Show us the sins of our hearts that we are captive to. v. 37) describe Jesus healing of the demoniac Legion and the drowning of the swine in the Sea of Galilee (cf. Perhaps a tenth, or a quarter, or a half of the 613 commandments were fulfilled by Jesus, but not all. Jesus was a Jew. In Marks thinking, the mans extraordinary strength is evidence of supernatural bondage. Its flesh you must not eat. Sadly, the rest of the verse is not quoted in GotQuestions best article and preachers rarely preach it, though it reveals more about the true character of the Messiah. Even so, the Bible never puts the worth of animals on the same level as the worth of humanity. It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a, Sixth Fact: True identity of the pig farmers. (But that may sadly describe a good number of Christians.) Ptolemy says Gerasa was a city in Coele-Syria, thirty-five travel m. from Pella. 15:24), but He was concerned for all peoples. Regrettably, what were about to study the Big Pig Splash Down isn't one of them. Plus, these additions by John connect back to other passages in interesting ways. e. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies. Because God is so steady, and doesnt reverse or repeal, He can be trusted to do what He promises; good or evil. Why doesn't the good pastor entertain that avenue of possibility or is he too busy making one-liners to connect any dots? IV. He's a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ now. Unfortunately, Pastor John is not alone, joking at the expense of this tragedy. 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. He stabbed in the day of his wrath the kings. End of story. 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. Two thousand pigs dead for one person to live is not an even tradeand that is the point. It's in Luke chapter 8, verse 18. Instead of recklessly freeing the doves into the air (as erroneously shown in The Jesus Film and other Bible movies), Scripture records with precise detail that Jesus only knocked over the chairs of the pigeon owners, and/or told them to take their feathered property and leave (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:16) he didnt use his whip on the birds or fling them into the air to be attacked by falcons or eagles. What pigs?? Gergesa is located, with relative certainty, midway along the E bank of the Sea of Galilee; Gadara is six m. SE from the S end of the Sea of Galilee; and Gerasa is some thirty-five m. SE. 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. (, Although the Almightys statement is only one sentence in, For I myself witness truthfully to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book, , Besides Johns cute play on words dont, Also, Orthodox Jews see a clear connection between, 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 , Also, Johns emphasis do not take away from , 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. 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. 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. Nothing we have belongs to us. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! He is the dividing line here. Jesus was wise to use what God gives us, for a teachable moment. Search the web and you will find many opinions about why the pigs died. Origen says this is a good example of how Biblical writers simply were not concerned to precisely identify certain sites. These pastors have added to Scripture that the God of the Old Testament is different in the New and taken away from it Mosess 613 commandments are now reduced to 2. 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. 7 ) The pigs werent for eating. Such a statement is irresponsible because the Law was not written for a single person. 2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel, and Jesus had been sent to the Jews ( Matthew 15:24 ). In a similar way, we see that Scripture is the same; it doesnt change. He always followed Gods Law. Amen. The Greeks were believers in the spirit There's nothing that they can do to restrain His mighty arm. 10 ) It was the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the area of the Decapolis. So he gave them permission. founders day speech by students were the gerasenes gentiles. when hes rolling around with a thousand killer-demons inside. 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. 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. The best text in Matthew reads Gadarenes, in Mark and Luke it reads Gerasenes, whereas some MSS preserve Gergesenes and Gergustenes (cf. Add to that that recent studies claim 25% of the world today is antisemitic and ask yourself if racism was better or worse in the past? When Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you (John 13:34), he instantly had the undivided attention of the Tedious Twelve disciples because they knew changing the Law was forbidden. 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. 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). For our Creator, one lost person saved is worth the death of many animals. The real irritation is people saying the Law was impossible to obey, when Scripture says the opposite it true. They were people who knew him. absolutely anne..there are a few scenarios..nothing more exciting than digging into the Word of God!! Money Maker Software may be used on two systems alternately on 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more subscriptions. I dont know of any illness that can do that. 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. But Christianity early became important in the city; several churches were built during these centuries, so that by the 5th cent., Gerasa could send a bishop to the Council of Chalcedon. What care we for his soul?What good to us that Thou hast made him whole,Since we have lost our swine? Because of his righteousness and his love for God, Peter and Andrew and John and thousands more loved Jesus and followed him. He also makes excursions into Gentile territory, such as when he exorcizes the Gerasene/Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). Not that I believe my case has holes. 2 Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came He couldnt introduce a new religion. WebWho were the gerasenes in the bible? 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. Jesus is equating his commandments which can only be the ones in the Law of Moses, because he gave no commandments in the Gospels with his Fathers commandments in the Five Books of Moses. And he is sent out to negotiate with Aragorn and Gandalf, and the others. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They forget that all scripture is inspired of God and all of it is established in the heavens and none of it can change. Who were the gerasenes in the bible? (, Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there, Not contrary, but consistent with Christs Character, Here is a prophesy that Christians love to quote: , The LORD has sworn it and He will not change his mind: You are a priest forever, after the nature of Melchizedek. The LORD is upon your right hand. And repeatedly, these miracles will focus us in on Who is Jesus? and What do His deeds tell us about what He has come to do and the power that He has? And so this passage helps us in this way. He was totally dominated by these demonic forces. 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. 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. Basically, a vision told Peter three times to eat defiling animal meat (at least that was how it seemed to him) so Peter logically replied that he had never eaten anything , Once more, we have half of an unclear verse, that people use to make up a, Gods Word has to agree with Gods Word. We gotta git us some!, 1 ) [your turn. It pains them to admit that Jesus was/is a Jewish Messiah and not a Christian one. People of the same race and same religion but they still wanted to do him some serious pain. And what can we take away from the second part of the commandment not to take away from Gods Word? Therefore, by associating the two commandments together, and you catch some of the character of our Heavenly Father. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) 3. It was like, Read my lips, Saul! And so this man comes to Jesus, he seeks Him out, and Jesus says to him, What is your name? And the man doesn't know his name. Israel was to be a nation of priests, prophets, and missionaries to the world (Exodus 19:46). Oh, you mean THOSE pigs!! 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. And if I remember correctly, I think there is some tradition about other Apostles going to Spain. 4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. Only this interpretation explains the farmers restrained reaction over the slaughter of the swine, and their tremendous terror of the Messiah. Luke means it to be an extraordinary event. 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). 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. Because they cared more about what they had lost than what that man had gained or what they could gain in Jesus themselves. Does he really believe Mark 5 is Biblical material, To be honest, all the bad humour honestly makes me believe the pastor is being. But thrice is no dice if we dont understand the reason or the message behind the event. Explained by Sharing Culture Expert Answers: Gergesenes means "those who come from pilgrimage or fight." 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. We are pleased to launch our new product Money Maker Software for world's best charting softwares like AmiBroker, MetaStock, Ninja Trader & MetaTrader 4. If a bunch of little children want a ball to play with and I toss them a grenade, am I off the hook if a kid pulls out the pin? It's all Gentile territory, so just bear that in mind. The History of Rome - Brief Overview Of Roman History from Her Dawn to the First Punic War. 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. These three verse from John really are earth-shattering. 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? Worse yet, dont trust one who says Scripture evolves. Something else to ponder about the Son of God is his other title, I am the good shepherd. . In course of time, as the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges, it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt. So why did the meek n merciful Son of Man cast countless defiling demons into two thousand piglets, sows and boars? Years earlier, when the ancient Israelis came to the border of the Promised Land, part of the eastern shore was controlled by the Geshurites (and the Maakathites) but Joshua told Israel to possess their land (Joshua 13:11-13). And the thing that I love the most is the utter contrast in his attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ. To that end, may I present. It is a logical thesis based on historic accounts (Josephus, etc) Feel free to challenge this thought or pursue it from another angle. Jews don't get the joke either because they don't read the New Testament much given the fact Christians have turned them off of Jesus. In the 2nd cent. In the three Synoptic Gospels and, None of the verses below refute any of the. 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. Again, Gods anointed one faces down an army, one man against thousands. Seen in this light, Jesuss actions against the herd were more than appropriate and neither Matthew, Mark nor Luke bothered to explain or rationalize the Masters actions. 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. And was the Master doing the right thing sacrificing someone elses pigs. Wed also have to confess that the farmers were not Gentile. 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 inhabitants of the city. Gerasa is mentioned next by Josephus in connection with the Jewish rebellion against the Romans in a.d. 70. (This sad fact may have something to do with Christians telling Jews to junk the Law which they love and to just believe and receive.) Learn a new word every day. And sadly, neither of the two Johns considered Gods extreme love for His Creation when giving their interpretations. All these inescapable facts are so important to getting the right interpretation of Mark 5 and the other gospel records of the same event. 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. I remember my boyhood pastor, Gordon Reed, preaching through a sermon series on the gospel on Mark coming to a passage about demon possession saying, I don't know much about demon possession, but I've read a lot of books about people on demon possession and they don't know much about demon possession either. Well, before you give counsel to Jesus about what He has done in this passage you may want to take stock about how much you know about demon possession. But as for God, what reason did He give Mr. Merciless for not destroying Nineveh? Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. 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.. And guess what this week's focus is on? Is John really referring to just the plagues of the book of Revelation, or could his words also include other books and plagues? A Faith Embracing All Creatures: Addressing Commonly Asked Questions about Christian Care for Animals. OS Supported: Windows 98SE, Windows Millenium, Windows XP (any edition), Windows Vista, Windows 7 & Windows 8 (32 & 64 Bit). This passage is fundamentally about Jesus. I would have wanted a herd of swine had I been an Israelite in the desert. Rabbi, begone! 