The Bible authors are negative towards magicians and sorcerers for a reason – their objections are based both on a strict ideological adherence to the Divine Law and on the cultural experience of a society in which any attempt to gain power over supernatural forces was seen as a threat to the established order.

Biblical Rejection of Magic: Ideological and Cultural Roots

The Bible authors are negative towards magicians and sorcerers for a reason – their objections are based both on a strict ideological adherence to the Divine Law and on the cultural experience of a society in which any attempt to gain power over supernatural forces was seen as a threat to the established order.

From an ideological point of view, the biblical texts emphasize that the only true source of light and wisdom is God, and any practices directed toward other forces or occult methods are regarded as manifestations of unfaithfulness and disobedience. For example, the book of Exodus states:
“…turn to the law and the revelation. If they do not speak according to this word, then there is no light in them. And furthermore: ‘Do not let the soothsayers live’” (source: link txt).

This attitude is reinforced in other parts of the Scriptures, where magic is equated with sin, comparable to idolatry and disobedience, as illustrated in the quote:
“And do not listen to your prophets and your diviners... for disobedience is as much a sin as sorcery, and opposition is the same as idolatry” (source: link txt).

Culturally, this negative perception reflects an effort to protect the community from practices that could weaken social and spiritual cohesion. Magic was seen as an attempt to gain power over the material world independently of God’s will – a blatant violation of the principles upon which religious and social life was built. One source suggests that “the magical interpretation of mysteries, church sacred rites, and the overall cult is one of the main reasons for the degeneration of Christianity in people, its distortions, and the descent into paganism. Magic is that insane attempt at a ‘revolution’ against God” (source: link txt). This indicates that occult practices were viewed not only as a religious evil but also as a cultural one, undermining the foundations of societal order.

Thus, the cultural and ideological hostility towards magic is rooted in the belief that any deviation from the true Divine Law leads to spiritual and social degradation. The biblical authors, following their religious tradition, categorically rejected magic, considering it both a betrayal of established truths and a dangerous practice capable of destroying the foundations of society.