My Thoughts on the Greek Word "Pharmakeia" Getting Used to Fuel the Big Pharma Conspiracy Theories

In my personal study of Greek in the New Testament, one of the words that strike me is the word "pharmakeia". I used to read Jesus-is-Savior and other related sites a lot. Jesus-is-Savior and Reformation Online are both having their love for the "Big Pharma" conspiracy theory. I do agree that there are greedy pharmacists and doctors who only care about making a buck rather than getting a patient well. That is pretty much against the Hippocratic oath. The word pharmakeia is translated as sorcery or witchcraft in the Bible. Sound teachers like Dr. John F. MacArthur even admit that. The word pharmakeia is used in Galatians and Revelation in reference to witchcraft. 

We need to consider how the use of Greek words can be used fallaciously. Roman Catholicism has used Acts 9:31 with the Greek words "kath" and "oles" (translated as all throughout) to justify their erroneous existence. I don't deny that the word catholic is derivered from kath-oles or that older English loves to use it as a synonym for universal. The same can be said for trying to do the Big Pharma conspiracy theory with the word pharmakeia. Acts 8:11 uses the word "mageia" and not "pharmakeia" to describe a sorcerer. Mageia is where we get the word magic. I just wonder did other manuscripts use mageia instead of pharmakeia? Did some of the King James translators have manuscripts that used mageia instead of pharmakeia?

However, the origins of the word pharmacy according to the Online Etymology dictionary are as follows:

late 14c., farmacie, "a medicine that rids the body of an excess of humors (except blood);" also "treatment with medicine; theory of treatment with medicine," from Old French farmacie "a purgative" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin pharmacia, from Greek pharmakeia "a healing or harmful medicine, a healing or poisonous herb; a drug, poisonous potion; magic (potion), dye, raw material for physical or chemical processing," from pharmakeus (fem. pharmakis) "a preparer of drugs, a poisoner, a sorcerer" from pharmakon "a drug, a poison, philter, charm, spell, enchantment." Beekes writes that the original meaning cannot be clearly established, and "The word is clearly Pre-Greek." The ph- was restored 16c. in French, 17c. in English (see ph). 

Meaning "the use or administration of drugs" is from c. 1400; the sense of "art or practice of preparing, preserving, and compounding medicines and dispensing them according to prescriptions" is from 1650s; that of "place where drugs are prepared and dispensed" is recorded by 1833.

As language evolves, the word pharmakeia was originally used to describe the use of harmful drugs. When Paul was using pharmakeia in Galatians and John in Revelation - it's most likely to specify about magic spells or the use of deadly potions. A pharmakeus or pharmakis was the word used to originally describe someone who formulated drugs. However, as the language evolved, the meaning has widened in the 1400s where the word now means "the use and administration of drugs". The word drug can either mean narcotics or medicines. I personally prefer to call the drug store a medicine store to lessen the confusion. 

Narcotics are dangerous because they contain certain excesses and stuff that aren't meant to be consumed by the body. Shabu is dangerous because it contains excess pain-relieving chemicals. Toxicology states that it's the dose that makes the toxin. Overeating multivitamins as candy results in an overdose. The body excretes waste because the body needs to get rid of the excess that the body can't process or fuel. You eat the food, you digest it, but there are always waste products produced. You drink eight glasses of water and eat three full meals a day but the body can't process all that. That's why you go to the toilet to urinate and defecate and why they are dangerous pathogens - it's because they are toxins removed from the body. The same can be said for harmful drugs. They are toxic because they contain substances that aren't meant for ingestion and too much of a good thing is toxic.

From the Massachusetts Bible Society, we also get this insight into the Greek word pharmakeia:

I think there are really three questions here: one about translation, one about the practice of medicine, and one about interpretation for today. 

First, translation: The word pharmakeia is very much like our word for ‘drugs’: that is, it can refer to many things. When I use the word “drugs” I can be referring to Tylenol (which can be purchased over the counter) or to prescription drugs (which require the oversight of a physician), but I can also be referring to illegal drugs (such as meth). Which I am referring to will depend entirely on context; generally, when someone uses the word ‘drugs’ they have a specific meaning in mind rather than all three. The word pharmakeia is much the same. It has a range of meanings. It can refer to magic, but it very often refers to the practice of medicine or what might be called healing arts (see Liddell and Scott, a Greek-English Lexicon). It does not refer to both of these things at the same time. It depends on context. In the New Testament the word pharmekeia occurs three times (Gal 5:19-21; Rev 9:21; 18:23). Each time, it is translated as ‘sorcery’ or ‘magic’ and it is something that is spoken of in negative terms. The translators have chosen this definition because of the context. This does not mean that every possible definition of the word phramekeia is condemned. It depends on context. 

