F. F. Bruce adds additional helpful insight: According to the best texts, Matthew calls it the country of the Gadarenes (viii. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? . 16ff., xix. 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. January 2016 (5) Torment. As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . ESV - 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. December 2022 Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, How can demons possess animals? To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. September 2015 Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. It is mentioned in some ancient manuscripts of the . Although it is often claimed that Christians were persecuted for their refusal to worship the emperor, general dislike for Christians likely arose from their refusal to worship the gods or take part in sacrifice, which was expected of those living in the Roman Empire. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. August 2018 November 2015 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Evil is self-defeating in the end. This supposition would be further confirmed, if the evening when Jesus embarked was what the Jews were wont to call the first evening, that is, the time when the sun was declining in the heaven, but before it had actually set, the latter time being the second evening. For it seems most unlikely that multitudes would have resorted to Jesus at Capernaum after the second evening, or that either the disciples or other boats would have put to sea after nightfall. 5. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. Its ruins include two amphitheaters, a basilica, temple, a hippodrome, aqueducts and colonnades, showing its importance and stature. The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. 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. Now appreciate the reaction - another God was messing with their god - and demonstrating authority! October 2015 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. September 2021 That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. Holiness hurts! "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. (3) Spiritual insight. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! These men were a danger to themselves and others. 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. 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. February 2021 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. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. It was opposite Galilee. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Jesus deserves the benefit of the doubt even when we don't have all the facts. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. He felt Jesus' reassuring hand on his shoulder. 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. . While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. iv. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. "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." I think the coup de grce is to look up the Greek word for country in these passages, to see what latitude of meaning it has. Putting all of these factors together the term demon-possessed inplies too much. December 2014 All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. 124 Augustine: The devils were driven out and permitted to go into the swine; and Aquinas: But that the swine were driven into the sea was no work of the divine miracle, but was the work of the devils by divine permission. Quoted by Trench, Miracles, fn. Will they be condemned like unclean animals? They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? October 2022 June 2015 22ff. In the form of tongues as of fire, the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself. (CCC 696). Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. January 2023 In Acts 8:1 we have the regions of Judaea and Samaria (KJV), and in Acts 16:6, Galatia alone. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". Follow Up: struct sockaddr storage initialization by network format-string, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Movie with vikings/warriors fighting an alien that looks like a wolf with tentacles. For some people, the cost is too high. 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. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. It indicates full and permanent control. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. The man, who was naked when he saw Jesus, had the added ability of enduring both freezing and sweltering temperatures as well as pain he inflicted upon himself! May 2022 Give a Gift SubscriptionBless friends, family or clergy with a gift of the Register. The pigs had been driven mad and rushed down a steep slope plunging into the lake and drowning. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. Matthew 12:43-45). His animal-like shrieks must have sent chills up the spines of any who were nearby. But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 'Return home and tell how much God has done for you.' So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus (Luke 8:26-39, NIV) 123 1. So who was afraid? 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. November 2014. 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. The spectrum ranges from those who seem to control the demonic powers to those who are utterly controlled by them. August 2020 The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. xiii. Matthew 8:28 - 29, 31, 34And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. 18). 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. 4, p. 102. Father Macaire, 33, who was ordained fewer than two years ago, was kidnapped the morning of Feb. 7 when he was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. . To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? This was a federation of ten cities (deka = ten, polis = city). Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. March 2021 You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. 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. Why would God tell King David to take a census of the people in verses one through nine, and then cast judgment on him because he did what he told him to do? In all three instances the word is chra (Strongs word #5561). September 2022 The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. No matter who you are. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). 2). Ouija boards are found in many American homes. 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. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! It was significant. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. Who was afraid of Jesus and why? The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. Others are absolutely controlled (hooked) by the drug and totally dependent upon it. 14ff. They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. October 2018 For more information, please see our It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. The Gospels use different names for the place where this occurred: This is supposedly a contradiction. Gerasa is (as we know) some 30-35 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, but may have also been the name of the larger region. (1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. Although the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. July 2015 art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Earles comments are helpful: The difference in names for the destination on the east side of the take has caused considerable comment. Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out. March 2018 What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. (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. I will not look for a reason to return to it. Holy Communion From the Chalice Reintroduced in the UK: What About the US? How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! How do I connect these two faces together? January 2018 2ff., xvv. (2) Anti-social behavior. 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. Bible scholar Gleason Archer (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties) argues similarly, It is entirely possible that the political control of this region was centered in Gadara as the capital city. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? We read at Mk 5:14-17 (NRSVCE), the immediate after-effects of the driving out of evil spirits by Jesus at Gerasene by allowing them to enter pigs: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. . Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. April 2021 and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. Note that the texts dont say Gerasa or Gadara, so they arent necessarily referring just to one of the cities. Luke 8 The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. And the people there were scared, they recognised this, but more, they realised the significance of this. We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. Copyright 2023 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God. to sign up for our free Water Of The Word newsletter at the top of any page! Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. Thus, it is not always used of one specific country (nation), but rather, usually to regions or areas of either small (Bethlehem) or large (Judaea and Samaria) size, including regions surrounding large cities. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. - 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. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. They were content where they were. We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). Then the Livestock Association and consumer groups would have been greatly distressed over the sudden decrease in the pig population and the resulting impact on pork prices. The pig shepherds had gone and spread the news of what had happened all around. (3) Spiritual insight. Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 3 When the centurion 2 heard about Jesus, c he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his . When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. to men facing fear and death. You might be thinking back to Easter and not recall very many hogs showing up except for at Easter supper. 61-62. Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 174. So he got into a boat and returned. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). . In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. From this it is clear that demon-possession is a phenomenon which occurred almost exclusively, but then to be sure on an amazing scale, during Jesus appearance on earth and to a lesser extent during the activity of the apostles. The people were more terrified of Jesus and His authority than they were of this crazed and demonized man living among the tombs. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? 9. 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. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. Pope Francis Inexhaustible Font of Words: 10 Gems From the Heart Over 10 Years, Pope Francis, Biden Commend Peacemaker Bishop OConnell as Memorial Services Begin. Jesus asked some pretty crazy questions like What Things Happened? Acts 19:16). Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. 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! Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Dr. Thomson discovered on the eastern shore the ruins of a village called Khersa. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. xii. Crazy question or.? (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. In that case, of course, it would be in the early morning that the Gerasenes afterwards resorted to Jesus and that He again returned to Capernaum. 14). Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. We are seeking a replacement and hope to have it in your newspaper soon. 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.
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