DOCSLIB.ORG

Demonization/Deliverance I

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

DEMONIZATION/DELIVERANCE I. The Control - Matthew 15:22 "demon possessed," lit. "demonized" And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." Matthew 15 :22 The demons are commanded to come out of the person. (Mark 1:23-27, 9:25; Acts 8:7, 16:18). And when Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, " You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." Mark 9:25 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. Acts 8:7 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! " And it came out at that very moment. Acts 16:18 A demonized person is like a house to a demon. (Matthew 12:43-45) Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation. Matthew 12:43-45 II. Characteristics A. Severe Sickness -Dumbness (Matthew 9:32-33, 12:22; Mark 9:17-29) And as they were going out, behold, a dumb man, demon-possessed, was brought to Him. And after the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying, "Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.” Matthew 9:32-33 -Blindness (Matthew 12:22) -Deformity (Luke 13:11-17) -Epilepsy (Matthew 17:15-18) -Mental -Insanity (Luke 8:27-29, 35) -Suicidal Mania (Mark 9:22) 18 The Bible does not attribute all physical illness to demons, but distinguishes natural ailments from demonic ailments (Matthew 4:24; Mark 12:32, 34; Luke 7:21, 9:1) And the news about Him went out into all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, taken with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Matthew 4:24 B. Supernatural Knowledge (Mark 1:23-25) And just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God! " And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" Mark 1 :23 -25 C. Split Personality (Mark 5:6-8,15) And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" Mark 5:6-8 D. Other Voices from Within (Mark 5:9) And He was asking him, "What is your name? " And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Mark 5:9 E. Unusual Physical Strength (Mark 5:3-4; Acts 19:13-16) And he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Mark 5:3-4 But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches." And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:13-16 F. Fits of Rage (Mark 5:4), Convulsions and Foaming at the Mouth (Luke 9:39, 42) ...because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Mark 5 :4 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth, and as it mauls him, it scarcely leaves him. And while he was still approaching, the demon dashed him to the ground, and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. Luke 9:39, 42 19 G. Occult Powers (Deuteronomy 18:10-11) and Divination (Acts 16: 16) And it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave- girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. Acts 16:16 H. Others -reaction to the name of Jesus -resistance to Bible reading (especially passages about the atonement) -inability to renounce the works of the devil -inability to listen to praise music III. The Causes of Demonization A. Yielding to Sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16) Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." John 8:34 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:16 B. Participating in the Occult (Deuteronomy 18:10-11; Acts 16:16) “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.” Deuteronomy 18:10-11 C. Spiritual Rebellion (1 Samuel 15:23) “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:23 IV. The Cure for Demonization A. Victory Is through the Cross of Christ (Colossians 2: 14-15; Hebrews 2: 14) Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Colossians 2:14-15 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14 B. Victory Is through the Blood of Christ (Revelation 12:11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. Revelation 12:11 20 C. Victory is in the Name of Christ (Matthew 10:1; Acts 16:18; Jude 8 & 9) And having summoned His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Matthew 10:1 And she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. Acts 16:18 Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you.” Jude 8 & 9 D. Victory Is By the Power of the Holy Spirit (I John 4:4) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. I John 4:4 E. Victory Is through Prayer and Fasting (Mark 9:29; Matthew 17:18-21, 18:19-20) And He said to them, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9:29 And Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out? " And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there, ' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Recommended publications
  • 1 Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais Alexandra Lauren Corrêa

    1 Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais Alexandra Lauren Corrêa

