My question is inspired by the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Concretely, by Matthew 14:26-27 and Luke 24:36-39:
26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
[Matthew 14:26-27 NASB]
36 Now while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself suddenly stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 37 But they were startled and frightened, and thought that they were looking at a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why are doubts arising in your hearts? 39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have.”
[Luke 24:36-39 NASB]
These passages tell us about the worldview of Jesus' disciples. They believed that apparitions of ghosts/spirits were a real phenomenon, to the point that in at least two instances they mistook their own Master for apparitions of this kind. This makes me wonder: why did the disciples have such a worldview in the first place? Was it rooted in actual experience?
Do ghosts exist?
Do disembodied spirits exist?
Are stories of paranormal activity real?
Demonic spirits do exist .... sometimes disguising themselves as familiar spirits (family members) is (ghosts)
After his
resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. Again they were terrified:
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." (Luke 24:37-39, NIV)
Jesus did not believe in ghosts; he knew the truth, but his superstitious apostles had bought into that folk tale. When they encountered something they couldn't understand, they immediately assumed it was a ghost.
Because of the existence of demons (fallen angels) it is important to understand that yeah.... the dead are really dead ... there is nothing immortal about us .... until Jesus returns and the 1st resurrection happens. Otherwise, one will indeed believe there are ghosts .... thinking the appearance of demons (even though perhaps seemingly friendly at times) is proof of an "immortal soul" ... not true .... and one may be easily deceived.
Sorcery, the use of spells, divination,
or speaking to spirits, is clearly condemned in the Bible. The word
sorcery in Scripture is always used in reference to an evil or deceptive practice.
For example, in
2 Chronicles 33:6, King Manasseh is condemned for his many evil practices, including sorcery: “And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.”
The apostle Paul lists sorcery as one of many sinful practices that mark the lives of unbelievers: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife . . . and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (
Galatians 5:19-21).
Interestingly, the New Testament Greek word translated “sorcery” is
pharmakeia, which is the source of our English word
pharmacy. In Paul’s day, the word primarily meant “dealing in poison” or “drug use” and was applied to divination and spell-casting because sorcerers often used drugs along with their incantations and amulets to conjure occult power.
Sorcerers were common in the culture of ancient Egypt (
Exodus 7:11;
Isaiah 19:3). We also see sorcery in the kingdom of Babylon, especially in association with King Nebuchadnezzar (
Jeremiah 27:9;
Daniel 2:2).
Sorcery is an attempt to bypass God’s wisdom and power and give glory to Satan instead. God has no tolerance for sorcery. In
Deuteronomy 18:10-12, sorcery is listed among the sinful practices of the nations surrounding Israel. God calls it an abomination: “There shall not be found among you . . . anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer
or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.”
