in tobacco.
What is going on in the body?
In the 1960s, medical research began to show that cigarette smoking was quite bad for a person's health. At least 70% of smokers in the United States have made at least one attempt to quit smoking. The nicotine in tobacco is as addictive as cocaine. It is because of this addiction that smoking cessation can be so difficult.”
He goes on to say:
“What are the long-term effects of the condition?
“The health risks from the chemicals found in tobacco are enormous. Tobacco use can cause the following diseases: · chronic bronchitis · coronary artery disease and other forms of heart disease · emphysema · gastroesophageal reflux disease · lung cancer”

Many people do not realize that tobacco is not only physically addictive, but it is also a plant with spiritual impact. At the time Paul was writing the letter to the Galatians, the only place tobacco was being grown and used was in the Americas by Native Americans for religious purposes.

“…there is no indication of habitual tobacco use in the Ancient world, on any continent save the Americas.”
©2001 Gene Borio, Tobacco BBS (212-982-4645). WebPage: tobacco.org Original Tobacco BBS material may be reprinted in any non-commercial venue if accompanied by this credit.

Pharmakia in Paul’s definition would have included tobacco because it was a drug being used to worship false gods. It is still used in the pagan worship of Native Americans (First Nations people).

“For us, tobacco is sacred. In the older teachings of what it was all about, it was very important to see that it was sacred. A lot of us have forgotten the sacred purposes of tobacco, for various reasons.”
“It is a well-documented fact: tobacco use has a long history among First Nations (American Indian) people. Tobacco has been used in the Americas in rituals, ceremonies and prayer for thousands of years. Amongst First Nations, traditional tobacco has always been, and remains to this day, sacred.”
- Dennis Nicholas, Kanehsatake Elder, March 2002”

You may be smoking for “recreation” but to the American Indian you are being sacrilegious to his religion. Tobacco has never ceased from being the pharmakia spoken by Paul to the Galatians. If a person smokes, will that make them go to hell? No, but it can make them smell like they have been there. One thing will make a person go to hell, the lack of Christ’s Salvation. Smoking Christians should stop. It is a physical and a spiritual hindrance to life, blessing, and answered prayer. Your life will improve without it.

My goal here is to teach the whole council of God and not be lacking in helping each person to grow and be used of God to their full potential. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quit. If you have tried and failed before, get more determined to stay clean through the power of Christ.

“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16