Section 7: Wizardry vs. Sorcery
If there is one point of confusion that most needs addressing, it is this: many Christians equate “wizardry” with “sorcery.” They hear the word “wizard” and immediately think of occult practices that the Bible clearly warns against. This is understandable, given how history and popular culture have blurred these terms. But careful study shows that wizardry and sorcery are not the same thing. To understand why wizardry is not a threat to Christianity, we must make this distinction crystal clear.
What the Bible Condemns
The Bible is unambiguous about certain practices. In Deuteronomy 18:10–12 we read:
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD…”
Similar warnings appear in Galatians 5:20, Revelation 21:8, and Isaiah 8:19. Clearly, God forbids sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and manipulation of spirits. These practices seek power apart from God, often through rebellion, idolatry, or demonic influence.
Christians are right to take these warnings seriously. But the key question is this: does the true role of a wizard, as a wise one, fall under these condemned categories?
Sorcery: Manipulation and Rebellion
Sorcery, biblically defined, is the attempt to manipulate spiritual powers for selfish ends. It is not wisdom but control. Sorcery seeks shortcuts to power, often through rebellion against God’s authority.
Examples include:
- Pharaoh’s magicians in Exodus 7–8, who imitated Moses’ miracles to resist God’s will.
- Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8, who tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit for personal gain.
- The “witch of Endor” in 1 Samuel 28, who called up the spirit of Samuel for Saul in direct violation of God’s law.
In each case, sorcery is condemned not because of unusual knowledge, but because it involves rebellion, manipulation, and idolatry.
Wizardry: Wisdom and Service
By contrast, wizardry—understood in its original sense—is not about control or rebellion. It is about wisdom, discernment, and service. The wizard does not manipulate spirits or seek selfish power. The wizard seeks to understand creation, speak truth, counsel others, and live in harmony with God’s order.
This aligns with the Biblical examples of wise ones who served faithfully:
- Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41).
- Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar’s visions (Daniel 2).
- Solomon giving counsel through proverbs (1 Kings 4).
None of these figures were condemned as sorcerers. On the contrary, their wisdom was celebrated as a gift from God.
Translation Confusion
Part of the misunderstanding comes from older Bible translations. For example, the King James Version sometimes uses the word “wizard” when translating Hebrew terms like yidde‘oni, which actually means “medium” or “spiritist.” Isaiah 8:19 (KJV) reads: “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter…”
Modern translations, however, render the term more accurately: “mediums” or “spiritists.” The KJV’s use of “wizard” was never meant to mean “wise one” but was simply the 17th-century English term for necromancers. This mistranslation helped cement the false idea that “wizard” always equals sorcerer.
Recovering the word’s true meaning—as “wise one”—frees it from this confusion.
Wisdom vs. Magic
It is important to distinguish between wisdom and magic.
- Wisdom is the application of understanding, discernment, and truth. It is aligned with God’s creation and revealed through Scripture.
- Magic (sorcery) is the attempt to manipulate forces for selfish ends, often in defiance of God.
A wizard, rightly defined, pursues wisdom. Sorcery, by contrast, pursues power. One serves; the other dominates. One aligns with God’s truth; the other rebels against it.
Apologetic Reasoning: Why the Distinction Matters
If Christians continue to blur wizardry and sorcery together, they risk rejecting wisdom out of fear. This would be tragic, because the Bible repeatedly calls us to seek wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says: “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
To call all wisdom-seeking “sorcery” would be like calling all medicine “witchcraft” or all philosophy “idolatry.” Just because some misuse knowledge does not mean all knowledge is corrupt. The key is whether wisdom is used humbly in service to God, or arrogantly in rebellion against Him.
Historical Confusion
During the Middle Ages, fear of heresy and superstition caused many to lump all unusual knowledge under “sorcery.” Herbal medicine, astronomy, and even early science were sometimes condemned as witchcraft. As a result, the line between wisdom and sorcery blurred in the popular imagination.
But history shows that Christian monks, scholars, and healers often preserved and advanced knowledge while staying faithful to God. Their work, though sometimes misunderstood, was wisdom in service, not sorcery in rebellion.
The Character Test
Ultimately, the difference between wizardry and sorcery lies in character and intent. James 3:17 describes true wisdom: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
If what we call “wizardry” produces purity, peace, gentleness, reason, mercy, and sincerity, then it is wisdom from above. If what we call “sorcery” produces pride, manipulation, and rebellion, then it is false and condemned.
This is the test by which Christians can discern the difference.
The Wizard as Servant, Not Sorcerer
The wizard’s life is marked by service. He or she uses wisdom to counsel, heal, and protect. Sorcery is marked by self-exaltation. The two are not the same and should not be confused.
Just as the Bible distinguishes between true prophets and false prophets, so we must distinguish between wisdom (wizardry) and sorcery. One is a gift; the other is a sin.
Conclusion of Section 7
In this section, we have seen that:
- The Bible condemns sorcery, necromancy, and manipulation of spirits.
- Sorcery is about rebellion, control, and selfish power.
- Wizardry, rightly defined, is about wisdom, discernment, and service.
- Translation history (especially the KJV) caused confusion by using “wizard” for “medium.”
- Wisdom and magic are not the same—one serves, the other dominates.
- The character test (James 3:17) helps distinguish true wisdom from false.
- The wizard serves humbly; the sorcerer seeks power.
Therefore, wizardry and sorcery must not be conflated. Wizardry, when understood as wisdom, is not condemned by Scripture but celebrated. Sorcery is rightly rejected, but wisdom—true wizardry—is a blessing from God.