    1 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Alexandra Lauren Corrêa Gabbard The Demonization of the Jew in Chaucer's “The Prioress's Tale,” Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Scott's Ivanhoe Belo Horizonte 2011 2 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Alexandra Lauren Corrêa Gabbard The Demonization of the Jew in Chaucer's “The Prioress's Tale,” Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Scott's Ivanhoe Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, como requisito para a obtenção do título de Mestre em Letras: Estudos Literários. Orientador: Thomas LaBorie Burns Belo Horizonte 2011 3 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the issue of anti-Semitism throughout three different eras in chosen classics of the English literature- “The Prioress’s Tale” from the Canterbury Tales, The Merchant of Venice and Ivanhoe- comparing and contrasting the demonization of the Jewish characters present in the texts. By examining the three texts, I intend to show the evolution of the demonization of Jews in literature throughout different periods in history. The historical and cultural aspects of the works will be taken into consideration, for anti- Semitism can be clearly traced as an ideology built throughout Western culture as a form of domination and exclusion of minorities. The Lateran Council of 1215 resurrected the spectrum of anti-Semitism by imposing laws such as the prohibition of intermarriage between Jews and Christians or the obligation of different dress for Jews. This is especially visible in the chosen works, for Jews are stigmatized as demonic, pagan, heretic and unclean. A particular trope present in two of the texts in the Christian aversion to usury- a task that was conveniently attributed to the Jews.
  • The Healing Ministry of Jesus As Recorded in the Synoptic Gospels

    The Healing Ministry of Jesus As Recorded in the Synoptic Gospels

    Loma Linda University TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects 6-2006 The eH aling Ministry of Jesus as Recorded in the Synoptic Gospels Alvin Lloyd Maragh Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd Part of the Medical Humanities Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Maragh, Alvin Lloyd, "The eH aling Ministry of Jesus as Recorded in the Synoptic Gospels" (2006). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 457. http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/457 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects by an authorized administrator of TheScholarsRepository@LLU: Digital Archive of Research, Scholarship & Creative Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY LIBRARY LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY Faculty of Religion in conjunction with the Faculty of Graduate Studies The Healing Ministry of Jesus as Recorded in the Synoptic Gospels by Alvin Lloyd Maragh A Thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Ministry June 2006 CO 2006 Alvin Lloyd Maragh All Rights Reserved Each person whose signature appears below certifies that this thesis in his opinion is adequate in scope and quality as a thesis for the degree Master of Arts. Chairperson Siroj Sorajjakool, Ph.D7,-PrOfessor of Religion Johnny Ramirez-Johnson, Ed.D., Professor of Religion David Taylor, D.Min., Profetr of Religion 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to complete this thesis.
  • Calling out Unclean Spirits the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield Rev

    Calling out Unclean Spirits the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield Rev

    Calling Out Unclean Spirits The First Presbyterian Church in Springfield Rev. James K. Poinsett, Pastor January 29, 2012 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time 1Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. Psalm 111 (NRSV) 21They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. 22They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.
  • Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds an End to Antisemitism!

    Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds an End to Antisemitism!

    Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds An End to Antisemitism! Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman Volume 5 Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds Edited by Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, and Lawrence H. Schiffman ISBN 978-3-11-058243-7 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-067196-4 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-067203-9 DOI https://10.1515/9783110671964 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. For details go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Library of Congress Control Number: 2021931477 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2021 Armin Lange, Kerstin Mayerhofer, Dina Porat, Lawrence H. Schiffman, published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston The book is published with open access at www.degruyter.com Cover image: Illustration by Tayler Culligan (https://dribbble.com/taylerculligan). With friendly permission of Chicago Booth Review. Printing and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com TableofContents Preface and Acknowledgements IX LisaJacobs, Armin Lange, and Kerstin Mayerhofer Confronting Antisemitism in Modern Media, the Legal and Political Worlds: Introduction 1 Confronting Antisemitism through Critical Reflection/Approaches
  • “The Devil Made Me Do It” the Deification of Consciousness and the Demonization of the Unconscious

    “The Devil Made Me Do It” the Deification of Consciousness and the Demonization of the Unconscious

