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The pagan religions continued among the Gentile population as is evidenced by the ruins of the temple of Artemis. The entire herd ran straight off a cliff and drowned. a Gentile and What Does the Bible Say about Look again at John 15:10. What need have we of further witnesses? 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. He was incapable of changing his circumstances. Connect the dots. Notice how Gods, Plus, when Jesus chased the sellers out of the Temple courts (. 2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. The thinking behind each chart is contrary to the unity and oneness of God. were badly damaged in major WebGERASA, GERASENES (, ). 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! So lets have an exquisite examination of Scripture to better appreciate what happened beside the lake and why the pigs ended up in it. In the Book of Acts, Chapter Nineteen, we read about Demetrius, a Greek silver-statue maker, who was connecting a few dots of his own and had reasoned that a certain big-mouthed Jew was bad for business. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! 9 ) They were wild Ferrel hogs feeding near the cliffs. For heavens sake, why cant the good pastor try to explain the incompatibility of our loving Jesus wiping out hundreds of innocent creatures without a punch line? Besides the jokes being in poor taste, they make his sermon seem less than professional. Do you remember? The textual evidence shows that the MSS preserve three variant spellings of the name in each gospel. Its a weird story, but its in the Gospels a couple of times, so we have to accept it as truth. If you watch the short clip (above) and compare it to the one hour source video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20) you will notice how MacArthurs speaking style changes as soon as he addresses the matter of the pigs. Its inconceivable that the pigs were owned by Gentiles. In the 2nd cent. Surely He could have demonstrated real power over real demons, right? The exorcism and the slaughter: Did they happen? Demetrius wasnt afraid to stand up for his rights. 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. It's entitled, Why I Am Not A Christian. Jesus was upholding all the kosher laws within the Land of Israel it was part of his job description. And at the end of the passage, look how he is described. You can follow him on Twitter. Gentiles 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? 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). 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. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons. And the good pastor doesnt give any rationale for a slaughter that huge. Some of Jesus's reputation for being normally meek and merciful comes from statements like: From Jesus's own mouth, we are informed of Gods special love and attention for defenseless animals and we know Jesus has the same heart for the weak. Both Johns could conveniently connect the dots between the Law of God which outlaws the swine and the destructive action which Jesus took against the herd, but it would be too inconvenient for their religious views. Their line of reasoning supposes that Jesus wanted to save the man (men) but too many unclean spirits meant Jesus had to negotiate to get them to move out. Working with the Law, and not against it, Jesus is shown to be completely in character and not out of his mind. As to the second question, there is no doubt of the illegality, from a ritual point of view, of Jews keeping swine (B. Jesus was also a prophet. founders day speech by students were the gerasenes gentiles. 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. 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. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. To that end, may I present. God told Jonah that it was not just all the people, but also so much livestock (Jonah 4:11). The pastors attempts to laugh off the haunting question about the meek and lowly Son of Man killing all the pigs is pathetic. 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. This now then is our fifth fact in a nutshell. Not that I believe my case has holes. Jesus heals the Gerasene demoniac WebMany New Testament manuscripts refer to the "Country of the Gadarenes" or "Gerasenes" rather than. 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. He does. 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. If you're carrying a sheep, is it still a "piggy" back ride? 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, Yet a complete interpretation of Mark 5 needs to clear up one last point: the pigs were forbidden but did they, Christ kept kosher and cleaned up the town, I can of Myself do nothing. One can only imagine the insanity the demoniac suffered at the hands of these evil forces. The good pastor John MacArthur assumes in his video Dominating Powers, Part 2 (Mark 5:1-20), that Jesus must have been in Gentile territory because, as everyone knows, Jewish men and women dont hang around tombs even if they are demon possessed! Well, Ill try and explain that before the end of the sermon, but there were several titles that didn't get included in the sermon bulletin today. War II. So much for sola scriptura. