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Jesus and His disciples didn't use cannabis

Does the Bible speak about drugs? In the Bible is very clear reference to drugs and this reference has very negative meaning:

Rev 9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (pharmakeia), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The book of Revelation records about four sins of the last days that are visible in the societies of the end times. These four sins are murders, sorceries, fornication and thefts. Of course, there are also other sins in the last day societies, but the Bible says about those four sins maybe for the reason that they are very common in the last day society.

The word sorceries is in Greek pharmakeia, which means witchcraft, the use or the administering of drugs, poisoning, sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it, metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry.

The word pharmakeia derives from the word pharmakeus, which means one who prepares or uses magical remedies, sorcerer. The word pharmakeia connected the Bible message means the purpose of using drugs to get connected (hallucinations, visions) with evil spirits and deception and seduction that lead people into witchcraft and idol worshipping.

It is well known fact that through the drugs the mind of people opens to level of consciousness, in which a man is able to have a connection with evil spirits that people can call also guiding spirits. In ancient cultures and also nowadays are people who prepare drugs from certain plants and through the drug they have a connection to the spirit world (evil spirits).

A person who doesn't use drugs, but have a connection with evil spirits shall suffer similar dangerous effects as people suffer who use drugs. The same effects originate in from the reason that drugs are doors and gates to the spirit world (evil spirit) and dangerous effects of evil spirits. Many drug users don't know this and when they see visions and hallucinations they can think that they see illusions. They are not illusions, but the gates to the spirit world and drug visions are connections with evil spirits.

The drugs are much more dangerous as medical observations and proofs have recorded from the dangerous effects of the drugs, because drugs are the gate and connection to the spirit world (evil spirits).

Some medicines (not all) can have similar effects as drugs, but then is the question about abuse and misuse of medicines (purpose to become intoxicated) and not for medicinal purpose. Don't get me wrong, because I don't suggest or command anyone to leave his medication. If you have some medication ordered by a medical doctor, so you can safely use it, because the question is medicinal use, not the purpose to become intoxicated.

The wrong claims about the connection of cannabis and the Bible

2.10.2003 Chris Bennett wrote in High Times media an article called Was Jesus a stoner? Bennett claims that holy anointing oil contained cannabis (kaneh-bosem) in the book of Moses. His claim is that Jesus anointed people with oil that contained cannabis. The High Times article says that ancient Christian texts (The Acts of Peter, Twelve Apostles) record that Jesus gave His disciples unguent box and a pouch full of medicine that they would go to heal the sick ones. The article says that ancient text (The Acts of Thomas) record about using of holy oil in a purpose of healing the sick ones. The article says that Jesus and His disciples spread healing effects of cannabis in the ancient world.

Bennet said that if cannabis was one of the main ingredients of the ancient Christian anointing oil, as history now indicates, and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ (anointed) and his followers Christians, and to persecute those who use cannabis, could be considered anti-Christ.

The High Times article says that Gnostic texts indicate that Jesus used anointing oil added with cannabis and other entheogens that also used in shamanic rituals and ceremonies. The high Times article says also that Gnostics used cannabis, mushrooms, and other substances as sacraments, a means of achieving spiritual gnosis (wisdom and understanding).

Ex 30:
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet
(besem - bosem) calamus  (qaneh) two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

The Hebrew word qaneh (calamus) refer to reed plant that grow near ponds, lakes and river and also on dry land. This plant (qaneh) did not grow in Israel, and according to researchers it was imported to Israel from Arabia and India. Researchers say that this reed plant was known in India as lemongrass or gingergrass. Some Bible scholars as famous Jewish rabbi Jarchi thought that probably this reed plant was brought more likely from Saba or some parts of Arabia than India, because Saba and Arabia was very near to Israel and India was very far off from Israel. Nowadays no one knows that what reed plant qaneh bosem was, but it is sure that it is not cannabis, because cannabis come from hemp plant that is not reed plant species.

Qaneh bosem or besem don't mean cannabis, but some sweet reed plant, whose origin we can't know for sure. The High Times article used Gnostic texts that it holds as ancient Christian texts. The truth is that Gnostic Christian texts are not the same thing than the Biblical text of the New Testament. Gnostic held Christianity as rival sect and they think that Gnosticism is the much better belief than Christianity. The purpose of Gnostic Christian text was to distort the message of the Biblical New Testament texts and therefore Gnostic Christian texts have not the authority of the Bible. For this reason Gnostic Christian texts have not connection to Jesus of the Bible and claims about Jesus and cannabis are false and untruthful claims.

