were the gerasenes gentiles were the gerasenes gentiles

Matthew tells us there were two demoniacs, while Mark and Luke only Gentile Thats why there was a herd of two thousand Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. But just a theory. Seven Biblical facts await you that prove Jesus was obliged to love all creatures, except that a higher command forced him to partially judge the Jews who owned the two thousand poor pigs. And it's very clear that theyre in Gentile territory because they find themselves in a country where there is a huge, huge herd of pigs. Of course not. That fact must be kept in mind in our ethical discussions. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that the rabbis today dont see the even stronger connection between Genesis 3:3 and Revelation 22:18, because Jews dont read the New Testament all that much. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes Was He asking us the impossible because He had nothing better to do or is He sadistic? He's been set free by Jesus. It was like, Read my lips, Saul! 10 ) It was the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Decapolis. Therefore we know that when Jesus helped the Syrophoenician woman (not a Jewess, but she came to him), he and the woman were both in Israeli territory. I wonder why?). Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. An inscr. The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.2834 is the shortest, We are pleased to launch our new product Money Maker Software for world's best charting softwares like AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. There was a logic in this. Reading the whole account in Acts 19:23 to 41, we see that it was not hard for the sore silversmith to drum up anti-Jewish anger in the crowd that day. Jesus' action also shows the importance of human beings relative to animals. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. Money Maker Software is compatible with AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. Therefore, if Paul had taken a single silver goddess Diana doll and tossed it into the Aegean Sea, what kind of a hornets nest of trouble would the apostle have stirred up for himself? GERASA, GERASENES (, ). (Take that, Darwin.). This Priceless People Interpretation comes from another sunny California pastor, John Piper. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. Gentiles (. Do not add upon it and do not reduce it. IV. A Faith Embracing All Creatures: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Care for Animals. They were people who knew him. WebThey came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And so the fact that youre in a country with a herd of pigs lets you know that youre in Gentile territory and that's part of the point of the story. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say. Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being dishonest. The most plausible reason Jesus chose the pigs was because he regarded people as precious and priceless, but not swine. When people start putting a value on animal life equal to or higher than the value they put on human life, something is seriously wrong with the culture. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). Therefore they should be taken as such. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. I listen to a pyschiatrist that said he never believed in demon possession until a exorcist ask him to work with him. Thus, in him, God found a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and 1 Samuel 16:1). David ran after the lion that had grabbed his sheep and with just his staff, and his wits, he forced the lion to drop it. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel, and Jesus had been sent to the Jews ( Matthew 15:24 ). Do you remember at the end of the book, in the sixth book, when the King of Gondor and his captains and the host of Gondor have arrived at the black gates of Sauron Sauron is the evil figure in the book and if you know Tolkien's cosmology, he was actually an apprentice to the Satan figure of Tolkien's writings. Well Ill explain that too, later on. The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is pathetic. I will say that I struggled with the title to this sermon. That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with 1 Samuel 24:24 and 1 Chronicles 21:24). Those famous four are sufficient to back up the Church's bias and with them one could pretend they say, Christ is the [dead] end of the Law [of Moses] (Luther and Calvin taught this), or maybe it means something very vague like, an end of a law is Christ. For a more advanced discussion of the vague quality of the text have a look at George Howards scholarly article. Ptolemy says Gerasa was a city in Coele-Syria, thirty-five travel m. from Pella. You don't have to look very far. Yet being part of the Godhead means Messiah cannot not flip-flop his opinions. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. No, I've checked my facts, anticipated the arguments, remembered my own arguments from he past, and now Im ready to present my conclusions for Christians to consider. Over the centuries, many scribes spent an enormous amount of time, energy and resources copying them, thereby lending credibility to them. To top it off, Jesuss farmers see Jesus and see their property floating belly up in the surf, but they dont throw him after them! And thirdly, they are forgetting the fate of this man with an immortal soul who was in danger not only of a continuous life of torment, but an eternal separation from God. 3). Marks Jesus is a warrior who conquers Gods enemies. Similarly, as God incarnate, Jesus knows the future. Connect the dots. Ruins of the temple of Artemis, some columns still standing, are on another hillside above the ruins. R.C. Gentiles You know that because the people tell Him to leave. He made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them, which they were to live according to. were the gerasenes So its a fair comparison to place Pauls actions in Ephesians side-by-side with Jesuss actions by the Lake of Galilee. While animal-abuse cases arent normally rampant among church-goers, its no thanks to this bishops official policy. Jesus victory over the devils army results in the man being dressed and in his right mind, a different kind of setting things right with the world and a foretaste of the age to come. The jokes are a smoke screen. In 2 Samuel 17 we read of the young boy who would be king risking everything for one lamb. Sinai. I would have wanted a herd of swine had I been an Israelite in the desert. They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. Don Crowe and Nicholas Gentile direct the Oswego Players Scenes of Crime; Section X: Canton downs Heuvelton for repeat Overall Section 10 title; Section X: Lady Wildcats edge Hammond for Section Overall title; PROPERTY SALES; Local pro hockey: Former Wolves player Liarakos paces Mississippi past visiting Watertown He couldnt introduce a new religion. 