(, 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. We ask that You would open our eyes to behold wonderful things in it and open our ears, we pray, to hear Your Word rightly. Oops! In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. And the only real bargaining chip according to this interpretation was offering them the two thousand big pink chips. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. However, it is anticipated that the following verses will be thrown up as excuses, as pat answers, and as proof that God has changed, the Law is fulfilled (a.k.a. Gerasenes | Biblical Training After a dramatic journey across the lake (Luke 8:22-25), Jesus steps for the first and last time into Gentile territory. Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus (Matt. 2023. Perhaps even ask who might that future group of individuals be to whom Jesus will say, Depart, I never knew you (Matthew 7:22) because even though they called him, Lord, Lord [and had gone to seminary and made dispensational charts] they somehow were on the wrong path. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters Tomb or no tomb? Being teachable is a great avenue for learning! The Catholic Church's interpretation of this verse is sheer nonsense, because the weight of Scripture contradicts it, so true Reformers need to re-read their Bibles. While foretelling death and doom was often part of a prophets job description, the real task of each true prophet was to be an example to the people and to get everyone on board, or back on board, with the Law of God. This has been a long blog thanks for sticking with it but because Im going to ruffle feathers, Ive gone the extra mile to explain myself clearly and to plug any holes in my argument. But this view is shocking because it places Gods Son on an equal footing with the unclean spirits and thus flies in the face of the normal presentation of Jesus in the Gospels. He said, If you love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Unfortunately, Pastor John is not alone, joking at the expense of this tragedy. He changed the subject. Gerasa is mentioned next by Josephus in connection with the Jewish rebellion against the Romans in a.d. 70. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. Instead of Jesus turning water into wine. Ptolemy says Gerasa was a city in Coele-Syria, thirty-five travel m. from Pella. Take the first chapter of Genesis for example; ones interpretation of it depends on whether one thinks its a historical retelling of creation, or just a poem. Now the big-mouth irking this Greek artisan was our good friend, the Apostle Paul. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. These forces plundered Gerasa, Philadelphia, Pella, and others (Jos. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? [Israels] real enemy isnt Rome, which barely figures into the gospel story. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than Who were the gerasenes in the bible? If the Eternal One, blessed be He, had said just once that pork was unclean and forbidden, that should be enough. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible Gerasa, Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of 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? Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. He loves our souls. WebGerasene: [noun] an inhabitant of the ancient Palestinian town Gerasa. Both of our good pastors assume that the people in Gerasene (Gadarene or Gergesene) were Gentiles in Gentile territory, partially because of the pigs, partially because of the demoniacs and partially because, The good pastor John MacArthur assumes in his video, [I stretch my hand out to the Jews] who sit by the graves and lodge over night in the tombs, who eat the flesh of pigs and the broth of corrupted meat from their pots. So now they don't even bother to read it.]. Gergesa is located, with relative certainty, midway along the E bank of the Sea of Galilee; Gadara is six m. SE from the S end of the Sea of Galilee; and Gerasa is some thirty-five m. SE. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. We said the last time that we were together that in Luke 8 you begin four miracle stories, all of which either happen in Galilee or in Gentile lands. .hide-if-no-js { Fear and selfishness prompted the prayer. One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had no choice. Matthew 12:43 and Luke 11:24 mention demons going to a dry place. And what about just sending the killers into the air (Ephesians 2:2)? The 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. And what does the Law say about pigs? Jesus was teaching the way to live life so demons would not have a place in us to possess. And Christ went sadly.He had wrought for them a signOf Love, and Hope, and Tenderness divine;They wantedswine.Christ stands without _your_ door and gently knocks;But if your gold, or swine, the entrance blocks,He forces no man's holdhe will depart,And leave you to the treasures of your heart. The good pastor John MacArthur assumes in his video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20), that Jesus must have been in Gentile territory because, as everyone knows, Jewish men and women dont hang around tombs even if they are demon possessed! During the time of Christ, the ten cities of Decapolis and the surrounding region were inhabited mostly by Gentiles, not Jews, and the area had a strong Greek influence. At the end of the gospel, however, Jesus tactic changes. But the height of ignorance, the most foolhardy statement is, Jesus fulfilled the whole Law so we dont have to. Only a person who knows absolutely zero about Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy would say such a thing. And what can we take away from the second part of the commandment not to take away from Gods Word? ), his power over blindness (John 9:32) and even over death, as in the case of a three-days dead Lazarus (John 11:1-44). And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. GotQuestions has three articles alone on the subject: here is their best. And that permanence of the Law matches well with the fact that the first time, and the second, He wrote the Ten Commandments in stone: Exodus 31:18 and again, Exodus 34:1. But are these good pastors on the right track? He's the friend of sinners. In fact in this passage with the demons naming His name, this was often done in the ancient world, if you knew someone's name you could call out that name as a part of casting a spell on them. 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. Gergesa - Wikipedia The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. In turn, they would have a vehicle wherewith to stay in their territory. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. Pastor MacArthur would do well to learn from his Jewish counterparts. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Instead of recklessly freeing the doves into the air (as erroneously shown in The Jesus Film and other Bible movies), Scripture records with precise detail that Jesus only knocked over the chairs of the pigeon owners, and/or told them to take their feathered property and leave (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:16) he didnt use his whip on the birds or fling them into the air to be attacked by falcons or eagles. Why explain something that is as plain as the nose on your face? The apostle had been busy preaching in Demetriuss hometown of Ephesus and Pauls message about the one true God was catching on. The final battle requires a different strategy, one that involves a cross. This, Also, this study shows that Jesuss actions in Mark 5 were on the surface contrary to the deep-rooted Jewish respect for domestic and/or wild animals. War I. iv. I cannot offer you a proof-text for this observation. Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. (Take that, Darwin.). Thats right, Whatever matter I am commanding you right now, it's what you must be careful to observe to do. All of these commandments and more are still taken literally by many Jews today. And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the falling of a sparrow. Oops. destroyed) and every perplexing dispensational chart is legit. Cant we be candid in our search to know God? 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. 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. Gentile If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 8 and this great story of the man who was possessed by demons, liberated by the Lord Jesus Christ. You can follow him on Twitter. What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. How Many Places Did Jesus Visit Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. Also, this study shows that Jesuss actions in Mark 5 were on the surface contrary to the deep-rooted Jewish respect for domestic and/or wild animals. Sproul writes in his commentary Mark that the compassion of Jesus "drove Him to destroy the pigs for the sake of one human life. Ba-dum-tsss.). 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! Now it's not a very profound book. First of all, I believe Mark was attempting to warn his Gentile readers of the great danger of demonic influence and activity. For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. He didnt give any new commandment. 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. 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. The demons sent the pigs off the banks of the sea and into the water, where they drowned (Mark 5:1213). And Tolkien puts it this way The Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr he was, and his name is remembered in no tale for he himself had forgotten it and said only, I am the mouth of Sauron.. So I don't know how seventeen interpretations of this particular story got circulated. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! No one cares where he sleeps when hes busy trying to keep himself from killing himself. Maybe it was because they were unclean animals. He was clear that His mission was not to the Gentiles and Samaritans, but rather, to the lost tribe of Israel. I definitely dont want to be near that doctor on Judgement Day.). The passage appears to be straightforward historical-narrative writing, like the rest of Marks gospel. So He got into the boat and returned. They sort of seek Him out. 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). (Note that Luke omits Jesus journey to Tyre and Sidon, see also Mark 7:24-37). 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. The land of the Gerasenes was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! Gentiles 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. They are out to steal, kill, and destroy, so we dare not trifle with evil spirits. Here, then, Jesus faced two of Gods enemies: hostile spiritual powers and death itself. I dont know of any illness that can do that. Gadara). Obviously the man with the demon was Jewish or Jesus would not have gone there. His soul, what care we for his soul? Pingback: The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg. Obviously, they were Jewish pig farmers seeing judgement for flagrant disobey Gods Word and keeping and eating pig meat. 2 Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came The shortest distance between two thoughts. He had a new name and he had a new nature to go along with it. Was He asking us the impossible because He had nothing better to do or is He sadistic? As a result, our biggest take-away lesson is to never take away from the Word of the Almighty.But dispensational-flavoured pastors ignore this and teach us that Moses and David and even Jesus lived by different rules. 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. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. A wonderful verse that reveals Him to us and probably the most heartwarming is the commandment in the Torah that mother animals are allowed to stay with their newborns for at least seven days before the offspring can be taken for food or for sacrifice (Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 22:27). 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! Even city officials who were Pauls friends were scared for Pauls life (Acts 19:31). ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. Now not only did the Jewish people not eat bacon, and not only were they forbidden by Moses to eat bacon, but they were not allowed to raise bacon even to sell it to the Gentiles. When He speaks, they obey. Another title that didn't make it was Demons, Pigs, and a Request to Leave. Now I think actually that beautifully outlines what happens in this passage, but for a specific reason I've wanted to zero your attention in on this man, this nameless man, who is afflicted by demons and who is liberated by Jesus Christ because there is a Gospel message for all of us. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). Most translations interpret the Hebrew to say. Now do you see how silly the Jesus-kept-the-Law-perfectly statement is? David was a good example of what Jesus meant by the shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Compared to this, Jesuss behaviour toward the pigs appears extremely callous: giving vile demons permission to slaughter swine is not exactly compassionate. * And if one doesnt believe demons exist ..same question: why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demonic creatures that dont exist? 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. I will say that I struggled with the title to this sermon. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. were the gerasenes gentiles Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer. Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. A main street with columns on both sides leads out of the forum. 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. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to, 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. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. Don't they know their Bibles? This is the only sensible interpretation which remains consistent with all Scripture. As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the Land of Israel; he never went to Gentile territory. But we should never get too smug, thinking that we have corned the market on truth. The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. Many of you have seen, maybe fewer of you have read, a book by the famous British philosopher and skeptic, Bertrand Russell. To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being dishonest. In actual fact, when you stop to think about it, because God denounced pork in Leviticus, and then Jesus destroyed two thousand, and that event is thrice repeated by Matthew, by Mark, by Luke it all adds up to a big confirmation of the fact that God doesn't change. In the three Synoptic Gospels and John 2:15, Jesus forces all the sellers out of the Temple courts. She suffers a more oppressive slavery than ever before not to human rulers but to demons, who are bold enough to enter synagogues on the Sabbat. If we agree Messiah wrote the Law of God, we should then wonder why on earth he would come to Earth to take what he authored out of circulation or to annul it? All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and. But John is more precise, saying none should add or remove words. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. were the gerasenes We use cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 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. David did the same to a bear that took a sheep. Twice he is described this way look at verse 35, the man from whom the demons had gone out and then again the man from whom the demons had gone and then in verse 38, the man from whom the demons had gone. When Jesus had asked him, What's your name? The first time he had answered, I'm the man possessed by a countless host of demons. Now, he's the man from whom those demons have gone out. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. 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. 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 seems to happen a lot in the gospels. Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. Or, what if Paul had knocked two thousand dolls into the drink would he have written as many epistles as he did, while having to dogpaddle? Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything , Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a, Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. That's why Jesus's motivation to kill the herd was more than obvious to the Tedious Twelve and the gospel writers. There's a total change of nature in this man. I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. Jesus ministered to and did miracles for the Gentiles there. 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. IV. He specifically banned pig in. Mark Driscoll also generated some chuckles when he callously said the death of the pigs created a bacon famine.. 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. And lastly, because the herd was within the Land of Israel and owned by Jews (the joke about Gentiles owning them is cleared up below), the unclean swine had to go and the unclean demons did the work. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. Add to that that recent. What's going on here? These demons of the Gadarene Demoniac wanted to stay in this territory where worship of Baal was predominant. No products in the cart. The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. The last point to tidy up Jesus allowed the demons to kill the pigs or Jesus did it? The Son of God mercifully cast thousands of. Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). Yet being part of the Godhead means Messiah cannot not flip-flop his opinions. Please note how John repeats the commands, adding a zinger curse to both. WebThe meaning of GENTILE is a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith; especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew. (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). Bibliography W. A. Thomson, The Land and the Book (1882), 333-338, 353, 359; C. H. Kraeling, Gerasa, City of the Decapolis (1938); The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1946), 64, 117; M. F. Unger, Archaeology and the NT (1962), 139-141; E. Lohmeyer, Das Evangelium des Markus (1963), 93f; C. F. Pfeiffer, The Biblical World (1966), 252-254. Gadara gerasenes He seen himself demon possessed people that had extrodinary powers. Dr. R.C. It all belongs to God. His poetry includes Bees in Amber: a little book of thoughtful verse (1913) which became a bestseller. At the beginning of the gospel, he wins these victories with acts of visible, recognizable power. To feed the spectators who came there purposely to see those crazy chain braking tomb dwelling lunatics! But now this is an extraordinary case. In a recent online essay on the Gospel of Mark, Peter Leithart wrote. To suggest God retracts or repeals laws tarnishes His Dignity. And sadly, neither of the two Johns considered Gods extreme love for His Creation when giving their interpretations. Therefore they should be taken as such. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. "Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged [Jesus], saying, 'Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.' I've ended up, and Ill explain it later, giving the title The Man Jesus Renamed. Now that may peak your interest because in the passage no name is ever given for the man, either before or after his conversion, so you may be wondering why I've named it that. This town is not to be confused with either Gerasa or Gadara. This is the Just-believe-and-receive Hypothesis and the advocates thereof like to stretch Jesuss words, I came to fulfill the Law, and make it say that Jesus needed to destroy or replace the nasty Law, but hope to heaven it still sounds Biblical heres an example of stretchy talking from GotQuestions. However, the silversmith was a smart cookie and knew that the more people bought into Pauls line of thinking, the less theyd be buying his souvenir Diana statues. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. 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). God told Jonah that it was not just all the people, but also so much livestock (Jonah 4:11). Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (Luke 4:29). p. 102. Thats right, adding or subtracting from Scripture, according to Scripture, is illegal. With such a track record, what difference would Legions size or strength make? Yes, this man is extraordinary. And the good pastor doesnt give any rationale for a slaughter that huge. Notice how Gods care is cleverly contrasted with mans callousness: men buy birds for next to nothing because they do not value them, yet The Almighty as large and in charge as He is still takes careful notice of frail creatures. The vision stumped the poor apostle; clearly, Peter forgot about the amazing four Greek words of Mark 7:19b. (we dont invent stories to let people know Jesus has power over the Tooth Fairy, do we?). Mark 5 is truly very simple: being a righteous Jew, the Law commands Jesus to abhor pigs as food. It's a picture of His great commission outreach, not just to Jews but to Gentiles also. If you watch the short clip (above) and compare it to the one hour source video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20) you will notice how MacArthurs speaking style changes as soon as he addresses the matter of the pigs. 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. And were you aware that the New Testament repeats the same two commands from Deuteronomy? 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. Only this interpretation explains the farmers restrained reaction over the slaughter of the swine, and their tremendous terror of the Messiah.