    CHAPTER 5 “The Devil Made Me Do It” The Deification of Consciousness and the Demonization of the Unconscious John A. Bargh Other chapters in this book on the social psychology of good and evil address important questions such as: What are the psychologi- cal processes that lead to positive, selfless, prosocial, and constructive behavior on the one hand or to negative, selfish, antisocial, and destruc- tive behavior on the other? Such questions concern how the state of a per- son’s mind and his or her current context or situation influences his or her actions upon the outside world. In this chapter, however, the causal direc- tion is reversed. The focus is instead on how the outside world of human beings—with its religious, medical, cultural, philosophical, and scientific traditions, its millennia-old ideologies and historical forces—has placed a value on types of psychological processes. It is on how these historical forces, even today, slant the field of psychological science, through basi- cally a background frame or mind set of implicit assumptions, to consider types of psychological processes themselves as being either good or evil (or at least problematic and producing negative outcomes). There exists a long historical tendency to consider one type of mental process to be the “good” one—our conscious and intentional, deliberate thought and behavior processes—and another type as the “bad” and even “evil” one—our automatic, impulsive, unintentional, and unconscious 69 Miller_Book.indb 69 12/8/2015 9:46:24 AM 70 CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVES ON GOOD AND EVIL FIGURE 5.1. Satan tempting John Wilkes Booth to the murder of President Abra- ham Lincoln (1865 lithograph by John L.
  • Sermon for 1-28-17; Mark 1:21-28 the Rev. Maggie Leidheiser-Stoddard Christ Episcopal Church, Springfield, OH

    Sermon for 1-28-17; Mark 1:21-28 the Rev. Maggie Leidheiser-Stoddard Christ Episcopal Church, Springfield, OH

    Sermon for 1-28-17; Mark 1:21-28 The Rev. Maggie Leidheiser-Stoddard Christ Episcopal Church, Springfield, OH {hissed/growled in my most demonic speaking voice} 'What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God!'i If you are expecting a sermon about exorcism or 'spiritual warfare' this morning, let me take this opportunity to apologize. That is not what you'll be getting in this church. The confrontation between Jesus and this "unclean spirit"ii is dramatic, and it certainly captures our attention. But there's something even more important going on here, as described by the witnesses in the synagogue: "What is this? A new teaching -- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."iii This story, like all our Gospel readings this season, is from Mark's Gospel. Biblical scholars agree that Mark's is the oldest of the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and that fragments of Mark's text were used by Matthew and Luke. John is an altogether different story, but we won't get into that today. The point is that Mark is the oldest of our four Gospel accounts, and that Mark's text was circulating and spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ before the other three. Mark's text also contains no birth narrative -- no choirs of angels, no baby in a manger. The Gospel of Mark begins with an adult Jesus being baptized by his cousin John in the Jordan River.
  • Evil Spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls: a Brief Survey and Some Perspectives Eibert Tigchelaar

    Evil Spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls: a Brief Survey and Some Perspectives Eibert Tigchelaar

    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Lirias Evil Spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Brief Survey and Some Perspectives Eibert Tigchelaar 1. Introduction Synthetic studies of evil spirits in the Dead Sea Scrolls can be found in survey articles on demons or demonology by Philip Alexander, Michael Mach, and Esther Eshel.1 Many other publications also touch upon the topic of evil spirits in the scrolls, either in the context of the discussion of specific texts, like, e.g., the Two Spirits Treatise or the Songs of the Sage, or when discussing broader topics like angelology, dualism, magic, purity and impurity, or sin.2 In addition, there is a 1Bibliographic references in this contribution will largely be confined to literature of the last twenty years. Cf. Philip S. Alexander, “The Demonology of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment (ed. Peter W. Flint and James C. VanderKam; Leiden: Brill, 1999), 2.331-53; Michael Mach, “Demons,” in Encylopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls (ed. Lawrence H. Schiffman and James C. VanderKam; New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), 189-92; Esther Eshel and Daniel C. Harlow, “Demons and Excorcism,” in The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism (ed. John J. Collins and Daniel C. Harlow; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2010), 531-33. 2For example, Philip S. Alexander, “‘Wrestling against the Wickedness in High Places’: Magic and the Worldview of the Qumran Community,” in The Scrolls and the Scriptures. Qumran Fifty Years After (ed.
  • The Demonization of Judaism

