Drinking From The Cup of Demons 2

Last time we talked about the fact that outside of medical use the only reason people use marijuana is to put themselves into a stupor. You will never hear people say "I prefer the complex flavor profile of Maui Wowee over Yuma Ditchweed, Yuma is one dimensional, while the heady aroma, full body, and lingering finish of Maui makes it a perfect accompaniment to a good cup of dark roast coffee." The after-toke appraisal will be more monosyllabic; "Dude..." or if the user is generous and shares "Ear..." Basically hemp makes excellent rope but horrible dinner conversation, unless endless giggling is an intellectual pursuit in your house.

In the Bible we are also told many times that we are to remain alert, sober, basically not to put ourselves into a stupor but be ready for action

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

But what about drugs - are drugs mentioned in the bible? Yes they are, and in a way you'd never expect it unless you were a Greek scholar or your pastor (who should have studied Greek) pointed it out to you:

¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: (sexual) immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions (heresies), ²¹ envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Did you catch it there? The word that indicates drug use in this verse is "Sorcery". Here and several other places in the New Testament sorcery or witchcraft is mentioned and each of those times it's a reference to mind altering drugs. The original Greek word is pharmakeia (φαρμακεία - Strong's G5331) defined as the use of drugs, potions, and spells. I emphasis 'use' because one of the modern roots of Pharmakeia is Pharmacy which is a legitimate business that dispenses drugs, pharmakeia does not have that connotation of dispensing nor one of legitimacy. Because pharmakeia is the use of drugs, potions, and spells the only proper translation is sorcery, the term "use of spells" eliminates any other possible translation. And if you look up sorcery in Vines you get:

In "sorcery," the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer. 

Pharmakeia is never used in a good context in the bible and its most damning uses are found in the book of Revelation:

²⁰ The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; ²¹ and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21)

Here a third of mankind was just wiped out by plagues and people are still worshiping idols, still sinning, still taking drugs, still failing to repent. You can almost hear the frustration in John's voice as he narrates the remains of mankind's childish fasination with the use of drugs, potions, and spells as the world collapses around them. And again here:

²³ and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. (Revelation 18:23)

Here the passing of Babylon is "mourned", but the voices of Jesus and the Church will not be heard in Babylon because of Babylon's use of drugs, potions, and spells. And now a pronouncement from your Lord

⁸ But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Now we see that those that use drugs, potions, and spells are lumped in with cowards, unbelievers, murderers, immoral persons, idolitors and liars and getting thrown into the lake of fire. And one last reference:

¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Revelation 22:14-15)

The term dogs is used  many times in the bible, none of them positive, so when it's used here we know it's bad enough to be comparable to immoral persons, murderers, idolaters, liars and those that use drugs, potions, and spells. There were several drugs of choice for the ancient stoners, generally on the order of mushrooms and the like, but the number one method of putting yourself into a useless stupor to worship pagan idols without the aid of alcohol was kaneh bosm - cannabis.

The connection between sorcery and present day drug abuse is readily apparent. Use of cannabis in Hindu rites is not uncommon, cannabis is connected with the Hindu god Shiva.Throughout the ages drug use has gone hand-in-hand with worshiping pagan idols, it was quite an important part of Greek religions where Paul most likely saw it. Remember: our God is a jealous God, and anything that takes control of our spirit away from Him is wrong. When we worship God we relinquish control of ourselves and give control to the Holy Spirit, when we worship drugs we take control of ourselves away from God and give it to a power that is not the Holy Spirit, we are willingly poisoning our minds and bodies and opening ourselves up to demonic influences. We can't be filled with the Holy Spirit and mind altering chemicals  at the same time (Ephesians 5:18). To choose sorcery/drugs is to reject God and his control of our lives and invite judgement upon ourselves

He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. (John 12:48)

Keep in mind that many drugs are addictive, and we as Christians must treat the addicted with love and encouragement as we do with an alcoholic. However marijuana (as its proponents tell us) is not addictive, so every moment spent in a drugged stupor is a conscious rebellion against God. And the rebellion against God by the marijuana worshiper doesn't end at smoking their way into an incoherent dribbling mess, it extends into heresy and blasphemy of the most outrageous kind simply to justify their rejection of God. And that's an issue for the next posting.