May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives. 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 10). Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes 5:5). January 2017 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. Why is Darrow's victory in the Passage taken so personally? November 2017 October 2018 No! Luke 8:26-39 Mark 5:1-20 ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. November 2020 Pastor Chrissy is a native of East Tennessee. In other words, even though he set the bar extremely high, he seemed to be a fascinating man. 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. May 2021 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. 111 Edersheim maintains that it must have been late the same night of the storm: Most writers have, indeed, suggested, that the healing of the demonized on the other side took place at early dawn of the day following the storm on the lake. 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. In Acts 8:1 we have the regions of Judaea and Samaria (KJV), and in Acts 16:6, Galatia alone. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because it's not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. Romans 9:19-23). Once naked, he is now clothed. Significantly, the demons are called unclean spirits (verse 2,9). 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. When the pigs were sent into the sea, the people of Gadara lost money. 122 Quoted by Alfred Plummer, The Gospel According to Saint Luke, (Edinburg: T. and T. Clark, 5th ed., 1969): p. 228. And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another . Sermon for July 26, 2020: Why Were They So Afraid: Mark 5:1-20. March 2018 and 1 Kings xxii. In fact the region was known as the Gadarenes-Gerasenes region. Jesus had been performing miracles in Gods nation - Israel. 05 /5 Another theory. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. According to another theory, the Chapati movement of 1857 was an attempt to prevent a cholera outbreak in central India. 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. His teachings have inspired great moral reformations such as abolition of slavery and the Civil Rights movement. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. March 2016 The swine then immediately killed themselves by rushing off a cliff. 15; Mark ix. Why did Jesus allow the legion of demons to stay in the area when they begged him? Another indication of demonic control is the fact that this man was continually doing harm to himself by gashing himself with stones (verse 5). But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble. May 2018 They were among North Korea's elite, but they fled anyway. Here's why September 2022 If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? Not long after that, while I was still a student in seminary, there was a car parked by the seminary in a somewhat suspicious manner and I called the police to check it out. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. First of all, the EPA would have been investigating the pollution of Lake Galilee with decaying pigs. Women, children and defenceless people all admired Him and felt comfortable in His presence. They were instructed to keep quiet about what Jesus had done for them (cf. Treasury of Scripture. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12). He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. print and digital media outlets, dedicated to reporting the truth in light of the Gospel and the 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! Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). What did Jesus do? Train crash in Greece: 43 dead, stationmaster arrested. Live updates. 3. 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. He was also humorous in his answers. Series NotesScripture references are based on the King James translation. June 2022 First of all the Scriptures do not say that the local Pagans were afraid of Jesus, but that they merely begged him to leave their neighbourhood. Vote Up The price tag of possession was high, for those who fell victim to the demons agonized in constant torment. 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 demoniac was uncontrollable by any of the normal means of human confinement. 123 1. Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. 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. Some appeared not to be oppressed by them so much as exploiting their powers (cf. . Most people confessed to having the fear of things not working out, an inability to trust and others said they . October 2022 Why as the question? Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine . NEW STAR WARS MERCH PAGE: https://bit.ly/3baWVZv For all sponsorship and business inquiries please contact: thestupendousscrub@gmail.com NEW CHANNEL: https:/. He could just as easily commanded them to return to the deepest, darkest pit of Hell. How ironic, as others have noted, that the tormentor pleads not to be tormented. Matthew 8:4; Luke 8:56). 112 Skeptics and liberals have made much of the differences between the Gospel writers as to the place Jesus landed with His disciples. 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. 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. Verse 1. As the servant of Elisha was told, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16). Others cited unfaithfulness, lack of seriousness, and the lack of confidence to sustain a relationship. A Jewish exorcist with such authority in the region, risked to damage the beliefs and reputation of the local pagan inhabitants. In any event, they were not Israelites, as indicated by the fact that a herd of swine was being kept nearby, which would have been forbidden by the Mosaic Law, since swine were unclean animals (Leviticus 11:7-8). Embedded into both stories are people who were afraid of Jesus. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). How to show that an expression of a finite type must be one of the finitely many possible values? 