Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. He shivered at the disturbing memory. Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. Jesus, Go Away! | Theology of Work Why are there two demon-possessed men in the Gerasene tombs in Matthew Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. [5] One detail that is unique to Luke's version is a reference to both the demoniacs nakedness and his subsequent clothing. Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. Romans 6 speaks about our identification with Christ in baptism and being dead to sin and alive in Christ. Luke 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. Whatever witchcraft Jesus possessed, they wanted it far away from them. It was the terror of the damned. The Secret behind Jesus Healing the Gerasene Demoniac It opens our eyes to a world that is largely unknown and frankly unsettling. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Spam, December 19 2016 Jesus allows the fleeing evil spirits to enter a herd of pigs which promptly run into the sea and drown. Exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac - Wikipedia Everyone strained for a look at the tomb-man. What does 'They're at four. It was conquered by the Moslems in the time of Omar (Guy le Strange, Palestine under the Moslems, 462). Girard notes that, in the demoniac's self-mutilation, he seems to imitate the stoning that the local villagers would likely have attempted to use against him to cast him out of their society, while the villagers themselves show by their reaction to Jesus that they are not primarily concerned with the good of the man possessed by demons: Notice the mimetic character of this behavior. But it was there that the grace of God in his life would shine the brightest. (1) Severe personality change. Those demons were terrified of Him! But Christianity early became important in the city; several churches were built during these centuries, so that by the 5th cent., Gerasa could send a bishop to the Council of Chalcedon. But sometimes, like the man in Luke 8:26-39, the more difficult call is to go back home. 8:28, Mark 5:1-2, Luke 8:26-27. xviii. Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? The New Testament writers chose to refer to the area in different ways. It is Geldenhuys who gives us the most concise description of demon-possession: in the New Testament demon-possession means that a person is dominated by the spirit of a demon and tormented by him. Youngblood, Ronald F., ed. "Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property?". The King James Version in (Matthew 8:28) has the location as "Gergesenes" which corresponds to the modern "Kursi" (Kheras), the most plausible location of the Gospel event. First, the man is hunted, then stoned, and finally he is killed; this is why the possessed lived among the tombs. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. An excellent account of the ruins is given in Thomson's LB, III, 558.There is nothing above ground of older date than the 2nd and 3rd centuries of our era; but there is no reason to doubt that the Greek city of Gerasa stood on the same site. The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. ", Jesus looked hard at him without speaking. It is also a possibility that in the handing down of New Testament manuscripts over many years, slightly different readings of the same word have developed. Probably Capernaum . Jesus was potently kind. Vote Up ), you also need to understand the significance of this - to the people in Gerasene. What is this brick with a round back and a stud on the side used for? Matt 10:5-6; 15:24). Once naked, he is now clothed. Jesus asks the demon for his name and is told "My name is Legion, for we are many". in 1971. My ways are subtler, and for this reason perhaps even more insidious. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [emailprotected], by Matt Slick | Apr 13, 2023 | Bible Studies. But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. For the first time in a long time he was in full control of his mind. But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. The drowning of these pigs has caused a great deal of discussion amongst Bible students, for as a friend of mine once observed, Thats a lot of pork chops! Had our Lord achieved such a miracle today He would have been in deep trouble. What Is hyssop and why Is It so significant in the Bible? Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 14). He was used to seeing fear in their eyes. by Matt Slick | Mar 5, 2009 | Bible Difficulties, Matthew - Mark, The Bible. (4) Super-human strength. 6:1-13. 6:30-44. A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. In the past several weeks, there has come to light the case of a man arrested for various crimes who has several of the symptoms of demon possession, including multiple personalities, even multiple IQs. Did Jesus command the demon before he fell on his knees in Mark 5:6? In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. CARM |P.O. Its architecture was of the Corinthian order, quite lavish and imposing, with columns from three to four ft. in diameter and about thirty ft. high. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. John imagines what the back-story of this man might have been and explores themes of redemption and reconciliation. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. density matrix. Matt. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. He dispatched Lucius Annius with a force of cavalry and an army of foot soldiers, who took the city on the first attack, slaughtering a thousand young men, taking their families captive, plundering and burning the city and the surrounding towns (Jos. War IV. [a] There, a man "possessed by a demon" comes from the caves to meet him. The sultan of Damascus is said to have fortified it; but there is nothing to show that the Moslems occupied it for any length of time.3. In the 2nd cent. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. Some of the proposed answers to this question are totally unacceptable to an orthodox, evangelical Christian.123 By way of explanation, there are several factors which should be given serious consideration. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis; the inhabitants of the city. This account is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospel accounts, but with two different renderings of the name of the place where the miracles occurred. For less than $5/mo. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Exorcism_of_the_Gerasene_demoniac&oldid=1143355181, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from March 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 March 2023, at 07:06. Used with Permission. Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). Mark 9:17-29). Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). A few men went on to survey the dead floating herd. Do not be afraid. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). It would seem that these people had no Messianic expectations, and therefore wanted nothing to do with One Who had such awesome power, a power over which they had no control. Yet, on a deeper level, they we afraid of how Jesus might impact their lives. But Jesus told him to go back. I'll follow you anywhere! Gergesa, Gerasa, or Gadara? He came into the region in which the two cities were situated, and one evangelist mentioned one, and the other another. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. A small crowd of people was approaching, with the pig herdsmen leading the way. In a cemetery on the eastern shore of the lake, He and the twelve meet a wild, dangerous man controlled by a ''legion'' of demons. The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. Will a professing Christian go to hell if he never shares the gospel? The herd, about two thousand in number, rush down the steep bank into the sea and are drowned. Then he put his reassuring hand on the man's shoulder again and said, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.". Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. Matt 8:28). Did they open their hearts to hear the good news of the kingdom of God? (1) Severe personality change. None of the accounts indicate why Jesus allowed the demons to go into the swine, but certainly it was better that they go into the pigs than into people. He himself earnestly desired to stay with Jesus, knowing that Jesus had saved him an otherwise completely hopeless and unremediable condition. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. xvi. Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. (3) Spiritual insight. Are there things that perplex you? Luke 8:26-38 They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly Acts 19:16). Two men: Matt. Excavations at the modern Jarash (by the British and American Schools of Oriental Research and Yale University) clearly show that Gerasa was a large and important city already in Jesus time. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. Instantly he recognized the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God (verse 7).116 There was a source of spiritual insight beyond human capabilities here. The Greek word commonly accepted in Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 as the basis for the name of the people who inhabited the place where Jesus and the disciples went is rendered Gerasenes in English (Metzger, 1975, pp. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. Matthew recorded that Jesus commanded demons to come out of two men (8:29). But the distance is so short that, even making allowance for the delay by the tempest, the passage could scarcely have occupied the whole night. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. June 15, 2004. A lesson on evangelism from the Gadarene demoniac 16, x. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. 26). 128 In most of the stories of possession what is at issue is not merely sickness but a destruction and distortion of the divine likeness of man according to creation. Over his son GAD he said: "Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last." Now WHERE in the New Testament do you remember hearing about something like a 'troop'? Albert Barnes explained the difference between Gadara and Gerasa: Gadara was a city not far from the Lake Gennesareth, one of the ten cities that were called Decapolis. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. This reveals to us that demons have an intuitive knowledge of their impending doom.117. 4, p. 180. iv. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? Therefore, Jesus Christ for demons is God and thus even demons inadvertently reveal themselves as being better theologians than Arians and their modern day heirs - Jehovawitnesians and all different breeds of Unitarians - their name being legion! 9:10-17. On the other hand, the scene gains in grandeurhas, so to speak, a fitting backgroundif we suppose the Saviour and His disciples to have landed on the other side late in the evening, when perhaps the silvery moon was shedding her pale light on the weird scene, and laying her halo around the shadows cast upon the sea by the steep cliff down which the herd of swine hurried and fell. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. 15; Mark ix. We don't want any more trouble here!" As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. The Synoptic Gospels record one episode of Jesus calming a violent storm: "Then [Jesus] got into the boat and his disciples followed him. The simple fact is that Matthew mentions two of the demoniacs while Mark and Luke only mention one. It is noteworthy that Jesus nowhere speaks of forgiveness of sins or of purification-sacrifices, that have to be brought after His curing of such cases (as He did in some cases of physical illness). The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. He had thought he'd been living in hell already. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. The Greek word commonly accepted in Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 as the basis for the name of the people who inhabited the place where Jesus and the disciples went is rendered Gerasenes in English (Metzger, 1975, pp. They were jumping to the wrong conclusions. Is there an obvious reason why we read of two demoniacs in Matt. It is almost 20 miles from Amman (Philadelphia), and 22 from Fahil (Pella). Can you relate to the people who sent Jesus away? This is just five miles from Capernaum, where Jesus had previously been, so it makes sense. Swine were unclean animals according to the Torah. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. Bibliography W. A. Thomson, The Land and the Book (1882), 333-338, 353, 359; C. H. Kraeling, Gerasa, City of the Decapolis (1938); The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1946), 64, 117; M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the NT (1962), 139-141; E. Lohmeyer, Das Evangelium des Markus (1963), 93f; C. F. Pfeiffer, The Biblical World (1966), 252-254. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! He calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. [8] The city of Gerasa had been a major urban center since its founding and during the Roman period it was the more widely known among the ten-city league known as the Decapolis. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were writing of the same general area. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. DEUT 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of God. On Girard's account, then, the uneasy truce that the Gaderenes and the demoniac had worked out was that the evil power in him was contained and thereby neutralized. Learn more about these miraculous stories found in the Bible. Hence there was demon-worship, the worship not necessarily of evil spirits; but of the spirits of those who had existed in the Golden Age. G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Mark (New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1927), p. 114. The demoniacs were mere maniacs, whom Jesus cured by humouring their fancies; and His giving leave to imaginary demons to enter into the swine, produced the story of the disaster to the herd.All these explanations assume that the Gospel narratives are wholly or in part unhistorical. Plummer, Luke, p. 228. The triumphal arch to the South of the city is almost entire. Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs. - Bible Study Tools If he was a pagan, why did Jesus cast out his demons? And now, with the demons gone, nothing he had ever experienced came close to the safety and peace he felt simply being near Jesus.
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