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Is it real?·Part 1 of 2

Are Ghosts Real?

A figure walking on water. A dead prophet appearing to a king. What do these mysterious encounters tell us about ghosts?

Matthew 14Luke 241 Samuel 28Luke 16Deuteronomy 18
JesusSamuelSaulMosesAbrahamLazarus
11 min readCreated Oct 30, 2026Updated Oct 31, 2026

Imagine you're in a boat with your friends in the middle of the night. It's pitch dark, the wind is strong, and the waves keep crashing against your boat and you are all already scared. Suddenly, you notice something in the distance... a human figure that is walking toward you. What would you do? Scream? Freeze? Think you're seeing a ghost? Well, you're not the only one.

Something similar actually happened to Jesus' own disciples. When they saw a figure walking toward them on the water, they cried out in fear, "It's a ghost!" (Matthew 14:26). But the figure wasn't a ghost. It was Jesus.

So if Jesus' own disciples believed they were seeing a ghost, does that mean ghosts are actually real?

So what exactly is a ghost? People mean different things by it, so let's look at a few definitions:

  • Ghost: The modern definition is the spirit of a dead person appearing to the living. In older English, ghost could also mean “spirit,” as in Holy Ghost.
  • Spirit: The part of a person you can't see, or a spiritual being. In the Bible, it can mean the Holy Spirit, a person's spirit, or an evil spirit. The context tells you which one.
  • Apparition: A strange appearance, usually of something shaped like a person, that seems supernatural.

You can see the older meaning of ghost in Acts 2:4, where two translations use different words.

  • Acts 2:4KJVAnd they were all filled with the Holy Ghost...NIVAll of them were filled with the Holy Spirit...

    The KJV calls Him the “Holy Ghost,” while the NIV calls Him the “Holy Spirit.”

What Scripture Says

  • Matthew 14:26When the disciples saw [Jesus] walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

    The disciples mistook Jesus for a ghost.

  • Luke 24:37–39[The disciples] were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38[Jesus] said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."

    Jesus told His disciples that a ghost does not have flesh and bones like He does.

  • 1 Samuel 28:12–15When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" 13The king said to her, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?" The woman said, "I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth." 14"What does he look like?" he asked. "An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 15Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" "I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."

    The narrator describes Samuel appearing and speaking to Saul after his death.

  • Luke 16:27–31[The rich man] answered, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." 29Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." 30"No, father Abraham," [the rich man] said, "but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." 31[Abraham] said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."

    In Jesus' story, the rich man asks for Lazarus to return from the dead and warn his brothers.

  • Deuteronomy 18:10–12Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.

    God forbids His people from consulting the dead.

Did Jesus and His disciples believe in ghosts?

In both stories, the disciples saw something they didn't expect and freaked out. On the water (Matthew 14:26), they thought Jesus was a ghost (the Greek word is phantasma, an apparition). After He rose from the dead (Luke 24:37–39), they thought they were seeing a ghost again (pneuma, a spirit). So the disciples believed ghosts were possible, even though both times it wasn't one. Neither passage tells us exactly what kind of ghost the disciples imagined.

Still, just because they believed ghosts existed doesn't mean they actually do. Imagine walking down a dark hallway and seeing a shadowy figure. You freak out, thinking it's a ghost, only to realize it's your brother getting a midnight snack.

But what about Jesus? With Him, there isn't a simple yes or no. In Luke 24, He corrected them by showing that He had flesh and bones, unlike a ghost. Jesus speaks of ghosts (or spirits) as distinct from physical bodies, but this passage doesn't tell us whether the spirits of dead people can appear to the living.

Can dead people actually appear to the living?

Saul was desperate because God had stopped answering him. So he went to a medium (someone who claims they can talk to the dead), even though he had kicked all the mediums out of the land himself (1 Samuel 28:3). He asked the medium to bring up Samuel, who had already died. When she saw Samuel, she screamed. She described an old man wearing a robe, and then Samuel actually talked to Saul (1 Samuel 28:12–15).

So was it really Samuel? Some Christians, like Martin Luther and John Calvin, thought it was an evil spirit pretending to be him. Others, like Origen, believed it really was Samuel. I'd rather stick with what the text says, and it keeps calling him Samuel, not something that just looked like him. So I think it really was him. The best explanation is that God miraculously allowed Samuel to appear and deliver His judgment against Saul. But that doesn't mean the medium had the power to summon the dead whenever she wanted.

But doesn't Luke 16:27–31 say the dead can't come back? In Jesus' story, a rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham says no. He says the brothers already have God's Word, and if they won't listen to that, even someone rising from the dead won't convince them. Jesus is talking about stubborn hearts here. He isn't answering whether the dead can appear.

So can dead people appear to the living? Based on Samuel, I'd say yes. The Bible says it happened. Moses shows up too, talking with Jesus on the mountain (Matthew 17:3). But it's rare in the Bible. Samuel didn't haunt a house or hang around. He showed up once, gave Saul a serious message, and that was it. That's very different from the ghost stories we hear today, but more on that later.

If God forbids communicating with the dead, doesn't that mean it's possible?

When I first read Deuteronomy 18:10–12, my thought was: why would God forbid talking to the dead if it wasn't even possible? But trying to do something and actually doing it are two different things. Someone could try to talk to the dead their whole life and never reach anyone. The Bible does the same thing with idols. God tells His people again and again not to worship them, but He also says idols are just wood and metal (Isaiah 44:9–20). So God forbidding something doesn't prove it works.

So why does God forbid it? Saul did ask God for guidance first, but God didn't answer him (1 Samuel 28:6). So he went to a medium instead, and 1 Chronicles 10:13–14 calls that unfaithfulness. That's the real problem. Going to a medium means looking for answers somewhere other than God, and that's basically idolatry. God wants us to come to Him, not to the dead.

So, are ghosts real? Yes, but only in a very limited way. If a ghost is the spirit of someone who died appearing to the living, the Bible shows that happening with Samuel (1 Samuel 28:12–15). Saul tried to summon him, but God was in control the whole time. Samuel delivered God's message, and then he was gone. Moses also appeared after his death, talking with Jesus (Matthew 17:3).

The ghosts most people picture are a different story. Haunted houses, calling up the dead whenever you want, dead people hanging around to scare the living, none of that fits what the Bible shows. And just because someone says they saw a ghost doesn't mean they did. Remember your brother in the hallway. So we don't need to be scared of ghosts. When the disciples thought they were seeing one on the water, Jesus told them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:27)

Reflect

  1. When something scares you, or when God seems silent like He did with Saul, where do you turn?
  2. Where did your idea of ghosts come from: movies and stories, or the Bible?
  3. Have you ever stopped asking God about something because He didn't answer the way you wanted, and gone to someone or something else instead?

Take a Step

When something scares you, don't jump straight to the supernatural. There might be a normal explanation. And when you need spiritual guidance, don't make Saul's mistake. Turn to God. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit (the "Holy Ghost" from earlier) would be with His followers (John 14:16–17). So pick one fear or unanswered question you've been carrying and bring it to God in prayer today. You might not get an answer right away, but you're not facing it alone.

A Prayer

Holy Spirit, thank You for being with me. When I'm afraid like the disciples, or desperate for answers like Saul, remind me to turn to You. Help me trust You even when I don't have all the answers. Keep my eyes on Jesus. Amen.

Scripture is the primary authority for every answer. Other resources are used for clarity, historical insight, or reflection.

Part of the series

Is it real?

  1. 1Are Ghosts Real?You're here
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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Emphasis added.