. And this identical detail was written down in three different texts to remind us of the Son of Mans normally tender nature. 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. It was a leading city of Syria in commerce, culture, and religion. 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. 8). 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. 3). destroyed) and every perplexing dispensational chart is legit. I would have wanted a herd of swine had I been an Israelite in the desert. In light of these facts, Jesus' ministry in the Gerasenes reveals the Lord's remarkable concern not only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles. were Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Hello, I dont know the real answer but I have heard from others that Jesus has authority over any demonic presence and there were many in this man (other Gospel says two men), so it clearly shows Jesus Power and Authority and that is probably the main point to show the people and the demon possessed at that time that it doesnt matter how many of you there are your not staying and your leaving now because I say so and you cant do anything and because I say so you can go into them pigs because you are unclean, so it was a demonstration for all, including his Disciples who were with him, I do believe that Jesus went there for that purpose because of his Love for us, Jesus knows why He did it, maybe one day He will tell us or not ? (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. The jokes are a smoke screen. That is how valuable human life is." He specifically banned pig in Leviticus 11:6 but to make sure we heard God repeats the command (Deuteronomy 14:8), adds that eating it makes a person unclean (Leviticus 11:43), adds that touching their carcasses defiles a person (Leviticus 11:28), adds that righteous people must not become defiled (Leviticus 20:25), and then sends His prophet a prophesy like, no one uncircumcised or anything unclean (/tameh) will anymore enter Zion or Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:1), and then openly judges pork-eaters as wicked (Isaiah 65:2-5), and then hotly repeats that identical point (Isaiah 66:15-17), and once more (Ezekiel 44:23-27) and once again, but now in the New Testament (Revelation 21:27), so where is that pastor who dares suppose the Almighty can change His mind about pigs? This now then is our fifth fact in a nutshell. With or without graves? Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. Also, the land where the Master walked and the swine were feeding belonged to Israel. This man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. Doesnt Pastor MacArthur know his Bible? Theories of men that attack statements made by God evolution for example are sadly creeping into the minds of Christian leaders. 2023. But isnt it a funny coincidence that pork happens to be on Gods list of forbidden food. The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. = If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? founders day speech by students were the gerasenes gentiles. Another problem with the Catch-22 interpretation is the sheer number of other animals or places that Jesus could have negotiated for. The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. The Greek clause literally says, End of law is Christ but why bother finishing the sentence? They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. If I still had some misgivings, Id be man enough to share them here. God designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His chosen people. II. Its kinda like the difference between a Disney movie, a TV documentary and/or an infomercial; normally each is dissimilar from the other. And there's a lesson in each of these things for all of us. From the brook beside the road he will drink and for this reason, he will lift high his head. Many New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than Who were the gerasenes in the bible? Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. We pray in Jesus' name. 6 ) There were lots of laws they didnt keep. This agrees with the general description of the site (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). Unsurprisingly in such a place, Jesus finds a man possessed by unclean spirits. Thats why there was a herd of two thousand However, the pastors assumptions are perplexing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And in Malachi 4:4, why did God say remember the Law of Moses if God had His own law? about a.d. 65. Studying these Scripture passages show us that Jesus only ever walked in the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Israel and Moses. Why? This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. ), No matter how you slice it, the Almightys negative view of ham and bacon cant suddenly switch from one day to the next. It's back just a few verses, the answer is back just a few verses. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because its not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. Go be a witness to Me. He didnt give any new commandment. 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 it fits their bias. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. 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. We do not say that to cast the first stone. When they ask Jesus to leave, he does so without any objection; Jesus ministry will not be imposed on those unwilling to receive it. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! 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. 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. It is true that we discover new thoughts or extra meaning over time, but Gods Word is permanent and cannot change. Therefore, hiding behind a few vague statements like the pat answer verses listed here is not sound. See more comments below.). Although the Almightys statement is only one sentence in Deuteronomy 12:32, Jews regard it as two different commandments no additions and no subtractions. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. WebWell pretend with him that the folks in Gerasenes were placid Gentile farmers happily raising their gentle Gentile pigs. At least Im man enough to admit possible weaknesses in my arguments and to talk about the elephants in the room. 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. The victorious Lord made life good again for one embattled soul. It was exactly due to his righteousness and his love for God that he killed two thousand pigs. It's interesting isn't it Jesus crosses the river, the lake, and no sooner has He set His foot on the other side but this man shows up to meet Him. 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 totally contrary to what we would expect. He says that the demon expulsions are just unenlightened men of the first century trying to explain illnesses being healed. gerasenes Although He encountered and ministered to Gentiles such as the centurion who had a paralyzed servant (Matt. Last week, we were crossing over with Jesus to the other side, weathering a fierce storm until he woke up and calmed the sea. 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.. The vision had nothing to do with shrimp rings or BLTS. The most plausible reason Jesus chose the pigs was because he regarded people as precious and priceless, but not swine. What pigs?? All these inescapable facts are so important to getting the right interpretation of Mark 5 and the other gospel records of the same event. We have seen that God Almighty loves animals as much as humans, so Jesus randomly killing two thousand swine seems senseless, unless we remember God has commanded righteous people to avoid defiling food, such as pork. After a dramatic journey across the lake (Luke 8:22-25), Jesus steps for the first and last time into Gentile territory. Before the war it was a Gentile settlement. Power over Demons: The Gerasene Demoniac Matthew 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. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. 