Christians and Mediumship: Can We Communicate with the Dead?
Saul Consults Samuel by. Salvator RosaNote: This was a term paper for a seminary class that has been converted into a blog post to the best of my ability.
Many passages are debated about their specific meaning, purpose, and even their simple interpretation throughout the Scriptures. One passage is 1 Samuel 28:3–25, sometimes titled Saul and the Medium of Endor. In this passage, we see the King of Israel, Saul, seeking out a medium to speak to the dead prophet Samuel and the consequences that were rendered because of his actions. Many Christians debate whether it was Samuel who appeared by God’s allowance or a demon masquerading as Samuel. Even modern-day neo-pagans (modern witches, mediums, etc., who claim to be Christians) use this passage as proof that it is acceptable to communicate with the dead. In this post, we will examine 1 Samuel 28:3-25 and some of the different interpretations to determine where Christians should stand on the subject of mediumship and how it should be approached and rebuked in the secular society in which we live. We will also consider the commentary of theologians of today and in the past.
God’s Law on Mediumship
First, we must go to the Scriptures to discover what God has to say about the practice of mediumship. Passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy give us the Law of God as it pertains to the subject. “Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God” (Lev 19:31).[1] “As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people” (Lev 20:6). The word Medium applies to one who communicates with the dead by means of divination, seances, and trances.[2] By default, these practices are under the blanket of witchcraft/spiritism/sorcery.[3] God made it very clear in Deut 18:9–12 that there was to be no such practice among his people, even death for those who were to practice the art of witchcraft (Exod 22:18). These practices lead people away from trusting in Him and to the hidden, secret things (Occult) of idols, false gods, and Satan himself. It may seem to be an area where God’s people should know better than to practice or participate in such things. But from the beginning, man in his sinful nature, has sought answers within his autonomous ideology, lacking faith in the creator and putting their trust in the creation (Gen 3; Rom 1). Thus, turning to a medium for guidance is a form of idolatry.
Now, as we examine the text of 1 Samuel 28, it is essential to know that Saul, as King, would have been required to read and copy the Law (Deut 17:14–20), and Samuel cited the Law about divinations to him in 1 Sam 15:23, leaving Saul no excuse, as to ignorance of God’s Law on the subject. We even see in 1 Sam 28:3 where Saul himself drove out all the mediums from the land.
Saul’s Motivation and Circumstances
At the beginning of verse 3 in 1 Samuel 28, we are reminded that Samuel died (1 Sam 25). Saul could no longer consult the prophet about the Lord’s will for him. Earlier, in chapter 15, we saw in one of Saul’s last encounters with Samuel, where Samuel declared the Lord’s rejection of Saul as King for turning his back on God and not performing His commandments (v. 10). Saul is becoming even more paranoid, fearing for his life at the hands of David, who, at this point, was anointed King by Samuel under God’s direction. Saul was also at war with the Philistines. Then he learns that David is now with the Philistines and fears the upcoming battle. Saul then becomes desperate to learn of a strategy or if he should be victorious. When God did not answer, Saul became desperate to the point of purposefully disobeying God’s commands by seeking out a medium to conjure up the spirit of Samuel so that he may take counsel from him. In what appears to be the spirit of Samuel, he tells Saul that because of his sin, he and his sons will die the next day in battle, and as the apparition told, it came to pass (vv. 7–20; Ch 31). We see here that Saul lacked faith in God, thus costing him his life due to his idolatrous heart.
The Debate
There has been some debate as to the circumstances of what transpired here. The Neo-pagan/Occultist (who also professes to be Christian), including some in more charismatic backgrounds, would say that passages like 1 Samuel 28 support mediumship as to God’s secret, hidden things. But in reality, we see that one thing is for sure, God forbids such practices. Those who participate in seances, divination, mediumship, or any form of necromancy seem to undoubtedly suffer from a lack of faith in the God of the Bible. We see this from those who even claim to be Christian. As Dr. Walter Martin said in a lecture on the Cult of Liberal Theology, “The greatest danger to the Christian Church is the liberal theologian who is accepting of any kind of teaching.”[4] Many take the Scriptures out of context and use them to justify their own idolatrous actions of trusting in something other than God. Even if they claim these actions still lead to God, it is still going against God’s Word to seek such results, just as in the case of Saul.
