Is Magic Bad? (Let’s Look at What the Bible Has to Say)

As I mentioned last week there is a portion of the Christian realm that would say, “All magic is bad.” I also commented on how I think our use of the word “magic” and our use of the word “miracle” contributes to the Christian community’s confusion about whether or not magic is bad, good, neutral, or two-sided.

It’s rumored C.S. Lewis struggled in his fiction writing to find a word he could adequately use to replace “magic.” In the end he used the word “magic” in his fantasy realm both to refer to good power and bad power. Many fiction writers have tried alternatives to “magic” in their writing, words like “powers,” “skills,” “gifting,” etc. But, regardless of whether the use of a different word for magic fits the context of any given story, these alternatives are either fantasy magic or simple a new title for supernatural magic: an ability/power that is sourced/granted by that which is supernatural.

We tend as Christians to contrast the words “miracle and magic” like we do “angels and demons,” but I do not think this is a fully accurate way of looking at magic. Stick around and I’ll show you why.

First let’s look at the English definitions of the word “miracle.”

Encyclopedia Britannica: Miracle—extraordinary and astonishing happening that is attributed to the presence and action of an ultimate or divine power.

Cambridge Dictionary: Miracle—an unusual and mysterious event that is thought to have been caused by a god because it does not follow the usual laws of nature.

Here’s the thing: A miracle may seem straightforward when it’s Jesus doing an astonishing event contrary to nature (like healing someone who is blind, multiplying bread and fish, etc.), but what about when it’s Moses or Aaron taking an action that brings about a miracle, or Elisha, Peter, Paul, Stephen, etc.? Such happenings could fall under another definition as well, that of magic.

Cambridge Dictionary: Magic—the use of special powers to make things happen that would usually be impossible.

Things like controlling water (2 Kings 2:8), calling down fire (2Ki 1:10), and making iron float (2Ki 6:6), all sound like magic. They are labeled as neither one, but when we talk about these specific events as Christians, we would call them “acts of God” or “miracles.”

The events of the initial plagues of Egypt are the same events displayed by Moses and Aaron and by the Egyptian magicians. Why do we call one a miracle and the other something else? As Christians we tend to refer to all events specifically linked to God’s power as miracles, even when the Bible does not necessarily refer to them that way. Why? Well, the distinction we’re making is not in regard to the event itself (because they were doing the same things). So what is it referring to?

Consider for a moment that in the Bible neither God nor Jesus used the word “miracle” or “magic.”  Before you start referencing all the verses where your Bible says miracle and magic, let me remind you that the Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. The words “miracle” and “magic” are English words, which translators have applied to Scriptural concepts.

In the Bible there are at least three different Hebrew words that are translated as “miracle” and at least two different Greek words. That’s 5 different words in the Bible all used at times to express the concept we label “miracle.” 

Verses with “miracle” from the Old Testament:

“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miracle (môp̄ēṯ),’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may turn into a serpent.’” – Exodus 7:9 (NASB)

The translations that use the word miracle in Ex 7:9 are KJV, NKJV, NLT, NIV, ESV, NASB. Everyone agrees this should be called a miracle.

“So I will raise my hand and strike the Egyptians, performing all kinds of miracles (pālā’) among them.”-Exodus 3:20 (NASB)

The translations that use the word miracle in Ex 3:20 are NLT, NASB. Whereas KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV use the word “wonders.”

“Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles (‘ôṯ), which I did in Egypt…” – Numbers 14:22 (KJV)

The translations that use the word miracle in Num 14:22 are KJV, NLT. Whereas NKJV, NIV, ESV, NASBO use the word “signs.”

Verses with “miracle” from the New Testament:

“Then [Jesus] began to reprimand the cities in which most of His miracles (dynamis) were done, because they did not repent.” – Matthew 11:20 (NASB)

The translations that use the word miracle in Mat 11:20 are NLT, NIV, NASB. Whereas KJV, NKJV, ESV use the words “mighty works.”

“And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. …they began to confer with one another, saying, “What are we to do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle (sēmeion) has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” – Acts 4:14-16 (NASB)

The translations that use the word miracle in Act 4:14 are KJV, NKJV, NASB, NLT. Whereas NIV, ESV, use the words “notable sign.”

These same five words in Hebrew and Greek, translated in these verses as “miracle,” are also translated as a lot of other words throughout Scripture. Words like: wonder, sign, wondered, wondrous, special, marvelous, work, hard, wondrously, performing, signs, token(s), ensigns, mark, power, mighty work, strength, might, virtue, mighty. 

Take the Greek word: Sēmeion. This word is translated in Acts 4:14 (see above) as our English word “miracle”—a power sourced by God and used by the disciples. But then that same Greek word is translated in Revelation 13:11-14 and Rev 16:13 (see below) as “great signs” and a “sign” —a power sourced by Satan. We know this is Satan because of Rev 12:9 and Rev 20:2.¶

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence… He performs great signs (sēmeion), so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs (sēmeion) which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast…” – Revelation 13:11-14 (NKJV)

“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs (sēmeion), which go out to the kings of the entire world…” – Revelation 16:13 (NKJV)

Here are also examples of the Greek word Dynamis used to express both good and bad power: 

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles (dynamis), wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—” – Acts 2:22 (NKJV)

“Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power (dynamis) and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” – Luke 9:1 (NKJV)

Now it could be said in Luke 9:1, “Jesus gave His disciples miracles” or it could also be said, “Jesus gave His disciples magic”-the ability to do the impossible. Bear with me, I know to many of you and even myself this sounds wrong, but that is because we’ve been using the word magic as if it only ever is referring to the bad side of supernatural power. But having studied this issue in the Bible for quite some time now, I think we need to shift our wording, because look at the verse below.

“Behold, I have given you authority to walk on snakes and scorpions, and authority over all the power (dynamis) of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.” – Luke 10:19 (NASB)

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power (dynamis), signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” – 2Th 2:9-10 (NKJV)

The same word that is translated as miracle in one place is also the same word used to refer to the power of the enemy. 

Also, like the word “miracle,” there is not simply one word translated as “magic” in the Old or New Testament but rather a handful of different Hebrew and Greek words. That being said, there are actually very few verses that reference magic. Much more verses use other words that are translated more specifically as sorcery, witchcraft, etc. However, two places in the New Testament have Greek words which are more distinctly linked to magic, yet a number of translators also translated these two words as sorcery. Let’s take a look at that passage below and figure out why.

“But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery (mageuō) in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power (dynamis) of God.” And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries (mageia) for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”- Acts 8:9 (NKJV)

The Greek word mageuō is translated by the KJV, NKJV, NLT, NIV as “sorcery.” Whereas the ESV and NASB simply use the word “magic.” The word mageia is translated by the KJV, NKJV, NIV, as “sorcery” but the NLT, ESV, NASB translated it as “magic.”

Why do some translators label this sorcery while others label it magic? Well, because looking at this passage we know from the context that Simon’s previous magic was not sourced by God. Thus, it was sorcery. Hence many of the translations are making this delineation clear from the start by calling the “magic” Simon is using “sorcery” (i.e. magic sourced by demonic power).

Now, consider for a moment that people were astonished by Simon’s magic and thought it was of God. They didn’t know and couldn’t tell the difference between sorcery and miracles simply by the acts themselves. It wasn’t until they were preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ that they could delineate. 

In other words to put this distinction a bit more plainly and probably a bit startlingly, I think a better way to look at this issue may in fact be this:

Magic is what is happening. Specifying the source behind the magic by calling it a “miracle” (sourced by God) or “sorcery” (sourced by demonic power) is what explains WHO is granting the power. Thus, without knowledge of the source of the supernatural power at work, we cannot say implicitly “magic is good” or “magic is bad.”Rather we must first determine who is sourcing the magic. Note: It is not “what” but “who” because supernatural magic (i.e. real magic) is always sourced by a “who” not a “what.”

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Next week we will look further into the question of who is sourcing the magic, and we’ll look at what our response to magic should be as Christians. 

(Note: All Scripture translations are indicated on each verse, emphasis added)