It is true that in the High Times article that cannabis has used shamanic ceremonies and as a sacramental substance in Gnosticism as purpose to achieve spiritual information. However, the truth is that in shamanism and Gnosticism cannabis was and is the gate to the connection with the spirit world (evil spirits).

Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil (elaion) and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

All places of the New Testament were used olive oil (elaion). Olive oil was the fuel of golden candlesticks, anointed the sick ones and in some feasts the head and the body anointed with olive oil. Testimony of the Bible bear witness that Jesus didn't use oil mixed with cannabis.

Luke 5:17 ¶ And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

According to the teaching of the Bible, Jesus healed the sick ones with the power of the Lord (the power of God). Anointing oil has a symbolic meaning, but the people were healed by the power of God. The testimony of the Bible says that in OT and NT did not used anointing oil mixed with cannabis. Jesus is the Messiah (anointed one) for the sake of God's thoughts and plan, not for the sake of receiving anointing oil as Bennett falsely claims. Jesus' disciples are Jesus' followers, because they believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Saviour and it has nothing to do with anointing oil as Bennett falsely claims. Jesus' disciples say that using cannabis is a sin, and the question is not persecution, but saying sin as sin, because sin breaks and destroys the people. History and the Bible don't indicate that cannabis was an ingredient of Biblical anointing oil, but the wrong and false claim says so.

The claims of High Times that cannabis was one ingredient of Biblical anointing oil is a lie and wrong information. The agenda of High Times media is legalizing the drugs, so that is the reason why they try every way to recommend cannabis to the people. The people who have strong agenda act very often in a way that they try get people to believe that Jesus did the same thing as what is their agenda. Many people claim falsely that Jesus practice yoga, but that is not true. Some people say that Jesus was a gay, but that is not true. Many people who have some agenda try to avail Jesus' name, saying that Jesus did the same things (sin) what they are doing, although it is not true. Connecting Jesus to cannabis is an equal lie as to say that Jesus was a gay and practiced yoga.

The Hebrew word Messiah (Mashiach) (Greek Messias or Christos) means the anointed one. Some people claim that Messiah means anointed, because anointing oil contained cannabis that caused Jesus' spiritual visions. Some people claim that Jesus was not born as the Messiah, but acquired the title when He was anointed with cannabis oil by John the Baptist. The Bible testifies preceding claims as false information.

Luke 2:
8 ¶ And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

There is prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament. When Jesus was born, so the angel of the Lord said: For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ (Messiah) the Lord.

Jesus didn't get His title Messiah by John the Baptist, because the Messiah as the Saviour had been prophesied in the Old Testament and the angel of the Lord said on the same day when Jesus was born that He is the Messiah, the Saviour and the Lord. The claim that Jesus got the title Messiah by John the Baptist is a rude and primitive lie and wrong information.

Jesus got the title Messiah, because He was the chosen and anointed by God to fulfill God's salvation plan that Jesus as the Messiah shall die for the sake of the sins of men. The word anointed one (Messiah) connected to Jesus means most of all anointing and anointed whereby Messiah shall accomplish eternal redemption and return people back to connection with God.

Luke 4:
1 ¶ and Jesus, being full of the holy spirit, returned from the Jordan. and the spirit led him into the wilderness,
2 forty days, to be tempted by the calumniator. and during those days, he ate nothing; and when he had completed them, he was at last hungry.
3 and the calumniator said to him: if thou art the son of god, command this stone to become bread.
4 Jesus replied, and said to him: it is written, not by bread only, doth man live; but by every thing of god.
5 and Satan conducted him to a high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the land, in a little time.
6 and the calumniator said to him: to thee will I give all this dominion, and the glory of it, which is committed to me, and to whom I please, I give it:
7 if therefore thou wilt worship before me, the whole shall be thine.
8 but Jesus replied, and said to him: it is written, thou shalt worship the lord thy god, and him only shalt thou serve.

The Bible nowhere says that when Jesus had used anointing oil, so He begins to see spiritual visions. The Bible records that Jesus saw His spiritual vision in the power of God (the Holy Spirit). The claim, which says that Jesus got His visions by anointing oil is a primitive lie.

