how many times did jesus go to gerasenes

We see the first reaction to this in the storm MARK 4:7 And a great windstorm arose [snip]. led to the substitute reading Gergesenes, a reading that was suggested by a study of the geography of the area. Lucius Annius, at the instance of Vespasian, sacked and burned the city, with much slaughter (BJ, IV, ix, 1). Gergesa may have been a variant spelling of Gerasa. Ralph Earle, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), p. 70. ger'-a-sa, ger'-a-senz (Gerasa; Gerasenon):1. (4) Super-human strength. Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs. - Bible Study Tools He calls the inhabitants Syrians, when, at the beginning of the Jewish revolt, the district round Gerasa was laid waste. 4.1K views, 50 likes, 28 loves, 154 comments, 48 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7th District AME Church: Thursday Morning Opening Session (1) Severe personality change. Contributors: Mark D. Roberts Published by The High Calling, March 11, 2011. 7. Vote Up A word of clarification is in order here for we must recognize that in this account the dark side of Satan is exposed, but this is perhaps the more unusual side of Satan. It would be hard to imagine a more horrible state] c and for a long time he had worn no clothes, The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Marks readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. REPRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS: We are happy to grant permission for this article to be reproduced in part or in its entirety, as long as our stipulations are observed. He is the author of. The tomb-man felt confusion and grief. What happened to the evil spirits Jesus cast out of the man named "Legion" after the swine drowned? Though Legion bowed before Jesus (verse 6), it was no act of worship (as the King James Version would seem to indicate). As indicated in the textual note, the best Greek text reads Gerasenes in Mark and Luke, Gadarenes in Matthew. Men and women (as well as children) were demonized in that they fell under the influence of these unclean spirits. As a herdsman recounted what happened, they kept looking at him and then to Jesus. I have never actually begged Jesus to go away and leave me alone. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. 5:5). As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. Were on a mission to change that. Once naked, he is now clothed. All accounts involve Jesus exorcising demons, identified collectively in Mark and Luke as "Legion". Here in Mark, he purposely set out to travel into another land. We greatly appreciate your consideration! Then he put his reassuring hand on the man's shoulder again and said, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.". Ewing. A noise made them all turn back toward the hill. Here is where Satan can use a man to influence scores of people, blinding minds and hearts to the truths of the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). More than this, however, is the fact that the mans own identity and individuality were swallowed up by the demons with him. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. That is why he was living in the solitude of the tombs, away from civilization. Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but . 9. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20) | Bible.org Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! verse 5). [3] This interpretation has been shared by a long line of commentators up to the present day, including I. Howard Marshall and Mark Driscoll. [3] However, other commentators have attempted to make the story consistent with a Jesus who shows "care and concern for animals," as John Austin Baker wrote. And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them. But notice, even though Jesus permitted them to enter the swine, they were unable to overcome their evil impulses and drove the swine over the cliff to their death. It was significant. But here we speak not about a bishop, but about Christ who made His Godhead revealed through devils beseeching Him not to cast them to hell but enter the swine. Evil is self-defeating in the end. That the World May Know | A Far Country Decapolis 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. The man is grateful. This describes the district in which Christ met and healed the demoniac from the tombs, where also took place the destruction of the swine. 116 As Lane observes this title Son of the Most High God, is not a messianic designation but a divine one. Lane, Mark, p. 133, cf. No! The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. Why were the people of Gerasene afraid of the presence of Jesus? That would be a strong message, by allowing them to be possessed and then drowned. The sultan of Damascus is said to have fortified it; but there is nothing to show that the Moslems occupied it for any length of time.3. Fellowship is an irreplaceable means of grace in the Christian life and offers us two priceless joys: receiving Gods grace through the helping words of others and giving his grace to others through our own. I realize that opening myself fully to you threatens my comfortable status quo. The exercising of authority over demons, in the land under another god, was a message. He wasn't very big. Jesus' Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac - Matthew 8:28-34; Mark This account is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospel accounts, but with two different renderings of the name of the place where the miracles occurred. He had only known Jesus for a few hours, but had already determined to be Jesus' disciple for life. (6) Tendency towards self-destruction. The city was large and well planned. Clothing is an important prop in the Lucan narrative (see Biblical clothing), which in this scene portrays the demoniacs development from his animal-like state to his restoration as a human being. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. Even in our sophisticated times, there is an intense interest in the supernatural and the occult. He had thought he'd been living in hell already. I beg you in the name of God never to torment me!". DEUT 32:8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples, according to the number of the sons of God. If an Israelite, why was he in Gerasene in the first place and why was he living so near a large herd of swine? At the conclusion of this day of teaching by parables, the Lord had instructed His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee to the other side. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were writing of the same general area. It had nothing to do the farmers losing revenue - at all. The New Testament speaks of those who had a spirit, or a demon, or demons, or an unclean spirit, or the spirit of an unclean demon, but chiefly of persons who were demonised. Edersheim, Life and Times, I, p. 479. Did the scribes realize that God gave Jesus the authority in Mark 11:33? (3) Our Lord was moved with compassion by the torment of Legion and the loss of these pigs should in no way dim our view of the deliverance of the demoniac. Demonized individuals are not to be viewed so much as a pigeon hole category, as they are a continuem. [14], Similarly, Thomas Aquinas argued that Jesus allowed the demons to destroy the pigs in order to make the point that his purpose was primarily for the good of men's souls, not their bodies or property (including their animals). No matter what men attempted to bind him with, he broke loose. The tomb-man from Gadara looked up at Jesus again. This town is not to be confused with either Gerasa or Gadara. Start for FREE. 