Selling your soul to the Devil

Post by **_Christopher** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:09 pm

In a recent conversation lately, a brother brought up this idea of people "selling" their souls to the devil (in reference to certain very talented musicians).

I can't think of a shred of scriptural support for this notion. Maybe there is, I just can't think of it.

Does anybody happen to know where this idea originated?

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:55 pm

I don't know exactly but it's a common belief that the devil has the keys to hell when in reality it's Jesus.

Post by **_loaves** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:29 pm

Christopher: Good question.

Romans 6:18 - "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."

Romans 6:20 - "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness."

Matthew 4:9 - "And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."

I think, just as Christians are servants "slaves" to righteousness; unbelievers are servants "slaves" to Satan. That may be what that brother meant.

loaves

Post by **_Christopher** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:51 pm

Thanks for your reply loaves. And I don't disagree with what you say.

But actually, this isn't the first time I've heard this expression of selling your eternal soul to the devil in the context of exchanging it for special temporal gifts or talents in this life. It is portrayed as if you are making an exchange or a contract with the devil so that you couldn't repent even if you wanted to. You know, like an "unpardonable" sin. As if Satan was a keeper of souls in some way.

I'm just looking for hints of the origin of that idea.

Post by **_Anonymous** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:16 pm

I could be really off here... which would be sad because I majored in this stuff in college (not selling your soul to the devil, but history/the humanities.) I think the idea came from the Faust stories from the 16th century. Here's a link for wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust

There's an American story too: The Devil and Daniel Webster. Here's a link for that one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_ ... el_Webster

I believe that the idea just worked its way into our culture's belief system without any scriptural basis. Is that sort of what you were looking for?

Post by **_Christopher** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:06 pm

Bingo!

Thanks Michelle. I'll pass it on to my friend.

Post by **_Anonymous** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:16 am

Hi Christopher: I'm glad that's what you needed. Just to be a little geeky...

[geek]
I went back and read my link (imagine!) and learned that Faust is in turn based on the legend of St Theophilus of Adana (sixth century) where we get the idea of signing a pact with one's own blood.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophilus_of_Adana
[/geek]