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. Three witnesses! 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. Derek Thomas was reminding me this morning that Ridderbos, in his famous book, The Coming of the Kingdom, records seventeen different interpretations that he had found of this particular parable. 2023 Christianity.com. Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. We see the power of Christ over Satan, don't we? 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. ), his power over blindness (John 9:32) and even over death, as in the case of a three-days dead Lazarus (John 11:1-44). The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? 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. GADARENES - JewishEncyclopedia.com Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: Gerasene. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gerasene. In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus invades enemy territory and defeats a powerful army to deliver people from bondage. God never said dont touch. She added that bit. He didnt give any new commandment. Don't they know their Bibles? Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (Joshua 19:29). Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. Note: Demetrius was angry only because of speculation of what Pauls preaching might do to business Paul had not physically caused any damage. If you watch the short clip (above) and compare it to the one hour source video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20) you will notice how MacArthurs speaking style changes as soon as he addresses the matter of the pigs. And then you see in this passage the change of a heart set free. They need to face the cracks in their theologies. Are you seeing this? I agree the counter-arguments look flawless on the surface and that will be partially exposed now. But when the pigs need to be explained, he immediately seems lost and turns to heartless comedy. Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? I think so. They tried to kill us. We At the beginning of the gospel, he wins these victories with acts of visible, recognizable power. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. If pigs were considered unclean then would the demons not wanted unclean to possess. The other part of the eastern shoreline was controlled by Og, king of Bashan, but it and sixty walled cities were taken from them by Moses and given to the tribes of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:1-7, 16; compare with 1 Kings 4:13). For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. (, Its not clear exactly who is doing more killings, the LORD or Melchizedek, but the picture overall fits the image of Son of God cleaning the land of swine. And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. And His promise to make a new promise (covenant) with Israel and with Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-32 does not repeal the first promise (the covenant that Israel broke), it strengthens it. (This sad fact may have something to do with Christians telling Jews to junk the Law which they love and to just believe and receive.) Therefore, when it came to sacrifices on it, the menu was even shorter. A wonderful verse that reveals Him to us and probably the most heartwarming is the commandment in the Torah that mother animals are allowed to stay with their newborns for at least seven days before the offspring can be taken for food or for sacrifice (Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 22:27). Over the years, Ive had to prove all this to myself first, and it took soul-searching and tons of Scripture research. Ellicotts Commentary, for one, believes the four Greek words were a latter addition. Such a conclusion will annoy a lot of people, even funny, leaky dispensationalists like John MacArthur. You may simultaneously update Amibroker, Metastock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4 with MoneyMaker Software. Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything ritually impure or defiling (Acts 10:14). 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? Now what happens in this passage? One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. Both of our good pastors assume that the people in Gerasene (Gadarene or Gergesene) were Gentiles in Gentile territory, partially because of the pigs, partially because of the demoniacs and partially because it fits their bias. The vision had nothing to do with shrimp rings or BLTS. 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. All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat And there's a lesson in each of these things for all of us. Surely He could have demonstrated real power over real demons, right? Legion Destroys Some Swine | Reformed Bible Studies WebThe Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). Last week we said the focus was on the power and the person of Jesus Christ. Maybe it was because they were unclean animals. David did the same to a bear that took a sheep. It's in Luke chapter 8, verse 18. And then finally, and very, very sadly, I want you to see in contrast to him, the reaction of the majority of the people in his city and country to what Jesus has done. Gentiles The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? WebThe terrified Gerasenes beseeching Jesus to leave them. If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 8 and this great story of the man who was possessed by demons, liberated by the Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Im wondering Gods Everlasting Word is not something evolving or morphing into a strange new unusual thing, like some rose turning into a radish, or a carrot into a carnation. WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. It is true that we discover new thoughts or extra meaning over time, but Gods Word is permanent and cannot change. in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon In Luke 4 and 5, great multitudes are following Jesus Christ when He does His miracles. Jesus to leave What happened to the demons when the pigs died? The Greek clause literally says, End of law is Christ but why bother finishing the sentence? The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. 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. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. 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. 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. Twice he is described this way look at verse 35, the man from whom the demons had gone out and then again the man from whom the demons had gone and then in verse 38, the man from whom the demons had gone. When Jesus had asked him, What's your name? The first time he had answered, I'm the man possessed by a countless host of demons. Now, he's the man from whom those demons have gone out. Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. We do not find demons under every pew and under every rock. At the very end of his book The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John repeats them. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Jesus ministered to and did miracles for the Gentiles there. A discussion occurred between Professor Huxley and Mr. Gladstone in "The Nineteenth Century" for 1892 as to the morality of the act, the critical questions being whether (1) Gerasenes were Jews; and (2) if so, was it lawful for them to keep swine? The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. Herod had massive building projects all over Israel. The Land of Israel is/was no place for two thousand pigs. This picking and choosing is completely unbiblical. So instead of working or hammering away at the embarrassing elephant in the room, the good pastors spoon out interpretations to us that are not biblical, or dish up corny one-liners, all in the hope that well swallow them or be too busy laughing to connect the dots ourselves. The apostle had been busy preaching in Demetriuss hometown of Ephesus and Pauls message about the one true God was catching on. Such a pat answer to such a serious question is as irritating as it is ridiculous. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. 141-144). But they dont prove his point. Gergesa - Wikipedia III. 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. She suffers a more oppressive slavery than ever before not to human rulers but to demons, who are bold enough to enter synagogues on the Sabbat. Not that I believe my case has holes. I think Jesus was trying to give to all the sight to see the wrong things in this world we can overcome by walking with Him and His Way of life. And then God Himself repeated it five more times in the same book: Leviticus 11:45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:2, Leviticus 20:7-8 and Leviticus 20:26! And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. 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. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was 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). Our ways are not as Thine. OS Supported: Windows 98SE, Windows Millenium, Windows XP (any edition), Windows Vista, Windows 7 & Windows 8 (32 & 64 Bit). For you Tolkien fans it reminds me of a character in the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. The hard hearts of those who reject Jesus. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Do you see how Jesuss Gentiles dont act like Gentiles! 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. It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a, Sixth Fact: True identity of the pig farmers. But here's the second thing. And did the Gospels writers believe the explanation was so obvious they didn't need to write one? Since I believe the word of God is our playbook for life, what is Jesus telling us? 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. In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. Be this as it may, the district was 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. 8 ) Their pork was kosher, kept out of the camp for 7 days, and circumcised. 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! And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. And lastly, because the herd was within the Land of Israel and owned by Jews (the joke about Gentiles owning them is cleared up below), the unclean swine had to go and the unclean demons did the work. The Messiah gave every Jew there that day a glimpse of the judgement to come. It was exactly due to his righteousness and his love for God that he killed two thousand pigs. Of course this kosher interpretation is just as obvious painfully obvious to John MacArthur and Piper, yet I've never seen either refute the issue or deal honestly with their doubts. Mr. Hippo read Mark 5 and convinced himself that Jesus did not care about swine, or any other animals, and therefore, spread a church doctrine that Christians have no genuine duty to animals. Nothing we have belongs to us. In fact, they beg Jesus to leave. 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. Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. Seen in this light, Jesuss actions against the herd were more than appropriate and neither Matthew, Mark nor Luke bothered to explain or rationalize the Masters actions. In Marks thinking, the mans extraordinary strength is evidence of supernatural bondage. Some of my Christian brothers and sisters see this as coded language referring to a confrontation with the political and military power of Rome. 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). Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. Sinai. See more comments below.). First of all theyre forgetting that Jesus Himself has already said that His Heavenly Father cares even about the sparrows that fall from their nests. Instead they joke around and give pat answers. Also, He is sometimes more open with outsiders/Gentiles than Jews because the negative reaction by the Jewish leaders would hinder his ministry more than rejection by Gentiles. On the other hand, it is unfortunate that the rabbis today dont see the even stronger connection between Genesis 3:3 and Revelation 22:18, because Jews dont read the New Testament all that much. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters , In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us, Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? were the gerasenes gentiles And in Malachi 4:4, why did God say remember the Law of Moses if God had His own law? 2. He always followed Gods Law. Perhaps that is his point. The Jewish Messiah rid himself of two defiling groups in one blow. (Jos. Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. Yes, you read that right. It was interesting that Palmer had gone out without any announcement but this man knew who he was and he was obviously disturbed that he was there and he began to make threats. 1). 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. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. The fact anyone dreamed up dispensationalism in the first place shows how some attentive folk saw contradictions within traditional interpretations of Scripture, but were unwilling to admit to them directly, but instead they desperately concocted those nonsense charts. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of And from what I have heard, preferrably pig blood. led to the substitute reading Gergesenes, a reading that was suggested by a study of the geography of the area. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Amen. *sigh*). Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. And while its not true God pairs animals with people every where in Scripture, He does in this statement. II. Jesus is saying that Jesuss commandments are the same as the Fathers. iii. We said the last time that we were together that in Luke 8 you begin four miracle stories, all of which either happen in Galilee or in Gentile lands. Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. And what can we take away from the second part of the commandment not to take away from Gods Word? Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Money Maker Software may be used on two systems alternately on 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more subscriptions. But there is a message in this for all of us and it is simply this we may not be possessed by demons, but if we are possessed by what we want or by what we have and if what we want or what we have is not God in the Gospel of His dear Son, Jesus Christ, then we are no less in the thrall of sin that this man. being the eternal Son of God. Commentary on Luke 8:26-39 - Working Preacher from Luther display: none !important; Later, Leviticus 11 explains to His Chosen People that He had chosen only ritually clean/pure animals for them to eat. Notice how Gods, Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (. Another problem with the Catch-22 interpretation is the sheer number of other animals or places that Jesus could have negotiated for. In actual fact, when you stop to think about it, because God denounced pork in Leviticus, and then Jesus destroyed two thousand, and that event is thrice repeated by Matthew, by Mark, by Luke it all adds up to a big confirmation of the fact that God doesn't change. In a, If Paul got himself into hot water because of a Gentile, To top it off, Jesuss farmers see Jesus and see their property floating belly up in the surf, but they dont throw him after them! That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Oops! In 2 Samuel 17 we read of the young boy who would be king risking everything for one lamb. 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. Jesus is going to tell him, You can't come with Me, but I do want you to go back and tell them what great things God has done for you. We are all responsible for our sins and so no demonic force can take control of a human life and make you sin unless you allow it. So I figure we could speculate a little and see where this goes. He stabbed in the day of his wrath the kings. They were ..ummm ..for producing manure to fertilize crops. Jesus helped a Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith ( Matthew 15:2128 ). And what about trees or rocks? If we agree Messiah wrote the Law of God, we should then wonder why on earth he would come to Earth to take what he authored out of circulation or to annul it? Add to that that recent. What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a Jewish Messiah and not a Christian one. It was part of the Greco-Roman region known as the Decapolis, or ten towns. or ten The action is no different than Revelation 14:14-15 where we see the Son of Man brandishing a sharp sickle. 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. I would, however, be a little skeptical of stories about Jesus Himself visiting Spain. As for Matthew, he quoted Jesus as commanding the demons, and used the plural form of the verb, go. WebHe calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. 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. 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. Oh get you hence, Omnipotence, and take this foul of Thine. This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. He specifically banned pig in Leviticus 11:6 but to make sure we heard God repeats the command (Deuteronomy 14:8), adds that eating it makes a person unclean (Leviticus 11:43), adds that touching their carcasses defiles a person (Leviticus 11:28), adds that righteous people must not become defiled (Leviticus 20:25), and then sends His prophet a prophesy like, no one uncircumcised or anything unclean (/tameh) will anymore enter Zion or Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:1), and then openly judges pork-eaters as wicked (Isaiah 65:2-5), and then hotly repeats that identical point (Isaiah 66:15-17), and once more (Ezekiel 44:23-27) and once again, but now in the New Testament (Revelation 21:27), so where is that pastor who dares suppose the Almighty can change His mind about pigs? evidence), Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were, &c. In this and the following verse the Apostle reminds his readers that so far from regarding the marvellous manifestations of the Spirit, such as speaking with tongues and prophesying, as the most wonderful miracles, the Theories of men that attack statements made by God evolution for example are sadly creeping into the minds of Christian leaders. Excavations at the modern Jarash (by the British and American Schools of Oriental Research and Yale University) clearly show that Gerasa was a large and important city already in Jesus time. After all, racism wasnt invented in the 21st century. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.". 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. Wasnt this just a temporary fix to a bigger problem? This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. And John nicely parallels Jesus who said, not the smallest letter nor the smallest comma will pass away from the Law (Matthew 5:18). it depends on the text you read, but one of the four Greek words is sometimes neuter, sometimes masculine a big deal in this language and in this verse. Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. If you're carrying a sheep, is it still a "piggy" back ride? You know that because the people tell Him to leave. Well pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Flower blossoms wither. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. Gadara). When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt. But this is not the full explanation or the main one. And God isnt going to renounce or retract that decision no matter how many dispensational charts they print. But as for God, what reason did He give Mr. Merciless for not destroying Nineveh? But what does Leviticus says about ham? For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. No other place on the E side of the sea fits this requirement of the story. Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. This now then is our fifth fact in a nutshell. were the gerasenes Who were the gerasenes in the bible? What is going to happen, we are told by John the book of Revelation, is that God Himself is going to cast Satan and his demons into the lake of fire. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? Demetrius had to do something with the Jew or go bust. So much for sola scriptura. Johns words seem to apply to all of Scripture. Don Crowe and Nicholas Gentile direct the Oswego Players Scenes of Crime; Section X: Canton downs Heuvelton for repeat Overall Section 10 title; Section X: Lady Wildcats edge Hammond for Section Overall title; PROPERTY SALES; Local pro hockey: Former Wolves player Liarakos paces Mississippi past visiting Watertown This, by the way, is It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. The gospels. But John is more precise, saying none should add or remove words. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? Additionally, the encounter takes place among the tombs, an earthly realm of the dead, so to speak.
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