Over the centuries, many scribes spent an enormous amount of time, energy and resources copying them, thereby lending credibility to them. 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. The other, Deuteronomy 22:6-7, protects wild mother birds in a similar way, forbidding us from killing them along with their young at the same time. Jewish rabbis, when interpreting the Word of God, follow an important principle: no word in Gods Word is superfluous or pointless. 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. 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). Israel doesnt [need] a savior who can fight off a legion of Roman soldiers. John Oxenham1 wrote a poem about this passage. were Is there a connection? 1), and apparently occupied these cities with Jewish patriots. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Jesus was a Jew. The Man Jesus Renamed | Reformed Theological Seminary The lectionary reading for Trinity 1, Year C, is Luke's version of Jesus meeting and healing the demon-possessed man in the 'region of the Gerasenes' (Luke 8.2639). The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. We ask this in Jesus' name. 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? 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. 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. 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. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? 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. 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). 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? Who owned the pigs? Dedicated Online Support through Live Chat & Customer Care contact nos. But now this is an extraordinary case. Learn how your comment data is processed. When they ask Jesus to leave, he does so without any objection; Jesus ministry will not be imposed on those unwilling to receive it. What have You to do with me, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God? The normally merciful Messiah destroyed the pigs in accordance with Gods Law about clean and unclean meat. 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? The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for the purpose of holiness. 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. And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs in Gerasenes (Lk 8 ) 10 ) It was the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Decapolis. But the sad thing I want you to see at the end is the reaction of the majority of his countrymen, because unlike him, they do not beg to be with Jesus. Just as God defeated Pharaohs army at the Red Sea, so Jesus defeats Satans army in the land of the Gerasenes. So I don't know how seventeen interpretations of this particular story got circulated. So these four miracles show Jesus reaching out to Gentiles, either in Galilee or even in even more Gentile territory across the river. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. My question is: Therefore, when it came to sacrifices on it, the menu was even shorter. You know that because the people tell Him to leave. 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. He was constrained to act just like the other prophets before him. he has the power and the authority to ameliorate both. Wed also have to confess that the farmers were not Gentile. One unambiguous (but hotly debated) verse that supports this doctrine is, If we agree Messiah wrote the Law of God, we should then wonder, (Please dont hide behind that sensational dispensational chart. Why do I say that book? Pig meat, according to Scripture, is as, Suddenly, Mark 5 is clear. 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. For less than $5/mo. Money Maker Software may be used on two systems alternately on 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more subscriptions. ]. 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). There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. But these differences are typical of eye-witness reports and only irritate skeptics. The tricky bit is finding the correct reason why gentle Jesus dumped hundreds of murderous, unclean spirits on so many swine. 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. They know that Jesus can cast them into the abyss, into the lake of fire, into the bowels of hell, and theyre frightened. Let\'s see if you\'re really a human: * Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (Romans 1:16 and Romans 2:9-10; ever notice that the New Testament never mentions Christians, just Jews and Gentiles?! 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. It deeply disturbed Bertrand Russell that Jesus allowed a herd of two thousand pigs to be destroyed. With or without graves? With such a track record, what difference would Legions size or strength make? That is how valuable human life is." I love irritating those charlatans who pretend the Law of God is somehow different than the Law of Moses. Its totally contrary to what we would expect. 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. One moose, two moose. This, by the way, is the miracle story that happens in Gentile land. The Spectators probably from all over the world! He is more open with Gentiles because it fits His purpose about revelation to the Gentiles and the new inclusion in the kingdom. If the Eternal One, blessed be He, had said just once that pork was unclean and forbidden, that should be enough. But as for God, what reason did He give Mr. Merciless for not destroying Nineveh? 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. Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material, To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being. While animal-abuse cases arent normally rampant among church-goers, its no thanks to this bishops official policy. WebApparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Learn a new word every day. http://archive.ligonduncan.com/mp3/12.13.2009_Dr_J_Ligon_Duncan_The_Man_Jesus_Renamed_Luke_8_26-39.mp3. He couldnt introduce a new religion. (, But MacArthurs logical is funny for another reason. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. We are pleased to launch our new product Money Maker Software for world's best charting softwares like AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. We have it all down on paper exactly how gentle Gentiles can get when they get annoyed by a Jew. He changed the subject. WebIt was named after the 10 ( deka) cities ( polis) which were in that area. 