Luke 8:26 - 39
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,[c] which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus[d] had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 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? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 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. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed[e] man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. v27 - What does it mean that the man had demons?
2. v28-29 - If Jesus had commanded the demons to come out, why were they still there?
3. v30 - Why were there many demons?
4. v31 - What and where is the abyss?
5. v33 - Pigs can be possessed?
6. v33 - What happened to the demons after the pigs died? If they were freed why did Jesus let this happen?
7. v37 - Why did Jesus leave when they asked Him to.
8. v38 - Why didn't Jesus bring the man with Him? Why did He send Him home?
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html says:
ReplyDeleteThe Bible doesn’t explain to us Jesus’ reasoning, but displaying His sovereign power over demons could be one reason why Jesus sent them into the pigs. If the pigs’ owners were Jews, Jesus could have been rebuking them for violating Mosaic law which forbids Jews from eating or keeping unclean animals such as swine (Leviticus 11:7). If the swineherds were Gentiles, perhaps Jesus was using this miraculous event to show them the malice of evil spirits under whose influence they lived, as well as displaying His own power and authority over creation.
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The subject of demons and demon possession has always seemed somewhat remote and academic to sophisticated 20th century Americans. Bible-believing Christians have always accepted the fact of demons and their activity in New Testament times, but most of us are inclined to relegate demonic activity in these days to pagan lands and missionary experiences. Paul tells us that our struggle is, at bottom, a spiritual one (Ephesians 6:12).
For the Christian, there are two extremes which must be avoided with reference to Satanic activity. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.
Although the manifestations of demonization vary widely, this man115 evidenced several of the classic symptoms.
(1) Severe personality change.
(2) Anti-social behavior.
(3) Spiritual insight.
(4) Super-human strength.
(5) Torment.
(6) Tendency towards self-destruction.
When Jesus asked the demoniac his name, it was not without significance for He was, I believe, asking the demons to reveal their identity. The reply ‘Legion’118 may be some kind of evasion, a reluctance on the part of the demons to individually identify themselves. To the evildoer, anonymity is always preferable to identification. On the other hand, it may be correct to understand that although there were many demons, they had combined as one force to possess this man.
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Demons are highly organized (cf. Daniel 10:13; Ephesians 6:12), whose leader and prince is Satan (Matthew 12:24). The passage in Daniel especially suggests specific geographical boundaries within which spirit beings must abide. For these demons to be sent out of the country would have meant that they would then be confined along with other fallen angels (cf. Jude 6), no longer to afflict men or resist God.
These, however, are not the problem raised by Bible students. Their first question is a rather pragmatic one, namely, “How can demons possess animals?” To this we must confess that we know too little to understand the mechanism of demon possession but the reality is very evident. The second question is an ethical one: “What right had the Lord to inflict this loss on the owners of the swine?”
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteBy way of explanation, there are several factors which should be given serious consideration.
(1) As Lord of all, God has the right to make use of His creation any way that He deems best, and this includes not only pigs, but people (cf. Romans 9:19-23).
(2) Pork was a food forbidden to Jews, and as such, those who raised these pigs may have done so knowingly in violation of divine injunction. It is in no way certain, however, that the pig raisers were Jews.
(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. Also, the wholesale slaughter of these pigs dramatically illustrated the destructive purposes of the demons.
(4) Our Lord did not command the demons to enter into the pigs and bring about their destruction; He only permitted it.124
(5) What our Lord could have given the people of this territory was much greater than what He took away.
The typical explanation for the petition of the residents that Christ leave their country is that they were motivated by materialistic considerations. In other words, Jesus had caused a loss to them of 2,000 swine already; what else would His presence cost?
In both the accounts of Mark and Luke, the primary motivation is described as that of fear. Luke seems to base this fear solely upon what happened to the demoniac, not on the loss of their pigs.
As these people began to piece together the previous events, not only of the destruction of the pigs, but also the deliverance of Legion, they began to sense that there was One far more awesome, much more to be feared, than Legion. They had dealt with Legion (I suspect) by forcing him from their presence. Now they would deal with this One greater than he by doing likewise. It is ironic that while the demons didn’t want to leave the country, the dwellers of that land didn’t want the Messiah to stay. Here is one of the few times that a miracle drove people away, rather than to draw them to Jesus. It would seem that these people had no Messianic expectations, and therefore wanted nothing to do with One Who had such awesome power, a power over which they had no control.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteAs always, we must begin with the principle: Interpretation is one, application is many. What purposes did Mark intend to achieve by the inclusion of this event?
First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. The Greeks were believers in the spirit world, but not necessarily convinced that demons were evil.127 As a result, Mark’s readers needed to be instructed as to the essential nature of demons and demon possession. The scene which Mark presents is deliberately dark.
