Should a Christian use medicinal drugs that may affect the mind?<\/p>\n\t
The Bible teaches Christians to be sound of mind. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour<\/em>” (I Peter 5:8). The Greek word translated as “sober” is\u00a0nepho<\/em>, which literally means “drink no wine.” From this, it derived a broader meaning being self-controlled, free of confusion, clear-headed, sound of mind, or keeping your head.<\/p>\n Because of this, Christians are to avoid intoxicants that cloud clear thinking. For example, alcohol is a depressant, which can lower a person’s inhibitions. Hosea links the use of alcohol with fornication. “Their drink is rebellion, they commit harlotry continually. Her rulers dearly love dishonor<\/em>” (Hosea 4:18). Habakkuk warns, “Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, who mix in your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their nakedness!<\/em>” (Habakkuk 2:15). The reference to “mix in your venom” is the ancient practice of adding herbs (or drugs) to wine to make its intoxicating effects more potent. Christians have a hard enough time battling temptations with making Satan’s job easier by taking drugs that alter one’s judgment and self-control.<\/p>\n Drug abuse was also closely associated with witchcraft and sorcery. The Greek word\u00a0pharmakeia\u00a0<\/em>literally means “to administer drugs.” As with our English word “drugs,” the context must be considered to determine the meaning. If I say, “He is using drugs to control his cancer” we understand that it is for medicinal purposes. However, if I say, “He is using drugs at parties” we understand that it is recreational usage or drug abuse that is being considered. According to Vine,\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0“primarily signified ‘the use of medicine, drugs, spells’; then ‘poisoning’; then, ‘sorcery.’ In other words,\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0has a range of meanings depending on the context. Strong indicates the same thing: “medication, by extension magic, literally or figuratively, sorcery, witchcraft.”<\/p>\n Many drugs give the user highs and hallucinations so that reality is muffled and confused. Without the knowledge of what was involved, magical things would appear to happen. In more current times, the voodooism of the West Indies is one where the use of drugs is strongly tied to supposed magical practices. Since witchcraft is clearly condemned (see\u00a0Deuteronomy 18:9-12), the paraphernalia supporting this industry is also condemned. Each use of the word\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0in the New Testament is used in a negative sense (Galatians 5:19-21;\u00a0Revelation 9:20-21;\u00a021:8;\u00a022:15). Hence, the translators chose “sorcery” as the meaning, though it could just as easily have been translated as “drug abuse.”<\/p>\n Because\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0can also be used to refer to medicinal drugs, some incorrectly jump to the conclusion that condemnation of\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0condemns all its various meanings, including medicine. One man wrote that the “assessment of sorcery being any form of magic arts is correct, but to dismiss the use of drugs and not include them as being a form of magic arts is not correct. Legally prescribed pharmaceutical drugs must be a form of\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0(sorcery), or else word definitions are meaningless.”<\/p>\n The flaw in the man’s reasoning is the assumption that if a word can have a particular meaning, then it must include that meaning in all uses. To disprove this, let’s consider the word\u00a0zelos<\/em>, which is defined by Thayer as:<\/p>\n Now when Paul used this word in\u00a0II Corinthians 9:2\u00a0saying, “for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your\u00a0zeal\u00a0<\/strong>has stirred up the majority,<\/em>” is it proper to conclude that Paul meant all meanings of\u00a0zelos\u00a0<\/em>when he praised the Corinthian’s zeal? Or when we read “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with\u00a0envy<\/strong>; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul<\/em>” in\u00a0Acts 13:45\u00a0that the primary meaning, which includes “defending anything” is meant in this passage? Of course not! A word can have different meanings due to its usage. Some words can even have contradictory meanings, such as the English word “cleave.” We understand this to be true in our everyday conversations.<\/p>\n Therefore, we cannot jump to the conclusion that condemnation of\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>\u00a0includes its meaning of medicinal drugs without further research in the Scriptures.<\/p>\n As we look through the Bible, we do find references to medicinal products. People were employed as physicians or healers (Exodus 21:19;\u00a0II Kings 8:29;\u00a0Ecclesiastes 3:3;\u00a0Jeremiah 8:22;\u00a0Ezekiel 34:4;\u00a0Matthew 9:12;\u00a0Colossians 4:14). Oils and ointments were used to treat wounds (Isaiah 1:6;\u00a0Jeremiah 8:22;\u00a051:8;\u00a0Luke 10:33-34;\u00a0James 5:14). Binding, bandaging and splinting were practiced (Isaiah 1:6;\u00a0Ezekiel 30:21). Herbs were used to encourage healing (Proverbs 17:22;\u00a0Jeremiah 30:12-13;\u00a051:8;\u00a0Ezekiel 47:12). They used painkillers (Mark 15:23). Wine was used for wounds and stomach ailments (Luke 10:34;\u00a0I Timothy 5:23). All these verses show that doctors and medicines are not necessarily viewed negatively; they could not be included in the consistently negative reference to\u00a0pharmakeia<\/em>.