1. So now they don't even bother to read it.]. He didnt give any new commandment. All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and. Those outside of the nation of Israel were considered gentiles. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. The Gadarenes Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals Who owned the pigs? You may simultaneously update Amibroker, Metastock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4 with MoneyMaker Software. That was a very large farming operation, even by the modern European and North American standards of today which typically do not have such giant herds. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. The only other commandment with this same specific promise is the command to honour thy mother and father (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16; c.f., Ephesians 6:2-3 where Paul copies out the entire commandment and the promise). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Web(2) Ye know that ye were Gentiles.--Better (according to the weight of MSS. And guess what this week's focus is on? But the Almighty said it so many times. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? So why do Christians say no one can when these two did? At this distance from the Sea of Galilee, Gerasa could not have been the site of the healing of Legion. It is doubtful that Jesus ever visited it. the obscure phrase, (declaring all food clean), is magically transformed by the New International Version into, In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean, or into even lovelier prose like, By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in Gods eyes, by the New Living Translation (talk about making silk purse out of a sows ear). And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. War IV. were the gerasenes In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. And the good pastor doesnt give any rationale for a slaughter that huge. Pigs, of course, were unclean for the Jews (Lev. But once the door is open, well, we see in this story what can happen when you give in, what can happen when the demonic takes over. The two Johns see more than a hint of what I am talking about in the destruction of the swine and it frightens them so they avoid a serious discussion. All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and gravity (Matthew 8:22-27, Mark 4:3541 and Luke 8:2225, passages immediately before the pig-demon accounts! Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. The exorcism and the slaughter: Did they happen? Such a contradiction in character! And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the falling of a sparrow. Oops. He wrote under his own name, and also as John Oxenham for his poetry, hymn-writing, and novels. He has stabbed the heads of many lands. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! Many will rush for cover behind the last four Greek words of this verse, despite all of its textual, translation and interpretation problems. He is the dividing line here. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Palmer Robertson was telling me not long after he had arrived in Africa to begin his ministry there he was taken to a nighttime fireside meeting with a witch doctor a man who was possessed of familiar spirits, who had extraordinary powers of strength, prediction, he was hired by people to put curses on other people and to put spells on other people. Somewhere I read that that region actually raised pigs and worshipped them or considered them as idols so study about the region and style of worship for that region. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs in Gerasenes (Lk 8 ) 10 ) It was the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Decapolis. 1). Pretty quickly the whole city was in an uproar. Food cant affect our salvation, nor disqualify us from being saved.Pork might not be very healthy,but as long as its USDA approved and deemed good by health inspectors from feeder hogs tat eat corn to clean the mess out of them of the last few bowel movements, then you should be good to go. neither the four Greek words, nor any idea similar to them, are ever repeated in Scripture, whereas the destruction of the swine herd is thrice-repeated and uses a few more than four words. Can we really point the finger at him? 15:24), but He was concerned for all peoples. I would, however, be a little skeptical of stories about Jesus Himself visiting Spain. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. The thinking behind each chart is contrary to the unity and oneness of God. As out-of-place as the pig-assisted exorcism by the Lake of Galilee was, the awful event is actually recorded in three Gospels; in Matthew 8:2834, Mark 5:120 and Luke 8:2639. Jesus enters enemy territory in two ways. She suffers a more oppressive slavery than ever before not to human rulers but to demons, who are bold enough to enter synagogues on the Sabbat. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Luckily, they didnt find Paul anywhere, but they did haul a number of Pauls colleagues down to city hall. Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? The Garasenes were not Jewish but the country was close to Galilee and Jesus had been to that side of the sea before. It was a region of 10 Greco-Roman cities, a Gentile region. 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. The tricky bit is finding the correct reason why gentle Jesus dumped hundreds of murderous, unclean spirits on so many swine. In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. He was constrained to act just like the other prophets before him. And so the demons call out His name Jesus, the Son of the Most High God and it has no effect on Him.