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. Satan’s most effective tool is not the demoniac wandering about the desolate places. Satan’s most useful instrument is the outstanding, outwardly moral and upright religious man, whose good deeds are done independently of God.
As has been said before, look for Satan’s man behind the pulpit.
Second (and primarily), Mark employs this event to authenticate the claims of Jesus to be the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah. While the Jews had not denied the works of Jesus were supernatural, they had declined to admit they established His deity. Rather, they attributed the power of Jesus to Satan (Mark 3:22). The confrontation of Jesus and the Gerasene demoniac made it clear that Jesus was no servant of Satan. Far from this, He had stormed the gates of Hell and prevailed. Even the demons confessed that He was the Son of the Most High (Mark 5:7).
IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
In this account we, by inference, learn much about the demonic spirits. They are ‘unclean spirits,’ (vss. 2,8) who can ‘possess’ men and animals. Their influence and control leads to untold agony and destruction. Demonic influence further destroys man’s reflection of God as originally designed.128 Demons have great spiritual insight and reluctantly submit to Jesus as Lord of all. They look forward to their future with great dread. They greatly desire to enter and control a physical body, whereby they may reflect their character and attributes.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteAlthough the Gospels give us little information as to how individuals become targets of Satanic control, I would suggest for your consideration that they sometimes do so by leaving themselves open to Satanic influence. Ananias and Sapphira did so by allowing their greed to grip their hearts (cf. Acts 5:1-6). Such seems to be a similar case with Judas (John 13:1-2). Whenever a man, woman, or child surrenders control of himself either to fleshly desires (anger, lust, passion, etc.) or by some form of self-emptying (such as various forms of eastern meditation) in my opinion, they are in a precarious position.
Having been properly warned of the demonic underworld, let us not fall into the opposite error of absolute paranoia. The lesson of this passage is that Satan is a defeated foe. When our Lord confronted the demons, they had to submit to His power and authority. By His power, we, too, are able to overcome Satan’s treacheries. For those who are shaken like leaves in the wind at the mention of demons, let us remember from this story that demons cannot even possess pigs without prior permission from our Lord. As the servant of Elisha was told, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16)
Some today have given demons far more than their due by blaming demons for every malady of mankind. There is the so-called demon of doubt, of anger, of overindulgence, of drunkenness, laziness and so on. Let me say as graciously as I can, Satan does not need to work on us in those areas as we are doing very well without his exploitation. There is, as we know, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. But for most of us, the world and the flesh are all that are necessary to cause us to stumble.
How Satan blinds our minds! Men in their unbelief suppose that the choice is either to be free (independent of God) or to be the slaves of Christ. That is not the choice at all. The choice is to be free by submission to Christ (cf. John 8:32; Matthew 11:28-30), or to be the pawns of Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2). Unbelieving men may not rave and carry on like the Gerasene demoniac, but they are nevertheless under Satan’s control, doing his bidding. There is no true freedom and fulfillment apart from Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer of men.
Finally, there is in demon possession a counterpart to the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit. Just as demons desire to possess persons through whom they can exhibit their personalities, so the Spirit of God indwells man, imparting new life, and progressively gaining control so that the character of God is exhibited, but not in such a way as to hinder our individuality and identity. May the Spirit of God be so evident in us that men may see God in our lives.
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Jesus, in effect, "sacrificed" a whole herd of swine for the sake of this one tormented man living among the tombs. To Jesus, the deliverance and restoration of one human being is worth whatever sacrifice it takes, even Jesus’ own torture and death on a wood cross at Golgotha.
How long had this man lived in the graveyard under the unforgiving power of this legion of demons? In Mark’s story, the only reason Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee that evening—bringing the disciples through a storm they feared would kill them all, but which Jesus calmed with a word — was to deliver that poor man from his bondage.
It has been said that most people have a hard time relating to the story of the Garasene demoniac, but that drug addicts relate to it easily. That makes sense. I think that anyone who takes sin seriously, like Jesus does, relates easily to this story. Like the demoniac, howling away in the dark from the tombs, even when our sinfulness darkens our hearts, somewhere deep inside we know our need, and we know Jesus is the one who has come to set us free.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteJesus, Son of the Most High God: This is what the demons said in response to Jesus’ command to come out of the man (for He said to them, “Come out of the man”). This was a way they tried to resist the work of Jesus.
In the background of all this is the ancient superstition that you had spiritual power over another if you knew or said their exact name.
The full address is not a confession of Jesus’ dignity but a desperate attempt to gain control over him or to render him harmless, in accordance with the common assumption of the period that the use of the precise name of an adversary gave one mastery over him.
Demonic possession is a reality today, though we must guard against either ignoring demonic activity or over-emphasizing supposed demonic activity.
Demons also attack men because they hate the image of God in man. They attack that image by debasing man and making him grotesque – just as they did to this man in the country of the Gadarenes.