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. If they did, they would not see the chapter attacking the research in this blog post, theyd see a defense for it! 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. 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. and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. Therefore he had every right to judge the Jews and how they used land. So its a fair comparison to place Pauls actions in Ephesians side-by-side with Jesuss actions by the Lake of Galilee. 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. They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. Additionally, the encounter takes place among the tombs, an earthly realm of the dead, so to speak. Racism: Not a modern invention . I am but a man possessed by an innumerable host of demons. Web(2) Ye know that ye were Gentiles.--Better (according to the weight of MSS. Johns Entertaining LOL Interpretation shows me that he sees cracks in his theology, but is unwilling to own up to them. Asked by: Isidro Boehm V. Score: 4.9/5 to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. Overall, when it comes to any animal being selected for food or for sacrifice, God sees only two types. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. This curse should deter makers of dispensational charts from chopping up Scripture because having my share taken from the Book of Life, or my name wiped out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5) doesnt sound very cool. These four miracle stories, also we said, in contrast to the miracles in Luke 4 and 5, are focused on settings where a small group of the disciples witness the miracles. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Yet there was no fury. Peaceable Kingdom Series. (. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? Those outside of the nation of Israel were considered gentiles. (, 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. For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. The jokes are a smoke screen. All these inescapable facts are so important to getting the right interpretation of Mark 5 and the other gospel records of the same event. This passage is fundamentally about Jesus. The passage appears to be straightforward historical-narrative writing, like the rest of Marks gospel. Jesus made him whole. Indeed, some believe that Jesuss single option was to let Legion loose on the animals. Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. No, at the very best, Scripture is a dazzling lily that started out as a small flower bud, grew and expanded overtime, until finally it opened to show us all its beauty, a beauty that there inside the bud since the beginning, but not fully shown. This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). p. 102. That amazing phrase, all of you be holy for I am holy did not start with Peter (1 Peter 1:16), because the apostle is quoting Leviticus. In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. It is repeated over and over. 1. Therefore they should be taken as such. 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. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Three of the Comedian Harmonists were Jewish, three were gentile. This means that these miracles are especially meant to teach believers something. Admittedly the whole event with the demon-crazed pigs is odd you dont see it every day but the writer wanted us to believe it genuinely happened. Lord God, even as we sing this hymn, cause those who do not know Him to love Him and cause those who love Him to love Him more than anything else in this world. ___________________________________________________________________. So he had to live according to the truth that had already revealed and to get everyone else in line with the program. Accessed 4 Mar. There is no captivity that you can be captive to that is not captive to Jesus Christ for He has ascended on high and led captivity captive and He makes a sport and a spoil of the forces of darkness which are arrayed against God and against heaven. 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. Without a doubt, its only and exactly the Creators negative view of swine that properly spells out to us why Jesus destroyed an entire herd of swine in Mark 5. Further, the conclusion seems warranted that there was confusion in some MSS of Gerasa with the more likely site for the miracle near Gergesa. 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. See more comments below.). For you Tolkien fans it reminds me of a character in the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. We know that two thousand pigs go over the cliff. 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. He was no longer naked and he was no longer babbling and he was no longer living amongst the tombs, but when they came, he was clothed and in his right mind and sitting at the Savior's feet. You can bet your bottom drachma there is. Gerasa is mentioned next by Josephus in connection with the Jewish rebellion against the Romans in a.d. 70. Instead of dead Egyptians washing up on the shore, we see dead pigs, an intentional insult to the minions of Satan. At best, Malachi 4:4 should read as, Remember the Law of Moses, but mine's better. Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, [Let me just pause right there. Before the war it was a Gentile settlement. He does. It was exactly due to his righteousness and his love for God that he killed two thousand pigs. 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. Did you know that one of the 7 ingredients in underwater concrete was animal blood? We usually think of Jesus as the loving, forgiving guy from Galilee, right? That is why 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. Other than that my friends, I don't know. As out-of-place as the pig-assisted exorcism by the Lake of Galilee was, the awful event is actually recorded in three Gospels; in Matthew 8:2834, Mark 5:120 and Luke 8:2639. This verse alone puts an interesting twist on the oft-quoted man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man because originally Scripture makes the point that the Sabbath is for man and mans animals. }. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 3 Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. Such a contradiction in character! 