Matt 27:
33 ¶ and they came to a place which is called Golgotha, which is interpreted a skull.
34 and they gave him to drink vinegar mixed with gall. and he tasted it, and would not drink.

Mark 15:
22 ¶ And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

The purpose of the wine mixed with myrrh (gall) was to calm and ease pains that people suffer who are going to die. The wine mixed with myrrh caused doped and intoxicated condition and a dying person didn't suffer any pains. Mixing of myrrh and wine made from it a narcotic substance causing doped and intoxicated condition. Jesus refused to drink this narcotic substance. Jesus' action in the cross on great pains proves that Jesus doesn't accept using of drugs and intoxication.

Eze 40:
5 ¶ And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed (qaneh) of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed (qaneh); and the height, one reed
(qaneh).
6 Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed
(qaneh) broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed (qaneh) broad.
7 And every little chamber was one reed
(qaneh) long, and one reed (qaneh) broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed (qaneh).
8 He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed
(qaneh).

The Bible proves in many ways that qaneh bosem doesn't mean cannabis, but some reed plant. In the time of the Bible the Jews used a measuring reed that was called qaneh. In the Bible hemp plant is not used as a measuring rod, but they used the reed plant as a measuring rod, because the stem of reed fitted as the material of measuring rod. The word qaneh means reed plant, because in the time of the Bible they used reed plants as a measuring rods, and because qaneh was used as the name of measuring rod, which was reed plant, so it proves that qaneh was the reed plant and not hemp plant.

Already since the ancient times from hemp has been made robes, but in the Hebrew the word rope have not correlation to the word qaneh. Also, this proves that qaneh doesn't mean cannabis, but some reed plant.

Some people claim that the translators of the Septuagint translated in a wrong way the word qaneh bosem, because they use Greel word kalamos (κάλαμος). They say that qaneh bosem should be translated from the Greek word kannabinos (cannabis). Their claim is wrong and dishonest. The Septuagint was translated from Hebrew to Greek by seventy Jewish Bible scholars. Into question was not the work of one man, but a work of several Jewish Bible scholars. The Jews copied and translated the Bible very accurate and they also revised them very carefully. Translators of the Septuagint translated thew word qaneh bosem from the Greek word kalamos, because kalamos means reed plant, not cannabis. The testimony of the Septuagint is indisputable that qaneh bosem means reed plant and not cannabis.

Gen 1:29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Many people who use cannabis say that the Bible allows to use cannabis, because the Bible says that God gave every seed bearing herb (plant) as the meat for people, and because hemp plant produce seeds, so God has given and allowed to use it, therefore using cannabis is the will of God. Preceding claim is not true, because the will of God is not that a man would use a plant as purpose to intoxication, because intoxication is a sin. In the beginning all plants were meant to meat for people and not smoking and intoxication.

In the beginning everything was good and perfect and all plants were nonpoisonous, but after the fall of the paradise the things changed and on the earth some seeds producing plants grew as poisonous, which people can't eat. We can see this also from the Bible:

2 King 4:
38 ¶ And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof.
41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.

Some herbs and plants were poisonous, causing the death. This Bible passage proves that after the fall of the paradise all plants weren't anymore good, but some plants were poisonous and dangerous. God made a miracle through prophet Elisha and the poisonous effect removed from poisonous plants. In this case God showed His power changing law of nature, but this kind of miracles doesn't happen every day and a man must avoid poisonous plants. Using plants as the purpose to reach intoxication is a sin and against the will of God.

Also nowadays every man knows that there exist really poisonous plants, which produce seeds and we can't eat them. No one can't use Gen 1:29 to defend using of cannabis, because the verse speaks about the circumstances that prevailed in the paradise before the fall and at that time on the earth wasn't plants that would be poisonous and dangerous to men. Nowadays we are living in the world after the fall, in which are plants that are poisonous and dangerous to men and using cannabis as the purpose of intoxication is a sin, because the Bible says that intoxication is a sin.

Some people say that Ezekiel 34:29 teaches that cannabis is a plant of renown.

Eze 34:
29 And I will raise up for them a plant (matta) of renown (shem), and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD.