9 The forum, with a semicircle of columns still standing, was paved with large cut stones. For one, Remember that the Law reveals to us the mind and personality of God. These authors were Biblical (Peter, James, Paul, Hebrews, etc) and to a lesser extent, non-biblical (Josephus, Pliny, etc). This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was Mark and Luke call it Gerasenes and some English versions translate it as Gergesenes. It is all the same place. WebThe terrified Gerasenes beseeching Jesus to leave them. 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. Do you remember at the end of the book, in the sixth book, when the King of Gondor and his captains and the host of Gondor have arrived at the black gates of Sauron Sauron is the evil figure in the book and if you know Tolkien's cosmology, he was actually an apprentice to the Satan figure of Tolkien's writings. ; Mark v.; Luke viii.) Clearly, Luke is telling you this because he wants you to show the amazing power of Jesus Christ, even over demons. The normally merciful Messiah destroyed the pigs in accordance with Gods Law about clean and unclean meat. 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. 1). viii. But what does Leviticus says about ham? But the Jews were promised and re-promised their land by God throughout the Law: Genesis 15:7, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 33:52-53, Deuteronomy 1:8 are just a few examples. Now the big-mouth irking this Greek artisan was our good friend, the Apostle Paul. Many year later, Messiah went to Israel as a prophet to get the people of Israel back to his Law. 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. That is the exact opposite of other godly men (compare with 1 Samuel 24:24 and 1 Chronicles 21:24). 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. But if one cared to examine all of Gods Word, the only possible reason for Jesus to destroy the pigs in the exorcism seems to be connected to Gods opinion about ham. What happened to the demons when the pigs died? You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 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. in which he transferred the demons afflicting a man to a number of swine, that thereupon rushed down a steep hill and perished. In other words, they believe the one who killed the pigs with the demons is equal to the Father. 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. Throughout the book, the author uses direct quotes, various and mostly verifiable place names and clear descriptions of mostly plausible actions. Incredible. Pig meat, according to Scripture, is as unclean as the demons that Jesus sent into the swine. Sadly, Luther and other Reformed theologians repeat the same theological rubbish, despite Jesus saying he did not come to destroy the Law. 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. They were ..ummm ..for producing manure to fertilize crops. 3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. As to the second question, there is no doubt of the illegality, from a ritual point of view, of Jews keeping swine (B. Gergasa (modern name Kersa) was a small village nearby, and Gadara was the larger region of which the village was a part, with Gerasa as the regional capital. They were not. So many beautiful verses and motivating passages are in Scripture. Actually, killing the pigs was also out of his mercy because instead of judging the farmers directly, the Messiah threw his anger against the pigs. The city was large and well planned. Because in all of Holy Writ, the phrase first appears in Leviticus 11 (Leviticus 11:44) right after God talks about clean/pure meats. Gerasa was rebuilt in splendor and remained prosperous for several centuries. This was the authentic Messiah that the Jews were waiting for. No products in the cart. He will judge the Gentiles, filling places with bodies. 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. Still, Jesus was not in Gadarenes for judging; he was there for mercy and for judgement. The power of the Lord Jesus Christ over Satan. One day the prophet Samuel angrily told his king that God would not go back on His decision. Note: Demetrius was angry only because of speculation of what Pauls preaching might do to business Paul had not physically caused any damage. All we know now is that the demoniac could have been either: Jew or Gentile. ), 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). WebGerasa, Gadara or Gergesa (Luke 8;26, 37) As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet Him. 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. WebApparently Gerasa was rebuilt by the Romans before the revolt began, prob. War II. Here is a prophesy that Christians love to quote: You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110.4) because it connects to Messiah Jesus. and therefore the good pastor declares the demoniac to be a Gentile since, as everyone also knows, Gentiles are better tomb-dwellers.. So how on earth could they dictate to the Son of God where they wished to go? Its not possible for either of them to change, and therefore, inconceivable that Jesus would modify one iota of what he helped write. This solution is as old as Origen (Commentary on John, VI, 24) who, faced with the textual problem, suggested that the precise site of the healing of Legion was Gergesa, the small town in the territory of Gadara, but hardly in the more remote territory of Gerasa. Pretty quickly the whole city was in an uproar. Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: Gerasene. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gerasene. Diana (Artemis) of Ephesuslovely without a nose! At the end of the gospel, however, Jesus tactic changes. These forces plundered Gerasa, Philadelphia, Pella, and others (Jos. His wisecracks are a distraction. 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! Its totally contrary to what we would expect. Seven Forgotten Facts clarify our interpretation, One possible reason the Son of David chose the pigs was that he had, 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. Echoes of Exodus in the Land of theGerasenes, Wesleys Eschatological Optimism Explains itAll, The Prophet in the Hometown A Pilgrim in Augsburg, The Methodist Million Dollar Appeal in World WarII. Lets bring in a certain Greek silversmith and see how calmly he handles himself. Before a shattering, a mans heart is proud (Proverbs 18:12).
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