QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

© Copyright 1993

You're a magician? Doesn't the Bible condemn magic?

The King James Version never uses the word magic. The King James Version of the Bible does use the word magician or magicians often in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word chartom is translated to the English word magician or magicians. The Hebrew word chartom literally means a horoscopist. The contemporary word is astrologer. Do not look to the stars for truth. Look to God's word, the Bible.

What about in Acts 8?  Wasn't a man named Simon condemned by Peter for practicing sorcery?

No, he was not condemned for practicing sorcery. Read Acts 8 carefully. Simon's sin was that he tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit from Peter. The Greek word translated sorcery in Acts 8 is mageuo. This Greek word does not appear anywhere else in the Bible. That which Simon practiced is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. The King James says Simon "bewitched the people." The Greek word translated bewitched literally means amazed.

What about Acts 19? Didn't the converts burn their magic books?

Yes, in Acts 19:19 the New American Standard Version says; "And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of all; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." The King James does not use the word magic, but reads; "... them also which used curious arts...." The Greek word periergos in Acts 19:19 translated to the English magic or curious arts literally means the acts of a meddlesome busybody.

What about Revelations 9:21 in the New International Version?  "Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts."

Here, the Greek word translated magic arts is pharmakeia. Pharmakeia is the Greek root for the English word pharmacist. Are modern day pharmacists forbidden by the Bible? MagicBob doesn't think so. Neither are magical entertainers like him. He could not make a magic potion. He will not, and could not, read your horoscope, consult with demons, or conduct a séance to talk to your long gone uncle on the other side. MagicBob will deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior, while entertaining and amazing you with visual puzzles and mysteries.

Your illusions depend on deception. Jesus said, "Let no man deceive you."

Yes, He certainly did say that in Matthew 24:4 (KJV), "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you." But keep reading through verse five. "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ." Perish the thought that MagicBob would ever try to deceive you so. We could use the words, "Let no man deceive you," out-of-context, to ban puppets, Christmas plays, and all Christian fiction books. The puppets, for example, are not real, but a deception to small children. The word translated to deceive in verse five is the Greek word planao, which literally means to cause to roam from safety, truth, or virtue, to cause to go astray. 

MagicBob's goal is to illustrate the truth. Jesus is the truth.

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life." 

John 14:6a (New International Version)

The apostle Paul said:

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Corinthians 9:16-23 (New International Version)