The Radiant Mission Podcast | Episode 41
Host: Rebecca Twomey @theradiantmission
Co-Host: Rachel Smith @rachelsmithsmith
Thank you for listening to The Radiant Mission podcast! We are on a mission to encourage and inspire you on your walk with Christ and as you journey through life.
In Episode 41 we dive into the use of the word Pharmakeia as referenced in the Bible, and its modern-day correlation to what we refer to today as pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, or pharmacist.
We felt this topic needed a little more context, discussion, and exploration. I think Rachel and I can both agree that we don’t really know anything and that what we’re sharing it’s our own interpretation and even personal opinions, so please take it with a grain of salt. But we like discussing and debating, so thought it would be an interesting topic to dive into.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this episode is NOT medical advice.
In This Episode on Intro to Pharmakeia: Biblical Context, Etymology, & Modern-Day Sorcery:
The Greek word pharmakeia appears in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 18:23. Terms from the same root word appear in Revelation 9:21, Revelation 21:8, and Revelation 22:15.
These are typically translated into English as “sorcery,” “witchcraft,” or “sorcerer.” Ancient Greek uses of pharmakeia closely mirror the generic modern English word drugs; the same Greek root word produced English terms such as pharmacy and pharmacist. (Reference: gotquestions.org)
When we think of the word sorcery today, we think of witchcraft, spells, and perhaps supernatural powers.
So, we’re getting into a bit of a lexicon discussion here. Pharmakeia translated as a “drug” could mean a variety of things–it but seems to refer to something that alters the body in a negative way.
Online Etymology Dictionary explains the word “pharmacy” as follows:
“This is from pharmakeus (fem. pharmakis) “a preparer of drugs, a poisoner, a sorcerer” from pharmakon “a drug, a poison, philter, charm, spell, enchantment.” Beekes writes that the original meaning cannot be clearly established, and “The word is clearly Pre-Greek.” The ph- was restored 16c. in French, 17c. in English.
Buck [“Selected Indo-European Synonyms”] notes that “Words for ‘poison’, apart from an inherited group, are in some cases the same as those for ‘drug’ ….” In addition to the Greek word he has Latin venenum “poison,” earlier “drug, medical potion” (source of Spanish veneno, French venin, English venom), and Old English lybb.
Meaning “the use or admi nistration of drugs” is from c. 1400; the sense of “art or practice of preparing, preserving, and compounding medicines and dispensing them according to prescriptions” is from 1650s; that of “place where drugs are prepared and dispensed” is recorded by 1833.”
What about pharmakeia from a scriptural perspective?
The book of Enoch is not in scripture, it’s an apocryphal book. However, it adds an interesting layer to what we’re told about the Watchers in Genesis 6.
In Genesis 6 we’re told how the sons of God fell from heaven and they took human as their wives and procreated. Their offspring are what is referred to as the Nephilim or giants.
In the book of Enoch, the “sons of God,” also known as fallen angels, are called Watchers. For more context and explanation, be sure to listen to Episode 4 – Spiritual Warfare: The Nephilim & The Spiritual Realm. You might also want to check out Episode 5 – The Nephilim Part 2: How Demons Influence Us.
The Watchers are mentioned as essentially sorcerers of sorts.
“And they taught them charms and spells, and showed them the cutting of roots and trees” (i.e., medicine) (1 Enoch 7:1b). They also apparently taught humans things like war and weapon making.
The Book of Enoch, Chapter 7:
“And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms 2 and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they 3 became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed 4 all the acquisitions of men. [And] when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against 5 them and devoured mankind. [And] they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and 6 fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.”
To read in detail, you can find the book of Enoch here.
Scholars have deduced that the knowledge from the Watchers, or fallen angels, is where magic, sorcery, and medicine stems from. This is the genesis of that in human history. It was taught to humans when they intermingled with the fallen angels.
This resulted in abominations that led to the destruction of the earth by flood.
How then does the use of pharmakeia relate to modern-day pharmacy?
There is a cause and effect that we can’t ignore when it comes to modern-day pharmaceuticals. While a drug might solve a particular health problem, it can also create other problems. It is not unlike the sorcery or spells referred to Biblically as pharmakeia.
We are sold lies that a drug can “free” us, when they can actually do quite the opposite.
