were the gerasenes gentiles

(. 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. And what about commands for married people (Exodus 21:10), or the command that a man gives his wife a bill of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1)? 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).. But we should never get too smug, thinking that we have corned the market on truth. I beg You, do not torment me. For He (that is, Jesus) had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Furthermore, the play-by-play presents no reason to be judged as a parable or an allegory. The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for the purpose of holiness. JESUS DIDNT SEND THE DEMONS INTO THE DEEP; They sailed to the country of the Gerasenes which is opposite Galilee. 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.. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in a cemetery outside the town. Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have perfectly kept the Law? And you can ask yourself a lot of questions Why did Jesus do that? While foretelling death and doom was often, Fifth Fact: The True Author(s) of Scripture. Third, I want you to see the change that results in this man after he is not only liberated from these demons, but after he clearly, because of a change of heart, becomes a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. WebInhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus (Matt. They had rather have their swine than their Saviour, and so, though they saw the demoniac sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, they in turn beseech that He should take Himself away. And he is sent out to negotiate with Aragorn and Gandalf, and the others. I dont see anything of that sort in the story. You can follow him on Twitter. Being teachable is a great avenue for learning! The gospels. (, But MacArthurs logical is funny for another reason. 1). Remember the story of Jesus casting demons out of the crazy man in Luke 8? In fact, they beg Jesus to leave. 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. Last Update: Jan 03, 2023 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. Archeology. But John is more precise, saying none should add or remove words. Was He asking us the impossible because He had nothing better to do or is He sadistic? 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. And why werent they demanding compensation for their pigs? The mountainside has caves and hewn tombs where, according to Mark and Luke, the demoniac had taken shelter. John Oxenham1 wrote a poem about this passage. Gods Law has a law that you cannot change Gods Law. Again, these classifications come from God, not man, and show up in Scripture as early as Genesis 7:1-9. The Law of God states that the Sabbath is a day of rest for all livestock (Deuteronomy 5:14). e. 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. Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (, The main reason God limits righteous people to a select group of clean/pure animals is for, Gods altar was also separate and distinct and holy. The last now appears. Let\'s see if you\'re really a human: * And he sends out his representative, a man who is known only as the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dr, the black gate. Secondly, I want you to look at the Lord Jesus Christ Himself because His power over Satan is on display full force in this passage. Don't they know their Bibles? This kind of inter-ethnic scenario normally spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r. Its true! Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material just for laughs? 6 ) There were lots of laws they didnt keep. Them there pigs were going to try to hog the limelightthat Jesus was famous for but ended up being lost in more ways than one! were badly damaged in major Gods Law even has two commands that equate domestic livestock with wild animals. Thats right, adding or subtracting from Scripture, according to Scripture, is illegal. We gotta git us some!, 1 ) [your turn. That is why He wrote under his own name, and also as John Oxenham for his poetry, hymn-writing, and novels. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. What do you want? Early in the video, he is very factual and seems sure of himself. As out-of-place as the pig-assisted exorcism by the Lake of Galilee was, the awful event is actually recorded in three Gospels; in Matthew 8:2834, Mark 5:120 and Luke 8:2639. And the good pastor doesnt give any rationale for a slaughter that huge. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. Paul himself said the doers of the Law will be made righteous (Romans 2:13), and that the Law is holy (Romans 7:12) and that the Law is spiritual (Romans 7:14). Mark as quoted by Spalde, Annika; Strindlund, Pelle (2012). (Cf. Suddenly, Mark 5 is clear. Read it for yourself. The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. The NT references (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26; cf. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. The passage appears to be straightforward historical-narrative writing, like the rest of Marks gospel. Be this as it may, the district was Such a conclusion will annoy a lot of people, even funny, leaky dispensationalists like John MacArthur. ___________________________________________________________________. Jun 21, 2021. 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. 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. And so they begin crying out, Don't cast us into the abyss.. There was a logic in this. Asked by: Isidro Boehm V. Score: 4.9/5 to biblical Galilee, regarded, in opposition to Judaea, as a country of Gentiles (as in Matthew 4:15) What was Jairus occupation? The last point to tidy up Jesus allowed the demons to kill the pigs or Jesus did it? He also wrote the poem Greatheart. Jesus though he was The Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 and John 1:21) had to play by the same laws. Heavenly Father this is Your Word. What good to us that Thou hast made him whole, since we have lost our swine? Is that not a picture of people that love what they have or what they want more than they love the One who loves their souls? Jesus enters enemy territory in two ways. If Paul got himself into hot water because of a Gentile speculating about declining silver sales, how could Jesus have avoided a ton of hot water for killing hundreds of Gentile-owned swine? They were not. (Pastor Piper was right after all, almost!) Demonic forces seem to be territorial; i.e., they have assigned areas of domain. 