It goes like this: These are the people of Gerasene speaking to Jesus Rabbi be gone. [Israels] real enemy isnt Rome, which barely figures into the gospel story. (Matt 15:24). It is true that we discover new thoughts or extra meaning over time, but Gods Word is permanent and cannot change. Why explain something that is as plain as the nose on your face? Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! Why do I say that book? The hard-hearted views of the Bishop of Hippo are not biblical because righteous people are obliged by God to be considerate to all animals, even wild animals, as discussed below. when hes rolling around with a thousand killer-demons inside. When Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you (John 13:34), he instantly had the undivided attention of the Tedious Twelve disciples because they knew changing the Law was forbidden. Secondly, the text is written to show Jesus dunnit. Thus, we are not surprised that there was "a great herd of pigs" feeding near the tombs where the Gerasene demoniac was living (5:11). were the gerasenes (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. Johns words seem to apply to all of Scripture. Yet this is exactly what Christians believe; Jesus came to fulfill (but think annul) the Law and then start a whole new religion. They were ..ummm ..for producing manure to fertilize crops. We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? 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. So I don't know how seventeen interpretations of this particular story got circulated. I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). But they dont prove his point. Part of the reason for such a short list is due to the fact that Gods People are special (Exodus 19:5-6) and separate (Deuteronomy 7:6) and unique from others on the earth (1 Peter 2:9). And God isnt going to renounce or retract that decision no matter how many dispensational charts they print. This, by the way, is the miracle story that happens in Gentile land. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Incredible. Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). Well, Ill try and explain that before the end of the sermon, but there were several titles that didn't get included in the sermon bulletin today. 3). How and why did this happen in the first place? Pork is the most infamous of all-things-not-Jewish and the bad press that pigs receive in Scripture, and in contemporary Western society, is another reason why I accuse both pastors of being less than honest in their explanations about Mark 5. 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. Did Jesus Heal and Preach to Only Jews? No! - NCR They cannot cast a spell on Him. This leads the third observation: just as the disciples had been terrified by both the storm and Jesus calming of it on the way over to the Gerasenes, the local people here respond with fear. Gerasa was a city situated near the Jabbok River about eighteen m. E of the Jordan, about twenty m. SE of Pella, and twenty m. N of Philadelphia. Were in the same story. For centuries, land wars are a type of a national sport among Middle Eastern nations. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. What does it say? They had the exact same reaction to Jesus that Bertrand Russell would manifest two thousand years later. Also in a side note theres a rock with what looks like a human footprint in it, it is said this is Christs footprint. Or, what if Paul had knocked two thousand dolls into the drink would he have written as many epistles as he did, while having to dogpaddle? Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of human OS Supported: Windows 98SE, Windows Millenium, Windows XP (any edition), Windows Vista, Windows 7 & Windows 8 (32 & 64 Bit). Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. To all of you who have been liberated from the captivity of your sin by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive God's blessing. He dispatched Lucius Annius with a force of cavalry and an army of foot soldiers, who took the city on the first attack, slaughtering a thousand young men, taking their families captive, plundering and burning the city and the surrounding towns (Jos. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. Apparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Cant we be candid in our search to know God? 1. That is exactly what is happening here. What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. War IV. Learn how your comment data is processed. And then you see in this passage the change of a heart set free. WebMany New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than. But what does Leviticus says about, And also the pig; although it has a hoof splitting in half and it has a hoof clearly tearing in two, the pig doesn't bring back up its cud to chew. Add to that that recent. Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there for mercy and for judgement. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Three of the Comedian Harmonists were Jewish, three were gentile. II. And that permanence of the Law matches well with the fact that the first time, and the second, He wrote the Ten Commandments in stone: Exodus 31:18 and again, Exodus 34:1. All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat Cute little silver goddess dolls would have sold for the same price as a full-grown boar or sow in those days. The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. What about sheep? The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is pathetic. The good pastor John MacArthur assumes in his video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20), that Jesus must have been in Gentile territory because, as everyone knows, Jewish men and women dont hang around tombs even if they are demon possessed! I wouldn't care to speculate how many demons possessed this man, but the man can only identify himself as a person who is possessed by an almost innumerable host of evil spirits and he doesn't even remember his own name. Such a conclusion will annoy a lot of people, even funny, leaky dispensationalists like John MacArthur. 