. We ask this in Jesus' name. It's this man who doesn't even remember his name who's possessed by a host of demons. Our ways are not as Thine. He was getting everyone on board with what was started at Sinai. Don Crowe and Nicholas Gentile direct the Oswego Players Scenes of Crime; Section X: Canton downs Heuvelton for repeat Overall Section 10 title; Section X: Lady Wildcats edge Hammond for Section Overall title; PROPERTY SALES; Local pro hockey: Former Wolves player Liarakos paces Mississippi past visiting Watertown For less than $5/mo. And then finally, and very, very sadly, I want you to see in contrast to him, the reaction of the majority of the people in his city and country to what Jesus has done. They even allowed themselves to go ballistic on the Sabbath, which shows how angry they really were. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because its not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. They belonged to God. Therefore, if Jesus gave no commandment (singular), what is he referring to when he talks about commandments (plural) in the following: The answer: when he says, keep my commandments he means the ones he and the Father gave Israel at Sinai. Many of you have seen, maybe fewer of you have read, a book by the famous British philosopher and skeptic, Bertrand Russell. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. Therefore, I repeat again that I believe the pastors are dishonest for not admitting this fact. The Psalmist states that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills Because to me belong every beast of the wood, every herd on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10, and were assuming Jesus the Second Person of the triune God had equal rights to those hills and those cattle.). Neither common sense, nor the text, let Jesus off the hook. Studying these Scripture passages show us that Jesus only ever walked in the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Israel and Moses. 5 So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a casualty of war. Another who admits he has no idea why the gentle Jesus jettisoned all those unclean demons unto the swine is John MacArthur. His sermon should have given us some point, some excuse, or some logical explanation for it all. Paul talked about going to Spain in Rom 15:24-28, so part of this is certainly within the realm of possibilities. To any Jew, Jesuss actions were crystal clear. Its inconceivable that the pigs were owned by Gentiles. Seven Forgotten Facts clarify our interpretation, One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had, But this view is shocking because it places Gods Son on an equal footing with the unclean spirits and thus flies in the face of the normal presentation of Jesus in the Gospels. Yet this is exactly what Christians believe; Jesus came to fulfill (but think annul) the Law and then start a whole new religion. (Only an amateur Hebraist would claim the latter, frankly.). Now what happens in this passage? Coincidentally, three Gentiles showed up for lunch, and the following day, he met a Roman convert when finally Peter figured it out and declared the Lords view of Gentile believers, But God has shown me that I should not call ritually impure or defiling any man (Acts 10:28). The History of Rome - Brief Overview Of Roman History from Her Dawn to the First Punic War. One was, His Name Was Legion, Not Ligon. I have been confused with Legion all my life and it worries me that it's not just the sound of the name, but I want to make it clear that Legion is not in any way related to Ligon. The other, Deuteronomy 22:6-7, protects wild mother birds in a similar way, forbidding us from killing them along with their young at the same time. Lots of non-Jews lived there. So He gave them permission. Why did Jesus mention Tyre and Sidon Rabbi, begone! Regrettably, what were about to study the Big Pig Splash Down isn't one of them. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. Jesus is the lover of our souls. Ligon Duncan (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Edinburgh) is the Chancellor & CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, and the President of RTS Jackson. To save this word, you'll need to log in. I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. This one verse alone, without all the extra proof from Jesuss joke, should convince us that his commandments are the 613 commandments of the Law of Moses. And what about trees or rocks? Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say, Canaanite, but both are more than possible and perhaps the double meaning was intended by the prophet. Therefore he had every right to judge the Jews and how they used land. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters , In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us, Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon While foretelling death and doom was often, Fifth Fact: The True Author(s) of Scripture. What need have we of further witnesses? Ha, ha.. yeah lemme ummm.. tell ya about those pigs.., 2 ) Like any rational redneck, they smelled their Gentile neighbors having a pork BBQ and said DAAAANG, Hoss! They were not. Where? Gerasa, Gadara or Gergesa (Luke 8;26, 37) - Berean Insights Jesus is going to tell him, You can't come with Me, but I do want you to go back and tell them what great things God has done for you. Throughout the book, the author uses direct quotes, various and mostly verifiable place names and clear descriptions of mostly plausible actions. Jesus is equating his commandments which can only be the ones in the Law of Moses, because he gave no commandments in the Gospels with his Fathers commandments in the Five Books of Moses. He used another pseudonym, Julian Ross. Three witnesses! biblegateway.com The demons, who in this man have terrified the whole countryside to the point that they had tried to retrain this man with chains they were so frightened of Him, those demons are now afraid of Jesus because they know who Jesus is and they know where Jesus can cast them. If I still had some misgivings, Id be man enough to share them here. He also said after much work with people that was possess that most of them dealt in occult practices. Why? There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). Topical Bible: Gerasenes This verse alone puts an interesting twist on the oft-quoted man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man because originally Scripture makes the point that the Sabbath is for man and mans animals. From the start, the evil spirits wanted to bring death and destruction, and they finally got their chance. Ba-dum-tsss.). Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything ritually impure or defiling (Acts 10:14). These ruins date from the 2nd to the 7th centuries and show that the city flourished during this period as a center for religion, culture, and commerce.