Demons have the same goal in Christians: to wreck the image of God. But their tactics are restricted toward Christians because demonic spirits were “disarmed” by Jesus’ work on the cross (Colossians 2:15). Yet demonic spirits certainly can both deceive and intimidate Christians, binding them with fear and unbelief.
From the account as a whole, we see that Jesus was not playing into the ancient superstition about knowing a demon’s name. In fact, Jesus showed that it was unnecessary for Him to know the name of the demon. When they replied “Legion,” they really weren’t saying a name, but simply trying to intimidate Jesus with a large number.
If it was important for Jesus to know their names, He could have demanded “name, rank, and serial number” for each of them one by one. But Jesus would not play into their superstitions. His power was greater than them. When it comes to demons and spiritual warfare, we must never be caught up in foolish and counter-productive superstitions.
This shows another reason why Jesus allowed the demons to enter the pigs – because He wanted everyone to know what the real intention of these demons was. They wanted to destroy the man just as they destroyed the pigs. Because men are made in the image of God, they could not have their way as easily with the man, but their intention was just the same: to completely destroy him.
And they were afraid: They were more afraid of a free man than a possessed man. When people are more afraid of what Jesus will do in their lives than what Satan does in the moment, they often push Jesus away.
The man who had been set free by Jesus just wanted to be with Jesus. This man didn’t want only what Jesus could do for him. The true change in his heart was shown by his desire to be with Jesus.
Jesus did not allow this because He knew that the man had a more important ministry with his own family and community.
Sometimes we have a hard time understanding the ways of God. The people of the city made an evil request: they began to plead with Him to depart from their region, and Jesus answered their prayer. The man who had been demon possessed made a godly request: that he might be with Him, and Jesus said no to that prayer.
He might have thought that he had to stay close to Jesus to keep the demons from coming back. “Perhaps, too, his prayer was not answered, lest his fear should have been thereby sanctioned. If he did fear, and I feel morally certain that he did, that the devils would return, then, of course, he longed to be with Christ. But Christ took that fear from him, and as good as says to him, ‘You do not need to be near me; I have so healed that you will never be sick again.’
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents:
As I figured, no one is engaging in speculation on these questions, except for nut jobs who seem to have it all figured out. So, this nut job is going to attempt to address the questions with some options and speculations.
1. Was it the man or the demons within him that made him want to come see Jesus?
2. Why did the man want to see Jesus?
I speculate that God (and/or angels) drove the man to the meeting with Jesus. It's also possible that the demons heard that Jesus was coming, and had in mind that they would go and torment Jesus and/or the man they were possessing. Once they got there, they realized what they were in for and then were afraid. It's also possible that the Holy Spirit was working on the man and, when the demons informed him that Jesus was coming, he actually retained just enough control to go see Jesus.
3. What is demon possession? How does it manifest itself today?
This is a tough one. There's a lot of people who seem to think they know the answer to this. My guess is that they are wrong. We do know that demons exist and that they do something to people. We know from the Bible that demons can partner (possess?) people, torment them, and give them supernatural strength and knowledge.
These days, we have diagnosed many who are having the same symptoms described in the Bible as having severe mental illness. What are we to make of this? Are we to assume that everyone who has mental illness is actually possessed by a demon?
On one hand, why not? We live in a materialistic society (and by materialistic, I mean that we have the philosophy that only what is explained through science is real). It very well could be that demons are having a hay day among us who aren't aware of them. If that's true, what should our response be?
We see the response of some people and we (probably rightly) judge them as taking an unhealthy interest in demons. If it is really the case that demons are very active and that we need to regularly address them, then it's vital that we "walk by the Spirit" much more than we do. We can only fight direct possession of others when the Holy Spirit takes control of us and controls our actions and our words. Otherwise, left on our own, we will just be making fools of ourselves when we mis-identify demon possession.
When we think of demons, we think of them in terms of possession like the movie, the Exorcist. When if, instead, they either:
A. Make us sick, either physically or mentally. When we see someone who is mentally or physically ill, it's actually the result of a demonic attack. When Jesus was casting out demons, he was actually restoring chemical balance to someone. Or:
B. They can only whisper lies to us. They actually have no other power over people than that.
The problem with the above alternatives is that the Bible seems to be showing us that there is (or can be) more of an effect than that. The possessed man in this story shows us that. On the other hand, it does seem like demons can't just possess people at will. They seem to have to have special invitation.
(to be continued)
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents continued:
4. Was demon possession mental illness? Are people possessed today? What does it look like?
It seems like the people Jesus (and Paul) dealt with were more than what we call mentally ill. The Bible says that demons spoke to Jesus and recognized Him as the Son of God. If they were merely mentally ill, they wouldn't have special knowledge. So, they definitely had a demon speaking through them.