8:513) and the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was possessed (Mark 7:2430), the Jews received the bulk of His attention, and He spent most of His time in the predominantly Jewish regions of Galilee and Judea. Jewish rabbis, when interpreting the Word of God, follow an important principle: no word in Gods Word is superfluous or pointless. The Garasenes were not Jewish but the country was close to Galilee and Jesus had been to that side of the sea before. and what Jesus showed here was a love and a grace towards a man in captivity to sin who didn't deserve to be freed and didn't deserve to be forgiven, but Jesus did it anyway. That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. He used another pseudonym, Julian Ross. WebNoun. Gentiles Topical Bible: Gerasenes Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, [Let me just pause right there. In light of these facts, Jesus' ministry in the Gerasenes reveals the Lord's remarkable concern not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. As the Philistine dead were strewn from Gaza to Ekron, so thousands of Satans dead fell in their own territory. And because they did not hear Him, they lost even what they had. Ill take Mark at his word; hes thinking of an army of demons, not an army of human soldiers. In this immediate area, steep hills come down to the shoreline and fit the story of the swine rushing headlong into the sea. Well Ill explain that too, later on. Jesus was teaching the way to live life so demons would not have a place in us to possess. Its totally contrary to what we would expect. Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? facts why Jesus cast the demons But wait, realize how deep Gods affection for animals goes. Looking back over the entirety of Gods Word, we do indeed notice many plagues rained down on the wicked in other books. When Eve said that she and hubby were not allowed to touch the [Good and Evil Knowledge Tree] or they would die, she was lying (Genesis 3:3 and Jewish explanation). That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Let\'s see if you\'re really a human: * He was incapable of changing his circumstances. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than Who were the gerasenes in the bible? He showed mercy to the men who were possessed and brought judgement on the pig farmers. A Faith Embracing All Creatures: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Care for Animals. I'm the man who Jesus saved by casting out the demons from me.. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. 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. 7 ) The pigs werent for eating. Christ's journey into "the country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1) was somewhat unusual. Jesus though he was The Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 and John 1:21) had to play by the same laws. Why explain something that is as plain as the nose on your face? Something else to ponder about the Son of God is his other title, I am the good shepherd. Notice how Gods care is cleverly contrasted with mans callousness: men buy birds for next to nothing because they do not value them, yet The Almighty as large and in charge as He is still takes careful notice of frail creatures. 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. 141-144). Not that I believe my case has holes. This is the Just-believe-and-receive Hypothesis and the advocates thereof like to stretch Jesuss words, I came to fulfill the Law, and make it say that Jesus needed to destroy or replace the nasty Law, but hope to heaven it still sounds Biblical heres an example of stretchy talking from GotQuestions. Now not only did the Jewish people not eat bacon, and not only were they forbidden by Moses to eat bacon, but they were not allowed to raise bacon even to sell it to the Gentiles. The Bible doesnt say. As for Matthew, he quoted Jesus as commanding the demons, and used the plural form of the verb, go. Josephus mentions it with Pella and Golan as being taken by storm during Alexander Jannaeus campaign E of the Jordan in about 83 b.c. Wed also have to confess that the farmers were not Gentile. I think so. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. 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. What's going on here? The power and the person of Jesus Christ. So I figure we could speculate a little and see where this goes. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Besides Johns cute play on words dont add or God will add consider what plagues he might be talking about and what book he might be talking about. Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. One unambiguous (but hotly debated) verse that supports this doctrine is, If we agree Messiah wrote the Law of God, we should then wonder, (Please dont hide behind that sensational dispensational chart. His actions now make sense in this new light. However, the pastors assumptions are perplexing. Its the exodus that Jesus has come to lead, an exodus from slavery to the prince of this world. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. We come to understand that the God of the Universe is willing to wait and to stall our own behaviour so as to give mother cows and mother sheep more time together with their babies. Amen, and thus ends this reading of God's holy, inspired, and inerrant Word. The text of Mark 5 says pigs were nearby, but it doesnt say they were the only things nearby. The list in the first chapter of Leviticus contains only bovine, sheep, goats and pigeons; all typified later, in Leviticus 11, as clean/pure animals. there was never a prophecy that the kosher laws would be removed, so the verse is coming completely from left field. One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. While foretelling death and doom was often part of a prophets job description, the real task of each true prophet was to be an example to the people and to get everyone on board, or back on board, with the Law of God. Lets re-examine the event in the light of seven important Scriptural facts. Yes, you read that right. Mark Driscoll also generated some chuckles when he callously said the death of the pigs created a bacon famine.. Some of Jesus's reputation for being normally meek and merciful comes from statements like: From Jesus's own mouth, we are informed of Gods special love and attention for defenseless animals and we know Jesus has the same heart for the weak. were the gerasenes gentiles Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a grand doctrine, all with the hopes it will magically annihilate one hundred clear, unambiguous verses which say the Law is permanent. Late Latin Gerasenus, Gergesenus, from Greek Gerasnos, Gergesnos, from Gerasa, Gergesa ancient town in Palestine. Pig meat, according to Scripture, is as unclean as the demons that Jesus sent into the swine. After a dramatic journey across the lake (Luke 8:22-25), Jesus steps for the first and last time into Gentile territory. He knew how bad it was going to go for the pigs. Echoes of Exodus in the Land of theGerasenes, Wesleys Eschatological Optimism Explains itAll, The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg, The Methodist Million Dollar Appeal in World WarII. However, the silversmith was a smart cookie and knew that the more people bought into Pauls line of thinking, Note: Demetrius was angry only because of, Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? 9 Jesus was Jewish and He said He came for the lost sheep of Israelthe 10 cities of Decapolis were Roman cities but also contained some Jews who were most likely not keeping the Torah or mixing paganism with Judaism..Romans had many pagan gods and sacrifice pigs especially a certain black pig..I believe the man with the unclean spirits was a Jew.a Jew would never hang out in a tomb because that would make him unclean according to Jewish law..satan probably got a kick out of a Jew being forced by his demons to live in one.interesting that unclean spirits went into a unclean animal according to Judaismwhat a sight to see and then told by to go and tell what happened to you and to those pigs to your fellow Jewish friends and family who may not be keeping the Torah..just my opinion. And John nicely parallels Jesus who said, not the smallest letter nor the smallest comma will pass away from the Law (Matthew 5:18). And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. And repeatedly, these miracles will focus us in on Who is Jesus? and What do His deeds tell us about what He has come to do and the power that He has? And so this passage helps us in this way. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church took four Greek words torn out of mid-sentence and declared them to mean, the end (read, death) of the law [of Moses], although numerous verses declare the fixed, eternal character of Gods Perfect Law. Also, Orthodox Jews see a clear connection between Deuteronomy 12:32, do not add, and what happened in the Garden of Eden. If the interpretation from, If a bunch of little children want a ball to play with and I toss them a grenade, am I off the hook if a kid pulls out the pin? These are tremendously important facts that GotQuestions is ignorant of, or they prefer to spread disinformation about, this important Biblical truth that, in the mind of the Almighty, holiness is bound to what we eat. Good Pastor John MacArthur's funny option, The real Author(s) of the Law and the Commandments. WebRoman Empire Map - Large Map of the Roman Empire in the Early First Century - Click around on the Places. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Go be a witness to Me as My disciple.. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Owning those defiling animals was illegal and having two thousand head, the farmers were more than flouting the Law that Jesus had not came to destroy but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). Can we imagine our Jew receiving a mostly positive reaction or a negative one? So lets not laugh these verses off. But just a theory. They dont care about about the demon possessed men, they want their pigs back, (My opinion) Jesus was raised with sacrifice so animals were thought of for food, not so much as pets like today. Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. If the pig farmers were Gentile, why would non-Jewish farmers be so gentle with a Jew (who was also an outsider) who was messing around with their farm animals? It was part of the Greco-Roman region known as the Decapolis, or ten towns. It was Gentile territory, the land of foreign gods, a place of idolatry. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. The Son of God mercifully cast thousands of defiling demons out of a lost Jew and purposefully launched the legion killers into two thousand defiling swine. The story of the Gerasene demoniac thereby foreshadows the mission to the Gentiles that would begin in full force with the conversion of the Apostle Paul and Peter's ministry to Cornelius (Acts 910). 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. 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. In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise.