Familiar spirits in the new testament
The concept of "familiar spirits" is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament. However, there are several passages that refer to spirits, demons, and evil entities that can be related to the idea of familiar spirits.
In the Old Testament, a "familiar spirit" (Hebrew: רוּחַ חָכְמָה, ruach chokhmah) was a spirit that was believed to possess knowledge or wisdom, often gained through occult practices or divination. These spirits were considered to be evil and were condemned by God (Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:11).
In the New Testament, the concept of evil spirits and demons is prominent. Jesus and his disciples often encountered and cast out demons (Matthew 8:28-34, 9:32-34, 12:22-24, 15:21-28, 17:14-21, Mark 1:23-26, 3:11, 5:1-20, 7:24-30, Luke 4:33-36, 8:26-39, 9:38-43, 11:14-26).
Some passages that can be related to the idea of familiar spirits include:
- Matthew 12:43-45 - Jesus warns against the possibility of a person being possessed by an unclean spirit after being cleansed.
- Mark 5:1-20 - Jesus casts out a legion of demons from a man who was possessed.
- Luke 11:14-26 - Jesus teaches about the importance of seeking spiritual guidance and warns against seeking guidance from evil spirits.
- Acts 16:16-18 - Paul casts out a spirit of divination from a slave girl who was being used by her owners for fortune-telling.
- 1 Corinthians 10:20-22 - Paul warns against participating in idolatrous practices and eating food offered to idols, which could involve seeking guidance from evil spirits.
While the concept of familiar spirits is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, these passages demonstrate the importance of seeking guidance from God and avoiding the influence of evil spirits.