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? WebThey land in the country of the Gadarenes which is on the North-east shore of the Sea of Galilee about 6 miles southeast across the sea from Capernaum. Gerasene Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Thats the exodus that Israel needs. No, the Gentiles are not simply non-Jews. Gentiles are loved by God and redeemed by Jesus. He knew how bad it was going to go for the pigs. This is the only sensible interpretation which remains consistent with all Scripture. May God grant us the liberation through Jesus Christ to become what that nameless man became. The apostle had been busy preaching in Demetriuss hometown of Ephesus and Pauls message about the one true God was catching on. Topical Bible: Gerasenes Kursi - The Gerasene Site of Jesus' Miracle on the East Side of Lake Are we with a man, liberated, who trusted Jesus, who begged to be with Jesus and sought to be a disciple at His feet? 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). As well, every place the Master went on his travels was inside of the Land of Israel; he never went to Gentile territory. For these reasons, the writers of the gospels gave no explanation and the Twelve asked no question about why Jesus destroyed all the swine. We come to understand that the God of the Universe is willing to wait and to stall our own behaviour so as to give mother cows and mother sheep more time together with their babies. ITS LIKE THE WITCH ON TGE WIZARD OF OZ Obviously, they were Jewish pig farmers seeing judgement for flagrant disobey Gods Word and keeping and eating pig meat. No products in the cart. Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. A great deal of the Law applies only to priests (Leviticus 6:3) and to Levites (Numbers 7:9), so how could Jesus, of the tribe of Judah, keep one of those commandments? I beg you, do not torment me. And then the demons beg not to be cast into the abyss. I dont see anything of that sort in the story. Without a doubt, both men know God never came up with the line, Third Fact: Not a fickle faithless Father. When Jesus and his disciples landed on the other side, it was in a region known as the Gerasenes, Gentile territory. The site is identified today with the town of Kersa, or Gersa, just below Wadi es-Samak. Inhabitants of Gadara, known from an alleged miracle of Jesus ( Matthew 8; Mark 5; Luke 8) in which he transferred the demons Paul talked about going to Spain in Rom 15:24-28, so part of this is certainly within the realm of possibilities. 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. Please note how John repeats the commands, adding a zinger curse to both. And the thing that I love the most is the utter contrast in his attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet a number of objections immediately spring to mind. Mark 5 is truly very simple: being a righteous Jew, the Law commands Jesus to abhor pigs as food. But look at how many times God let it be known in the Law and in very certain terms eating pork was offensive. (photo by Jean Pierre, Pexels), Reading the Word of God is wonderful. 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. In actual fact, when you stop to think about it, If our faithful, unchanging Heavenly Father God made a straightforward decisive yet divisive decision and repeated it, Fourth Fact: Gods Enduring, Unchangeable Word, As was just so elegantly discussed, the destruction of the herd, Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens. 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). Playing with the plain truths of Gods eternal Scriptures means one is playing with fire and such actions will bring unfortunate consequences. As I hear, I judge and My judgment is righteous because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. 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? * If one believes demons exists, why invent a false story to make the point that Jesus has power over demons? 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. And Luke intends this to be a display of an extraordinary case. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? 4 ) As R. Sol Urbin Ohel Moed teaches us, Technically, the greek word for swine is choiros, which many people think means swine, but in the Akkadian, and so with the Syriac, it really refers to an indigenous type of little lamb owned by sea-faring peasants, suitable for pets, grazing, shishkabob and MLT (Mutton, Lettuce and Tomato) sandwiches., 3 ) Pigs?? And because he said it one single, solitary time, and he didnt actually present anything new, we have clear proof that he didnt add anything to the Law and his joke underscores the fact that he didnt add (or delete) from the Law! This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was 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. 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. However, the silversmith was a smart cookie and knew that the more people bought into Pauls line of thinking, Note: Demetrius was angry only because of, Therefore, were those cool-headed pig-farmers really Gentiles? In a, If Paul got himself into hot water because of a Gentile, To top it off, Jesuss farmers see Jesus and see their property floating belly up in the surf, but they dont throw him after them! He didnt give any new commandment. 