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This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. He's converted. Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a, Sixth Fact: True identity of the pig farmers. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. 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. But now this is an extraordinary case. Why did these people respond to Jesus this way? In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus invades enemy territory and defeats a powerful army to deliver people from bondage. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Third Fact: Not a fickle faithless Father. So He got into the boat and returned. Therefore, by associating the two commandments together, and you catch some of the character of our Heavenly Father. Because in all of Holy Writ, the phrase first appears in Leviticus 11 (Leviticus 11:44) right after God talks about clean/pure meats. I wouldn't care to speculate how many demons possessed this man, but the man can only identify himself as a person who is possessed by an almost innumerable host of evil spirits and he doesn't even remember his own name. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. 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. And do you believe for one minute that God told us to obey something that He knew full-well we couldnt obey? Those people were Jews in Nazareth. And he sends out his representative, a man who is known only as the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr, the black gate. gerasenes 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). He was incapable of changing his circumstances. So he's drawing our attention to an extraordinary event, but the reason he's drawing our attention to that extraordinary event is because there are actually truths which transfer across the last 2,000 years, right to where we are today, that we are to learn out of this passage. He will judge the Gentiles, filling places with bodies. Also, Johns emphasis do not take away from the words is stronger than Mosess original statement. 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. This is a noteworthy fact because not every event in Jesuss ministry was thrice written down. He was clear that His mission was not to the Gentiles and Samaritans, but rather, to the lost tribe of Israel. It goes like this: These are the people of Gerasene speaking to Jesus Rabbi be gone. We gotta git us some!, 1 ) [your turn. Lots of non-Jews lived there. Also, any every person who wants to please God is forbidden the heartless act of boiling a calf in its mothers milk (Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21), as well as the abominable practice of cutting and eating the leg of a live animal, only to leave the poor creature hobbling around with its three remaining legs (Deuteronomy 12:23; explanation). In some of your Bibles, it may say Gergesenes or Gadarenes in the parallel passages in the gospels. Israels real enemy is Satan. Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a grand doctrine, all with the hopes it will magically annihilate one hundred clear, unambiguous verses which say the Law is permanent. Demetrius had to do something with the Jew or go bust. Christ's journey into "the country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1) was somewhat unusual. New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible Gerasa, Gerasenes. Show us the only hope of deliverance from those sins and teach us these things from this passage. 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. All these inescapable facts are so important to getting the right interpretation of Mark 5 and the other gospel records of the same event. God designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His chosen people. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Jews don't get the joke either because they don't read the New Testament much given the fact Christians have turned them off of Jesus. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. Sinai. And this identical detail was written down in three different texts to remind us of the Son of Mans normally tender nature. Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer. The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. ITS LIKE THE WITCH ON TGE WIZARD OF OZ 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 exorcism and the slaughter: Did they happen? (So much for those latter revelations or new religions arriving centuries later.). The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. (Please dont hide behind that sensational dispensational chart. The Jewish Messiah rid himself of two defiling groups in one blow. 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. Am I forgiven by saying, I just allowed the kids to have the grenade? 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! to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? destroyed) and every perplexing dispensational chart is legit. Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. 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. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. (we dont invent stories to let people know Jesus has power over the Tooth Fairy, do we?). Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. Instead they joke around and give pat answers. In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us rolling in the aisles. 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. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. If the interpretation from one vague verse contradicts several unambiguous verses, which is wrong? Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. 6 ) There were lots of laws they didnt keep. Gentile 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. founders day speech by students were the gerasenes gentiles. *sigh*). In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. His sermon should have given us some point, some excuse, or some logical explanation for it all. And so this man comes to Jesus, he seeks Him out, and Jesus says to him, What is your name? And the man doesn't know his name. Perhaps even ask who might that future group of individuals be to whom Jesus will say, Depart, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22) because even though they called him, Lord, Lord [and had gone to seminary and made dispensational charts] they somehow were on the wrong path. Its odd that dispensationalist preachers dont preach this obvious, permanent truth. Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and gravity (Matthew 8:22-27, Mark 4:3541 and Luke 8:2225, passages immediately before the pig-demon accounts! Also, the land where the Master walked and the swine were feeding belonged to Israel. Instead, his conscious act of casting the demons into the swine resulted in the entire herds destruction. The final battle requires a different strategy, one that involves a cross. Next, what if our imaginary Jew damaged a ton of Gentile property under their very noses. In Jesus first trip to that Gentile area: They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes (in Gadara). What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why Well this is a taste of the profound arguments that you will find in that book. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. It was part of the Greco-Roman region known as the Decapolis, or ten towns. It was Gentile territory, the land of foreign gods, a place of idolatry. His wisecracks are a distraction. That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. But the Almighty said it so many times. No products in the cart. And in Malachi 4:4, why did God say remember the Law of Moses if God had His own law? Since I believe the word of God is our playbook for life, what is Jesus telling us? To save this word, you'll need to log in. These ruins date from the 2nd to the 7th centuries and show that the city flourished during this period as a center for religion, culture, and commerce. In fact in this passage with the demons naming His name, this was often done in the ancient world, if you knew someone's name you could call out that name as a part of casting a spell on them. Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. Actually, killing the pigs was also out of his mercy because instead of judging the farmers directly, the Messiah threw his anger against the pigs. WebThey land in the country of the Gadarenes which is on the North-east shore of the Sea of Galilee about 6 miles southeast across the sea from Capernaum. I wonder why?). No other place on the E side of the sea fits this requirement of the story. May He write its eternal truth upon all our hearts. Pingback: The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg. How could they say Christians not need be concerned about the welfare of animals or that they have little value, or even laugh about the death of thousands, when such beliefs are set side-by-side with Gods Word? For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. Learn how your comment data is processed. And what about commands for married people (Exodus 21:10), or the command that a man gives his wife a bill of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1)? But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. I think so. The most plausible reason Jesus chose the pigs was because he regarded people as precious and priceless, but not swine. Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. The concept of Gentiles is found in the Old Testament. When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 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. 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? And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the falling of a sparrow. Oops. And holiness means salvation, as Paul wrote in two different letter, without holiness no man [or woman] shall see God (Hebrews 12:14 and Romans 6:22). Download Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework. Instead of Jesus turning water into wine. He specifically banned pig in. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. The thinking behind each chart is contrary to the unity and oneness of God. It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. THE PIGS DID IT FOR HIM!! And he is sent out to negotiate with Aragorn and Gandalf, and the others. 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. 2023 Christianity.com. It's a glorious picture of Jesus love for lost souls, even a Gentile. You received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it! (Acts 7:53). Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Put pork on your fork. The textual evidence shows that the MSS preserve three variant spellings of the name in each gospel. and therefore the good pastor declares the demoniac to be a Gentile since, as everyone also knows, Gentiles are better tomb-dwellers.. Out of the three, Marks gospel presents the most information about the herd. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. 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 Any other conclusion, in light of the seven facts just presented, is breathtakingly irresponsible, and we should just laugh it off. 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. Them there pigs were trying to hog Jesus limelight! We come to understand that the God of the Universe is willing to wait and to stall our own behaviour so as to give mother cows and mother sheep more time together with their babies. Fourthly, Jesus specifically went to the land of the Gentile Gadarenes or Gerasenes, east of the Sea of Galilee, to minister to them. Lastly, based on culture, human-nature and most importantly, on specific Scripture passages, we know the demoniac could not have been a Gentile but was most assuredly, Yet a complete interpretation of Mark 5 needs to clear up one last point: the pigs were forbidden but did they, Christ kept kosher and cleaned up the town, I can of Myself do nothing. Explained by Sharing Culture Expert Answers: Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." 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. There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. Seven Forgotten Facts clarify our interpretation, One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had, But this view is shocking because it places Gods Son on an equal footing with the unclean spirits and thus flies in the face of the normal presentation of Jesus in the Gospels. It is repeated over and over. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. Kursi - The Gerasene Site of Jesus' Miracle on the East Side of Lake One unambiguous (but hotly debated) verse that supports this doctrine is, 1 John 5:7: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. So if we agree Messiah is part of the Godhead, then logically we agree Messiah also co-authored, with the Father, the Law of God. Are we with a man, liberated, who trusted Jesus, who begged to be with Jesus and sought to be a disciple at His feet? The demons freak out that Jesus is there because its not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. 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. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? After a dramatic journey across the lake (Luke 8:22-25), Jesus steps for the first and last time into Gentile territory. 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their By Your Holy Spirit, show us our need of grace. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? Delivered to your inbox! 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 next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. Yet being part of the Godhead means Messiah cannot not flip-flop his opinions. 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? All you need to know right now, if youre interested in that I'm happy to talk about it until the cows come home, but all you need to know is each of those places the regions of the Gergesenes, the Gadarenes, and the Gerasenes it's all on the other side of the Lake of Galilee. Jerash This, Also, this study shows that Jesuss actions in Mark 5 were on the surface contrary to the deep-rooted Jewish respect for domestic and/or wild animals. (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. Two Sundays ago Take care then, how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. They thought those pigs were theirs. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. Read it for yourself. And what about trees or rocks? the obscure phrase, (declaring all food clean), is magically transformed by the New International Version into, In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean, or into even lovelier prose like, By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in Gods eyes, by the New Living Translation (talk about making silk purse out of a sows ear). David did the same to a bear that took a sheep. The tricky bit is finding the correct reason why gentle Jesus dumped hundreds of murderous, unclean spirits on so many swine. Not that I believe my case has holes. 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). Peaceable Kingdom Series. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. Not that I believe my case has holes. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. 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. When they ask Jesus to leave, he does so without any objection; Jesus ministry will not be imposed on those unwilling to receive it. One can only imagine the insanity the demoniac suffered at the hands of these evil forces. Over the years, Ive had to prove all this to myself first, and it took soul-searching and tons of Scripture research. HDB, II, p. 158, 159 for a detailed description.). That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with 1 Samuel 24:24 and 1 Chronicles 21:24). Mark and Luke call it Gerasenes and some English versions translate it as Gergesenes. It is all the same place. Therefore, if Jesus gave no commandment (singular), what is he referring to when he talks about commandments (plural) in the following: The answer: when he says, keep my commandments he means the ones he and the Father gave Israel at Sinai. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. (eds.). JESUS DIDNT SEND THE DEMONS INTO THE DEEP; God never said dont touch. She added that bit. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! It's just 8 or 9 verses before this passage. Very interesting. I beg You, do not torment me. For He (that is, Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Ellicotts Commentary, for one, believes the four Greek words were a latter addition. Isnt this what hes paid for? We should ask the good pastors if love thy neighbour as thyself has any bearing on killing your neighbours livestock. Something else to ponder about the Son of God is his other title, I am the good shepherd. 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. Oh, you mean THOSE pigs!! In his description of the boundaries of Perea, Josephus mentions Gerasa as one of the cities on the eastern boundary between Perea and Arabia, the other border cities being Philadelphia and Sebonitus (Jos. How and why did this happen in the first place? He was possessed of extraordinary strength but he was aware that there was a man of God in his presence. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. Pig meat, according to Scripture, is as unclean as the demons that Jesus sent into the swine. Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there for mercy and for judgement. Saying God reverses a verdict or compromises a promise soils His Name. One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had no choice. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. Such a contradiction in character! (Note that Luke omits Jesus journey to Tyre and Sidon, see also Mark 7:24-37). 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 Lebanon too (Zechariah 10:9-10). The only other commandment with this same specific promise is the command to honour thy mother and father (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16; c.f., Ephesians 6:2-3 where Paul copies out the entire commandment and the promise). For one, Leviticus 22:28 forbids righteous farmers from killing a cow and its calf on the same day. noted the official establishment of Christianity and discontinuance of pagan worship in the 5th cent. At the very end of his book The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John repeats them. 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. No Jewish farmer would keep swine, and no Jewish region would tolerate the presence of pigs, let alone two thousand of them (Mark 5:13). Maybe it was because they were unclean animals. With these, Therefore, even though folks from the Bishop of Hippo down to our two good California pastors have tried to persuade us that the Creator has shifted His views on pork, God did not, can not, and will not vary or alter or adjust any word spoken about any decision let alone His views on ham sandwiches. My research shows swine kill poisonous snakes. The story of the Gerasene demoniac thereby foreshadows the mission to the Gentiles that would begin in full force with the conversion of the Apostle Paul and Peter's ministry to Cornelius (Acts 910). This Priceless People Interpretation comes from another sunny California pastor, John Piper. They ask Him if they can enter some nearby pigs, and He lets them. 11:78). 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. They belonged to God. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. when hes rolling around with a thousand killer-demons inside. Jesus was teaching the way to live life so demons would not have a place in us to possess. Jesus does not go looking for this demon-possess man, the man comes to Him. The man howled day and night and cut himself with stones. 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. John 13:34 was the one single, solitary time that the Master told his disciples, I give you a new commandment. However, the commandment wasnt a new commandment. 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. What pigs?? They do not bother mentioning Scriptures emphasis on being holy before God. I dont see anything of that sort in the story. Add to that that recent. And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the , Everyone's wondering why the pigs got the raw end of the deal. Heavenly Father, we thank You that the name of Jesus is sweet in the ears of believers, but we know, O Lord, that those who love this world do not know the sweetness of the sound of His name. WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! Matthew 12:43 and Luke 11:24 mention demons going to a dry place. And what about just sending the killers into the air (Ephesians 2:2)? The nearby shepherds were sheep shepherds, not hog herders. 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. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. But this view is shocking because it places Gods Son on an equal footing with the unclean spirits and thus flies in the face of the normal presentation of Jesus in the Gospels. I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). Im wondering in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon rushed down a steep hill and perished. This made them fit for consumption. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? were Now that's interesting isn't it? The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. Last week, we were crossing over with Jesus to the other side, weathering a fierce storm until he woke up and calmed the sea. Wipf & Stock Publishers. Or, what if Paul had knocked two thousand dolls into the drink would he have written as many epistles as he did, while having to dogpaddle? 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. The vision stumped the poor apostle; clearly, Peter forgot about the amazing four Greek words of Mark 7:19b.