Second, you ask if the practice of medicine is condemned in the New Testament. By no means. There are two verses that point to a positive view of the practice of medicine: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matt 9:12; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:31). Why say that the sick have need of a physician if medicine is condemned? And Colossians 4:14 brings greetings from “Luke, the physician.” Why would Luke’s profession as a physician be mentioned if it were viewed as inappropriate or tantamount to sorcery? The New Testament certainly recognizes that healing can occur in other ways besides through the care of a physician: Jesus is presented as the quintessential healer. Both Mark and Luke tell a story about a woman who had been ill for many years and who had seen many physicians, none of whom were able to help here (Mark 5:26; Luke 8:43). This does not condemn the medical profession; rather it describes the desperate state of the woman. 

Third: interpretation for today. Healing is a complex process. Most any physician today would agree with this and I believe such a view is present also in the New Testament. It involves individuals such as family or friends who support us (think of the four friends who carry the paralytic to Jesus); it involves treatment by physicians and licensed mental health care specialists and may include the appropriate use of specific drugs; it involves faith – that is, trust in God; it also involves our own willingness to engage in actions and activities that promote health.

I was thinking about certain words in the English language can drive misconception. It's really something when you teach that we're declaring a spiritual war against drugs. Later, some nutjobs end up going against the drug store which sells medicines and would later subscribe to the Big Pharma Conspiracy Theory. 

It's pretty much the same when Paul and James use the Greek word dikaiologo as mentioned in the Strong's Concordance. However, we realize that Paul talks about justification by faith that results to works. James, however, talks about how works justify showing proof of one's salvation. Paul was talking about dikailogo in the judicial sense. James, however, was talking about dikaiologo in the sense of proving your faith. James was saying, "You want to justify your faith? Show me proof!" or asking for proof of one's faith. One talked about the theological definition. James seems to be talking in legal terms. It's almost like saying, "Can you justify your claim?" Then when you want to justify your claim then you have to present proof of its legitimacy. James feels like a customs officer looking for the seal of approval. For every believer, a life of good works is indeed a seal of approval that comes along with it.

The same can be said when we use the word drug. A drug is something that can be used as a pain reliever. Legal dictionaries today use the word harmful or illegal drugs as a synonym for the English word narcotics. A narcotic is a substance that seriously affects mind or behavior. Paul's usage of pharmakeia was in an address to the use of mind-altering drugs as witchcraft and not the medical practice. What would be interesting is that the Greek word for medicine is pharmako (φάρμακο) and pharmacy is pharmakeo (φαρμακείο) not pharmakeia. It would refer to general medicine. I don't think Paul himself was condemning medication but rather the use of dangerous substances. A lot of cults tend to drug their subjects into submission. Some of today's cults also have used hallucinogens to control their followers. 

My thoughts are that Paul used pharmakeia and not pharmakeo (which contains nearly the same Greek letters) to make a distinction. Paul was a great scholar and had the instruction of the Holy Spirit. We can consider how the distinction between pharmakeo, pharmako, and pharmakeia. It looks like we got the word pharmacy from pharmakeo and not pharmakeia. It's probably the same as how the word drug can mean medicine beneficial to the body or a substance that's dangerous to the body. Did Paul write Galatians with Luke by his side? Probably, probably not. Colossians 4:14 has Paul having a request to greet Luke. Probably, Luke may have been instructed by God to go to Paul. Luke being a doctrine was most likely aware of the misapplication of the science of medicine by sorcerers. The doctors were practicing pharmakeo while the sorcerers were practicing pharmakeia. The distinction is really there. We see the word pharma there. One is making medicines to cure somebody. The other is making medicines that are used exclusively for the occult. Making medicines isn't wrong. What the sorcerers were doing was perverting the pharmakeo into becoming pharmakeia. 

Again, I beg people to please study in context and deviate from medical conspiracy theories. For one, David W. Cloud of Way of Life Ministries discourages conspiracy theories. I really agree with Bro. Cloud nearly 100% on his assessment of conspiracy theories. Most of them are mentally damaging. The same goes for the Big Pharma conspiracy theory. Cloud's articles on vaccination have further encouraged me that research on a COVID-19 vaccine is necessary. History has proven that vaccinations have lessened epidemics yet conspiracy nutjobs still go against it. While the advent of washing machines has helped get rid of smallpox - we still cannot discredit vaccinations and how they helped stopped epidemics. Do you know rabies shots are used to help stop the spread of rabies of someone that got bitten by a rabid dog? Do you know that polio dropped because of the polio vaccine? Vaccines are effective as long as they were formulated properly by medical professionals. We can accept vaccines that are made properly while rejecting those that aren't proven safe and effective.