<\/p>\n The question, though, specifically deals with medicinal products designed to affect the mind. There are diseases whose symptoms cause mental incapacity. For example, thyroid hormone imbalance can cause nervousness, insomnia, depression, or irritability. Correcting the imbalance causes mental symptoms to disappear. In a real sense, I could argue that the disease is causing a lack of soberness in the person. They are not operating to the best of their ability and for some problems, the impact causes their mind to give them a false sense of what is real. Since a Christian is to be sober-minded and of sound judgment, medicines which correct problems that hinder in these areas are useful in a Christian’s life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Should a Christian use medicinal drugs that may affect the mind? Answer: The Bible teaches Christians to be sound of mind. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). The Greek word translated as “sober” is\u00a0nepho, which literally means…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[372,645,508,565,604],"class_list":["post-3327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-drugs","tag-medication","tag-mental-illness","tag-sober","tag-witchcraft"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20099,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-marijuana-be-used-for-legitimate-medical-purposes\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":0},"title":"Can marijuana be used for legitimate medical purposes?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is using marijuana or components of marijuana for legitimate medical diagnoses biblical? Answer: While it is popular for promoters of marijuana to talk about \"medical marijuana,\" there currently does not exist any known medical uses for marijuana that there isn't a superior drug already on the market that doesn't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62595,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-the-use-of-a-psychedelic-drug-a-gray-area\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":1},"title":"Is the use of a psychedelic drug a gray area?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I ask this unconvinced. My father and mother, about a year ago, began using psilocybin (magic mushrooms), having not dabbled in it since they were teenagers. Both of them claim they underwent a spiritual renewal after tripping. Now they believe they are truly \"saved\" for the first time and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3340,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-shouldnt-people-drink-alcohol\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":2},"title":"Why shouldn’t people drink alcohol?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 26, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why shouldn't people drink alcohol? Answer: See the article \"New Testament Beverages\" for details. The brief answer is that the New Testament allows Christians to use alcohol for medicinal purposes, but not for recreational purposes. Christians are to strive to be sober and watchful at all times.","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52150,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-take-medication-for-my-bipolar-disorder\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":3},"title":"Should I take medication for my bipolar disorder?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings Brother, I have been reading your site for some months since I was investigating the church of Christ, and I was baptized about six months ago. Your articles on marijuana and drinking have been a great encouragement to me and have helped me walk my thoughts through the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13010,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/legalizing-drugs\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":4},"title":"Legalizing Drugs","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 13, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W, Hamilton Text: James 5:13-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I heard yet another radio program where the host was arguing for the legalization of drugs. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0His main argument was one of many that I have heard: \u201cWe losing the war on drugs\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The idea is that we can\u2019t win, so let\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67682,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/dissipation\/","url_meta":{"origin":3327,"position":5},"title":"Dissipation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Paul mentions that drinking wine involves dissipation and that instead of doing that which dissipates good moral judgment, one should instead be \"filled with the Spirit\" (Ephesians 5:17-18). 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