118 H. Thats why also Peter having realized who Christ was, was dreaded and asked Him to leave him for he said to be a sinful man (Luke 5:8). And, Gerasene was one. Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. The Lord, in an act of great mercy, freed the Gadarenes' man by casting the demons out of him and allowing them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. Have we stepped back, in effect asking Jesus to leave us alone, only to discover, as a Gentleman, He did? We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. Satans most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God. Once naked, he is now clothed. As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. We see people in other places where he worked miracles, endeavoring to make him their king (Jn 6:15) . art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 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. The region was not poor or economically depressed. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Why is this sentence from The Great Gatsby grammatical? The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. It should also be observed that nowhere in the Old Testament (except in I Sam. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? 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.. From this point on, Jesus began to speak to the crowds in parables in order to veil or conceal the gospel from those who had blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Mark 4:lff). Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. (4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124. 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. Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? - Sage-Answers 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. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. He also maintains a popular Facebook page. Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. 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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. 7 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, b he entered Capernaum. Why ChatGPT should be considered a malevolent AI - and be destroyed Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . In any event, I love defending the Bible and Christianity. August 2017 Women, children and defenceless people all admired Him and felt comfortable in His presence. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). So he got into a boat and returned. August 2022 Romans 9:19-23). No matter where you are on life's journey. Satan loves those Christians. What would happen to them? 26). when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. They look forward to their future with great dread. 14ff. For more information, please see our I will not ask him to leave. Mark 5:1 On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. October 2015 Nevertheless, for consideration. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. So, they asked Him to leave. 2 Now a centurion had a servant 1 who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. You will receive a monthly newsletter with Scriptural teaching plus notifications of any new articles, courses or books. and 1 Kings xxii. Spam. Vote Up This would also give time afterwards for the dispersion, not only into the city, but into the country of them who had fed the swine. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). Gospel Parallels: The Gerasene Demoniac - READ-SCRIPTURE.COM With a little knowledge of the geography of the region, this apparent contradiction can be resolved. January 2018 July 2017 Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? The center of personality, the volitional and active ego, is impaired by alien powers which seek to ruin the man and sometimes drive him to self-destruction (Mk. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. 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. The Death Of Relationships In Nairobi - YAZA Kenya The region was known also as the Decopolis because ten Greek cities were located in the region. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. 8ff.). This name (Strong's #G3003) is a reference to a Roman military regiment that varied in soldier strength from 4,000 to 6,000. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. 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. Who do you care more about, people or pigs? 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. 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. Wasn't the answer obvious? So much pain, so much sin. February 2015 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. NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. No! Slain Los Angeles auxiliary bishop was remembered at the Mass of Christian burial as friend of Jesus Christ and of Mary, our Blessed Mother.. . . 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.. She and her wife moved to Maine from Illinois. Holy Communion From the Chalice Reintroduced in the UK: What About the US? It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. The expression to be with Jesus is used particularly of His disciples (cf. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. What Does Luke 8:37 Mean? "And all the people of the country of the She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 8; Mark vi. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. The Secret behind Jesus Healing the Gerasene Demoniac 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. The people who witnessed this are . Did Jesus command the demon before he fell on his knees in Mark 5:6? 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! vi. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. As Jesus began to get back into the boat, the delivered demoniac pleaded with Him that he might accompany Him. 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. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. November 2017 Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israels Messiah. Legion of Demons - NeverThirsty 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. He seemed to view Jesus approach as the launching of a direct attack on the demonic forces. 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. 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. In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost? Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. (5) Torment. Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. to men facing fear and death. 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. or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position. At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? The people of Gerasenes were willing to live with the devils they knew - quite literally. Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? No! They were sacrificed by being thrown off a cliff. Now they were delivered and ready to be productive members of society. 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? These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. 184-185. May 2020 Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. They likely were Gentiles and had been under the influence of the demonic principality of the region their whole life. That is not the choice at all. To date they have failed to respond in any way. 40, vii. Welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! Another reason they may have been afraid of Jesus was the realization that if they accepted Him, it would mean a radical change of lifestyle. December 2021 They are unclean spirits, (vss. 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. 3. All Scripture agrees with this, that the judgment of the angels is yet to come (1 Cor. 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. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. 7. May 2021 March 2016 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. And they were afraid. Why as the question? 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. 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? 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. Crazy question or.? I used to want the longest life, perfect health and happiness, but really it is that feeling that I am so glad that this isnt all there is and that we have heaven to wait for, and that well be with Jesus, and there will be no more tears Amber VanVickle (1982-2023), The headquarters of the charity, which serves as a consecrated family to 46 disabled children, were badly damaged in major flooding near Rio de Janeiro last year. 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. March 2022 By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A Summary and Analysis of Jesus and the Gadarene Swine Treasury of Scripture. Verse 1. 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. (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. Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. 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. Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! and our October 2017 July 2021 Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7). It was significant. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. December 2020 It is not difficult to imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as their ship landed and as these two demon possessed men rushed to them. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. People who have no appr "They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? He shivered at the disturbing memory. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. But, the pigs were a part of their economic wealth. Why is this even an issue, I wonder? 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. Non-Christians can often experience this fear of Jesus as well. The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . The man looked out on the Tiberius. I will not look for a reason to return to it. In this story, we have a demon-possessed Gadarene who saw Jesus from a distance, and immediately he appeared to have felt a strong compulsion to run up to Jesus and bow down before him. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. Evil is self-defeating in the end. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. October 2021 He was a totally safe Person. "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. January 2015 Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. 4, p. 180. 9. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) | Bible.org In Acts 8:1 we have the regions of Judaea and Samaria (KJV), and in Acts 16:6, Galatia alone. A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. 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? 9. Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. 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. Ridiculous? There was no such danger in Perea, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. We should know from other Scriptures that our present spiritual experience is one of spiritual warfare. Gerasenes, Gadarenes, Pigs and "Contradictions" - NCR If Jesus had that kind of power, then He could not be controlled. Ouija boards are found in many American homes. 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. Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. 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]. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. In contrast, the people of Gerasene are asking him to leave their place. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. Its important to note that this was the first demonstration of Jesuss authority outside of Canaan. In Mark 1:5 it is used of the land of Judaea (KJV) and in Acts 10:39, to land of the Jews (KJV). First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . How do I connect these two faces together? Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. (2) Anti-social behavior. Acts 19:16). January 2021 No one was strong enough to subdue him (verses 3,4). I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. 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). February 2018 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. Confusion, fear in moments after crash "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. The New Testament speaks of those who had a spirit, or a demon, or demons, or an unclean spirit, or the spirit of an unclean demon, but chiefly of persons who were demonised. Edersheim, Life and Times, I, p. 479. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. Bill Maher: 'I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level' Luke 8:37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). The story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons out of a man and into a herd of swine, causing the swine to run down a hill into a lake and drown . . 05 /5 Another theory. First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. September 2016 in 1971. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? This is when the storm arose which threatened to destroy the ship (Mark 4:35-41). So he got into the boat and left. His website/blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, has been online since March 1997. 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. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. July 2022 Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. December 2016 We owe it to Josephus, from whom it has passed into ecclesiastical language. The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. 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. Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. . 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. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. 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?
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