15:24), but He was concerned for all peoples. ]. Unfortunately, Pastor John is not alone, joking at the expense of this tragedy. No, I've checked my facts, anticipated the arguments, remembered my own arguments from he past, and now Im ready to present my conclusions for Christians to consider. It isnt a long list. The miracles that are recorded here, just like the one that we saw last week, are seen by that small circle of disciples that is following Jesus around. Note: Demetrius was angry only because of speculation of what Pauls preaching might do to business Paul had not physically caused any damage. (But that may sadly describe a good number of Christians.) ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) Yet there was no fury. No, at the very best, Scripture is a dazzling lily that started out as a small flower bud, grew and expanded overtime, until finally it opened to show us all its beauty, a beauty that there inside the bud since the beginning, but not fully shown. This means that these miracles are especially meant to teach believers something. The bottom line is, I don't know why Jesus did that and neither do you and neither does anyone else. After stilling the storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee, Jesus lands with his disciples on the eastern shore of the lake. Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Why are there two demon-possessed men in the Gerasene tombs in GADARENES - JewishEncyclopedia.com 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. Jesus was upholding all the kosher laws within the Land of Israel it was part of his job description. Or are we with those who love what we want and what we have more than we love the Word of life from the only One who can give life? 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? Also, Demetrius only needed to speak a few choice words against the Jew (compare with Act 19:34), to get the crowd all worked up the silversmith didnt have any real evidence that Pauls preaching was going to slow sales. Was He asking us the impossible because He had nothing better to do or is He sadistic? Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus (Matt. Why should this surprise us? I think Jesus was trying to give to all the sight to see the wrong things in this world we can overcome by walking with Him and His Way of life. Further, the conclusion seems warranted that there was confusion in some MSS of Gerasa with the more likely site for the miracle near Gergesa. So now they don't even bother to read it.]. It's this man who doesn't even remember his name who's possessed by a host of demons. And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. He wouldnt have lived long enough to get to a cross to die. The only other commandment with this same specific promise is the command to honour thy mother and father (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16; c.f., Ephesians 6:2-3 where Paul copies out the entire commandment and the promise). 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. Gentile This passage is fundamentally about Jesus. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. Connect the dots. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? Most scholars today would agree with Origen that near Gergesa was the precise site for the healing of Legion. It was a small village about midway along the E shore of the Sea of Galilee. Sadly, our two good pastors seem oblivious to the fact that under the Law of Moses, animals have benefits too, and this fact should have bearing on any interpretation of Mark 5. And if he missed one, he didnt do it perfectly. The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. In any event, the apparent differences in the texts prob. Ive heard that the apostles and Christ may have traveled to Spain. Israel doesnt [need] a savior who can fight off a legion of Roman soldiers. 1. But the Almighty said it so many times. Only this interpretation explains the farmers restrained reaction over the slaughter of the swine, and their tremendous terror of the Messiah. 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). The Syrians made reprisals, and took many prisoners. We know that two thousand pigs go over the cliff. Theres another interesting question in the sidelines: if Jews detested pigs, why were there pigs in the area? 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. Dedicated Online Support through Live Chat & Customer Care contact nos. ___________________________________________________________________. The last point to tidy up Jesus allowed the demons to kill the pigs or Jesus did it? Two thousand pigs dead for one person to live is not an even tradeand that is the point. Acting as Israels Messiah, Jesus was carrying out actions that were predicted by the prophets, like when Zechariah said that no merchants in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 14:21).. Lets return again to when Jesus cleaned up the Temple courtyard of merchants and merchandise. Our ways are not as Thine. A city in Transjordania, situated about thirty-five m. SE of the S end of the [[Sea of Galilee]], one of the cities of the Decapolis; the This leads the third observation: just as the disciples had been terrified by both the storm and Jesus calming of it on the way over to the Gerasenes, the local people here respond with fear. Because of his righteousness and his love for God, Peter and Andrew and John and thousands more loved Jesus and followed him. But this is not the full explanation or the main one. 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. 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. The action is no different than, Lets return again to when Jesus cleaned up the Temple courtyard of merchants and merchandise. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). A may also be a combination of two or more genres. 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. It seems Jesus allowed the demons to destroy the pigs so that the people could see just what demons are up to when they assault people. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. the obscure phrase, (declaring all food clean), is magically transformed by the New International Version into, In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean, or into even lovelier prose like, By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in Gods eyes, by the New Living Translation (talk about making silk purse out of a sows ear). 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. iii. ix. Do not add upon it and do not reduce it. WebScripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. If pigs were considered unclean then would the demons not wanted unclean to possess. Jesus' action also shows the importance of human beings relative to animals. Christians never finish reading the chapter. Did Jesus really sacrifice the swine for the man? 11:78). So He gave them permission. Anyway, it was the demons that would have decided where, and if, he slept. 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. Top Ten Reasons Why There Were Pigs In Gerasenes You can follow him on Twitter. Amen. Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have perfectly kept the Law? WebThe name Gergesa has led to the supposition that the Girgashites, one of the seven Canaanitish nations, originally occupied this territory. But Jesus still ministered to them: crowds from Tyre and Sidon came to see and listen to Him ( Mark 3:78 ). What do you have that youre captive to, that youre enslaved to? Its true! Their dead bodies you must not touch. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. (Matt 15:24). And you know what the most frightening thing of all is? 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. Did Jesus Heal and Preach to Only Jews? No! - NCR And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 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. Now it's not a very profound book. Now Jesus grants this permission. That is why Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. They have therefore made important decisions about the proper treatment of animals. End of story. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died.
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