Lets face it, we all like to be in control. So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. December 2020 May 2017 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.. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. The whole story is a myth. Hence it would be called the land of the Gadarenes.. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. xiii. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Now appreciate the reaction - another God was messing with their god - and demonstrating authority! 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. or school. 22, xvii. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. You are welcome here. 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. And, it can not be understood properly out of this context. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. 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! 1) He Exposes Evil (v 28-30) . Horoscopes and astrological predictions are found in most major newspapers. Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? When the townspeople arrived on the scene, they saw the formerly demon-possessed men, clothed, in their right mind and sitting at the feet of Jesus. 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? Wasn't the answer obvious? It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. 7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, b he entered Capernaum. Why would Jesus ask, "Who touched Me?" In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. 2. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. to men facing fear and death. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. 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. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. But, Im telling you. Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. 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. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. June 2016 That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. (5) Torment. 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). Oh Hye-son recently published a Korean-language memoir on how she and her husband Thae Yong-ho, then deputy ambassador at North Korea's London embassy, defected in 2016. On several occasions, when Jesus forgave someone, He specifically said, Go and sin no more. That only works for people who are sick of their sin and want to change. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. One is to disbelieve in their existence. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. February 2021 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.. The drowning of the swine was an accident, possibly simultaneous with the healing, and report mixed up the two incidents. July 2020 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. And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another . Verse 1. What did Jesus do? It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews. Will they be condemned like unclean animals? Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Luke 8 In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. The second question is an ethical one: What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?121 Put even more crassly, Huxley censored this act with these words: the wanton destruction of other peoples property is a misdemeanour of evil example.122. Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. 2). Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ. How Satan blinds our minds! Nevertheless, for consideration. This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. (2) Anti-social behavior. But the city of Gadara owned some territory round about Khersa, so that the district and the pigs could properly also be called Gadarene. F. F. Bruce, Are the New Testament Documents Reliable? 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. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. Jesus had actually helped them. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. And the people went out to see what happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 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. In the wake of new restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass, two American bishops spoke with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday about how their dioceses have responded. Clarify of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. In Acts 8:1 we have the regions of Judaea and Samaria (KJV), and in Acts 16:6, Galatia alone. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? xii. May 2022 Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. Non-Christians can often experience this fear of Jesus as well. October 2015 Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. That is not the choice at all. 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. 7. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. July 2017 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. Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . September 2016 By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.28-34 is the shortest, August 2022 The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Marks readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. 17, pp. 23, 24, viii. March 2018 1, pp. Five squad cars converged on it. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. How do I connect these two faces together? This story is a little bit of an Easter story. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. No matter where you are on life's journey you are welcome here! But then also Christ will triumph, and finally put an end to the evil one and all his powers of darkness (Rev. When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. So he got into a boat and returned. Treasury of Scripture. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. It was scary. To date they have failed to respond in any way. 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. To the evildoer, anonymity is always preferable to identification. 2,8) who can possess men and animals. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. If anything, that would have made them angry. art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? April 2018 Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Why did Jesus allow the legion of demons to stay in the area when they begged him? Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. It was opposite Galilee. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. 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! Romans 9:19-23). January 2017 What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? A land that was essentially under another god (lower case g). 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. 606-607. 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. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. 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. . Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Jesus showed to the local population the inferiority of pagan life. The fear of the unknown, the uncontrollableof change. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. Did Jesus command the demon before he fell on his knees in Mark 5:6? Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? Dr. Thomson discovered on the eastern shore the ruins of a village called Khersa. Acts 19:16). The US Congress is currently debating whether TikTok should be banned for everyone in the US, not just government officials. Mark 3:14). This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. Was there some sort of unwritten rule that Darrow (or any non-Bellona) was supposed to throw the fight? October 2017 They came face-to-face with the Son of God, the Being with the power to change their world forever, and they said, "Please leave." Why? print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. They were willing to post guards and chain and shackle their neighbor to keep him from hurting someone. The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. 5. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Putting all of these factors together the term demon-possessed inplies too much. No matter who you are. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? August 2018 The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. Although God's word does not name which cities were considered part of this region, Pliny's Natural History (c. 77 A.D.) lists these cities as Gerasa, Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia, Capitolias (Dion), Canatha, Raphana and Damascus. December 2017 A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. (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. This suggests that whoever was the customer for the swineherder in the "region of the Gerasenes", it was not the Roman army to any significant extent. November 2015 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]. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. April 2016 In addition, Matthew includes the comment, Have You come here to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29). . 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. Ridiculous? The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. These people from the region of the Gerasenes had undoubtedly felt the anger or disgust of Jews for making a career out of such unclean animals, but Jesus had not criticized them for their profession. So he got into the boat and left. They all say country of (in the sense of region, not nation). The destructive desires of the demons were dramatically carried out in the drowning of the swine. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. 05 /5 Another theory. You can flip a coin hoping for heads, but you know that tails is a very real probability. (3) Spiritual insight. There seems to be no excuse here for the charge of contradiction. (3) Spiritual insight. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? In Mark 1:5 it is used of the land of Judaea (KJV) and in Acts 10:39, to land of the Jews (KJV). Since the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave in their fear, it seems that Jesus' ability to exorcise Legion was disturbing to the people. 123 1. The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.

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