Again, Gods anointed one faces down an army, one man against thousands. WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! I've ended up, and Ill explain it later, giving the title The Man Jesus Renamed. Now that may peak your interest because in the passage no name is ever given for the man, either before or after his conversion, so you may be wondering why I've named it that. The stories in the gospels may or may not have happened but, regardless, they are told in a way that makes a theological point and were never intended to be understood as factual history. Sinai. In fact, they beg Jesus to leave. They are out to steal, kill, and destroy, so we dare not trifle with evil spirits. I beg You, do not torment me. For He (that is, Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. All Rights Reserved. Swine are considered unclean and unholy in the Jewish tradition, and Jesus was Jewish.This miracle, witnessed by his disciples, also shows Jesuss wisdom in teaching the Word of God among non Jewish people. Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer, None can keep the nasty old Law, so Jesus came to fulfill it perfectly, and now I dont have to do anything, at all, whatsoever, just believe, hallelujah! Remember, Jesus took direct, extensive action against a significant group of Gentile pig farmers he didnt just say something bad against the pigs. Not that I believe my case has holes. (Matt 15:24). The NT references (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). No cumbered chamber will the Master share,But one swept bare By cleansing fires, then plenished fresh and fairWith meekness, and humility, and prayer.There will He come, yet, coming, even thereHe stands and waits, and will no entrance winUntil the latch be lifted from within. Jesus' action also shows the importance of human beings relative to animals. But what are its implications? He does. Thats right, Whatever matter I am commanding you right now, it's what you must be careful to observe to do. Gentile Peaceable Kingdom Series. Johns words seem to apply to all of Scripture. You can bet your bottom drachma there is. If the interpretation from one vague verse contradicts several unambiguous verses, which is wrong? After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 12:13-16), there is a small, but wonderful, detail that is in complete harmony with Matthew 10:29. But the height of ignorance, the most foolhardy statement is, Jesus fulfilled the whole Law so we dont have to. Only a person who knows absolutely zero about Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy would say such a thing. Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or evil. He was no longer naked and he was no longer babbling and he was no longer living amongst the tombs, but when they came, he was clothed and in his right mind and sitting at the Savior's feet. War III. Both Johns could conveniently connect the dots between the Law of God which outlaws the swine and the destructive action which Jesus took against the herd, but it would be too inconvenient for their religious views. Such alternative readings include arguments that the swine were meant to represent the Roman army or "unclean and unfaithful" people; that pigs were considered "unclean", so destroying them might be consistent with care for other animals; and that Jesus did not actually "send" the devils into the pigs. 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. As regards the first question, it would appear that that section of the country was chiefly inhabited by pagans in the first century, and Gerasa is at any rate included by Schrer among the Hellenistic cities ("Geschichte," ii. Gerasa, Gerasenes - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. noted the official establishment of Christianity and discontinuance of pagan worship in the 5th cent. What good to us that Thou hast made him whole, since we have lost our swine? Is that not a picture of people that love what they have or what they want more than they love the One who loves their souls? All of these commandments and more are still taken literally by many Jews today. Scripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. This has been a long blog thanks for sticking with it but because Im going to ruffle feathers, Ive gone the extra mile to explain myself clearly and to plug any holes in my argument. Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture evolves. WebGERASA, GERASENES (, ). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Jesus does not go looking for this demon-possess man, the man comes to Him. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. It's a picture of His great commission outreach, not just to Jews but to Gentiles also. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. IV. These forces plundered Gerasa, Philadelphia, Pella, and others (Jos. They sort of seek Him out. Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. This food is unclean and defiling for you. And God isnt going to renounce or retract that decision no matter how many dispensational charts they print. Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, [Let me just pause right there. I listen to a pyschiatrist that said he never believed in demon possession until a exorcist ask him to work with him. Sadly, the rest of the verse is not quoted in GotQuestions best article and preachers rarely preach it, though it reveals more about the true character of the Messiah. He said, If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). These three verse from John really are earth-shattering. Asked by: Isidro Boehm V. Score: 4.9/5 to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? So lets not laugh these verses off. WebMany New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than. Ill take Mark at his word; hes thinking of an army of demons, not an army of human soldiers. Most scholars today would agree with Origen that near Gergesa was the precise site for the healing of Legion. It was a small village about midway along the E shore of the Sea of Galilee. In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. We have it all down on paper exactly how gentle Gentiles can get when they get annoyed by a Jew. If they did, they would not see the chapter attacking the research in this blog post, theyd see a defense for it! He is a billionaire, he is about to break Jack Nicklaus record, he's married to a model, he has two beautiful children, he has everything that anybody in the world could possibly want to have. 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. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. II. Dictionaries Encyclopedias Lexicons. The miracles that are recorded here, just like the one that we saw last week, are seen by that small circle of disciples that is following Jesus around. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. They were ..ummm ..for producing manure to fertilize crops. And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. And the good pastor doesnt give any rationale for a slaughter that huge. We pray in Jesus' name. Such a contradiction in character! And low and behold, two gospels specify that Jesus didnt go into Tyre (part of modern Lebanon), but that he was only in the vicinity of the city (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24 and Mark 7:31). Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.. (wait for it) turning the swine to the water! Anyway, it was the demons that would have decided where, and if, he slept. In this immediate area, steep hills come down to the shoreline and fit the story of the swine rushing headlong into the sea. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? WebGerasene: [noun] an inhabitant of the ancient Palestinian town Gerasa. In Luke 4 and 5, great multitudes are following Jesus Christ when He does His miracles. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. 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. On the other hand, the Masters usually thick-headed students, the Tedious Twelve, didnt question him about this! Gadarenes - The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia - StudyLight.org get to know the Bible better! three The Land of Israel is/was no place for two thousand pigs. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. Look at the prophets; they also prove Scripture doesnt change. Be this as it may, the district was 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? Besides, each of the synoptic gospels quotes the demons saying out loud that Jesus had the power to torture them all at will (Matthew 8:29, Mark 5:7 and Luke 8:28). May God grant us the liberation through Jesus Christ to become what that nameless man became. 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. He made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them, which they were to live according to. Yet a complete interpretation of Mark 5 needs to clear up one last point: the pigs were forbidden but did they have to be destroyed? Many will rush for cover behind the last four Greek words of this verse, despite all of its textual, translation and interpretation problems. Knowing the correct genre of what you are studying is a major step toward getting a correct message or interpretation. there was never a prophecy that the kosher laws would be removed, so the verse is coming completely from left field. Now what happens in this passage? Any other conclusion, in light of the seven facts just presented, is breathtakingly irresponsible, and we should just laugh it off. Just like in the Garden, when God judged Adam, he didn't strike him directly, but the ground soil instead. 7). 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. He doesnt want to connect the dots and he doesn't want us to either. But let me just suggest that one thing that might be happening here is a picture of Jesus future judgment on the demonic forces that are arrayed against God. In fact, they are, Yet the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke actually report that the towns people many would have been the owners or friends of the pig owners or people who were connected to the trade in the swine were, Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have, All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were, Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (, Answering, he said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (, As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the, Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (, Besides this Biblical evidence that Jesus and the woman were within Israels inheritance, there is also a prophesy that God will settle His People in the future in Gilead (a sizeable part of todays Kingdom of Jordan) and in, The real-estate on the east side of the lake of Galilee where Jesus met the demons and the swine was also part of Israel-proper. Also, Johns emphasis do not take away from the words is stronger than Mosess original statement. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. Their line of reasoning supposes that Jesus wanted to save the man (men) but too many unclean spirits meant Jesus had to negotiate to get them to move out. Is there a connection? Lets bring in a certain Greek silversmith and see how calmly he handles himself. http://archive.ligonduncan.com/mp3/12.13.2009_Dr_J_Ligon_Duncan_The_Man_Jesus_Renamed_Luke_8_26-39.mp3. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the [[Sea of Galilee]], one of the cities of the Decapolis; the We ask that You would open our eyes to behold wonderful things in it and open our ears, we pray, to hear Your Word rightly. WebScripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Map of the Decapolis and its Cities - Bible History Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there for mercy and for judgement. gerasenes If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. Why? In the Book of Acts, Chapter Nineteen, we read about Demetrius, a Greek silver-statue maker, who was connecting a few dots of his own and had reasoned that a certain big-mouthed Jew was bad for business.

. I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? In Marks thinking, the mans extraordinary strength is evidence of supernatural bondage. And Tolkien puts it this way The Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr he was, and his name is remembered in no tale for he himself had forgotten it and said only, I am the mouth of Sauron.. In turn, they would have a vehicle wherewith to stay in their territory. Instead of Jesus turning water into wine. Its totally contrary to what we would expect. Gadara). 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. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of human The fascinating story behind many people's favori Can you handle the (barometric) pressure? That is how valuable human life is." }. Similarly, as God incarnate, Jesus knows the future. And opposite to normal flowers, our lovely Scripture-flower will never dry out or wither away (Isaiah 40:8). [Israels] real enemy isnt Rome, which barely figures into the gospel story. What do you want? This, by the way, is the miracle story that happens in Gentile land. There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. 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. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. Once there, Jesus encounters a man possessed by demons. But just a theory. Early in the video, he is very factual and seems sure of himself. Living in rural Central Africa villages for ten years, I heard many stories from locals about demon spirits living in streams and trees and boulders. Amen. Connect the dots. 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. Im not saying I totally believed the stories, but I cannot believe that a single other place could not be found to send the legion. Over the centuries, many scribes spent an enormous amount of time, energy and resources copying them, thereby lending credibility to them. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) He also said after much work with people that was possess that most of them dealt in occult practices. The fact anyone dreamed up dispensationalism, They say, None, but Jesus, kept the Law perfectly. But thrice is no dice if we dont understand the reason or the message behind the event. The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. 3. 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. 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. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Web(2) Ye know that ye were Gentiles.--Better (according to the weight of MSS. Demonic forces seem to be territorial; i.e., they have assigned areas of domain. Last week, we were crossing over with Jesus to the other side, weathering a fierce storm until he woke up and calmed the sea. 1. Years earlier, when the ancient Israelis came to the border of the Promised Land, part of the eastern shore was controlled by the Geshurites (and the Maakathites) but Joshua told Israel to possess their land (, Last Fact: The coming Judgement Jews First, We have seen that God Almighty loves animals as much as humans, so Jesus randomly killing two thousand swine seems senseless, unless we remember God has commanded righteous people to avoid defiling food, such as pork.