If he was a pagan, why did Jesus cast out his demons? May 2022 October 2015 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. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. 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. 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) He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. . Does a barbarian benefit from the fast movement ability while wearing medium armor? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 21,22). December 2020 This was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River. Also, frequently associated with demon possession was a super-human strength (cf. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight.". The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. This story is a little bit of an Easter story. Nor was it the Jewish population of Galilee. For more information about Glenn Davis see our About Glenn page and/or his Author's Page. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 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). Such was the case with this man (cf. He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. Based on all the evidence we have seen over the past four months with regards to ChatGPT and how it can be manipulated or even how it will lie . September 2020 It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. No! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For some people, the cost is too high. Satans most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 125 This is the position of Lane, Mark, p. 187. 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. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? 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? (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. 4, p. 180. 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? 15; Mark ix. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. The before and after descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. 8; Mark vi. Romans 9:19-23). . (2) Anti-social behavior. The healing of the demoniacs and the repulse of the Healer by the inhabitants are historical, but the incident of the swine is a later figment. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. (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. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. The demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. Who do you care more about, people or pigs? Author of The Gnostic Notebook series, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. Luke 8:26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And they were afraid. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. Preisker, TWNT IV (1942), pp. "I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don't think he likes me. February 2015 The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. For the reason why this is so we refer the reader to the introduction preceding the exposition of verses 33-7. First let us see what the Sacred Texts says: The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 0 Responses Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. Events that are important to our Church Community, Mark 5:1-20 Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac. Fear that you would not be in control? Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? Wasn't the answer obvious? I will not ask him to leave. The best human analogy might be in the area of drug abuse. It was scary. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant. 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. The Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). November 2016 The region and polygon don't match. Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. 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. and our Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . Unfortunately, Christians [or those using the name] can be harsh, condemning and critical driving people further into sin and away from God. January 2015 July 2022 It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. The occult and every front for demonic influence and activity should be avoided like the plague. No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. The nearby townspeople, upon hearing of the great miracle (and not wanting to suffer further economic loss), begged Christ to leave the Gadarenes and never come back! The sons of god ended up becoming the gods of these nations. September 2016 "The trains were . 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. 116 As Lane observes this title Son of the Most High God, is not a messianic designation but a divine one. Lane, Mark, p. 133, cf. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. Perhaps they clenched their fists or picked up driftwood with which to defend themselves. The Lord granted the only request of these residents, which was for Him to leave. Pig carcasses were washing ashore and drifting out to sea. September 2022 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). Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? Spam. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? They are happy in their sin and the consequences seem far away. It was like being attacked by two Hulks. They probably thought of quickly getting aboard ship and pushing off. Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms. 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. Until we decide on a new comic, you'll likely see a gray box where "Dilbert" had appeared. These people did not want to change. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. April 2020 What were the women in Mark 16:8 afraid of? 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. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. 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. 35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. 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. 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.. Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. 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. 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. 2ff., xvv. 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. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? She is a graduate of the Divinity School at Wake Forest University and Chicago Theological Seminary. 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. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? And when the man spoke to Jesus, it looks like the demons inside the man were the ones doing the speaking. 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. Privacy Policy. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. 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. 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. In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). So he got into the boat and left. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? August 2018 Many times people - Non-Christians and Christians - push Jesus away because they do not want to change. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. The city of Gadara and its surrounding area are referred to as the Gadarenes. Such must have been the response of those with our Lord. Vote Up Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. 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. especially fn. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? When once he was an instrument of Satanic opposition against the Messiah, now he is a witness to His power. The Truth is Jesus is a safe Person Who loves them, values them, wants their best and will never force Himself on them. when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. 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. . Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. March 2018 5:5). (1) Severe personality change. Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. in 1971. March 2015 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. June 2015 To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Our Lord responded sternly by calling this accusation blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and as such was the one unpardonable sin (verses 28-30). The confrontation between the powers of heaven and hell are nowhere seen in better perspective than in Marks account of the encounter of the Gerasene demoniac with our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence it would be called the land of the Gadarenes.. Understand the meaning of Luke 8:37 using all available Bible versions and commentary. 68f. 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. At first we may deceive ourselves into thinking that we are controlling them, but the ultimate likelihood is that they will master us. How Satan blinds our minds! Lets learn why. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Luke 8 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 name "Gerasenes" is to be associated with the modern city of Jerash, located in Transjordan, 22 miles N of Amman." John McRay, "Gerasenes," ed. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. 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. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. Cookie Notice The people were gentiles who had not yet any interest in the Messiah. Jesus had simply sailed across the Lake of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? . Verse 1. They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. 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 man looked out on the Tiberius. She and her wife moved to Maine from Illinois. People who have no appr 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. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized . ii. xvii. So who was afraid? What was it that caused these people to react in such a way? If anything, that would have made them angry. 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. December 2022 Why did Jesus have the authority to forgive sins, why did the scribes take it as a blasphemy, and was this authority also given to men in general? Jesus had actually helped them. 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! NET Bible Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. April 2017 April 2021 October 2021 We will examine two incidents -- the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee, and that which follows immediately, the healing of the demoniac. 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. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. 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. Catholic Church. 10). August 2022 November 2021 "The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. October 2022 June 2022 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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 2. 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. Renew or manage your subscription here. Those possessed are depicted throughout as unfortunate sufferers who by no fault of their own are dominated by evil spirits and who, when the spirits are cast out by Jesus, accept their deliverance with joy and gratitude (Mark v. 18-20, Luke viii. While he was once wild and uncontrollable, he was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus. 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. and thank you for your contribution. xvi. 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! 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. of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were So he got into the boat and left. Sign-up for E-NewsletterGet Register Updates sent daily or weeklyto your inbox. 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. Like it or not, demons and demonic activity are likely to become much more of a concern to you in days to come. Pigs were seen as unclean animals in the eyes of the people of Israel. 128 In most of the stories of possession what is at issue is not merely sickness but a destruction and distortion of the divine likeness of man according to creation.