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. Connect the dots. Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? Rabbi, begone! Besides, it was Christmas! Israel doesnt [need] a savior who can fight off a legion of Roman soldiers. But isnt it a funny coincidence that pork happens to be on Gods list of forbidden food. Yet being part of the Godhead means Messiah cannot not flip-flop his opinions. The good pastor actually believes that a Jewish man can rationally decide the best sleeping quarters , In the end, the good pastors assumptions keep us, Just remember the wonderful folks in Jesuss hometown? They dont care about about the demon possessed men, they want their pigs back, (My opinion) Jesus was raised with sacrifice so animals were thought of for food, not so much as pets like today. Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). Post the Definition of Gerasene to Facebook, Share the Definition of Gerasene on Twitter, More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary, Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes. 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. Thus, in him, God found a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and 1 Samuel 16:1). So He got into the boat and returned. 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. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. 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. Mark 5 is truly very simple: being a righteous Jew, the Law commands Jesus to abhor pigs as food. For our Creator, one lost person saved is worth the death of many animals. Lord God, even as we sing this hymn, cause those who do not know Him to love Him and cause those who love Him to love Him more than anything else in this world. These four miracle stories, also we said, in contrast to the miracles in Luke 4 and 5, are focused on settings where a small group of the disciples witness the miracles. The jokes are a smoke screen. God designated the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, as His chosen people. He prefers we stay laughing so no one can reflect on this coincidence. Scripture presents us with all we need to know. 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. But look at how many times God let it be known in the Law and in very certain terms eating pork was offensive. And her addition to Gods commandment led to her disobedience and to Adams, and then God added some amazing plagues to mankind, just as John says (Revelation 22:18) will happen to those who add to His Word (and not just the book of Revelation). The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. The vision had nothing to do with shrimp rings or BLTS. biblegateway.com For less than $5/mo. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of Him. 1. (Please dont hide behind that sensational dispensational chart. Kursi - The Gerasene Site of Jesus' Miracle on the East Side of Lake If you're carrying a sheep, is it still a "piggy" back ride? Definition of Gadarenes (Gergesenes) in the Bible - Bible Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. 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. The demons sent the pigs off the banks of the sea and into the water, where they drowned (Mark 5:1213). He made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them, which they were to live according to. The man howled day and night and cut himself with stones. 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)? There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. Furthermore, how upset must God get seeing a doctor reach into the womb of a mother and murder her unborn child? Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material just for laughs? John Oxenham1 wrote a poem about this passage. The pastors precious-people useless-swine principle was previously dreamed up by the 3rd century church father, St. Augustine of Hippo (quoted by Spalde and Strindlund), and he ran with it. 7 ) The pigs werent for eating. Answer: the impurity of the swine. I'm the man who Jesus saved by casting out the demons from me.. If you eat a swine/hog that has killed eaten a poisonous snake and you eat that hog, you will be poisoned and die. If our faithful, unchanging Heavenly Father God made a straightforward decisive yet divisive decision and repeated it over and over and over, then why cant the good pastors connect the dots and figure out Jesuss real relationship to the pigs? Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. 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. For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given. He specifically banned pig in. The Law of God. In retaliation for the massacre of the Jews at Caesarea, the Jews sent several raiding parties into the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. So he gave them permission. Gerasa. Also, Orthodox Jews see a clear connection between Deuteronomy 12:32, do not add, and what happened in the Garden of Eden. 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. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. 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. 7). Now that's interesting isn't it? 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. 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. In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. The list in the first chapter of Leviticus contains only bovine, sheep, goats and pigeons; all typified later, in Leviticus 11, as clean/pure animals. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus though he was The Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 and John 1:21) had to play by the same laws. Why did these people respond to Jesus this way? But when Jesus explained that the commandment was the old one from Leviticus, Love one another, they signed with relief, seeing how he was just underscoring the command that God already gave (Leviticus 19:18). Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. She needs someone strong enough to cast a legion of demons into the sea, like Pharaoh and his hosts. WebHealing of a Demoniac. That is exactly what is happening here. Gentiles 8). Therefore, when it came to sacrifices on it, the menu was even shorter. But it was what they loved and they preferred it to everlasting blessing in Jesus Christ. (wait for it) turning the swine to the water! If the pig farmers were Gentile, why would non-Jewish farmers be so gentle with a Jew (who was also an outsider) who was messing around with their farm animals? 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. It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. Not that I believe my case has holes. You don't have to look very far. The three passages that describe the incident with the demoniacs in the country of the Gerasenes, also called Gadarenes, are Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, and Luke 8:26-39. Many of you have seen, maybe fewer of you have read, a book by the famous British philosopher and skeptic, Bertrand Russell. It deeply disturbed Bertrand Russell that Jesus allowed a herd of two thousand pigs to be destroyed. So how on earth could they dictate to the Son of God where they wished to go? 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! What does it say? So lets have an exquisite examination of Scripture to better appreciate what happened beside the lake and why the pigs ended up in it. Yet the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke actually report that the towns people many would have been the owners or friends of the pig owners or people who were connected to the trade in the swine were frightened of the Jewish rabbi. why do you think there were pigs there?]. In fact, they beg Jesus to leave. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (Joshua 19:29). 2023 Christianity.com. Further, the conclusion seems warranted that there was confusion in some MSS of Gerasa with the more likely site for the miracle near Gergesa. Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its application could mean. Therefore, if Paul had taken a single silver goddess Diana doll and tossed it into the Aegean Sea, what kind of a hornets nest of trouble would the apostle have stirred up for himself? One was, His Name Was Legion, Not Ligon. I have been confused with Legion all my life and it worries me that it's not just the sound of the name, but I want to make it clear that Legion is not in any way related to Ligon. And based roughly on current prices, Jesus caused hundred of thousands of dollars in damages. (Note that Luke omits Jesus journey to Tyre and Sidon, see also Mark 7:24-37). The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. 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. Gods Everlasting Word is not something evolving or morphing into a strange new unusual thing, like some rose turning into a radish, or a carrot into a carnation. Ligon Duncan (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Edinburgh) is the Chancellor & CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, and the President of RTS Jackson. Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (, 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. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. 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! View our current career opportunities. 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. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. Incredible. Explained by Sharing Culture Expert Answers: Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." 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. It may well be a picture of the reverse of what happened in the Garden of Eden. We are all responsible for our sins and so no demonic force can take control of a human life and make you sin unless you allow it. (, David, the son of Jesse, was another selfless, compassionate shepherd. 8 ) Their pork was kosher, kept out of the camp for 7 days, and circumcised. .hide-if-no-js { 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). : A similar remark came from Mosess lips when he described God as eternally faithful and then connected Gods faithfulness to His faithful love. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Its true! I listen to a pyschiatrist that said he never believed in demon possession until a exorcist ask him to work with him. Marks Jesus is a warrior who conquers Gods enemies. Either way, dispensational charts ultimately commit both acts against the Word of God. This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r.