The argumentation from those who practice mediumship supports that because Samuel appeared to Saul, that God allowed it. Therefore, mediumship is a practice God permits as long as it is used for His purposes. Some modern theologians would say, as in the Reformation Study Bible, “The narrator calls it simply “Samuel,” and what the figure says is consistent with Samuel’s pronouncements when he was alive (esp. Ch. 15). For some reason, the Lord allows Samuel to visit Saul” (emphasis added).[5] From the various sources of different theological backgrounds, most modern scholars agree with this interpretation that God allowed Samuel to appear for this pronouncement of judgment against Saul for his blatant disobedience. However, some, like the late R. C. Sproul, said, in an Ask Ligonier session, “The Bible simply doesn’t say if it was Samuel or not. We don’t know the answer.” (Though he allowed the above commentary in the RSB, he seems to take the view most theologians would say today when put on the spot).[6] Though the text says it was Samuel, it could have been a demon, or it could have been Samuel. Looking at the other text mentioned above from the Law of God, it would seem that God would not allow this to happen with Samuel himself. We see in The Lord’s parable of Lazarus and the rich man how Abraham told the rich man, “And besides all this, between you and us there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us” (Luke 16:26).
Many Puritans and early church fathers considered this to be a demonic counterfeit as to the appearance of Samuel. The Puritan, M. William Perkins, said, “Thus again the devil by the Witch of Endor, deceived Saul in the appearance of Samuel, making him believe that it had been Samuel indeed, whereas it was but a mere counterfeit of him, as shall appear hereafter.”[7] Another Puritan, Nathaniel Holmes, who admired Perkins, wrote his own work on witchcraft. However, Holmes dives deeper to argue the point of whether or not the apparition was indeed Samuel, saying if it had been Samuel, then he would not have “suffered Saul to adore him with his face to the ground, which the angel in Rev 19:10 would not suffer John to do; much less would departed saints suffer it.”[8] Throughout their works, they make some excellent points about how other Scriptures would lead to the inference of the apparition as a demon taking on the appearance of Samuel. They also point out that mediumship is a practice of witchcraft, condemned in the Old Testament passages and the New Testament passages such as Acts 16, Gal 5, 1 John 4, 1 Tim 4, and Rev 21.
As a matter of inference, it would seem that it would have been, as Perkins and Holmes said, a demon masquerading as Samuel. This view stands better based on a systematic approach to demonology and witchcraft, taken from the biblical text. This interpretation would provide an apologetic point when speaking with those who practice mediumship. Though the other view could be defended by saying that God allowed it in this scenario for the sole purpose of judgment against Saul, it would quickly lead the occultist to say that God would then allow it to happen again, that God allowed this sin and its proof that God operates under such conditions. But such claims must be refuted with sound exegesis from the whole of the Scriptures. We see across the scope of orthodox scholarship that the theologians of the past through today would all agree that the practice of mediumship is a sin and should be avoided.
Conclusion
As we have seen from the above passages, the act of mediumship is a complete violation of God’s Law, and those who practice it are damned to experience the full wrath of God unless they repent and believe in Him. Those who love Him will obey His commands. Regardless of how we see the interpretation (from the biblical Christian perspectives), one thing is certain: God commands us not to practice such things.
[1] All Scripture citations in the work are taken from the New American Standard Bible (The Lockman Foundation, 1995) unless otherwise noted.
[2] Youngblood, Ronald F, “Magic, Sorcery, and Divination,” Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers 1995), 787–790
[3] Ibid., 787–790
[4] Dr. Walter Martin, “Cult of Liberalism”, uploaded January 22, 2019, Dr. Walter Martin-Bible Studies-Kingdom of the Cults, produced by CalvaryTruths.com, podcast, MP3 audio, https://pca.st/episode/7ca8a0c8-e858-4a84-bf6d-1e31affbafb2
[5] R. C. Sproul, (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 446). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.
[6] R.C. Sproul “Did King Saul really talk to the spirit of Samuel, or was it a demonic impersonation?” Dec 16, 2019, Ligonier Ministries, video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv_fY8j_lLw
[7] Perkins, M. Williams, A Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft (Theophania Publishing, 2012) 24
[8] Holmes, Nathaniel, Demonology and Theology (Crossville, TN. Puritan Publications and A Puritan’s Mind, 2014), 98