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. Asked October 24 2014 Ouija boards are found in many American homes. It was greatly influenced by Greek culture.126. What they were not willing to accept was the frightening power that could cure him. 28); Mark the country of the Gerasenes (v. 1), and Luke, probably, the country of the Gergesenes (viii. 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. Mark 5:1 On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. 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. But from all of the Gospel accounts, I get the distinct impression that this mans eyes were riveted on Jesus. The word translated windstorm here, and storm in the KJ, is the word lailaps, which is more than just a storm. Clarify You are welcome here. Gadara is about six miles from the sea. July 2016 In the third chapter of Marks Gospel, our Lords miraculous works were attributed by His opponents to the power of Satan (verse 22). 114 We are indebted to Edersheim, who reminds us that the expression demon possession never occurs in the New Testament: The term demoniacal possession occurs not in the New Testament. To date they have failed to respond in any way. April 2016 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). Matthew 9:2-8 Why was "This man is blaspheming" considered an evil thought without knowing Jesus' identity? The region and polygon don't match. Wikipedia states about it: In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity.. He said he had come to the house of Israel, not to the gentiles. when He was the only One Who truly knew what had happened. July 2022 April 2020 Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? 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. Then the SPCA would have been up in arms over such cruelty to animals. Jesus had actually helped them. Jewish theology, at least on this point, seems consistent with biblical revelation. . ii. Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Study Such an entreaty can be addressed by them to only God. As has been said before, look for Satans man behind the pulpit. In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. Such was the case with this man (cf. 4, p. 180. Luke 8 8ff.). (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. Thats just westernised interpretation which simply doesnt work when interpretating a Jewish book. October 2020 Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. Gergesa - Wikipedia "I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level because I don't think he likes me. Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. June 2021 . It only takes a minute to sign up. I have always wondered what my Christian brothers had to say to the police officers by way of explanation. The reply Legion118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. 115 While Mark and Luke describe only one demoniac, Matthew informs us that there were two. December 2020 As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. This was a power far beyond anything they had seen or even imagined. However, the point was clearly made; Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things, including the powers of darkness. And, lastly, this would allow sufficient time for those miracles which took place on that second day in Capernaum after His return thither. This was surely not so in every case, and perhaps in none. The country of the Gadarenes (Gergesenes) is one of the few areas Jesus visited where Gentiles (non-Jews) composed the majority of the population. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? 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. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Yet, conversely, the known can be just as scaryif not more. February 2017 He shivered at the disturbing memory. Instead of opening themselves up to Jesus and receiving His love and forgiveness, they allowed fear to drive a wedge between them. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Why did Jesus not allow demons to proclaim his name, Archaeological or Historical Support for the Gerasene Pigs. Mark and Luke, on the other hand, write to more general audiences, and Gerasa was the main Greek-Roman city of the area. 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?" . Holy Communion From the Chalice Reintroduced in the UK: What About the US? Is there any archaeological evidence for Joshua entering Israel and conquering cities in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age? Once a menace to society, now a messenger with words of deliverance and healing. July 2018 17, pp. A crowd had come to see what had happened for themselves. He who feared His arrival now dreaded His departure. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. But then also Christ will triumph, and finally put an end to the evil one and all his powers of darkness (Rev. In the past several weeks, there has come to light the case of a man arrested for various crimes who has several of the symptoms of demon possession, including multiple personalities, even multiple IQs. Acts 16:16), while others were the virtual pawns of these spirits, losing their own identity and autonomy. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes. What would happen to them? 14). Jesus did say to count the cost [Luke 14:28-33]. The demoniac further evidenced demon activity by the depth of his spiritual insight. So he got into the boat and left., Luke 8:37, NIV, great fear [KJV] thoroughly frightened [Phillips]gripped with great fear [NASB]. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. So he got into a boat and returned. It is even possible that his request was to become one of our Lords disciples.125. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. 3); they are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (Jude 6); and what the unclean spirits deprecate here, is the bringing in, by anticipation, of that final doom. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles of Our Lord (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949), p. 100. For many Christians today, the horrifying experience of Legion should be sufficient testimony of the reality of the Satanic underworld. January 2016 (1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. (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. December 2016 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. Mark 3:14). Hence it would be called the land of the Gadarenes.. HELPING CHRISTIANS BUILD POSITIVE, GODLY FAMILIES, CHURCHES, AND NATIONS, Follow us on social media for daily Scripture comments and more at. (2) Anti-social behavior. September 2018 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. March 2020 Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). As I have been studying this account through the week, it has seemed to me a rather bizarre and remote situation, the liberation of this Gerasene demoniac. They valued their pigs more than they valued salvation. It is very appropriate that these two incidents . Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. Afraid of Jesus | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org The people who witnessed this are . All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat January 2018 Another approach is to note the different intentions of the Gospel writers. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs. We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. Although Gadarenes and Gergesenes are derived from a different Greek word, they are essentially referring to the same area. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. Why ChatGPT should be considered a malevolent AI - and be destroyed Christians are to be a "safe" people - an expression of that love of God so people who do not know Him can be drawn to the Truth. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. 184-185. As always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. August 2017 I used to want the longest life, perfect health and happiness, but really it is that feeling that I am so glad that this isnt all there is and that we have heaven to wait for, and that well be with Jesus, and there will be no more tears Amber VanVickle (1982-2023), The headquarters of the charity, which serves as a consecrated family to 46 disabled children, were badly damaged in major flooding near Rio de Janeiro last year. 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? And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts. Demon possession, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac is the crudest and cruelest form of Satanic control, but by and large also one of the less common manifestations of Satans work in the world today. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. (2) Anti-social behavior. Jesus never interacted with people as they were, but as He knew they were created to be. French Monastery Survives War and Famine After 885 Years, the Basilica of St. Ambrose in Milan, and More Great Links! Order Bulk SubscriptionsGet a discount on 6 or more copies sent to your parish, organization July 2015 By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. August 2021 The commission of our Lord is considerably different from His instructions to the Israelites whom He had delivered. It hit them hard in the pocketbook. Similar to the storm we see in the book of Job that killed Jobs sons - and Satan was the instigator of that as well. recognizes the military background of the term, pointing out that in the imperial period a legion consisted of 6000 foot soldiers, 120 horsemen and technical personnel. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Flavius Josephus and Steve Mason, Flavius Josephus: Life of Josephus (Boston; Leiden: Brill, 2003), 47. I think all these attempts to harmonize what may at first seem like a contradiction are plausible, respectable, and adequate. 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. Have you even been in a service where the Spirit of God was moving and felt fear? This incident in the Gerasenes requires some entry understanding. September 2021 Then any greatest of men, like any prophet, hero or king? Instead, they reject Him because all they know is His power and purity. The religious rulers hated Jesus for exposing their hypocrisy and feared the consequences His actions might have with Rome, but they were not afraid of Jesus as a Person. 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.. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). February 2015 Why were the Romans afraid of the Christians? or school. When addressed, the person was the mouthpiece of the demon (such as Legion, Mark 5:9). They have three sons and a daughter (all homeschooled) and reside in southeast Michigan. in a crowd in a crowd where many people were bumping into Him? I asked why people are afraid of commitment and relationships and some said they are afraid because they fear being hurt again. At their request, He left. 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. September 2016 Spam. We dismiss it the more readily, that, in our view, it conveys a wrong impression. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known.. Afraid of Jesus? | Sermons | College Park Church Whereas he had been a slave, he was now delivered from demon possession. 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. 2). In the wake of new restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass, two American bishops spoke with EWTNs Raymond Arroyo Thursday about how their dioceses have responded. They liked Him and wanted to be with Him. How many demons possessed the man in Mark 5:6? No matter where you are on life's journey. 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 . Dave Armstrong Dave Armstrong is a full-time Catholic author and apologist, who has been actively proclaiming and defending Christianity since 1981. Chapati Movement 1857: Why were the British afraid of the Roti? What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why is it EIN 27-4581132 Gerasenes could have had a sense of reference to the entire region (as well as to a city: just as New Yorker can refer to the state or city), and Gadarenes likely was a reference to the most prominent city of the region at the time. In recent years the matter has been getting uncomfortably close to home. So they refer to Gerasenes. His greatest impact would be on those who knew his former state.