These days, are some or all people demon possessed? I really hesitate to declare that mentally ill people are demon possessed. That seems irresponsible and probably ignorant (since I would not be speaking by the Holy Spirit). Now, if there was a person successfully casting demons out of people (assuming s/he was not a scammer), they may be able to speak on such a thing.
If demon activity has a role in mental illness, I would then say that they must also have a role in physical illness. So, if you get a cold, the devil did it.
The other question is how often are people possessed today? World-wide, I speculate that it happens as much as ever. I also speculate that it doesn't happen as much in America for two reasons: 1. I speculate that demons need to be invited in. The combination of Christian influence and materialism causes people not to engage in this invitation process as much. 2. The devil already has a huge win if he can keep us materialists - not engaging in anything spiritual (such as God). So, Satan does not want to wake people up by possessing a bunch of people and making us aware of his presence in the world.
It's also possible that demons keep people under a tighter reign so that they don't reveal themselves as much.
I believe that it is better to be superstitious and ignorant, yet be open to the spiritual world, than it is to be wise-in-our-own-eyes and be materialists. I think Satan gets the bigger win if he can get us to not believe in any kind of spiritual activity.
5. Why did Jesus want to know the demon's name?
The one article said that there was an ancient and wide spread superstition that true names held power. I'm not sure if that's just a superstition. The Bible talks all the time about the name of God and name of Jesus. There's other passages about names being assigned to normal people, and they seem to indicate something significant. I have always been mystified that there could be power in names, but I've never understood how. But, just because I don't understand, doesn't mean that it's not true. It seems that the Bible verifies that there is some sort of power in a name. However, the translation may mean reputation, or something along those lines. I think we have lost the concept these days.
(to be continued)
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2018/04/mark-51-20-they-went-across-lake-to.html continued:
ReplyDeleteMy 2 Cents (continued):
6. Why did the demons want to go into the pigs?
I think the demons wanted to go into the pigs so that they could quickly be freed to roam around again.
7. Why did Jesus let them go into the pigs?
I like the speculation that Jesus agreed to send them into the pigs to show the people of the region that demons were to be avoided. This would prepare the region for the man's message to them. I wonder if people from then on avoided the occult for a while?
8. Why did the people want Jesus to leave?
They were clearly afraid. Perhaps they were in fear for so long about the specter of the demon possessed man, they didn't want another specter of a man who could control demons.
9. Why didn't Jesus let the man go with them?
I can think of two reasons:
A. The man was in a unique position to evangelize the whole region. If not him, then noone.
B. The man probably wasn't Jewish. Culturally, Jesus wasn't in a position where He could take on Gentile disciples.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteNET Note - The region of the Gerasenes would be in Gentile territory on the (south)eastern side of the Sea of Galilee across from Galilee. The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore - the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.
The region of Gadara extended to the Sea of Galilee and included the town of Sennabris on the southern shore - the town that the herdsmen most likely entered after the drowning of the pigs.
In each of the three Gospels certain details are added: Matthew, in addition to mentioning two men instead of one, states that they were so violent that travel on their road had become unsafe; that they expressed fear that Jesus had come to torture them "before the appointed time"; and that the herd was feeding "at some distance away" from the point where the confrontation between Jesus and the demoniacs took place. Mark vividly describes how all previous attempts to keep the demoniac under control and to subdue him had failed; that he was screaming night and day and cutting himself with stones; that the spokesman of the demons wanted Jesus to swear that he would not torment him; that the herd consisted of about two thousand pigs; and that everybody was amazed about the cured man's report concerning the great things God had done for him. Finally, the question of Jesus, "What is your name," and the answer to that question; as well as the request of the cured and grateful man to be allowed to accompany Jesus on the latter's further travels, and his reply, are reported only by Mark and Luke.
Notice that here we are with Jesus clearly in close proximity to tombs and swine, both unclean for the Jew! Jewish ceremonialism was no hindrance for Jesus Who "come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Lk 19:10+)
There is a very fundamental mathematical law that reconciles this apparent contradiction—wherever there are two, there is always one. There are no exceptions! There were actually two demoniacs that came to Jesus. Perhaps Mark and Luke mentioned the one because he was more noticeable or prominent for some reason. However, the fact that Mark and Luke only mention one does not negate the fact that there were two as Matthew said.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteThe NET Note explains that "Though it seems unusual for a demon to invoke God's name ("I implore you by God") in his demands of Jesus, the parallel in Mt 8:29 suggests the reason: "Why have you come to torment us before the time?" There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus' arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God's plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed."
Luke 8:31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.
the deep "The abyss," says Dr. Doddridge, "the prison in which many of these fallen spirits are detained; and to which some, who may, like these, have been permitted for a while to range at large, are sometimes by Divine justice and power remanded." Matthew 25:41; Revelation 9:2; 19:20; 20:2,3,14,15
Mk 5:10+ has "And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country." Some think country and abyss are synonymous, but country more likely refers to the country of the Gerasenes. The demons had experienced "success" in this country!
