were the gerasenes gentiles

And if I remember correctly, I think there is some tradition about other Apostles going to Spain. 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. Amen. The demons inhabit the bodies of this herd of pigs and the pigs cast them into the Lake of Galilee. The city was large and well planned. Jerash (aka Gerasa, Gerash or Gerasha) is the capital and the largest city of the Jerash Governorate in Jordan, but in ancient times it was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient Near East.Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic period (c. 7500-5500 BCE) and founded as a Hellenistic city in the 2nd century BCE, Jerash is They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Do you remember at the end of the book, in the sixth book, when the King of Gondor and his captains and the host of Gondor have arrived at the black gates of Sauron Sauron is the evil figure in the book and if you know Tolkien's cosmology, he was actually an apprentice to the Satan figure of Tolkien's writings. Read it for yourself. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. He always followed Gods Law. And you can ask yourself a lot of questions Why did Jesus do that? So I don't know how seventeen interpretations of this particular story got circulated. I wouldn't care to speculate how many demons possessed this man, but the man can only identify himself as a person who is possessed by an almost innumerable host of evil spirits and he doesn't even remember his own name. Some of my Christian brothers and sisters see this as coded language referring to a confrontation with the political and military power of Rome. Just as God defeated Pharaohs army at the Red Sea, so Jesus defeats Satans army in the land of the Gerasenes. Look again at John 15:10. in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon rushed down a steep hill and perished. From the readings of the best texts and from the unsuitability of the locality around Gadara it appears that the proper reading should be "Gerasenes" and the place located at Karsa, on the left bank of the Wadi Samak, near the sea of Galilee. I think so. Thats really why they were sent. The textual evidence shows that the MSS preserve three variant spellings of the name in each gospel. What pigs?? With these, And repeatedly, these miracles will focus us in on Who is Jesus? and What do His deeds tell us about what He has come to do and the power that He has? And so this passage helps us in this way. 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. So He got into the boat and returned. Jesus' action also shows the importance of human beings relative to animals. Because in all of Holy Writ, the phrase first appears in Leviticus 11 (Leviticus 11:44) right after God talks about clean/pure meats. In 2 Samuel 17 we read of the young boy who would be king risking everything for one lamb. From the brook beside the road he will drink and for this reason, he will lift high his head. He should know that centuries before the prophet Isaiah spoke against Jews eating pork and hanging around in tombs. And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. Some will respond to my rhetorical question, Why on earth would Jesus come to earth, by giving me the usual pat answer, None can keep the nasty old Law, so Jesus came to fulfill it perfectly, and now I dont have to do anything, at all, whatsoever, just believe, hallelujah! And did the Gospels writers believe the explanation was so obvious they didn't need to write one? And he was the one who said that the Father doesnt miss the , Everyone's wondering why the pigs got the raw end of the deal. 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. Its a weird story, but its in the Gospels a couple of times, so we have to accept it as truth. Over the years, Ive had to prove all this to myself first, and it took soul-searching and tons of Scripture research. That sure does smell good! 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 (Joshua 13:11-13). xviii. http://archive.ligonduncan.com/mp3/12.13.2009_Dr_J_Ligon_Duncan_The_Man_Jesus_Renamed_Luke_8_26-39.mp3. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. His sermon should have given us some point, some excuse, or some logical explanation for it all. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. 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. And do you believe for one minute that God told us to obey something that He knew full-well we couldnt obey? Such alternative readings include arguments that the swine were meant to represent the Roman army or "unclean and unfaithful" people; that pigs were considered "unclean", so destroying them might be consistent with care for other animals; and that Jesus did not actually "send" the devils into the pigs. So its a fair comparison to place Pauls actions in Ephesians side-by-side with Jesuss actions by the Lake of Galilee. Its all so reminiscent of John MacArthur joking and John Piper giving pat answers because n body wants to be honest with the Word of God and face facts and Jesus killing pigs is one of those uncomfortable contradictions.). Doesnt Pastor MacArthur know his Bible? Luke means it to be an extraordinary event. Our ways are not as Thine. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. William Arthur Dunkerley (November 12, 1852 January 23, 1941) was a prolific English journalist, novelist and poet. 