were the gerasenes gentiles

One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. GotQuestions has three articles alone on the subject: here is their best. In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus invades enemy territory and defeats a powerful army to deliver people from bondage. In a pigs eye. 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? In other words, to paraphrase what Gertrude told Hamlet, Methinks the good pastor doth protest too much. It is true that we discover new thoughts or extra meaning over time, but Gods Word is permanent and cannot change. The Spectators probably from all over the world! Jesus victory over the devils army results in the man being dressed and in his right mind, a different kind of setting things right with the world and a foretaste of the age to come. 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. When Jesus said that he had not came to destroy the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), he was not talking to the Jews who already knew the Law was permanent, he was looking into future centuries and talking to those Christians who would try to destroy it. Rabbi, begone! 9 And so the fact that youre in a country with a herd of pigs lets you know that youre in Gentile territory and that's part of the point of the story. Yet there was no fury. 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. For one, Leviticus 22:28 forbids righteous farmers from killing a cow and its calf on the same day. These pastors have added to Scripture that the God of the Old Testament is different in the New and taken away from it Mosess 613 commandments are now reduced to 2. ), No matter how you slice it, the Almightys negative view of ham and bacon cant suddenly switch from one day to the next. 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. For centuries, land wars are a type of a national sport among Middle Eastern nations. They have therefore made important decisions about the proper treatment of animals. 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. Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac Matthew 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. Next, what if our imaginary Jew damaged a ton of Gentile property under their very noses. Topical Bible: Gerasenes Unsurprisingly in such a place, Jesus finds a man possessed by unclean spirits. 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 , Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a, Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. Now do you see how silly the Jesus-kept-the-Law-perfectly statement is? Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. Demetrius had to do something with the Jew or go bust. Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. Suddenly, Mark 5 is clear. The fact that Matthew places the healing of Legion in the country of the Gadarenes whereas Mark and Luke place it in the country of the Gerasenes may be harmonized on the historical grounds that geographical boundaries overlapped, and on the exegetical consideration that country embraced a wide area around the cities. 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.. Lets return again to when Jesus cleaned up the Temple courtyard of merchants and merchandise. And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. I'm the man who Jesus saved by casting out the demons from me.. Instead of recklessly freeing the doves into the air (as erroneously shown in The Jesus Film and other Bible movies), Scripture records with precise detail that Jesus only knocked over the chairs of the pigeon owners, and/or told them to take their feathered property and leave (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:16) he didnt use his whip on the birds or fling them into the air to be attacked by falcons or eagles. Food cant affect our salvation, nor disqualify us from being saved.Pork might not be very healthy,but as long as its USDA approved and deemed good by health inspectors from feeder hogs tat eat corn to clean the mess out of them of the last few bowel movements, then you should be good to go. It's in Luke chapter 8, verse 18. Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture evolves. 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. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. Sproul also agrees with this preference of people over pigs when he writes, a man is worth more than 2,000 pigs.. A main street with columns on both sides leads out of the forum. But look at how many times God let it be known in the Law and in very certain terms eating pork was offensive. Deuteronomy 4 and 12 only state that none should add or remove what Moses was commanding, which sounds a little nebulous. But there are many reasons why Im not keen on the idea of the Gospels as non-historical. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. Even city officials who were Pauls friends were scared for Pauls life (Acts 19:31). 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? Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Quite likely David would have let the lion and the bear free, if not for the fact that they came back at him: 2 Samuel 17:35). ITS LIKE THE WITCH ON TGE WIZARD OF OZ But Christians miss the joke and think he was being serious. It's interesting isn't it Jesus crosses the river, the lake, and no sooner has He set His foot on the other side but this man shows up to meet Him. It's amazing Jesus comes to shore and it's obvious that He has immediately commanded the spirits to leave the man because they remonstrate with Him. WebThe meaning of GENTILE is a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith; especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew. * If one believes demons exists, why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demons? 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. It was exactly due to his righteousness and his love for God that he killed two thousand pigs. He's a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ now. But these differences are typical of eye-witness reports and only irritate skeptics. Last week we said the focus was on the power and the person of Jesus Christ. View our current career opportunities. Jun 21, 2021. I think so. The bottom line is, I don't know why Jesus did that and neither do you and neither does anyone else. Thy powersBring loss to us and ours.Our ways are not as Thine.Thou lovest men, weswine.Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence,And take this fool of Thine!His soul? Regrettably, what were about to study the, And he answers him, saying, My name is Legion because there are many of us. Also he begs Jesus many times that he'd not send them away, out of the. The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. Israels real enemy is Satan. WebWhy were there pigs in gerasenes? All of us may be so concerned with our own livelihoods that we fail to serve other people and help those in desperat If the interpretation from one vague verse contradicts several unambiguous verses, which is wrong? They sort of seek Him out. Without a question, if Jesuss pig-farmers had been Gentiles, there would have been bloodshed. Let's pray. ), 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). WebThey came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Now we see the missing puzzle piece: God had plainly prohibited pork as food, making it clear that holy people should not eat it all of you be holy for I am holy (Leviticus 11:44-45) and therefore, Gods normally merciful Messiah destroyed an entire herd in total agreement with the commandment. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their In 2 Samuel 17 we read of the young boy who would be king risking everything for one lamb. He is more open with Gentiles because it fits His purpose about revelation to the Gentiles and the new inclusion in the kingdom. Gergasa (modern name Kersa) was a small village nearby, and Gadara was the larger region of which the village was a part, with Gerasa as the regional capital. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The normally merciful Messiah destroyed the pigs in accordance with Gods Law about clean and unclean meat. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. That is how valuable human life is." 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. Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. That's even more unexpected than not being angry because in Paul's case, it was the other way around. But John is more precise, saying none should add or remove words. Many will rush for cover behind the last four Greek words of this verse, despite all of its textual, translation and interpretation problems. They were to teach the Gentiles about Him (Acts 13:4647). 3). So lets have an exquisite examination of Scripture to better appreciate what happened beside the lake and why the pigs ended up in it. How and why did this happen in the first place? Well, this happens in the gospel with Jesus. When this passage begins, we have a man who is possessed by demons who had gone about naked, who had lived in the tombs, who was out of his mind, and who did not even know his name. Almost there. It isnt a long list. Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. The NT references (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. We pray that he would find liberation in Jesus Christ and see his life and family restored, but my friends, any one of us, any one of us, can be in the same thralldom today. Something else to ponder about the Son of God is his other title, I am the good shepherd. Because some confusion exists in the gospel MS evidence and perhaps in other source material, absolute certainty cannot be attained; but the following identification seems correct. He had a new name and he had a new nature to go along with it. The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. 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.) (Note that Luke omits Jesus journey to Tyre and Sidon, see also Mark 7:24-37). This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. WebGerasa, Gadara or Gergesa (Luke 8;26, 37) As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. Pork was a prevalent food staple and as you travel near the gates of Gibraltar the terrain matches the craggy cliffs as well as the placement of aboveground as well as natural cave tombs which show signs of living inhabitants at some point. about a.d. 65. Gadarenes - The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia - StudyLight.org Facts are piling up. Its the exodus that Jesus has come to lead, an exodus from slavery to the prince of this world. Why doesn't the good pastor entertain that avenue of possibility or is he too busy making one-liners to connect any dots? In some of your Bibles, it may say Gergesenes or Gadarenes in the parallel passages in the gospels. (Cf. Another title that didn't make it was Demons, Pigs, and a Request to Leave. Now I think actually that beautifully outlines what happens in this passage, but for a specific reason I've wanted to zero your attention in on this man, this nameless man, who is afflicted by demons and who is liberated by Jesus Christ because there is a Gospel message for all of us. Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus ( Matthew 8; Mark 5; Luke 8) in which he transferred the demons Amen. Because they cared more about what they had lost than what that man had gained or what they could gain in Jesus themselves. Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? He's not only a person extraordinarily under bondage to demonic activity, but he's actually a picture of everyone who is in the thrall of sin. 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.". Lets bring in a certain Greek silversmith and see how calmly he handles himself. Scripture presents us with all we need to know. But this I do know, when people say that because those pigs died it shows that Jesus was not a good and virtuous man theyre forgetting three things. 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. No products in the cart. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Third, I want you to see the change that results in this man after he is not only liberated from these demons, but after he clearly, because of a change of heart, becomes a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another problem with the Catch-22 interpretation is the sheer number of other animals or places that Jesus could have negotiated for. I want you to see a person in the thrall of sin. And because these repeated commands are at the end of the Christian Bible, but the original commands are at the beginning of the Hebrew Bible, we get the impression that no new commands are allowed in the whole of Scripture, and no more books either. 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. That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with, Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its, 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, Are not two sparrows sold for the smallest coin, and yet one of them cannot fall to the earth apart from your Father? 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. So he gave them permission. Also, Demetrius only needed to speak a few choice words against the Jew (compare with Act 19:34), to get the crowd all worked up the silversmith didnt have any real evidence that Pauls preaching was going to slow sales. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). And the thing that I love the most is the utter contrast in his attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ. The book ends on that very point. 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. Now I must say that that really boggles my mind because Luke's main point is so crystal clear and it's set in the context of three other stories that are crystal clear. Jerash That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? Sadly, our two good pastors seem oblivious to the fact that under the Law of Moses, animals have benefits too, and this fact should have bearing on any interpretation of Mark 5. It's His person and His power that we're having our attention draw to and there are four things in particular that I want you to see in this passage. 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.

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