Demons have faith (James 2:19), but it is not saving faith. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God with authority to command them. They believe in a future judgment (Matt. 8:29) and in the existence of a place of torment to which Jesus could send them ("the abyss," Luke 8:31). They also believe in prayer, for the demons begged Jesus not to send them to the abyss.
Abyss (12)(abussos from a = an intensifier + buthós = deep) refers to an extremely deep place, a bottomless pit. Transliterated into English (see English definition). It refers to the abode of the dead (Ro 10:7) and in Luke 8:31, the prison destined for demons. In Rev. 9:1, 2; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3, abussos is a prison in which evil powers are confined and out of which they can at times be let loose.Note that the abyss does not equate with the lake of fire (Rev. 20:2, 10). While the abyss is the place where Satan regarded will be cast into for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1, 2), his final destination is "the lake of fire and brimstone" (Rev 20:10). The abyss is the final destiny of the devil and his angels (cf Matt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4). MacArthur - The abussos (abyss), or bottomless pit (Rev. 9:1-2) is a place where some demons are currently imprisoned. Some of these imprisoned spirits will be released for a brief time during the tribulation (Rev. 9:1-11); others, apparently those who indwelt men who then cohabitated with women before the flood (Gen. 6:1-4; cf. Jude 6), are permanently bound (2 Peter 2:4). They will remain in the abyss until they are cast into the lake of fire.
Gilbrant on abussos in Classical Greek - The classical understanding of abussos is as an adjective meaning “bottomless, unfathomed, without limits.” There is no classical understanding of abussos as a particular place or region (i.e., “the abyss”); this takes place only later. Absu could refer to the Subterranean waters, the ocean or sea, the netherworld, or the abode of demons (Assyrian Dictionary, “apsu”). Absu was also the name of a primordial god (ibid.). All of these senses for abussos are found in the Septuagint or New Testament yet are entirely absent in the earliest extant occurrences of the word in classical Greek (Fifth Century authors such as Herodotus, Aeschylus, and Euripides).
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteGilbrant Abussos in the Septuagint - Almost always it replaces the Hebrew word tᵉhôm, a term often denoting the “deep” of the primeval ocean (Genesis 1:2) or the “depths of the sea” (Exodus 15:5, not abussos here), or some kind of “subterranean water” (Deuteronomy 8:7). Abussos, too, denotes the primordial “deep” (Genesis 1:2); likewise, it equals the “subterranean springs” to be found in the Promised Land (Deut 8:7; cf. Ge 7:11; 8:2). The “deep” of the sea should probably be understood in a number of texts (e.g., Job 28:14; Wisdom of Solomon 10:19; Isaiah 44:27; Ezekiel 26:19). Abussos translates the plural of tᵉhôm in Psalm 71:20, and this may be a reference to the “place of the dead” (cf. Jeremias, “Abussos,” Kittel,1:9). This is somewhat tenuous, however. Abussos is also rendered as a plural here, showing the translators did not use abussos in the technical way (“the Abyss”). Moreover, abussos does not translate shᵉ‛ôl, the abode of the dead (cf. Psalm 135:6 [LXX 134:6]; Proverbs 3:19f.). Any technical understanding of abussos as “the Abyss” in the Septuagint is at best formative.
The demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine - Brian Bell explains that the demons implore Jesus to be sent to the swine because "They desire a host. They want contact with the material realm. Satan will take a pig or a man; if he gets a man he will do his best to turn him into a pig! Why into the pigs? By this dramatic act this would show they actually came out and went somewhere else."
One thing, however, must never be forgotten. Striking and miraculous as this cure was, it is not really more wonderful than every case of decided conversion to God. Never is a man in his right mind till he is converted, or in his right place till he sits by faith at the feet of Jesus, or rightly clothed till he has put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Have we ever considered what real conversion to God is? It is nothing else than the miraculous release of a captive, the miraculous restoration of a man to his right mind, the miraculous deliverance of a soul from the devil.
The Bible doesn’t explain to us Jesus’ reasoning, but displaying His sovereign power over demons could be one reason why Jesus sent them into the pigs. If the pigs’ owners were Jews, Jesus could have been rebuking them for violating Mosaic law which forbids Jews from eating or keeping unclean animals such as swine (Leviticus 11:7). If the swineherds were Gentiles, perhaps Jesus was using this miraculous event to show them the malice of evil spirits under whose influence they lived, as well as displaying His own power and authority over creation. In any case, the owners were so terrified to be in the presence of such spiritual power that they made no demand for restitution for the loss of their property and begged Jesus to leave the region. The people were awe-struck but unrepentant—they wanted no more of Jesus Christ. This shows the hardness of their hearts and their desire to remain in sin. The healed demoniac, on the other hand, demonstrated the true faith and repentance of a changed heart and begged to be allowed to follow Jesus. Perhaps the unmistakable difference between the saved and the unsaved was an object lesson for the disciples and all who witnessed the event.