The Hebrew word matta means planting, plant, plantation and shem means name, renown, fame, famous, report, reputation, fame, glory, the Name (as designation of God). Ezekiel 34:29 speaks about the Messiah who is a plant of renown and when the nation of Israel believes in God through the Messiah, so they shall be no more consumed with spiritual hunger (and not earthly hunger) and not bear the shame of the heathen, because they shall know that the Lord is their God and the nation of Israel are the people of God.

The plant of (matta) the name of the glory (shem) is connected to knowing of God, which means that this place don't speak anything about ordinary cultivated plant or any plant, but from the Messiah, who is the plant of renown, because He is the one who leads the nation of Israel knowing of God. The claim which says that Ezekile 34:29 speaks about cannabis is primitive lie.

Eze 34:
23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.

Ezekiel chapter 34 is an entirety and verses 23,24 speaks about David Shepherd, whom God will set up to feed and shepherd the nation of Israel. This prophecy doesn't speak about David king of Israel, because he had been dead many years before this prophecy was delivered.

Famous Jewish rabbi Kimchi says about Eze 34:23.24 like this: This is the Messiah that shall arise from his seed in the time of salvation: he is called David because his name agrees with him, which signifies "beloved," he being beloved of God and man; and because the son of David, of his seed according to the flesh; and because David was an eminent type of him, in his person, offices, afflictions, wars, victories, and exaltation; and because he was David’s Lord and representative, and in whom his everlasting kingdom is established.

Ezekiel chapter 34 is an entirety, so verses 23,24 proves that the plant (or plantation) of renown is the Messiah, who feeds and shepherd the nation of Israel, and put an end to their hunger of the word of God and leading them to know Almighty God. The mission of the Messiah is precisely to feed and shepherd the nation of Israel by the word of God, which means that Israel shall know God by the word of God that Messiah bring to them. The entirety of the word of God proves indisputably that the plant of renown is the Messiah.

Hinduism has a belief which says that lord Shiva (god) gave cannabis to people for enjoyment and pleasure. According to the belief Shiva went to field and sheltered from the sun under a big cannabis leaf and he tasted it. Cannabis became a favourite food of Shiva. Shiva is also called as name lord Bhang. The Hindi word bhang means intoxicated drink which has been made from the leaves and flowers of cannabis. Islamic Sufi sect used cannabis in ritual when they searched spiritual understanding.

Many pagan goddess cults used cannabis in religious rituals. In India was Kali-Ma (mother of life and death) goddess cult, in which was used marijuana in religious rituals. In the ceremony to Kali cannabis was used as part of ritual sex, in which the purpose was that kundalini energy will rise through the spinal column all ways up to the brain. Worshipping of Kali was identical to worship of Canaanite goddess Anath and ancient Near East Ashera and Astarte.

Drugs and evil spirits have a connection with each other. In pagan religions and beliefs people have a connection with evil spirits (the spirit world) by drugs, looking for wisdom and understanding that is satanic and false wisdom. With the help of cannabis has been raised kundalini energy, which is satanic power. Some ancient goddess cults used cannabis in religious worship rituals.

The Bible teaches to search the wisdom of God through the teaching of the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thereby is very clear, that all kinds of religious rituals, in which people use cannabis or other drugs as the purpose to seek spiritual wisdom is against the word of God (the Bible), in other words it is a sin.

There is a claim which says that Ethiopian Coptic Church use cannabis in the sacraments as purpose to use marihuana connected to prayer and spiritual reasoning and through this process the member of a church can learn to know God in themselves and others. If this claim is true, so it means that they live in deception and have lost away from the truth of the Bible.

The Bible nowhere teaches that when a man uses drugs he can get more spiritual (Biblical) wisdom and the Bible doesn't teach using drugs under no circumstance. The Bible teaches that intoxication is a sin and drugs have intoxicating effect.

The Bible brings out in the book of Revelation chapter 9 that using of drugs is one of the problem and sin of the end times. Of course, the biggest sin is disbelief (don't believe in the Lord as the Bible says) and for this reason a man has chosen to go to eternal damnation. You can still repent and confess your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus and God shall forgive all your sins and you shall enter from the grace of God to eternal life.

Dangerous and harmful effects of cannabis:

People who use cannabis as large amounts suffer these kinds of harmful effects:

Mental confusion, restlessness, anxiety, hallucination, panic attack, anxiety disorders, dissociation from reality, reactivity become weaker, paranoia.