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. William of Tyre calls the city Jarras, and places it 16 miles East of Jordan (Hist, xii, 16). What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event? iv. He could think! The man, who was naked when he saw Jesus, had the added ability of enduring both freezing and sweltering temperatures as well as pain he inflicted upon himself! But Jesus was sleeping. Jesus is conscious that He now breaks the power of the devil and his angels because He is the One in whom the dominion of God is present on behalf of humanity. W. Foerster, as quoted by Lane, Mark, fn. The 'before' and 'after' descriptions of the demoniac reveal that he was a totally different person under demonic influence. I am wondering if the demoniac was pagan or an Israelite. Lane believes the modern Kersa is the most likely place: The point of arrival is indicated in a general way as the district of the Gerasenes, most probably in reference to a town whose name is preserved in the modern Kersa or Koursi. Thus an economic lose of revenue was involved. 113 According to the Talmud there were four characteristics of madness: walking abroad at night; spending the night on a grave; tearing ones clothes and destroying what one was given. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The Maniac Who Became a Missionary, Part 1. 8). He pleaded with Jesus not to be tormented. We are not by Matt Slick | Apr 6, 2023 | Bible Studies. Are we welcoming him into our lives? Pliny described it as a city of the Decapolis founded after the Rom. Lukes reading Gergesenes may represent even more accurately the ancient name of this place, as Origen knew of a Gergesa on the lake of Galilee. 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. Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Study Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satans control, doing his bidding. ', referring to the nuclear power plant in Ignalina, mean? It is a fascinating by Matt Slick | Apr 4, 2023 | Genesis - Deuteronomy, Bible Difficulties. Jesus permitted the *demons to do this. As we pass from this section to the next, let us not end on the note of the death of the pigs, but on the deliverance of the demoniac. The people (nations) were divided up, and boundaries allocated' and the sons of god were put over these nations. Thus, all the circumstances lead us to regard the healing of the demonized at Gerasa as a night scene, immediately on Christs arrival from Capernaum, and after the calming of the storm at sea. Alford Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), I, pp. It didnt take long for the word to spread quickly. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why - eBible There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men. Reland (Pal, II, 806) notes certain extant coins of Gerasa, from which it is clear that in the 2nd century it was a center of the worship of Artemis. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. 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 inhabitants of the city. . But about a mile further south there is a fairly steep slope within forty yards from the shore, and about two miles from there cavern tombs are found which appear to have been used for dwellings. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), p.181. What does Mark 5:1 mean? | BibleRef.com Yet, on a deeper level, they we afraid of how Jesus might impact their lives. There is no conflict, however, for Mark and Luke have apparently focused their attention on the most striking of the two. In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized. The man is now seen, dressed and restored to sanity: he asks to be included among the disciples who travel with Jesus, but he is refused and instructed to remain in the Decapolis region, to tell of "the great things the Lord has done and [how he] has had compassion on you". Theology of Work Project Online Materials by The High Calling are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Those possessed are depicted throughout as unfortunate sufferers who by no fault of their own are dominated by evil spirits and who, when the spirits are cast out by Jesus, accept their deliverance with joy and gratitude (Mark v. 18-20, Luke viii. The man jumped up and said to him, "Sir, please, may I go with you? [14][3] Such alternative readings include arguments that the swine were meant to represent the Roman army or "unclean and unfaithful" people because pigs were considered "unclean" for the Jews in this image, and the loss of these animals was not dangerous. It's a curious passage with many unanswered questions. The miracle of Gerasa reverses the universal schema of violence fundamental to all societies of the world. Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. How Many Times Did Jesus Go To Gerasenes. The healing of the demoniacs and the repulse of the Healer by the inhabitants are historical, but the incident of the swine is a later figment. Soon, they gathered around Jesus and the man who had been set free from the demons. Classical theological commentary cited this story to argue that animals have no moral importance in Christianity. [4], The Gospel of Matthew shortens the story dramatically (Matthew 8:2834) and writes not of one possessed man, but of two. Following Jesus with you wherever he calls. Yet how did the Gerasene people respond? Some were already hurrying back toward the city. This fact probably accounts for the presence of a large herd of swine near Gadara when Jesus visited that region to heal the demon-possessed men (Matthew 8:30-33; Mark 5:1-17). Archeologists identify it with the modern Jarash. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. The gospels. The demonically possessed man who came to Jesus cried out his name was Legion. No! Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. Gerasa itself is probably represented by the ruins of Kurseh on the South side of Wady Semak, just where it opens on the seashore. Matt. Jesus has lead me away from my old life. An inscr. The Matthew account mentions two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke only mention one. Therefore, Jesus Christ for demons is God and thus even demons inadvertently reveal themselves as being better theologians than Arians and their modern day heirs - Jehovawitnesians and all different breeds of Unitarians - their name being legion! That the unclean spirits were personal beings is evident from what is related about their leaving a possessed person, talking or crying out, possessing knowledge concerning Jesus, as well as other supernatural knowledgeshowing fear, and the like. How many men came out to meet Jesus in Gerasene? The Gadarenes' Rejection | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at

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