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. These ruins date from the 2nd to the 7th centuries and show that the city flourished during this period as a center for religion, culture, and commerce. It's entitled, Why I Am Not A Christian. One unambiguous (but hotly debated) verse that supports this doctrine is, 1 John 5:7: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. So if we agree Messiah is part of the Godhead, then logically we agree Messiah also co-authored, with the Father, the Law of God. 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.. Lastly, based on culture, human-nature and most importantly, on specific Scripture passages, we know the demoniac could not have been a Gentile but was most assuredly Jewish, living in a Jewish town surrounded by Jewish-owned pigs. Sinai. Peaceable Kingdom Series. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 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.. But we should never get too smug, thinking that we have corned the market on truth. Pig meat, according to Scripture, is as unclean as the demons that Jesus sent into the swine. Another command applies to women who have given birth to a child (Leviticus 12:6), so that would be easy for Jesus to obey, not to mention the monthly ritual baptisms Jewish women do for certain reasons!!! In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us rolling in the aisles. In the 2nd cent. Marks Jesus is a warrior who conquers Gods enemies. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. It's a glorious picture of Jesus love for lost souls, even a Gentile. Johns words seem to apply to all of Scripture. To feed the spectators who came there purposely to see those crazy chain braking tomb dwelling lunatics! I would have wanted a herd of swine had I been an Israelite in the desert. That is exactly what is happening here. Next, what if our imaginary Jew damaged a ton of Gentile property under their very noses. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. (, Therefore you should understand that the LORD your God, Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or, If the Eternal One, blessed be He, had said just, But the Almighty said it so many times. Logically we understand that no person on Earth could say something in strong terms over and over, and then just one day say, Oops, can I retract that? So could or would God Almighty flip flop? WebGadarenes. 3 Its odd that dispensationalist preachers dont preach this obvious, permanent truth. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. In the three Synoptic Gospels and John 2:15, Jesus forces all the sellers out of the Temple courts. Pastor MacArthur would do well to learn from his Jewish counterparts. One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. Fourthly, Jesus specifically went to the land of the Gentile Gadarenes or Gerasenes, east of the Sea of Galilee, to minister to them. Doesn't Jesus Treat Animals as Property? In York, T.; Alexis-Baker, A.; Bekoff, M.; McLaren, B. The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is pathetic. Why do I say that book? JESUS DIDNT SEND THE DEMONS INTO THE DEEP; It's not every day that you meet someone inhabited by a host of demons, but every time you meet a Christ-less soul, you meet someone who is utterly captive to sin. At the very end of his book The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John repeats them. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of human In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. The Jewish Messiah rid himself of two defiling groups in one blow. It may well be a picture of the reverse of what happened in the Garden of Eden. I beg You, do not torment me. For He (that is, Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Now Jesus grants this permission. So he's drawing our attention to an extraordinary event, but the reason he's drawing our attention to that extraordinary event is because there are actually truths which transfer across the last 2,000 years, right to where we are today, that we are to learn out of this passage. Did you know that one of the 7 ingredients in underwater concrete was animal blood? three Three witnesses! ]. Notice how Gods, Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. And why werent they demanding compensation for their pigs? He also makes excursions into Gentile territory, such as when he exorcizes the Gerasene/Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. WebThe Gadarenes was the place where Jesus confronted a man whose possession by demons gave him a level of superhuman strength like Samson (Mark 5:3 - 5, Luke 8:27). What have You to do with me, Jesus, the Son of the Most High God? (Later, in Genesis 8:20, Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals to God as thank you offerings because their ship had come in! 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. Demons do not care about the person they possess hence all the cutting and harm the man did to himself. End of story. 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. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. I beg You, do not torment me. Then, if you look in verse 38, he begs Jesus that he might be with him. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. In the story of the Gerasene demoniac, Jesus invades enemy territory and defeats a powerful army to deliver people from bondage. Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: Gerasene. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gerasene. WebGerasene: [noun] an inhabitant of the ancient Palestinian town Gerasa. The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. View our current career opportunities. Before a shattering, a mans heart is proud (Proverbs 18:12). * 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? First of all theyre forgetting that Jesus Himself has already said that His Heavenly Father cares even about the sparrows that fall from their nests. That was a very large farming operation, even by the modern European and North American standards of today which typically do not have such giant herds. All Rights Reserved. For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. WebNoun. Sadly, the rest of the verse is not quoted in GotQuestions best article and preachers rarely preach it, though it reveals more about the true character of the Messiah. 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. I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being dishonest. It's His person and His power that we're having our attention draw to and there are four things in particular that I want you to see in this passage. Lots of non-Jews lived there. He prefers we stay laughing so no one can reflect on this coincidence. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. He dispatched Lucius Annius with a force of cavalry and an army of foot soldiers, who took the city on the first attack, slaughtering a thousand young men, taking their families captive, plundering and burning the city and the surrounding towns (Jos. * If one believes demons exists, why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demons? So many beautiful verses and motivating passages are in Scripture. He is the freest man in the world. But today, if you said to anybody, Tiger Woods is a slave to his desires, they would recognize it. Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or evil. The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. Although the Almightys statement is only one sentence in Deuteronomy 12:32, Jews regard it as two different commandments no additions and no subtractions. Besides Johns cute play on words dont add or God will add consider what plagues he might be talking about and what book he might be talking about. 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? Perhaps that is his point. THE PIGS DID IT FOR HIM!! (, David, the son of Jesse, was another selfless, compassionate shepherd. You received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it! (Acts 7:53). In other words, the Roman Catholic Church took four Greek words torn out of mid-sentence and declared them to mean, the end (read, death) of the law [of Moses], although numerous verses declare the fixed, eternal character of Gods Perfect Law. But these differences are typical of eye-witness reports and only irritate skeptics. (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. Its inconceivable that the pigs were owned by Gentiles. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? Go be a witness to Me as My disciple.. A main street with columns on both sides leads out of the forum. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. They know that Jesus can cast them into the abyss, into the lake of fire, into the bowels of hell, and theyre frightened. Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material, To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being. Is there a connection? 4. At least Im man enough to admit possible weaknesses in my arguments and to talk about the elephants in the room. To any Jew, Jesuss actions were crystal clear. The action is no different than Revelation 14:14-15 where we see the Son of Man brandishing a sharp sickle. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. But Jesus still ministered to them: crowds from Tyre and Sidon came to see and listen to Him ( Mark 3:78 ). (, 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. 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. It's almost like the demons are inexorably drawn to Jesus. We should ask the good pastors if love thy neighbour as thyself has any bearing on killing your neighbours livestock. 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). And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Paul talked about going to Spain in Rom 15:24-28, so part of this is certainly within the realm of possibilities. 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 next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture evolves. Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? 141-144). The fascinating story behind many people's favori Can you handle the (barometric) pressure? I would think that it shows that demons would enter anything that could be unclean including a human being. Apparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, Legion, for many demons had entered him. If Jesus had done anything less, he could not have been the Messiah. It is a logical thesis based on historic accounts (Josephus, etc) Feel free to challenge this thought or pursue it from another angle. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because its not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. If a bunch of little children want a ball to play with and I toss them a grenade, am I off the hook if a kid pulls out the pin? The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for the purpose of holiness. The church fathers treated them as literal history. This passage is fundamentally about Jesus. Now, if a Jew can be treated so badly by fellow Jews, lets put on our thinking caps and imagine what happens to a Jew walking straight into a big group of Gentiles. Gergesa (). If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. Working with the Law, and not against it, Jesus is shown to be completely in character and not out of his mind. 