His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). The ego is so impaired that the spirits speak through him. 4. No men would have written in this manner but those who were acquainted with the facts (1949, p. 91). We do not know why they chose to mention only one. There probably were not many who had been told yet of the Messiah, and so were not yet believers. If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [emailprotected], by Matt Slick | Apr 13, 2023 | Bible Studies. (5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away. The pleas of Legion were in response to the command of Jesus for the demons to come out of him (verse 8). e.g., Matt. It was the terror of the damned. Everyone strained for a look at the tomb-man. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Exorcism_of_the_Gerasene_demoniac&oldid=1143355181, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from March 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 March 2023, at 07:06. Accordingly this was not merely an ordinary form of mental disease as some writers have alleged, but a special phenomenon which was particularly frequent during Jesus earthly sojourn and thus was directly connected with His coming to destroy the power of darkness. The differing geographical references to Gadara and Gerasa can be understood in light of the social, economic, and political influence each city exerted over the region. The story of Jesus casting out the demons from a human and into a herd of swine is well-known, but where it happened, and what it means, are more contentious questions and deserve fuller analysis and discussion. These forces plundered Gerasa, Philadelphia, Pella, and others (Jos. Home was a place of memories so dark and pain-filled that he likely just wanted to escape them and never go back. On one level, they may have been afraid that Jesus would send their herds into the sea. Matthew recorded that Jesus commanded demons to come out of two men (8:29). There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. [3] However, other commentators have attempted to make the story consistent with a Jesus who shows "care and concern for animals," as John Austin Baker wrote. Albert Barnes explained the difference between Gadara and Gerasa: Gadara was a city not far from the Lake Gennesareth, one of the ten cities that were called Decapolis. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at. A few men went on to survey the dead floating herd. Immediately, as this weary group disembarked from the ship, they were met by what appeared to be a madman. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus among them? On the other hand, it may be correct to understand that although there were many demons, they had combined as one force to possess this man.119 While Mark records Legions request as one of not being sent out of the country (verse 10), Luke adds a significant explanation by interpreting the meaning behind this request: And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss (Luke 8:31). Then he notes that he was clothed and in his own mind (Luke 8:35). While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. conquest of Syria in 65 b.c. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. Their answer is: 'No, we do not want to stone you because we want to keep you near us. [9], The revealing of the demon's name has parallels with other examples in Jewish exorcism lore in the Second Temple period. Gergesa [probably a variation of GerasaCC] was a city about 12 miles to the south-east of Gadara, and about 20 miles to the east of the Jordan. 14. Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. I will not ask him to leave. 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. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. Some have suggested that the words Gergesenes and Gerasenes are not words referring to people from a city other than Gadara, but merely different variations of the word Gadarenes (Youngblood, p. 468; McGarvey, p. 344). ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):1. Normal relationships are reversed. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Many ancient tombs are to be seen in the face of the hills. Image by The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! 14ff. Ewing. As always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. The particular focus of this mans testimony was the Decapolis region. Here the slopes descend swiftly almost into the sea, and animals, once started on the downward run, could not avoid plunging into the depths. The people were afraid when they saw the possessed man healed. We should be warned that fooling with these Satanic fronts is like experimenting with drugs. Dr. Thomson discovered on the eastern shore the ruins of a village called Khersa. Luke 8:26 They arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. Journeys of Jesus: Capernaum to Gadara - SDG Games Youngblood, Ronald F., ed. What is the 'age of accountability' and is it Biblical. (3) Spiritual insight. Are there things that perplex you? 6:45-56 6:14-21. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. Why did the demon-possessed Gadarene bow down before Jesus? Were the writers of the synoptic gospel accounts confused about where Jesus was when He healed the men? Why typically people don't use biases in attention mechanism? 1 Response Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. 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. At the side of Kersa the shore is level, and there are no tombs. Gerasa is identified from various sources as a city in Arabia, Decapolis, Gilead, or Perea. 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!". [11] Further possible echoes include Isaiah 65:4 with parallels to both graves and swine:[12]. 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. To understand this event, you need consider the incident at Babel, and Deuteronomy. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. xviii. Q. My ways are subtler, and for this reason perhaps even more insidious. No! Pigs were specifically set aside as the animal used in sacrifices to their god. ix. The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. And, Gerasene was one. [1] 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 themselves. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. ', referring to the nuclear power plant in Ignalina, mean? Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. Therefore, Jesus Christ for demons is God and thus even demons inadvertently reveal themselves as being better theologians than Arians and their modern day heirs - Jehovawitnesians and all different breeds of Unitarians - their name being legion! How Many Times Did Jesus Go To Gerasenes - Foxwell Tindin Gergesa is located, with relative certainty, midway along the E bank of the Sea of Galilee; Gadara is six m. SE from the S end of the Sea of Galilee; and Gerasa is some thirty-five m. SE. [6], The location is also changed to the region of the "Gadarenes" (Gadara) as in most Bible translations. 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. Spam, December 19 2016 In the Gospel of Mark, why does Jesus heal this blind man twice? 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one . 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). If there are two demoniacs, there is certainly at least one; therefore, there is no contradiction. Did they cease to exist? Asked December 18 2016 The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. Contributors: Mark D. Roberts Published by The High Calling, March 11, 2011. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Peace, like the quiet sea. Jesus was potently kind. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? All accounts involve Jesus exorcising demons, identified collectively in Mark and Luke as "Legion". The Greek word commonly accepted in Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 as the basis for the name of the people who inhabited the place where Jesus and the disciples went is rendered Gerasenes in English (Metzger, 1975, pp. is there such a thing as "right to be heard"? 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.
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how many times did jesus go to gerasenes