David Guzik writes that "Some protest that this was unfair to the owner of the pigs. “ ‘But the owners of the swine lost their property.’ Yes, and learn from this how small value temporal riches are in the estimation of God. He suffers them to be lost, sometimes to disengage us from them through mercy; sometimes out of justice, to punish us for having acquired or preserved them either by covetousness or injustice.”
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteSteven Cole - A. Christ’s power is necessary for transformation.
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Jesus didn’t use some clever method to convince Legion to make a decision to accept Him. Legion didn’t decide to turn over a new leaf and try harder this time. The gospel is nothing less than the mighty power of God imparting new life to a previously dead sinner.
The human attempt to deal with this man had been to bind him with chains (Lu 8:29). But it didn’t work. Human solutions to problems that are spiritual in nature ultimately will fail.
This narrative reveals that there are two types of people in Satan’s domain, who need the transforming power of Christ. There are those who are conspicuously in Satan’s domain, such as Legion. These people make you shudder and draw back from them by their very appearance. They look evil.
But there is a second type of people in this story who are just as much in Satan’s domain and who need the same transforming power of Christ. But we might be inclined to overlook them. I am referring to the people of that area who flocked out to see what had happened to Legion. Outwardly, they were decent, respectable citizens. There are three clues that these people were in Satan’s domain just as much as Legion was.
First, the demons were at home in their region. They didn’t want to be sent out of the country (Mk 5:10). Second, these people were more concerned about the loss of their swine than they were about the healing of this man (or these two men). Third, they begged Jesus to leave (Lu 8:37). What a horrible request!
There are many people like that man. They are in Satan’s domain of darkness, but they’re decent folks. They’ve never committed a felony. They love their mates and their children. They may even go to church and believe in God. But they don’t want Him getting too close for comfort! If a preacher brings up sins like pride, greed, lust, envy, racial prejudice, and the like that step on their toes, they get real nervous and put up their defense. They’re just as much in Satan’s domain as the conspicuous sinner, but outwardly they look more respectable.
None are too difficult for Christ to transform, but camouflaged sinners are often more difficult than the conspicuous.
B. Christ’s teaching is necessary for transformation.
This is an inference on my part. The text does not directly state that Christ taught this man. But I believe that He did. Verse Lu 8:35 reports that the man was sitting at Jesus’ feet when the local folks found him (see Lu 10:39). It took a fair amount of time, perhaps a whole day, for the herdsmen to run off into the surrounding area and report what had happened and for the people to arrive back at the spot. I believe that Jesus was giving this man a cram course in spiritual things. I think that He taught him who God is and who He was as God’s Messiah, and what it means to live a godly life. The point is, salvation must be followed by sound doctrine so that the new convert can be transformed through the renewing of his mind.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteP G Matthew - The story of the demoniac illustrates what Jesus does for a man with a sinful, depraved mind when he saves him. His story is our story.
MacArthur points out that It is significant that Jesus never blamed a person for being either diseased or demon controlled. He recognized them as victims of powers beyond their own control and as in need of deliverance, not exhortation or condemnation.
Hendriksen - What the New Testament teaches with respect to this subject may be briefly summarized as follows:
1. It is not true that the New Testament writers, in common with all primitive people, ascribed all physical illnesses and abnormalities to the presence and operation of evil spirits. It is clear, for example, that Matt. 4:24 distinguishes between demoniacs and epileptics. Some afflicted persons are demon-possessed, blind and dumb (Matt. 12:22); others lack the power of sight or of speech but are not demon-possessed (15:30). Other passages showing that the Gospel writers carefully distinguish between diseases caused by demons and diseases not so caused are Matt. 8:16; 10:8; Mark 1:32–34; 6:13; 16:17, 18; Luke 4:40, 41; 9:1; 13:32; and Acts 19:12.
2. It is not true that demon-possession is simply another name for insanity. The fact is that in only two of the many reported cases of possession does the latter very definitely affect the mind (Matt. 8:28 ff. and parallels; and Acts 19:14–16).
3. Though there is resemblance, it is not true that demon-possession is simply another name for multiple personality or dissociation. Differences between multiple personality and demon-possession: a. demons are spiritual beings who are able to depart from a man and to enter the swine; b. they are always evil; and c. they are not driven out by psychological treatments applied over a longer or shorter period of time, but by the word and power of Christ, instantly. None of this (a., b. and c.) applies to multiple personality.