Interestingly, we’re not the only ones curious about the meaning of pharmakeia and what the Bible has to say about it.
In an article on Bible Gateway it states that the term “sorcery” increased 193% as a search term in 2021 when compared to 2020 due to questions over the new Covid darts that came out. People wanted to know: what does the Bible say about this? And by this, I mean pharmaceutical drugs.
So where do we go with this?
Arguments have been made that Revelation 18:23 is a prediction of the times we’re in. “For by your sorcery [pharmakeia] all the nations were deceived.”
People are going back and forth as to whether or not we can truly deduce that pharmakeia and pharmaceuticals are the same.
But here’s the thing. The etymology of the word pharmacy says this:
“Pharmacy is a combination of the Greek term * pharama form IE * bher- (to charm, enchant) and -(a)-ko- resulting in * pharmako- (magic, charm, cure, potion, medicine) and in Latin pharmacie.”
Does this mean that drugs can’t be used for good? No. I think that’s the intention of a lot of people who go into working in pharmaceuticals. But what if the lesson here is bigger than an etymology debate? What if what the Lord wants us to conclude from all this is to be extremely cautious about what we put inside our temples?
If I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that it’s really easy to poison ourselves. Our water is full of fluoride–which we’ve been lied to and told is good for our teeth when it’s actually toxic to life and ingesting it is slowly killing us all.
If you’d like to learn what’s in your water, visit the EWG tap water database and type in your zip code.
Then we’ve got our skincare products that are also full of toxic ingredients.
The toxic twelve often found in our products:
- Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
- Paraformaldehyde, a type of formaldehyde.
- Methylene glycol, a type of formaldehyde.
- Quaternium 15, which releases formaldehyde.
- Mercury, which can damage the kidneys and nervous system.
- Dibutyl and diethylhexyl phthalates, which disrupt hormones and damage the reproductive system.
- Isobutyl and isopropyl parabens, which disrupt hormones and harm the reproductive system.
- The long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.
- M- and o-phenylenediamine, used in hair dyes, which irritate and sensitize the skin, damage DNA and can cause cancer.
Next up we have our food, which is sprayed with toxic products like glyphosate, a known carcinogen.
I could go on and on about all of this, but I want to circle back to why I’m mentioning this. If our water, food, skincare, mattresses, clothes, etc. are filled with ingredients that are toxic to humans–how in the world could we believe that a synthetic drug made in a lab to magically “cure” us of a disease or problem is completely, 100% safe?
Now I said it in our episode with Carrie and I’ll say it again: I am not saying to stop taking every pharmaceutical you’re currently taking. I am not providing or giving medical advice here. That is for you to decide. And maybe your doctor, if you believe in those (lol).
The reason I wanted to have this conversation is to encourage you to think about it. Think about what you’re taking and why. And think about the rest of what we talked about too!
Think about the food you eat, the skincare products you use, the water you drink, all of it. It can feel overwhelming, but just start somewhere and explore and dive into these topics for yourself. Do your own research, pray that the Lord will reveal the right path for you.
For Rachel and I this journey for us meant that the Lord taught us more about food and how some foods heal and others cause disease. It taught us that plants like dandelions aren’t the enemy, but actually serve an incredible purpose in both nature and when consumed by humans.
It also taught us about how incredible our bodies are and that God created our bodies to heal.
Many products that have been recalled due to new discoveries that they cause cancer (like many sunscreens recently). Did you know that acetaminophen (you might know it as Tylenol) is on that list? Or that there is a class action lawsuit against Tylenol for causing ADHD and ADD in children?
If right now you’re thinking “OK, well what do I do if I have a headache or don’t feel good?” Remember what Paula Carper said when she joined us: those are symptoms of a problem. Focus on getting to the root cause of your problem, not covering up the problem with drug meant to block signals in your body.
But again, this isn’t medical advice. I just want to encourage you to learn about your own body and how it functions. If you have frequent headaches or migraines, something is going on! Talking to a dietician or holistic doctor is a great place to start healing.
One thing we can stand firm in is that Yahweh sent his son to save us from the sinful state of this world.
Bible Verses Mentioned on Intro to Pharmakeia: Biblical Context, Etymology, & Modern-Day Sorcery:
- Genesis 6
- Psalm 103:2-3
Resources Mentioned:
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