How Satan blinds our minds! Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. Here is where Satan can use a man to influence scores of people, blinding minds and hearts to the truths of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. Was it fear that a secret sin might be exposed? Only 30 of 175 dioceses ordained an average number of priests at or above replacement level over the five years from 2016 to 2021, according to the report. The Gadarenes' Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. April 2022 This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. In the King James Version it is called the country of the Gadarenes in Mark and Luke, and of the Gergesenes in Matthew. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . (4) Super-human strength. It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. 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. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. xii. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. October 2022 So they refer to Gerasenes. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The religious rulers hated Jesus for exposing their hypocrisy and feared the consequences His actions might have with Rome, but they were not afraid of Jesus as a Person. (3) Spiritual insight. But here we speak not about a bishop, but about Christ who made His Godhead revealed through devils beseeching Him not to cast them to hell but enter the swine. That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. Just imagine, a man in a cinema, having bought popcorn and cola and watching an action movie, with a lot of violence and harsh language in it, and then he sees suddenly that a saintly bishop is sitting just next to his seat, not watching the movie, but reading silently psalms with a countenance radiating a deep contemplation; will not the first man be upset and lose all pleasure of watching the movie? Acts 19:16). or school. Other demoniacs described in Scripture were bent on self-destruction as well (cf. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. Sproul says in his commentary on Mark, When the Holy One is manifest in the midst of unholy people, the only appropriate human response is dread.. 14). xvii. Why ChatGPT should be considered a malevolent AI - and be destroyed The time of this event was before Jesus' crucifixion, and before the gentiles were grafted in to the promise (Acts 10). They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. 1) He Exposes Evil (v 28-30) . There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Gerasa, Gadara, Gergesa - from where did the pigs stampede? When the Gadarenes saw what Christ was capable of, they panicked. . May 2017 Have we stepped back, in effect asking Jesus to leave us alone, only to discover, as a Gentleman, He did? The first two are in the Authorized Version. The region was not poor or economically depressed. This makes sense, I couldn't believe they asked Jesus to leave. 23, 24, viii. February 2016 It hit them hard in the pocketbook. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/gerasene-or-gadarene-swine, What Archaeology Tells Us About Joshuas Conquest, 50 Verses to Help You Prepare for Pentecost, St. Polycarp, Who Learned the Faith From an Apostle, Did Not Believe in Faith Alone, The Three Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them, We Know That Hes in Heaven: Thousands Gather for Funeral of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Paprocki Speak Out in Support of Traditional Latin Massgoers in Their Dioceses, Survey: Decline in Vocations to the Priesthood Is Worse Where Priests Serve Larger Flocks, God Really Intervened: How a Catholic Priest Escaped From His Kidnappers in Haiti, Amber and Dave VanVickle on Finding God in the Midst of Suffering. 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. Mark 5:1 On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of May 2020 His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. If we put ourselves in their place, and use empathy to feel how we might have reacted if we were confronted with the loss of our next year's source of feeding our families, it will be easier to understand that they were afraid to suffer any other loss that might result if Jesus stayed in their area. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. Renew or manage your subscription here. The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. 7. Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (Luke 8:35-37). The Lord refused this request and commissioned this delivered man to return to his own people and declare to them what God had done for him. January 2023 They would have to trust Jesus. (2) Anti-social behavior. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. - And they came to the other side of the sea.The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. February 2017 Those demons were terrified of Him! 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! It is noteworthy that it is distinguished (especially in the Gospel of the physician, Luke) from cases of ordinary sickness, insanity (lunacy), leprosy, blindness, lameness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases (cf. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. Wasn't the answer obvious? Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. Why is this sentence from The Great Gatsby grammatical? What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. August 2022 The most likely answer is to the country of the Gerasenes: i.e., Gerasa, a Greek town thought to be the same as the similarly-named Kersa on the east shore of Lake Tiberias. The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. February 2022 How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. Demons are highly organized (cf. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. What Does Luke 8:37 Mean? "And all the people of the country of the When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. Jesus had freed the man and for a reason known only to Himself, He had granted the demons request to go into a nearby herd of pigs rather than go into the Abyss [bottomless pit]. Dr. Thomson discovered on the eastern shore the ruins of a village called Khersa. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. Embedded into both stories are people who were afraid of Jesus. 2). to men facing fear and death. Into the country of the Gadarenes, or rather, Gera-senes, which is now generally admitted to be the true reading, from Gerasa, Gersa, or Kersa.There was another Gerasa, situated at some distance from the sea, on the borders of Arabia Petraea. 606-607. September 2021 Fear that you might do something that would embarrass you? I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. February 2021 127 The view of Greek philosophy was that these were the spirits of those who lived in the Golden Age. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. It was scary. Although demon-possession after that time no longer occurs on such a devastating and noticeable scale, the absolute form of demon-possession will appear at the end of the age in the Antichrist and in his followers (2 Thess. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? March 2015 Luke 8:37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked My office mate of several years back was interrupted by a young and very zealous new Christian teacher accompanied by a student from whom she wanted my friend to cast out a demon. Clarify Will they be rejected? . Matthew is habitually more oriented to a Jewish readership, and so he refers to Gadarenes because Gadara was the most important Jewish city in the area. Should TikTok be banned? Your guide to understanding why the platform I was in a dialogue with an atheist regarding what he believes is one of many so-called biblical contradictions. Odd guy that I am, I actually find this sort of thing fun. Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. Will they be condemned like unclean animals? Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. Even as the purpose of Roman legions was to enforce the will of the emperor, the goal of the multiple evil spirits was to carry out the devil's will of bringing pain, destruction and chaos to humans! Now appreciate the reaction - another God was messing with their god - and demonstrating authority! Why Darth Sidious Was AFRAID of General Grievous - YouTube of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. Gerasenes could have had a sense of reference to the entire region (as well as to a city: just as New Yorker can refer to the state or city), and Gadarenes likely was a reference to the most prominent city of the region at the time. e.g., Matt. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons. As the servant of Elisha was told, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16). Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. 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. Five squad cars converged on it. 120 The request is in both cases the same; for, according to Jewish notions, certain countries being assigned to evil as well as to good spirits, whose limits they were unable to overpass, to be sent out of their own country, no other being open to them, implied being sent into the abyss, or bottomless pit, since that remains for them alone. Trench, Miracles , p. 101. 22ff. The reference could hardly be to the better known Gerasa (Jerash) between thirty and forty miles southeast from the lake. They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. Winthrop Congregational Church, UCC No matter who you are. 21,22). Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. . How do I connect these two faces together? These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. 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 subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? When Jesus and his disciples come to the mostly-Gentile region of the Gerasenes, they are met by a man whose life has been destroyed by demonic infestation. Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? May 2018 As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. The man looked out on the Tiberius. I will not ask him to leave. Commentator R. C. H. Lenski states: The distance of these cities from the lake is immaterial for the narrative since this deals with the region that is near the lake and not with the vicinity of either of the cities to the lake.. No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! (2) Pork was a food forbidden to Jews, and as such, those who raised these pigs may have done so knowingly in violation of divine injunction. Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. (it should be added that Plummer himelf does not hold to any of these views.). . Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Others cited unfaithfulness, lack of seriousness, and the lack of confidence to sustain a relationship. That is not the choice at all. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 4 Reasons Jesus Cast Demons Into a Herd of Pigs "And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him to depart from them, for they were holden with great fear: and he entered into a bo." Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. I would like to invite you to return to where we left off a few weeks ago in our studies in the gospel of Mark. People who have no appr The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. He felt Jesus' reassuring hand on his shoulder. A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). Note that the texts dont say Gerasa or Gadara, so they arent necessarily referring just to one of the cities. (2) Anti-social behavior. 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. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. Chapati Movement 1857: Why were the British afraid of the Roti? Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. verse 5). The whole story is a myth. But, Im telling you. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? A Lesson From the Gadarenes - Sabbath Thoughts He was a totally safe Person. They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). But as Gergesa was a small village, and little known, the evangelists, who wrote for more distant readers, spoke of the event as taking place in the country of the Gadarenes, so named from its largest city, Gadara; and this country included the country of the Gergesenes as a state includes a county. Bill Maher says he's scared of former President Trump "on a very personal level" and "what he would do" to the comedian if he were to win the 2024 White House race. March 2017 I understand why," the HBO "Real Time" host told Jake Tapper on Tuesday as part . Swine were unclean animals according to the Torah. Legion of Demons - NeverThirsty "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. June 2017 Thus, all the circumstances lead us to regard the healing of the demonized at Gerasa as a night scene, immediately on Christs arrival from Capernaum, and after the calming of the storm at sea. Alford Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), I, pp. Demonic influence further destroys mans reflection of God as originally designed.128 Demons have great spiritual insight and reluctantly submit to Jesus as Lord of all. We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. (3) Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. Exercising authority in the land allocated to Abraham, for Israel, the land set aside for God and his people. Gergesa - Wikipedia The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. Life with him would be heaven on earth. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given.. Why as the question? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Now' as to the pigs (an unclean animal, so you know Jesus wasnt in Israel! Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. 118 H. Demon-possession is, therefore, not merely a mental state in which someone suffers from a delusion or is subjected to some subjective disturbance of the world of ideas. And, yes, Dana did just read us something about a man possessed by a whole bunch of demons that later go and possess a bunch of hogs. These men were a danger to themselves and others. Who was afraid of Jesus and why? When Jesus asked his name the man answered, Legion, for we are many (Mark 5:9). The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. Gospel Parallels: The Gerasene Demoniac - READ-SCRIPTURE.COM Gerasenes, Gadarenes, Pigs and "Contradictions" - NCR In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). August 2018 So he got into a boat and returned. If he was a pagan, why did Jesus cast out his demons? 61-62. Although it is likely that the larger towns of Galilee were predominantly Gentile, as was the Decapolis, the first-century civilian diet did not . April 2020 The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. This request was granted and the entire herd rushed headlong to their own destruction. November 2016 0 Responses January 2017 68f. July 2021 Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. Small sins lead to big sins, and big sins bring about a terrible spiritual darkness. 9. 4, p. 180. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. The lose of the pigs meant loose of partial income in the area. Cookie Notice September 2015 If they dare to open up their lives to Jesus what will happen? And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. All of this sure seems perfectly consistent with calling the same area the country (chra) of either the Gerasenes or the Gadarenes, after the two major cities. No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). Catholic Church. in 1971. Lets learn why. T. H. Huxley, in his Essays upon some Controverted Questions (1892), made merry over the escapade of the Gadarene swine, running the seven miles between Gadar and the lake of Galilee, crossing the deep river Yarmuk en route.

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