4. The term demon-possession describes a condition in which a distinct and evil personality, foreign to the person possessed, has taken control of an individual. This evil personality or demon is able to speak through the mouth of the possessed individual, and to answer when addressed (Mark 5:7–10; Luke 4:41; Acts 16:18; 19:13–15).
5. Demons are the agents of Satan. Jesus came on earth in order to crush the power of Satan. He came to bind “the strong man” (Matt. 12:29; Luke 11:21, 22; cf. Rev. 20:1–3) by means of his victory over him in the desert of temptation, and also by means of demon-expulsions and especially the cross (Col. 2:15). This “binding of the devil” points forward to the latter’s ultimate and complete defeat in connection with Christ’s second coming (Rev. 20:10; cf. Rom. 16:20).
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteGilbrant - In the New Testament daimonizomai occurs only in the Gospels (13 times). Those who were “demonized” (i.e., possessed by demons) were often overwhelmed by the evil spirit which took control of their entire personality. At times the demons within the individual controlled both the speech and the actions of the person (e.g., Mk 1:23-26; 5:1-10). Except for one text (Mt 15:22) daimonizomai always occurs in a participial form where it means “tormented by a demon.”
Steven Cole - It’s a story with some strange twists in it. You would think that Jesus would deny the requests of demons and unbelievers, and grant the request of an eager follower, but He didn’t. Jesus granted the request of the demons, He agreed to the appeals of a group of unbelievers, and then He denied the entreaties of a man whose life He had transformed who wanted to follow Him! That seems backwards, doesn’t it? Why did Jesus act this way?
I believe that Jesus granted the request of the demons that He not send them out of the region and into the abyss because the final judgment of Satan and his forces is yet future. The time is coming when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, but for now we are engaged in spiritual conflict against these forces of evil (Eph 6:12). We don’t know for certain what happened to the demons after the pigs drowned, but I think they were free then to go trouble someone else.
I believe that Jesus granted the request of the local people to leave their region because His main mission at that time was to the Jews (these people were mostly Gentile) and because He will not force Himself upon those who harden their hearts against Him, especially after they have seen evidence of His mighty power.
And I believe that Jesus denied the request of the former demoniac to accompany Him because even though His primary mission at that time was to the Jews and even though these Gentiles’ hearts were opposed to Him, He knew that some of His elect among them would hear and respond. And so He told the man, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you” (Lu 8:39). Thus the maniac became the missionary!
Thus the lesson for us from this miracle is that all of us who have experienced Christ’s transforming power should proclaim it. But that raises two difficult questions that we must ask ourselves:
To what extent am I experiencing the transforming power of Christ? What is there in my life that is explainable only by the spiritual power of Jesus Christ? It may not be as instantaneous and dramatic as the changes in Legion. But even so, there ought to be some obvious changes due to my experience with Jesus Christ.
To what extent am I proclaiming the transforming power of Christ? Do I have “holy huddle disease”? That’s a disease that especially affects us pastors, where you surround yourself with the saints, holding hands and sharing precious verses, but you never venture out among the pagans. I believe that Jesus went out of His way to cross the Sea of Galilee in the storm for the purpose of saving Legion and of teaching the disciples about His transforming power. No sinner is beyond the saving grace of God in Christ!
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteTHOUGHT- Do we not see the mercy and grace of Christ in His leaving them man to give testimony of His power to safe? Even in face of them asking Jesus to leave, He nevertheless left a credible witness of His great power over the supernatural world. Robertson adds that "Thousands of like cases of conversion under Christ’s power have happened in rescue missions in our cities."
So he went away - Notice his unhesitating obedience, further evidence that he was a new creature in Christ!
So clearly his testimony elicited a reaction and notice he did not go as a missionary only to his home town but throughout the Gentile province of Decapolis! And so this former demoniac becomes the first witness sent into Gentile territory (Decapolis was Gentile land).
John MacArthur - This remarkable story teaches several important truths. First and foremost, it reveals Christ’s absolute authority over the demonic realm. It is also illustrates the truth that the good news of the gospel is for Gentiles, as well as Jews (cf. Matt. 12:18, 21). The passage also demonstrates that God graciously reaches out to those who reject Him. Finally, the story of the maniac who became a missionary illustrates that it is the responsibility of all Christians to tell others of how Jesus delivered them from the power of sin (Matt. 28:19-20).
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-8-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteSteven Cole - Christ commands those whose lives He has transformed to proclaim it.
If you’ve experienced His transforming power, then you’ve got to express it. It’s at this point that many of us fail. How do we communicate the changes Christ has made (and is making) in our lives? Most of us lack the personality or gift to go out knocking on the doors of strangers to tell them about Christ. Yet, clearly, the Lord has called us all to be His witnesses. So how can we do it? There are two very normal parts to proclaiming the message that every one of us can do:
A. Exhibit a transformed life.
How can I show people that Christ has made a difference in my life?”
