Answer: the impurity of the swine. It was like, Read my lips, Saul! The account occurs in all three Synoptic gospels; in Mark (the shortest gospel) the story is in the longest and most detailed version; Matthew 8.2834 is the shortest, Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. So I figure we could speculate a little and see where this goes. Its not clear exactly who is doing more killings, the LORD or Melchizedek, but the picture overall fits the image of Son of God cleaning the land of swine. That is all I know. Now I want to say very quickly, my friends, that there is no power in this universe that can cause a rationale being to sin. Jesus was also a prophet. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. (Later, in Genesis 8:20, Noah sacrificed some of the clean animals to God as thank you offerings because their ship had come in! What are you doing here, man of God? And then he attempted to intimidate him. WebScripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. He also wrote the poem Greatheart. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Pretty quickly the whole city was in an uproar. 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. This curse should deter makers of dispensational charts from chopping up Scripture because having my share taken from the Book of Life, or my name wiped out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5) doesnt sound very cool. The Gerasenes, however, was located in the territory of the Decapolis, a group of ten cities with a majority population of Gentiles. I say that Christians have turned Jews off because church-goers claim Jesus destroyed the Law and that Jews are blind for following the Law of Moses still. ]. Therefore, even though folks from the Bishop of Hippo down to our two good California pastors have tried to persuade us that the Creator has shifted His views on pork, God did not, can not, and will not vary or alter or adjust any word spoken about any decision let alone His views on ham sandwiches. She needs someone strong enough to cast a legion of demons into the sea, like Pharaoh and his hosts. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. The exorcism and the slaughter: Did they happen? And His promise to make a new promise (covenant) with Israel and with Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-32 does not repeal the first promise (the covenant that Israel broke), it strengthens it. Its totally contrary to what we would expect. For the sake of the argument, lets start by assuming that the pastors assumption is right and he is a Gentile (though we know he could have been Jewish). 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.. Since these events were supposedly witnessed by hundreds (and even thousands of people), it would have been very easy for 1st century critics to debunk it as non-historical. Now what happens in this passage? 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. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. For the moment, Jesus was just being ironic. Demetrius had to do something with the Jew or go bust. My question is: Besides, each of the synoptic gospels quotes the demons saying out loud that Jesus had the power to torture them all at will (Matthew 8:29, Mark 5:7 and Luke 8:28). The bottom line is, I don't know why Jesus did that and neither do you and neither does anyone else. Mark and Luke wrote that Jesus /gave the right to them to enter the pigs much stronger wording and more official than allow. All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were more than gentle to let him off the hook and just asking him to leave town asap. What's going on here? 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. The NT references (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. Ive not heard that theory before. But look at how many times God let it be known in the Law and in very certain terms eating pork was offensive. The ruins also show evidence of a dozen churches, dating in the Byzantine period (4th-7th centuries) indicating that this once was a large Christian community. Peter, the thick-headed captain of the Tedious Twelve, needed a hammer of a vision to get it across to him that Gentiles not ham and back bacon are clean and Jews could fellowship with them. The nearby shepherds were sheep shepherds, not hog herders. Early in the video, he is very factual and seems sure of himself. Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? There was a logic in this. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon rushed down a steep hill and perished. The first two are in the Authorized Version. I asked him how could it be that Jesus carried on an intelligent, protracted, two-way conversation with an illness after the illness was excised out of the man. So many beautiful verses and motivating passages are in Scripture. Two thousand pigs dead for one person to live is not an even tradeand that is the point. Rabbi, begone! Therefore, if Jesus gave no commandment (singular), what is he referring to when he talks about commandments (plural) in the following: The answer: when he says, keep my commandments he means the ones he and the Father gave Israel at Sinai. What do you have that youre captive to, that youre enslaved to? WebGerasene: [noun] an inhabitant of the ancient Palestinian town Gerasa. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a casualty of war. Another who admits he has no idea why the gentle Jesus jettisoned all those unclean demons unto the swine is John MacArthur. p. 102. The demons sent the pigs off the banks of the sea and into the water, where they drowned (Mark 5:1213). Where He goes, they show up and they say things to Him. 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. Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a grand doctrine, all with the hopes it will magically annihilate one hundred clear, unambiguous verses which say the Law is permanent. Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). Show us the sins of our hearts that we are captive to. And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. Money Maker Software is compatible with AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. Israels real enemy is Satan. A discussion occurred between Professor Huxley and Mr. Gladstone in "The Nineteenth Century" for 1892 as to the morality of the act, the critical questions being whether (1) Gerasenes were Jews; and (2) if so, was it lawful for them to keep swine? For one, Leviticus 22:28 forbids righteous farmers from killing a cow and its calf on the same day. 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). It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? That fact must be kept in mind in our ethical discussions. It may well be a picture of the reverse of what happened in the Garden of Eden. That is, they appear contrary, except for one thing: Gods Law forbids righteous people from eating pork. May He write its eternal truth upon all our hearts. And while its not true God pairs animals with people every where in Scripture, He does in this statement. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. Pingback: The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg. Ha, ha.. yeah lemme ummm.. tell ya about those pigs.., 2 ) Like any rational redneck, they smelled their Gentile neighbors having a pork BBQ and said DAAAANG, Hoss! Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (Luke 4:29). 3. 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. This Priceless People Interpretation comes from another sunny California pastor, John Piper. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. And it's the glorious picture of the value that He puts on an immortal soul. That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with, Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its, The hard-hearted views of the Bishop of Hippo are not biblical because righteous people are obliged by God to be considerate to all animals, even, Are not two sparrows sold for the smallest coin, and yet one of them cannot fall to the earth apart from your Father? This mother-baby law actually takes priority over another command which requires all first-born calves and lambs to be offered up to God on His altar (Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 15:19.) Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. So lets not laugh these verses off. Heavenly Father this is Your Word. And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. GERASA, GERASENES (, ). Look again at John 15:10. WebWell pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. 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. (, Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture. The real-estate on the east side of the lake of Galilee where Jesus met the demons and the swine was also part of Israel-proper. In Marks thinking, the mans extraordinary strength is evidence of supernatural bondage. Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? Jewish rabbis, when interpreting the Word of God, follow an important principle: no word in Gods Word is superfluous or pointless. Saying God reverses a verdict or compromises a promise soils His Name. There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. ix. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. (Question: If God cares about the mother-child relationship in animals, how does He consider that relationship for people? You can bet your bottom drachma there is. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). He also makes excursions into Gentile territory, such as when he exorcizes the Gerasene/Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. To any Jew, Jesuss actions were crystal clear. ), 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). New International Version (NIV), Encyclopedia of The Bible Gerasa, Gerasenes. We do not say that to cast the first stone. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. The man howled day and night and cut himself with stones. To all of you who have been liberated from the captivity of your sin by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, receive God's blessing. So did the demons surprise him? 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). Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Put pork on your fork. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Dictionaries Encyclopedias Lexicons. WebGadarenes. And it's very clear that theyre in Gentile territory because they find themselves in a country where there is a huge, huge herd of pigs. 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. 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. Those outside of the nation of Israel were considered gentiles. Ba-dum-tsss.). The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. It's in Luke chapter 8, verse 18. Lets dwell on that he added no new commands to his disciples. It's all Gentile territory, so just bear that in mind. 10:31). This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was 5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their Looking back over the entirety of Gods Word, we do indeed notice many plagues rained down on the wicked in other books. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. These three verse from John really are earth-shattering. Why should this surprise us? ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) Money Maker Software may be used on two systems alternately on 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more subscriptions. The victorious Lord made life good again for one embattled soul. This, by the way, is When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. (photo by Jean Pierre, Pexels), Reading the Word of God is wonderful. Their dead bodies you must not touch. The majority admits they are clueless and throw their hands up, stating the herd was just a , The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is, Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? The most plausible reason Jesus chose the pigs was because he regarded people as precious and priceless, But are these good pastors on the right track? Archeologists identify it with the modern Jarash. Clearly, Luke is telling you this because he wants you to show the amazing power of Jesus Christ, even over demons.
Learn a new word every day. The other part of the eastern shoreline was controlled by Og, king of Bashan, but it and sixty walled cities were taken from them by Moses and given to the tribes of Israel (Deuteronomy 3:1-7, 16; compare with 1 Kings 4:13). They could, at least, admit to the possibility of what has been discussed here and about the other facts. Money Maker Software enables you to conduct more efficient analysis in Stock, Commodity, Forex & Comex Markets. (So much for those latter revelations or new religions arriving centuries later.). 9 Fourthly, Jesus specifically went to the land of the Gentile Gadarenes or Gerasenes, east of the Sea of Galilee, to minister to them. Such a contradiction in character! And John nicely parallels Jesus who said, not the smallest letter nor the smallest comma will pass away from the Law (Matthew 5:18). 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. WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. The last point to tidy up Jesus allowed the demons to kill the pigs or Jesus did it? He's converted. This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. On the other hand, the Masters usually thick-headed students, the Tedious Twelve, didnt question him about this! The stories in the gospels may or may not have happened but, regardless, they are told in a way that makes a theological point and were never intended to be understood as factual history. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? 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. Its one thing to understand that He personally never changes. That is why Facts are piling up. These are tremendously important facts that GotQuestions is ignorant of, or they prefer to spread disinformation about, this important Biblical truth that, in the mind of the Almighty, holiness is bound to what we eat. One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. Do not add upon it and do not reduce it. 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. [Israels] real enemy isnt Rome, which barely figures into the gospel story. He doesnt want to connect the dots and he doesn't want us to either. We pray that he would find liberation in Jesus Christ and see his life and family restored, but my friends, any one of us, any one of us, can be in the same thralldom today. Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus ( Matthew 8; Mark 5; Luke 8) in which he transferred the demons He does. As was just so elegantly discussed, the destruction of the herd only makes sense if we remember that God never liked unclean food to begin with. Good Pastor John MacArthur's funny option, The real Author(s) of the Law and the Commandments. The jokes are a smoke screen. In some of your Bibles, it may say Gergesenes or Gadarenes in the parallel passages in the gospels. This one verse alone, without all the extra proof from Jesuss joke, should convince us that his commandments are the 613 commandments of the Law of Moses. (, David, the son of Jesse, was another selfless, compassionate shepherd. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! Go be a witness to Me as My disciple.. The modern village Jarash is situated on the hillside above the ruins, built with stones from the ruins. While foretelling death and doom was often, Fifth Fact: The True Author(s) of Scripture. 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. This made them fit for consumption. Excavations at the modern Jarash (by the British and American Schools of Oriental Research and Yale University) clearly show that Gerasa was a large and important city already in Jesus time. (Only an amateur Hebraist would claim the latter, frankly.).
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