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. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than Who were the gerasenes in the bible? 5 ) They werent real Jews They were JINOs! Add to that that recent. Maybe it was because they were unclean animals. Jesus was teaching the way to live life so demons would not have a place in us to possess. Incredible. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). Also, the land where the Master walked and the swine were feeding belonged to Israel. Because of his righteousness and his love for God, Peter and Andrew and John and thousands more loved Jesus and followed him. 1. Executive Committee of the Editorial Board. One Bible expositor said the pigs the demons sought refuge in were black. Do you remember? So instead of working or hammering away at the embarrassing elephant in the room, the good pastors spoon out interpretations to us that are not biblical, or dish up corny one-liners, all in the hope that well swallow them or be too busy laughing to connect the dots ourselves. What is going to happen, we are told by John the book of Revelation, is that God Himself is going to cast Satan and his demons into the lake of fire. You know, a month ago, a month ago, if you had said to anyone, You know, Tiger Woods is in slavery. They would have looked at you and said, You've got to be out of your mind. If the interpretation from, If a bunch of little children want a ball to play with and I toss them a grenade, am I off the hook if a kid pulls out the pin? The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. 2. 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. = Ptolemy says Gerasa was a city in Coele-Syria, thirty-five travel m. from Pella. Yet being part of the Godhead means Messiah cannot not flip-flop his opinions. You know that because the people tell Him to leave. In a pigs eye. 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). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He was clear that His mission was not to the Gentiles and Samaritans, but rather, to the lost tribe of Israel. Wed also have to confess that the farmers were not Gentile. Well pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. His wisecracks are a distraction. For less than $5/mo. 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. ), No matter how you slice it, the Almightys negative view of ham and bacon cant suddenly switch from one day to the next. Archeologists identify it with the modern Jarash. Well the first thing I want you to see is this picture of a person in the thrall of sin. I dont know of any illness that can do that. 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? In this immediate area, steep hills come down to the shoreline and fit the story of the swine rushing headlong into the sea. 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? Oops! War III. Thats right, adding or subtracting from Scripture, according to Scripture, is illegal. I will say that I struggled with the title to this sermon. But what does Leviticus says about ham? The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Please note how John repeats the commands, adding a zinger curse to both. If you're carrying a sheep, is it still a "piggy" back ride? This is a noteworthy fact because not every event in Jesuss ministry was thrice written down. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! Thats why there was a herd of two thousand A Faith Embracing All Creatures: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Care for Animals. Am I forgiven by saying, I just allowed the kids to have the grenade? Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? Connect the dots. Look at what he first says when Jesus meets him in verse 28 What do you have to do with me, Jesus? Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. With or without graves? 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. But now this is an extraordinary case. All four gospel writers repeatedly testify to Jesuss power over storm, waves and. And guess what this week's focus is on? And in Malachi 4:4, why did God say remember the Law of Moses if God had His own law? The Bible doesnt say. This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. 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. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. 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. 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. You understand that Legion is not his name. Problem was, not even the pigs could withstand the madness these demonic forces manifested. It all belongs to God. The Son of God mercifully cast thousands of defiling demons out of a lost Jew and purposefully launched the legion killers into two thousand defiling swine. ITS LIKE THE WITCH ON TGE WIZARD OF OZ 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. Amen, and thus ends this reading of God's holy, inspired, and inerrant Word. This story is a technicolor picture of Luke 8:18, and my friends, there don't have to be demons around for us to be facing the same challenge. We see the power of Christ over Satan, don't we? Money Maker Software enables you to conduct more efficient analysis in Stock, Commodity, Forex & Comex Markets. What's going on here? This picking and choosing is completely unbiblical. p. 102. 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. And thirdly, they are forgetting the fate of this man with an immortal soul who was in danger not only of a continuous life of torment, but an eternal separation from God.

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