Christianity shies away from subjects of the paranormal, sometimes referring to matters of the spirit as occult or satanic. Deuteronomy 18:9 forbids one from seeking the council of people with ‘familiar spirits’ or wizards for help on one’s path. This passage does not disclaim the existence of spirits or ghosts, it only cautions people to trust in God for their guidance or, in other words, get your help directly from the Source, avoid the middleman. The Catholic doctrine of purgatory was based upon passages in The Bible which speak of the in-between states where human souls will reside until the Great White Judgment. They taught that while in this interim state, the spirits of the departed were able, through suffering and introspection, to learn from their earthly mistakes and seek forgiveness. The doctrine also condoned the offering prayers by the living for the dead souls in order to help them through the process. Early Christians believed that apparitions were these souls who were undergoing their cleansing period in purgatory. Their misery was because of remorse for the sins that they committed while in the body.

The prevailing belief that ghosts are satanic or demonic appears around the Middle Ages with the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant faith denounced Catholic teachings, including purgatory. Since there was no purgatory or middle states, souls of the departed remain asleep waiting Judgment Day. Apparitions were then deemed to be either demons from hell or angelic in nature; angelic signifying a being which has never inhabited a human body and has been sent from heaven as a messenger. In 1604, King James VI of Scotland called for a ‘better’ English translation of The Bible. Up to that point there were 2 major versions which were in use; The Geneva and The Bishop’s Bible. It was the Puritan leader, John Reynolds who had urged the king for the change, citing that the previous Tudor kings were corrupt as were their translations. In the new King James Bible, most manifestations or apparitions are referred to as Angels of The Lord or demons. There is one exception found in the Old Testament.

This passage was left in as a reminder to sinners of the dangers of disobeying the law stated in Deuteronomy. 1 Samuel 28:7-25. Saul was at his wit’s end over his war with the Philistines. His prayers to God seemed to go unanswered, so, out of desperation, Saul enlists the assistance of a ‘woman with familiar spirits’, a medium, to contact the deceased Samuel: ….And Samuel saith unto Saul, “Why hast thou troubled me, to conjure me up?”  The medium tells Samuel that she saw many spirits. Another interesting aspect of this scripture is that Samuel’s spirit has maintained his appearance from the time of his death, an old man wearing a mantel or robe. This seems to corroborate many of the reports of apparitions that are dressed in period clothing.     Many passages from The New Testament mention spirits or apparitions. The disciples were all born and raised in the Jewish faith.        Featured Story Continued>

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