(Jos. Jesus was teaching the way to live life so demons would not have a place in us to possess. It's this man who is in bondage to these demons. 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. Ive not heard that theory before. He was constrained to act just like the other prophets before him. 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. 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). Since I believe the word of God is our playbook for life, what is Jesus telling us? 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. 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? He is the strong man who binds Satan and plunders his house. Download Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework. (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). Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 12:13-16), there is a small, but wonderful, detail that is in complete harmony with Matthew 10:29. (, 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. 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? In the three Synoptic Gospels and John 2:15, Jesus forces all the sellers out of the Temple courts. Pliny described it as a city of the Decapolis founded after the Rom. (Question: If God cares about the mother-child relationship in animals, how does He consider that relationship for people? Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. Lets use his recording to the event as our jumping off point: Every Bible passage is either a historical narrative piece (such as the one we just read), a legal and/or procedural document (the majority of the Five Books of Moses), or it is a poetic passage (like Psalms, Proverbs and much of the Prophets). Peter, the thick-headed captain of the Tedious Twelve, needed a hammer of a vision to get it across to him that Gentiles not ham and back bacon are clean and Jews could fellowship with them. Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. In the Book of Acts, Chapter Nineteen, we read about Demetrius, a Greek silver-statue maker, who was connecting a few dots of his own and had reasoned that a certain big-mouthed Jew was bad for business. Working with the Law, and not against it, Jesus is shown to be completely in character and not out of his mind. Im wondering 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). 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! borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin galilea, probably after Galilea, Galilaea galilee, from a monastic and clerical comparison of the church porch, where the laity gathered, to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) Early in the video, he is very factual and seems sure of himself. So its a fair comparison to place Pauls actions in Ephesians side-by-side with Jesuss actions by the Lake of Galilee. Thus, we are not surprised that there was "a great herd of pigs" feeding near the tombs where the Gerasene demoniac was living (5:11). You received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it! (Acts 7:53). Were in the same story. This location agrees with the description given by the ancient writers. And because he said it one single, solitary time, and he didnt actually present anything new, we have clear proof that he didnt add anything to the Law and his joke underscores the fact that he didnt add (or delete) from the Law! Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). If Jesus had done anything less, he could not have been the Messiah. In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us rolling in the aisles. Web(2) Ye know that ye were Gentiles.--Better (according to the weight of MSS. 2. Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Two thousand pigs together is quiet unimaginable. But what does Leviticus says about, And also the pig; although it has a hoof splitting in half and it has a hoof clearly tearing in two, the pig doesn't bring back up its cud to chew. So if you have the ears to hear, the Father and the Son both wrote the Law and gave it to 630,000 men (and women and children) at Mt. Its not possible for either of them to change, and therefore, inconceivable that Jesus would modify one iota of what he helped write. It was a region of 10 Greco-Roman cities, a Gentile region. We know that two thousand pigs go over the cliff. And guess what this week's focus is on? Why do I say that book? WATER DESTROYED HER!!!! War II. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! Those people were Jews in Nazareth. He's a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ now. Reading the whole account in Acts 19:23 to 41, we see that it was not hard for the sore silversmith to drum up anti-Jewish anger in the crowd that day. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say, Canaanite, but both are more than possible and perhaps the double meaning was intended by the prophet. Saying God reverses a verdict or compromises a promise soils His Name. Some of my Christian brothers and sisters see this as coded language referring to a confrontation with the political and military power of Rome. Such a contradiction in character! Where He goes, they show up and they say things to Him. Such a pat answer to such a serious question is as irritating as it is ridiculous. 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. gerasenes So lets not laugh these verses off. When Jesus healed the possessed man, He allowed Legion to possess the nearby herd of swine. In Marks thinking, the mans extraordinary strength is evidence of supernatural bondage. "It became one of the proudest cities of Syria." The three passages that describe the incident with the demoniacs in the country of the Gerasenes, also called Gadarenes, are Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, and Luke 8:26-39. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. WebGerasene: [noun] an inhabitant of the ancient Palestinian town Gerasa. But this is not the full explanation or the main one. 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. 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. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. (eds.). He was clear that His mission was not to the Gentiles and Samaritans, but rather, to the lost tribe of Israel. It seems to happen a lot in the gospels. Maybe it was because they were unclean animals. being the eternal Son of God. Post the Definition of Gerasene to Facebook, Share the Definition of Gerasene on Twitter, More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary, Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes. 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. 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. They have therefore made important decisions about the proper treatment of animals. 