superstition

⁷But avoid the silly fables of old women. And exercise yourself so as to advance in piety.

¹⁰Do not let there be found among you one who would purify his son or daughter by leading them through fire, nor one who consults seers, nor one who observes dreams or omens. Do not let there be found among you one who practices the occult, ¹¹nor one who uses spells, nor one who consults demonic spirits, nor a diviner, nor one who seeks the truth from the dead. ¹²For the Lord abominates all these things. And, because of these wicked ways, he will destroy them at your arrival.

³¹Do not turn aside to astrologers, nor consult with soothsayers, so as to be polluted through them. I am the Lord your God.

¹⁸Let no one seduce you, preferring base things and a religion of Angels, walking according to what he has not seen, being vainly inflated by the sensations of his flesh, ¹⁹and not holding up the head, with which the whole body, by its underlying joints and ligaments, is joined together and grows with an increase that is of God. ²⁰So then, if you have died with Christ to the influences of this world, why do you still make decisions as if you were living in the world? ²¹Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle these things, ²²which all lead to destruction by their very use, in accord with the precepts and doctrines of men. ²³Such ideas have at least an intention to attain to wisdom, but through superstition and debasement, not sparing the body, and they are without any honor in satiating the flesh.

¹³Then, even some of the traveling Jewish exorcists had attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I bind you by oath through Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴And there were certain Jews, the seven sons of Sceva, leaders among the priests, who were acting in this way. ¹⁵But a wicked spirit responded by saying to them: “Jesus I know, and Paul I know. But who are you?” ¹⁶And the man, in whom there was a wicked spirit, leaping at them and getting the better of them both, prevailed against them, so that they fled from that house, naked and wounded. ¹⁷And so, this became known to all the Jews and Gentiles who were living at Ephesus. And a fear fell over them all. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸And many believers were arriving, confessing, and announcing their deeds.

³But when Paul had gathered together a bundle of twigs, and had placed them on the fire, a viper, which had been drawn to the heat, fastened itself to his hand. ⁴And truly, when the natives saw the beast hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another: “Certainly, this man must be a murderer, for though he escaped from the sea, vengeance will not permit him to live.” ⁵But shaking off the creature into the fire, he indeed suffered no ill effects. ⁶But they were supposing that he would soon swell up, and then would suddenly fall down and die. But having waited a long time, and seeing no ill effects in him, they changed their minds and were saying that he was a god.

⁵for it has been sanctified by the Word of God and by prayer.

⁸See to it that no one deceives you through philosophy and empty falsehoods, as found in the traditions of men, in accord with the influences of the world, and not in accord with Christ.

¹⁹Otherwise, perhaps lifting up your eyes to heaven, you might look upon the sun and the moon and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error, you might adore and worship these things, which the Lord your God created for the service of all the nations, which are under heaven.

⁸But then, certainly, while ignorant of God, you served those who, by nature, are not gods. ⁹But now, since you have known God, or rather, since you have been known by God: how can you turn away again, to weak and destitute influences, which you desire to serve anew? ¹⁰You serve the days, and months, and times, and years. ¹¹I am afraid for you, lest perhaps I may have labored in vain among you.

⁴But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea. And a great tempest took place in the sea, and the ship was in danger of being crushed. ⁵And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried out to their god. And they threw the containers that were in the ship into the sea in order to lighten it of them. And Jonah went down into the interior of the ship, and he fell into a painful deep sleep. ⁶And the helmsman approached him, and he said to him, “Why are you weighed down with sleep? Rise, call upon your God, so perhaps God will be mindful of us and we might not perish.” ⁷And a man said to his shipmate, “Come, and let us cast lots, so that we may know why this disaster is upon us.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. ⁸And they said to him: “Explain to us what is the reason that this disaster is upon us. What is your work? Which is your country? And where are you going? Or which people are you from?” ⁹And he said to them, “I am Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

⁹Its leaves were very beautiful, and its fruit was very abundant, and in it was food for the whole world. Under it, animals and beasts were dwelling, and in its branches, the birds of the sky were sheltered, and from it, all flesh was fed.

⁶And he led his son through fire. And he used divinations, and observed omens, and appointed soothsayers, and multiplied diviners, so that he did evil before the Lord, and provoked him.