Long-term harmful effects of cannabis:

Weakens brain activity, concentration, memory and learning skills. Smoking of cannabis affects harmful to lungs, causes sore throat, asthma and bronchitis. Can affect to hormone production. Can reduce sexual needs. Can cause irregular menses and reduces amount of sperm. Can cause harmful to the immune system of the body. Minor or regular use of cannabis can cause a psychosis. Using of cannabis causes also mental disorders.

According to some evidence regular use of cannabis increases psychotic symptoms in a person who have themselves mental disorders or in their families are mental disorders. Use of cannabis worsens schizophrenic symptoms and reduce the possibilities to recover from psychotic symptoms. The principal psychoactive substance of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which soaks into the brains about 10 seconds.

Pregnancy or breastfeeding transfer harmful effects of cannabis to the unborn baby and to the child who drinks mother's milk. Use of cannabis weakens ingestion of the fetus, which cause deceleration of embryogenesis and small weight. Use of cannabis during pregnancy increase the risk of premature birth. Use of cannabis during pregnancy can cause to children the risk of leukemia and their cognitive skills and success in the school can weaken. The risk of fetus damages will increase by using cannabis.

Many people think that cannabis is harmless, because it is a plant. Smoking of cannabis can cause lung diseases like bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer like oral cancer, larynx cancer, pharynx cancer and asthma and mucosa inflammation. Use of cannabis increase possibilities of lung diseases if cannabis is smoked with cigarettes. One marijuana cigarette contains five times more tar and carbon monoxide than ordinary cigarette.

Cannabis users have much more memory and mind activities than people who don't use cannabis. Reserarchers have tested animals in animal tests, which show cannabis destroyed their brain structure.

Researchers at Leicester university have found evidence that the smoke of cannabis causes changing in DNA and cab increases the risk of cancer. Smoke of cannabis contains about 400 chemicals, in which are about 60 different cannabinoids. Cannabis contains 50% more carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including naphthalene, benzanthracene, and benzopyrene, than tobacco smoke.

Researchers say that harmful effects of cannabis poisonous substances are more dangerous when the smoke of cannabis is breathed deeper to the lungs than the smoke of cigarette. According to estimations of researchers smoking daily 3-4 cannabis cigarette causes similar damages to the mucosa of the lungs than smoking 20 cigarettes. Smoking of cannabis is not harmless, but very dangerous.

Chronic and abundant use of cannabis increase tolerance and for this reason cannabis users must increase the amount and effectively that they can get similar effects about cannabis. This means that the risks and dangerous effects will increase.

Australian Queensland university (Brain Institute) examined the mental health of young people who have been born between 1981-1984 years and have used drugs at the ages 14-21. A lot of young people (3800) with their mothers responded to inquiries. According to research teenagers cannabis users are in more danger to have the risk of psychosis than those young people who don't use cannabis. '

According to research, 14% of young people was used cannabis six years or longer. Youngsters who have begun to use cannabis at the ages 14-15 have a double risk to have schizophrenia. According to researchers the connection between the age and the risk of psychosis was observed among youngsters who have used cannabis. Other researches show that the more and often a person use cannabis, so the risks are greater.

The French research (French Addictovigilance Network) from the connection of young and middle-aged cannabis users to heart attack, dysrhythmia and strokes, in which some lead to deaths has been discovered causing partly from cannabis products that they have used as medical purposes. This research proves that there are no safe cannabis products, although some people say so.

All preceding research information from dangerous and harmful effects of cannabis indicates that using cannabis is very dangerous. It is useless to underrate or minimize the dangers of cannabis, because proofs about dangers of cannabis are indisputable. In some cases cannabis is more dangerous than alcohol (purpose to intoxicate), but both are dangerous and harmful. It is also clear and the fact that some cannabis users will end up to use harder drugs.

According to American statistics drug overdoses are leading cause of injury deaths (killings, suicides, brain damages, traffic deaths and so on). These deaths were double during last 14 years. Almost half of the deaths are connected to recipe drugs. If the society legalize one drug (cannabis) so doorstep has lowered to legalize also other drugs and the result is as sad as what have been happening in America.

 

Petri Paavola 26.6.2015

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