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. Gerasene Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Luke doesn't think that it's an every day occurrence for a person to be possessed by a host of demons. take a dump and be cleaned.lol. Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." 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. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? Let's pray. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? Fourthly, Jesus specifically went to the land of the Gentile Gadarenes or Gerasenes, east of the Sea of Galilee, to minister to them. 3). Paul talked about going to Spain in Rom 15:24-28, so part of this is certainly within the realm of possibilities. Since I believe the word of God is our playbook for life, what is Jesus telling us? When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him and said with a loud voice, What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? WebWhy were there pigs in gerasenes? Now we see the missing puzzle piece: God had plainly prohibited pork as food, making it clear that holy people should not eat it , Overall, when it comes to any animal being selected for food or for sacrifice, God sees only two types. 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. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a , The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is, Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. This mother-baby law actually takes priority over another command which requires all first-born calves and lambs to be offered up to God on His altar (Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 15:19.) Pingback: The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg. Thus, in him, God found a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and 1 Samuel 16:1). The Land of Israel is/was no place for two thousand pigs. Very interesting. But the Almighty said it so many times. Scripture presents us with all we need to know. The action is no different than Revelation 14:14-15 where we see the Son of Man brandishing a sharp sickle. Gergesa (). Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? Interestingly, if you obey the latter, and take just the babies or the eggs but release the dame, God promises you a long and successful life. The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.2834 is the shortest, The shortest distance between two thoughts. (But that may sadly describe a good number of Christians.) Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. However, the pastors assumptions are perplexing. For one, Leviticus 22:28 forbids righteous farmers from killing a cow and its calf on the same day. Note: Demetrius was angry only because of speculation of what Pauls preaching might do to business Paul had not physically caused any damage. Secondly, the text is written to show Jesus dunnit. GERASA, GERASENES (, ). (eds.). To any Jew, Jesuss actions were crystal clear. Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. But when the pigs need to be explained, he immediately seems lost and turns to heartless comedy. The Word of God cant change any more than God can. Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. So why were these pig owners on the east side of the lake afraid? biblegateway.com 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. What happened to the demons when the pigs died? 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? William Arthur Dunkerley (November 12, 1852 January 23, 1941) was a prolific English journalist, novelist and poet. They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a Jewish Messiah and not a Christian one. And he said that a good and virtuous man could not have allowed something like that to happen and therefore, Jesus was not the best and most virtuous of men and therefore Christianity was disproven. .hide-if-no-js { Here, it may well be that a herd of unclean animals has been used to take thousands of demons to their doom in the lake in anticipation of the final judgment. This page from an Orthodox website partially shows how Judaism views their responsibility. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. That will give us the perfect answer. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. were the gerasenes Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Luckily, they didnt find Paul anywhere, but they did haul a number of Pauls colleagues down to city hall. There he meets a man seized with an unclean spirit (Mark) or with demons (Luke). Neither common sense, nor the text, let Jesus off the hook. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. This made them fit for consumption. The fact anyone dreamed up dispensationalism, They say, None, but Jesus, kept the Law perfectly. Perhaps that is his point. The Gospels tell us that Jesus did most of His work among the Jewish people. Luke is telling you here that Jesus is sovereign over everything. a Gentile and What Does the Bible Say about 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. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Thats really why they were sent. WebMany New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. 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. This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. Our ways are not as Thine. The Messiah gave every Jew there that day a glimpse of the judgement to come. Sinai. Well that's the first thing we see in this passage. 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. e. Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac Matthew Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there for mercy and for judgement. Jesus to leave He specifically banned pig in. This was a Gentile town so they had pigs. Two thousand pigs together is quiet unimaginable. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. As for Matthew, he quoted Jesus as commanding the demons, and used the plural form of the verb, go. Over the years, Ive had to prove all this to myself first, and it took soul-searching and tons of Scripture research. 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). 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? 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. Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac in Luke 8 | Psephizo Before the war it was a Gentile settlement. So He gave them permission. Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (tahor), meaning ritually clean/pure, or by the term, (tameh), unclean/defiling.