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. Is there a connection? The gospels. 10 ) It was the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Decapolis. Other than that my friends, I don't know. For heavens sake, why cant the good pastor try to explain the incompatibility of our loving Jesus wiping out hundreds of innocent creatures without a punch line? All of these commandments and more are still taken literally by many Jews today. 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! And it's the glorious picture of the value that He puts on an immortal soul. Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. 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. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. Well pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. Am I forgiven by saying, I just allowed the kids to have the grenade? It was part of the Greco-Roman region known as the Decapolis, or ten towns. or ten Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material, To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being. 2 Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? WebWho were the gerasenes in the bible? The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material just for laughs? Because in all of Holy Writ, the phrase first appears in Leviticus 11 (Leviticus 11:44) right after God talks about clean/pure meats. But isnt it a funny coincidence that pork happens to be on Gods list of forbidden food. Don't be surprised if none of them want the spotl One goose, two geese. So why pigs? Show us the only hope of deliverance from those sins and teach us these things from this passage. iii. Also, the land where the Master walked and the swine were feeding belonged to Israel. Seven Biblical facts await you that prove Jesus was obliged to love all creatures, except that a higher command forced him to partially judge the Jews who owned the two thousand poor pigs. Them there pigs were going to try to hog the limelightthat Jesus was famous for but ended up being lost in more ways than one! Legion probably comes from the fact that Roman legions had four to six thousand men in them and this name, Legion, indicates that he is possessed by a host of demons. If a bunch of little children want a ball to play with and I toss them a grenade, am I off the hook if a kid pulls out the pin? 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. Ba-dum-tsss.). The two Johns see more than a hint of what I am talking about in the destruction of the swine and it frightens them so they avoid a serious discussion. I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). What was the country of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) and why Now what happens in this passage? Why? The Son of God mercifully cast thousands of. Last week, we were crossing over with Jesus to the other side, weathering a fierce storm until he woke up and calmed the sea. This was the authentic Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. If I still had some misgivings, Id be man enough to share them here. So you not only see the power of Christ over Satan in this passage in the miracle that He performs in casting these demons out of this man, but you also see Jesus compassion towards sinners. WebScripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. Such a contradiction in character! 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. Gerasene Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Seven facts why Jesus cast the demons to the pigs in Mark 5, but pastors still miss the point, We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? Just like in the Garden, when God judged Adam, he didn't strike him directly, but the ground soil instead. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. One can only imagine the insanity the demoniac suffered at the hands of these evil forces. Just as God defeated Pharaohs army at the Red Sea, so Jesus defeats Satans army in the land of the Gerasenes. In other words, to paraphrase what Gertrude told Hamlet, Methinks the good pastor doth protest too much. Also oral tradition in this area talks of Christ coming and preaching the gospel there but being asked to leave shortly afterwards. Sinai. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. WebGenesis 10:5 Context. What do you want? Youll notice at the beginning of the passage that they go across the lake to the east side and that puts them outside the bounds of Galilee and outside the bounds of Israel and over into Gentile territory on the other side. Dr. R.C. Not by will, but because they have no choice other than to do as the Administrator of all creation commands them. Oops! Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. The vision had nothing to do with shrimp rings or BLTS. This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). Legion Destroys Some Swine | Reformed Bible Studies The last now appears. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 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. The apostles arent having a pig roast anywhere. In light of these facts, Jesus' ministry in the Gerasenes reveals the Lord's remarkable concern not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. 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). Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of human This picking and choosing is completely unbiblical. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. Can we really point the finger at him? GERASA, GERASENES (, ). Luke 1:6 says, [Zachariah and Elisabeth] were both righteous before God, walking in all of the commandments and judgements of the LORD, guiltless. Sound like perfect obedience to me. In actual fact, when you stop to think about it, If our faithful, unchanging Heavenly Father God made a straightforward decisive yet divisive decision and repeated it, Fourth Fact: Gods Enduring, Unchangeable Word, As was just so elegantly discussed, the destruction of the herd, Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens. Mark 5:1 Commentaries: They came to the other side of the sea, Since these events were supposedly witnessed by hundreds (and even thousands of people), it would have been very easy for 1st century critics to debunk it as non-historical. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 And while its not true God pairs animals with people every where in Scripture, He does in this statement. Accessed 4 Mar. Thats why there was a herd of two thousand This software has many innovative features and you can trap a Bull or Bear in REAL TIME! Why explain something that is as plain as the nose on your face? 3 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged Him to let them enter these. Similarly, as God incarnate, Jesus knows the future. Its flesh you must not eat. And do you believe for one minute that God told us to obey something that He knew full-well we couldnt obey? Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. Oh, you mean THOSE pigs!! The pastors precious-people useless-swine principle was previously dreamed up by the 3rd century church father, St. Augustine of Hippo (quoted by Spalde and Strindlund), and he ran with it. (, Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there, Not contrary, but consistent with Christs Character, Here is a prophesy that Christians love to quote: , The LORD has sworn it and He will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, after the nature of Melchizedek. The LORD is upon your right hand. 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. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. 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. Not that I believe my case has holes. there was never a prophecy that the kosher laws would be removed, so the verse is coming completely from left field. Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. But there are many reasons why Im not keen on the idea of the Gospels as non-historical. And John nicely parallels Jesus who said, not the smallest letter nor the smallest comma will pass away from the Law (Matthew 5:18). He was possessed of extraordinary strength but he was aware that there was a man of God in his presence. 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. William Arthur Dunkerley (November 12, 1852 January 23, 1941) was a prolific English journalist, novelist and poet. WebThey came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 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 Jewish, living in a Jewish town surrounded by Jewish-owned pigs. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark that the compassion of Jesus "drove Him to destroy the pigs for the sake of one human life. For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. He has stabbed the heads of many lands. In a recent online essay on the Gospel of Mark, Peter Leithart wrote. No one cares where he sleeps when hes busy trying to keep himself from killing himself. What about sheep? Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its application could mean. 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. We pray in Jesus' name. He was completely in the thrall of sin. Secondly, I want you to look at the Lord Jesus Christ Himself because His power over Satan is on display full force in this passage. Luke means it to be an extraordinary event. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. These demons of the Gadarene Demoniac wanted to stay in this territory where worship of Baal was predominant. Acting as Israels Messiah, Jesus was carrying out actions that were predicted by the prophets, like when Zechariah said that no merchants in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 14:21).. Problem was, not even the pigs could withstand the madness these demonic forces manifested. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. End of story. We ask this in Jesus' name. 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? 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. The power and the person of Jesus Christ. Many will rush for cover behind the last four Greek words of this verse, despite all of its textual, translation and interpretation problems. This, by the way, is were the gerasenes So he gave them permission. 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. We should ask the good pastors if love thy neighbour as thyself has any bearing on killing your neighbours livestock. The demons sent the pigs off the banks of the sea and into the water, where they drowned (Mark 5:1213). His sermon should have given us some point, some excuse, or some logical explanation for it all. Are you seeing this? Throughout Scripture itself, its a perpetual theme: Never believe anyone who says the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever (1 Peter 1:23; KJV) changeth! He always followed Gods Law. The exorcism and the slaughter: Did they happen? This means that these miracles are especially meant to teach believers something. Webwere the gerasenes gentiles. and what Jesus showed here was a love and a grace towards a man in captivity to sin who didn't deserve to be freed and didn't deserve to be forgiven, but Jesus did it anyway. They even allowed themselves to go ballistic on the Sabbath, which shows how angry they really were. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? But Jesus still ministered to them: crowds from Tyre and Sidon came to see and listen to Him ( Mark 3:78 ). All Rights Reserved. If the interpretation from one vague verse contradicts several unambiguous verses, which is wrong? To all of you who have been liberated from the captivity of your sin by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive God's blessing. Reading the Word of God is wonderful. Indeed, some believe that Jesuss single option was to let Legion loose on the animals. After all, racism wasnt invented in the 21st century. Deuteronomy 4 and 12 only state that none should add or remove what Moses was commanding, which sounds a little nebulous. If Paul got himself into hot water because of a Gentile speculating about declining silver sales, how could Jesus have avoided a ton of hot water for killing hundreds of Gentile-owned swine? They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. Jesus is equating his commandments which can only be the ones in the Law of Moses, because he gave no commandments in the Gospels with his Fathers commandments in the Five Books of Moses. Scripture also makes it abundantly clear that God Almighty cannot change, and no one, not even the Lord's Anointed Messiah can change the Law which they both wrote. 7 ) The pigs werent for eating. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. Compared to the accounts of the same event in Matthew and Luke also written in simple narrative prose some details vary. But wait, realize how deep Gods affection for animals goes. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 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. Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. When Eve said that she and hubby were not allowed to touch the [Good and Evil Knowledge Tree] or they would die, she was lying (Genesis 3:3 and Jewish explanation). Obviously, they were Jewish pig farmers seeing judgement for flagrant disobey Gods Word and keeping and eating pig meat. 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.
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