Our attitudes should show people that we are Christians. Do you have a cheerful, thankful heart, even in difficult times? Or, do you grumble and complain? Paul says that if we do all things without grumbling or disputing we show ourselves as lights in this crooked and perverse world (Php 2:15).
What about your words? Do you encourage and build others up, or do you tear them down? Do you use foul language or is your speech pure?
And, what about your behavior? Are you self-centered or are you always thinking about others and how you can serve them? Do you live for the same values and goals the world lives for? Do you blend in with the world or do you stand out as distinct?
If you walk in reality with Jesus as your Lord every day, your life will be a witness.
B. Return home and describe what great things God has done for you.
There are three things to note here:
(1) How do you go? You go with obedience and zeal.
(2) To whom do you go? Go to your house.
In other words, go back to the people who knew you before, to your family and friends, to the relationships that you already have. The New Testament pattern for evangelism is that you go back into your own circle of influence—family, friends, neighbors, job, school, common interest groups, and community contacts, and tell them what great things God has done for you.
(3) What do you say? Tell them your story and the gospel of God’s grace.
Tell your personal testimony: “What great things God has done for you” (Lu 8:39). Tell how you met Christ, and what He has done in your life. All witnessing should have this personal element.
Explain the gospel: Who God is, who Jesus is, how we have sinned against God, what Jesus came to do as the sin-bearer. A person needs to know the basic facts of the gospel before he can intelligently respond.
Emphasize grace: Every false religion in the world and every fallen sinner by instinct tries to approach God through good works. If you try hard enough and do enough, maybe God will accept you. But Christianity is not a religion of works, it is a relationship of grace. Grace means that God freely gives His salvation to those who deserve His judgment, apart from any human merit.
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Why, then, didn’t Jesus grant his request and allow him to be one of his personal followers?
Jesus didn’t “exhibit” new believers like entertainers at a sideshow.
Jesus sent the man home because the people there knew him best and his testimony would have a greater impact.
he may have had some damage to repair. Was he married? Did he have a family? Or was he living with his parents? The way he behaved at home and the way he left home (or was asked to leave) may have hurt family relationships, and the Lord would help him make things right. One of our first responsibilities after trusting Christ is to “mend fences,” or perhaps “take down fences.”
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. v27 - What does it mean that the man had demons?
The man has been taken over by demons. They were speaking using his mouth. They were driving him to do things. It was not (just) mental illness.
2. v28-29 - If Jesus had commanded the demons to come out, why were they still there?
It looks like from the story that Jesus commanded the demons to come out and next they negotiated with Him. It's possible that the story wasn't exactly sequential or it's possible that Jesus was stating what He was going to command them to do. I find it hard to believe that Jesus gave a direct command and the demons didn't obey immediately. It's also possible that Jesus was showing us the process of spiritual warfare - that there will be some initial resistance.
I really don't know whether the demons actually resisted an earlier command of Jesus or not, and if they did, what it means.
3. v30 - Why were there many demons?
It appears that demons want a host very badly, so they were willing to share a host if they have to. Were there no other hosts? Was this host particularly fun? Was it kind of like a party? Why wasn't one demon sufficient? I really don't know.
4. v31 - What and where is the abyss?
It's the abode of the dead, possibly Hades. Or, it could be a separate place reserved for the devil and his demons. We don't know where it is or even if it resides in this space-time dimension. The Bible mentions it's existence in a few places, but doesn't really describe it. Some of Jesus' parables seem like they may provide more description, but I think it's best not to build theology based on parables, outside of the main point of the parable.
5. v33 - Pigs can be possessed?
Did the demons go among the pigs, scaring them so badly they ran off a cliff? Or did the demons each possess a pig? I'm not sure at all, but I suspect it's the former. It's also possible that this was a unique situation.
I would assume that if demons could possess animals at will, we would see more of it. I assume demons cannot possess animals at will. If this is what happened with the pigs, they probably needed direct permission from Jesus.
6. v33 - What happened to the demons after the pigs died? If they were freed why did Jesus let this happen?
One article above suggested that it wasn't their time of judgement. A time is coming in which Jesus will judge the devil and his demons. For now, even they are a part of His sovereign plan.
7. v37 - Why did Jesus leave when they asked Him to.
These were most likely Gentiles. At this point, Jesus was limiting His ministry to the Jews. Also, it appears that Jesus never stayed where He wasn't welcome (something He also commands of us - per His instructions to His disciples when He sent them out two by two).
8. v38 - Why didn't Jesus bring the man with Him? Why did He send Him home?
Although, Jesus couldn't take the time to minister to the people who asked Him to leave, He took mercy on those people and sent a representative to share the message. This man was his representative in that entire region. I wish I knew of what became of him. Did he later join or create a church? Did he eventually settle down in day to day life? Did he intersect with any of the Apostles later?