141-144). 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. For less than $5/mo. That is exactly what is happening here. 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. 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. These three verse from John really are earth-shattering. display: none !important; Download Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework. Ellicotts Commentary, for one, believes the four Greek words were a latter addition. Dr. R.C. Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. 8 ) Their pork was kosher, kept out of the camp for 7 days, and circumcised. Dr. Ligon Duncan | December 13, 2009. But Jesus still ministered to them: crowds from Tyre and Sidon came to see and listen to Him ( Mark 3:78 ). Would you not agree that theres a certain permanent feeling about a law like that? What do you love? 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. 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. Neither common sense, nor the text, let Jesus off the hook. Because the writer of the story wanted to make sure that everyone would know that the Garasenes were not Jewish. It's almost like the demons are inexorably drawn to Jesus. Both Gerasa and Gadara were cities to the east of the Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. absolutely anne..there are a few scenarios..nothing more exciting than digging into the Word of God!! The following Scripture wont disprove Gods love for all animals, deny the Almightys unalterable character, declare the commandments null and void, nor claim all meats clean (kosher). Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel, and Jesus had been sent to the Jews ( Matthew 15:24 ). 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. And not only that, he's about to be a witnessing disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Food cant affect our salvation, nor disqualify us from being saved.Pork might not be very healthy,but as long as its USDA approved and deemed good by health inspectors from feeder hogs tat eat corn to clean the mess out of them of the last few bowel movements, then you should be good to go. But should you also doubt, my friendly blog reader, read on. 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? 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. They were people who knew him. 3). We use cookies to provide you with a great user experience. And God isnt going to renounce or retract that decision no matter how many dispensational charts they print. Theyre written as factual history. As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the Land of Israel; he never went to Gentile territory. And sadly, neither of the two Johns considered Gods extreme love for His Creation when giving their interpretations. Instead of a sling and a stone, Jesus needs only his voice; Jesus commands and the enemy falls. Thats really why they were sent. He should know that centuries before the prophet Isaiah spoke against Jews eating pork and hanging around in tombs. This means that these miracles are especially meant to teach believers something. I listen to a pyschiatrist that said he never believed in demon possession until a exorcist ask him to work with him. (But that may sadly describe a good number of Christians.) Well that's the first thing we see in this passage. WebIt was named after the 10 ( deka) cities ( polis) which were in that area. viii. The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa , close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? WebAll three Synoptic Gospels ( Mark 5:120; Luke 8:2639; Matthew 8:2834) mention the swine miracle, although with variations. His sermon should have given us some point, some excuse, or some logical explanation for it all. Sadly, GotQuestions misses the point, or they lie, saying that being distinct was all important to God. Jesus is the lover of our souls. Will the demons come back? But they dont prove his point. They belonged to God. And low and behold, two gospels specify that Jesus didnt go into Tyre (part of modern Lebanon), but that he was only in the vicinity of the city (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24 and Mark 7:31). And Jews are forbidden by God and His eternal commands to own pigs. 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. It seems to happen a lot in the gospels. Most Christians believe Messiah is the Second Person of the Trinity. That fact must be kept in mind in our ethical discussions. Jesus came to teach a better way of life that you could have abundantly! You understand that Legion is not his name. SO Jesu said later in the NT, that meats going in the mouth does not defile because we excrete it out in the draught, solid and liquids, so physically our body cleans itself if there were toxins, and It is whatever comes out of the mind, is what taints a person, whatever he or she thinks. While animal-abuse cases arent normally rampant among church-goers, its no thanks to this bishops official policy. Israel doesnt [need] a savior who can fight off a legion of Roman soldiers. Thou lovest men, we love swine. Its totally contrary to what we would expect. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). They do not bother mentioning Scriptures emphasis on being holy before God. Mark Driscoll also generated some chuckles when he callously said the death of the pigs created a bacon famine.. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. He made a covenant with them and revealed His commandments to them, which they were to live according to. Such a pat answer to such a serious question is as irritating as it is ridiculous. I want you to see a person in the thrall of sin. Thats right, Whatever matter I am commanding you right now, it's what you must be careful to observe to do. He seen himself demon possessed people that had extrodinary powers. And because these repeated commands are at the end of the Christian Bible, but the original commands are at the beginning of the Hebrew Bible, we get the impression that no new commands are allowed in the whole of Scripture, and no more books either. Was it correct to destroy so many for just one (or two men). (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. The Greek clause literally says, End of law is Christ but why bother finishing the sentence? Thy powers bring loss to us and ours. Therefore they should be taken as such. Late Latin Gerasenus, Gergesenus, from Greek Gerasnos, Gergesnos, from Gerasa, Gergesa ancient town in Palestine. iii. (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. Despite all the dangers to himself, David wouldnt allow any to be hurt. Now what happens in this passage? Pastor MacArthur would do well to learn from his Jewish counterparts. 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. Gergesa (). And if he missed one, he didnt do it perfectly. Demons, Jesus, and the Pigs The Outlaw Bible Student, http://www.linearconcepts.com/archives/2011. 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. Wipf & Stock Publishers. The Messiah has the same nature and character was the Father, as discussed in the Fourth Fact above. Plus, these additions by John connect back to other passages in interesting ways. In fact, they are afraid of him and beg him to leave. The borders are fairly clearly drawn up. ESV - 1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. Therefore, I repeat again that I believe the pastors are dishonest for not admitting this fact. about a.d. 65. Jesus was also a prophet. And holiness means salvation, as Paul wrote in two different letter, without holiness no man [or woman] shall see God (Hebrews 12:14 and Romans 6:22). He's no longer under the domination of demons or his own sin. God never said dont touch. She added that bit. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Peaceable Kingdom Series. WebScripture exhorts us to care for animals and not to be cruel to them. We pray in Jesus' name. The next allusion to Gerasa concerns its capture during Vespasians campaign. 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.) By Your Holy Spirit, show us our need of grace. How and why did this happen in the first place? What's going on here? He specifically banned pig in. The good pastor basically believes that in Jesuss mind, one mans peace, preservation and freedom from unclean spirits is worth the sacrifice of a couple thousand pigs. How could they say Christians not need be concerned about the welfare of animals or that they have little value, or even laugh about the death of thousands, when such beliefs are set side-by-side with Gods Word? Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (Joshua 19:29). 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). It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. In delivering the man from his bondage, Jesus restored creations promise. At the beginning of the gospel, he wins these victories with acts of visible, recognizable power. People of the same race and same religion but they still wanted to do him some serious pain. Thy powersBring loss to us and ours.Our ways are not as Thine.Thou lovest men, weswine.Oh, get you hence, Omnipotence,And take this fool of Thine!His soul? Dictionaries Encyclopedias Lexicons. Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (Luke 4:29). (Question: If God cares about the mother-child relationship in animals, how does He consider that relationship for people? 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. Racism: Not a modern invention . Being made in God's image, we are more important to the Lord than any animal. 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. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. 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 man, when Jesus says, What is your name? effectively says, I do not know my name. 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. And wild animals are not forget because farmers in the Land of Israel are commanded in Exodus 23:11 to leave parts of their fields for food for wildlife. Furthermore, how upset must God get seeing a doctor reach into the womb of a mother and murder her unborn child? Legion probably comes from the fact that Roman legions had four to six thousand men in them and this name, Legion, indicates that he is possessed by a host of demons. It all belongs to God. So why were these pig owners on the east side of the lake afraid? Secondly, the text is written to show Jesus dunnit. Deuteronomy 4 and 12 only state that none should add or remove what Moses was commanding, which sounds a little nebulous. It is repeated over and over. Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? So its a fair comparison to place Pauls actions in Ephesians side-by-side with Jesuss actions by the Lake of Galilee. 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. As soon as he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down in front of Him. End of story. Notice how Gods, Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (. Christ's journey into "the country of the Gerasenes" (Mark 5:1) was somewhat unusual. His soul, what care we for his soul? In fact, they are, 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, Also, wouldnt that be a type of sin and another example of how he may not have, All in all, after Jesus had trashed the livelihood of so many, we have to agree that they were, Every place the Master went on his travels it was to minister to a Jew, just as Paul said, To the Jew first (, Answering, he said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (, As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the, Scripture makes it clear that Ashers tribal land-boundary ended around the coastal city of Tyre (, Besides this Biblical evidence that Jesus and the woman were within Israels inheritance, there is also a prophesy that God will settle His People in the future in Gilead (a sizeable part of todays Kingdom of Jordan) and in, 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.