As the world's top superpower, how unsure of itself can the US be to . 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) The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. I felt somewhat guilty, particularly fearing that I may have created an unintentional hardship for some classmate. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. I will not look for a reason to return to it. June 2017 Neither is it only a kind of physical disease, although spiritual and physical disease often accompany it (e.g. Gergesa, also Gergasa ( in Byzantine greek) or the Country of the Gergesenes, is a place on the eastern ( Golan Heights) side of the Sea of Galilee located at some distance to the ancient Decapolis cities of Gadara and Gerasa. Acts 5:1-6). especially fn. Can devils entreat in such a manner any highest of angels, be he Michael, Gabriel or Raphael, or any greatest cherub or seraph? We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Gergesenes is also in some manuscripts (Khersa or Gersa was a town actually on the shore of the sea). Holiness hurts! Christians are to be the answer, but often they are part of the problem. The entire population of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them because they were seized with great fear. When Jesus asked his name the man answered, Legion, for we are many (Mark 5:9). January 2017 2. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than the Gergesenes. The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. So he got into a boat and returned. The demoniacs frightened the swine, and the transfer of demons from them to the swine was imagined. Or they are too afraid of what the change might bring. 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. What did Jesus mean when he said only prayer can cast out this demon? Another reason could be as Dr. R.C. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (Luke 8:35-37). Well, it is because atheists, in their zealous rush to make fun of Christians, Christianity, and the Bible, start to lose their logical rigor and rationality, leading them to contend for implausible things: as presently. 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. 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. Father Macaire, 33, who was ordained fewer than two years ago, was kidnapped the morning of Feb. 7 when he was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Paul says of the former life of the Christian, And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 1:1-2). xvii. Thayers Greek Lexicon defines it as the space lying between two places or limits region or country. The Sea of Galilee was clearly one of the limits. For some people, the cost is too high. 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. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. It is a violent tempest, that is, outside of the natural. How do I connect these two faces together? seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. The people who witnessed this are . Then the Livestock Association and consumer groups would have been greatly distressed over the sudden decrease in the pig population and the resulting impact on pork prices. November 2020 26). Like children convinced there are monsters under our beds, the unknown scares us. But, the context is not going to be comfortable (accepted by) to some traditional understandings. Crazy question or.? 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! The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. Mark 9:17-29). August 2021 Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. That is why the inhabitants of the area are referred to variously in different Bible manuscripts as Gergasenes, Gadarenes, or Gerasenes. Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). (1) Severe personality change. 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. Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8 | Psephizo 117 so that, by their own confession, a time is coming when there shall be an entire victory of the kingdom of light over that of darkness (Rev. . 1, pp. This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? Follow Up: struct sockaddr storage initialization by network format-string, How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner, Movie with vikings/warriors fighting an alien that looks like a wolf with tentacles. 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. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 991. 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. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. In Jewish thinking, spirit beings were assigned to certain geographical territories.120. All of this sure seems perfectly consistent with calling the same area the country (chra) of either the Gerasenes or the Gadarenes, after the two major cities. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. 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. If anything, that would have made them angry. The conduct of this pathetic individual was obviously anti-social. Clarify 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. Fear that you might do something that would embarrass you? Fallen people reject God not because they do not know His power. Why would the Gerasene people beg Jesus to leave their region after He cast the demons into the pigs? Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. May 2018 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. In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost? These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. But, Im telling you. Many times people - Non-Christians and Christians - push Jesus away because they do not want to change. As an alternative to confinement, the demons posed the option of being permitted to enter the pigs, some 2,000 in number, feeding nearby. It was significant. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal, Memento Mori: Remember You Are Going to Die, The Meat of the Matter: St. Patricks Day and the Lenten Fast. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why is it February 2022 The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese, Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it. Who was afraid of Jesus and why? He shivered at the disturbing memory. iv. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. monetization of National Catholic Register RSS feeds is strictly prohibited. June 2020 Jesus asked Mary why she was crying at the grave site. - And they came to the other side of the sea.The other side of the sea would be the south-east side of the sea. 68f. Jesus asked a sick man if he wanted to get well. 16, x. The demons in the man recognize Jesus and the man bows before him. Others cited unfaithfulness, lack of seriousness, and the lack of confidence to sustain a relationship. Jesus was saying, (demonstrating) that He had all authority, in any land. So much pain, so much sin. or school. You can like Jesus for two different reasons. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for revealing that which is not to be revealed. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. No! But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. 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. Putting all of these factors together the term demon-possessed inplies too much. They became as afraid of Jesus as the demons were. 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! 110 C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (New York: The Macmillan Co., 1971), p. 3. Should TikTok be banned? Your guide to understanding why the platform Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Bill Maher: 'I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level' 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. July 2015 He was received into the Catholic Church in 1991. Although his symptoms would have appeared to be those of an insane man,113 the Gospel writers inform us that he was demon-possessed.114. 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. Today, it is identified with El-Koursi or Kursi. How to show that an expression of a finite type must be one of the finitely many possible values? 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]. Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?" He asked. Frightened and amazed, they It would seem that these people had no Messianic expectations, and therefore wanted nothing to do with One Who had such awesome power, a power over which they had no control. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 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. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly. He said unexpected things and lived by a high ethical standard. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Chapati Movement 1857: Why were the British afraid of the Roti? December 2017 Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. How much more sinful than Peter were the Geraseneans, who because of love of money did not shun even to engage in a non-Jew business of herding swine; how much more unbearable and dreadful must have been for them the Lords presence! ESV - There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. The region was not poor or economically depressed. The Politics of Luke 8:26-39. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. January 2015 December 2016 A friend of mine told me later that two students were attempting to cast a demon out of a fellow. Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. Early Christians like St. Polycarp clearly held the Catholic view on salvation. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. 9. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) | Bible.org They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.110. (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. Satan loves those Christians. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. 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. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? 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. It was opposite Galilee. F. F. Bruce adds additional helpful insight: According to the best texts, Matthew calls it the country of the Gadarenes (viii. With a little knowledge of the geography of the region, this apparent contradiction can be resolved. 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 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. It only takes a minute to sign up. Gadara, though not directly named in Scripture, was part of the Decapolis. The region and polygon don't match. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. They were among North Korea's elite, but they fled anyway. Here's why He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. (3) Spiritual insight. 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. March 2021 EIN 27-4581132 As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. Why was Jesus going to walk past the disciples as they were rowing on the Sea of Galilee? (4) Super-human strength. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1950), fn. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). 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. They were not looked upon as necessarily evil in all cases. February 2017 They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. August 2015 April 2020 14). Jesus had simply sailed across the Lake of Galilee to the region of the Gerasenes. People who have no appr July 2016 I will not ask him to leave. Train crash in Greece: 43 dead, stationmaster arrested. Live updates. April 2022 Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). August 2022 Why is that. 5:5). Sometime after the Lord Jesus miraculously calmed the storm, the ship landed, perhaps late in the evening,111 on the other side of the lake in the country of the Gerasenes.112 If, indeed, it was late at night, the scene must have been an eerie one, with the nerves of the disciples already worn thin by the terrifying experience of the storm. What about us, as Christians, are we afraid of Jesus? The entrance of the term into colloquial speech indicates that the Roman occupation was a heavy burden. xx. 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.. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? - Sage-Answers Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?" .
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