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. Not by will, but because they have no choice other than to do as the Administrator of all creation commands them. What happened to the demons when the pigs died? Every creature on land, or in the water, or in the air is classified by either the Hebrew term, (tahor), meaning ritually clean/pure, or by the term, (tameh), unclean/defiling. GERASA, GERASENES (, ). Throughout Scripture itself, its a perpetual theme: Never believe anyone who says the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever (1 Peter 1:23; KJV) changeth! Lots of non-Jews lived there. The demons freak out that Jesus is there because its not time for them to be tormented by Him yet. I'm the man who Jesus saved by casting out the demons from me.. (, Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture. xviii. He will judge the Gentiles, filling places with bodies. If ever there was a small and weak proof-text, this is the one. He's set free. (eds.). Lastly, even if Mr. Pipers explanation were true, look what its application could mean. But the height of ignorance, the most foolhardy statement is, Jesus fulfilled the whole Law so we dont have to. Only a person who knows absolutely zero about Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy would say such a thing. War I. iv. 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. Apparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. Sinai. The Gemara on the passage gives a historical foundation for the practise in the times of Aristobulus. Why do I say that book? I trust the Lord Jesus to know what to do with demons and what ought to be done. That's what disciples do, they sit at their master's feet. biblegateway.com 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? Since all of these areas overlap, one may take the references as meaning the same place. Delivered to your inbox! Yet they tried to throw one of their own off a cliff (Luke 4:29). The Messiah gave every Jew there that day a glimpse of the judgement to come. Perhaps that is his point. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). 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. In turn, they would have a vehicle wherewith to stay in their territory. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 44:19 Pigs were the required sacrifice on the altar in the temples of Zeus Olympus (Greek) or Jupiter Capitolinus (Roman), the same supreme god of all Hellenic theology known as the "king of The man howled day and night and cut himself with stones. They belonged to God. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of any other person, religious organization or governmental entity. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? And from what I have heard, preferrably pig blood. But these differences are typical of eye-witness reports and only irritate skeptics. When Jesus asked the mans name always a good way to start a conversation the demons replied, We are Legion, for we are many. A legion is a Roman military unit consisting of four to six thousand soldiers. Instead they joke around and give pat answers. iii. If there was a difference, why do they read the Law of Moses but call it the Law of God in Nehemiah 8:8? Gentile It goes like this: These are the people of Gerasene speaking to Jesus Rabbi be gone. Gergesa (). Demetrius had to do something with the Jew or go bust. 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. (Sidebar: During the whole Rob Bell Love Wins craze, I had a friend who claimed to believe the Bible, but denied that demons exist. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Wnsche, Neue Beitrge zur Erluterung der Evangelien aus Talmud und Midrasch, p. 119. 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. Lets bring in a certain Greek silversmith and see how calmly he handles himself. Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way. Map of the Decapolis and its Cities - Bible History Looking back over the entirety of Gods Word, we do indeed notice many plagues rained down on the wicked in other books. WebGentiles [N] [T] [B] [S] (Heb., usually in plural, goyim), meaning in general all nations except the Jews. Here, it may well be that a herd of unclean animals has been used to take thousands of demons to their doom in the lake in anticipation of the final judgment. Will the demons come back? And they are no more capable of liberating themselves than this man was capable of liberating himself from this host of demons. B. vii. (, Field hay dries. 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? 6 ) There were lots of laws they didnt keep. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Those people were Jews in Nazareth. Such a contradiction in character! 15:24), but He was concerned for all peoples. There are echoes of exodus in Marks story, and echoes of Davids battle with Goliath. Over the centuries, many scribes spent an enormous amount of time, energy and resources copying them, thereby lending credibility to them.