    The Demonization of Judaism

    Klaus S. Davidowicz The Demonization of Judaism “Jew-hatred is the eldest social, cultural, religious and political prejudiceofhuman kind; Jew-hatred occurs in segregating and stigmatizingstereotypes, long beforediscrimination and bruteforce makethis resentment public, i.e. in passed down conceptions of the minor- ity by the majority,passed on uncriticallyfromgeneration to generation.”¹ Is there some continuity in antisemitism from Antiquitytothe Shoah up to the present,orare these rather separated periods because of the large local and his- torical differences?Inresearch on antisemitism,aline is drawnbetween the re- ligiously motivated Jew-hatred and the national and racist antisemitism that de- velopedinthe nineteenth century.Isthereacontinuous “history of anti‐Semitism” as described by Léon Poliakov in his four-volume book (1955– 1977) of the sametitle?² Shulamit Volkov put it aptlywhen she talked about the development of antisemitism as “continuity and discontinuity,”³ similar to the wayRaulHilbergshowed the connection between medieval Jew-hatred and National Socialist antisemitisminhis standard work TheDestruction of the European Jews (1961), but he alsodid not fail to point out the differences be- tween the two. Certainly,religion-basedanti-Judaism, racialantisemitism, and anti-Zionist antisemitism are forms of the same root—Jew-hatred, aphenomenon that can be encountered throughout the entire history of the Jews. Of course,there are large and importantdifferentiations between cultural and racist antisemitism, between primary and secondary antisemitism, just as there are surprising continuities with the phenomena of Jew-hatred. Certain antisemitic pictures from antiquity up to the present can be established that cre- ate new,often bizarre, bondsthat survive preposterous to reason. One of the cen- tral antisemitic perceptions is the alleged relation between Judaism and the devil, which will be shown here.
  • The Gospel of Mark Bible Study Fall Semester 2020

    The Gospel of Mark Bible Study Fall Semester 2020

    Master/Teacher Model at Louisiana College The Gospel of Mark Bible Study Fall Semester 2020 Abstract on The Gospel of Mark: The Gospel of Mark is believed to be the first Greek Gospel. This Gospel bears the name Mark because of its author John Mark, who was a travel companion of the Apostle Paul. The content for the Gospel of Mark is believed to be the memoirs of the Apostle Peter, which Mark wrote while Peter served out his final days in a Roman prison. The date for writing the Gospel of Mark is debated more than authorship. Dr. Daniel Wallace and other scholars composite that the Gospel of Mark was written probably in the 50’s. However, Dr. Bill Warren and other scholars believe that the Gospel of Mark was written probably between A.D. 65-70, which supports the date for Markan Priority. The Gospel of Mark reveals Jesus as the Suffering Servant and the Perfect Disciple and calls believers to remain faithful in light of suffering as followers of Christ. This Bible book offers the Louisiana College family a beautiful opportunity to search within for what the Lord is calling you to do but also to realize that suffering is just part of being an imperfect yet faithful disciple of Christ Jesus. I invite you to join the journey this academic year and learn more about Jesus through the heart of Mark, a disciple of Jesus and the Apostle Peter. Session 1: Mark 1:1-13 Text of The Gospel of Mark 1:1-13 1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
  • Deliverance Prayer

    Deliverance Prayer

    Self-Deliverance Prayer Father God, I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. He redeemed me by His blood and I accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I belong to You and I will live for You. I confess my sins—known and unknown. I repent and ask for Your forgiveness. Please cleanse me with the blood of Jesus Christ. I renounce Satan and all his works. Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You as my mighty Deliverer. You know every evil and unclean spirit that has bound, tormented and defiled me and my blood line. I claim the promise of Your Word, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I call upon You now. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for delivering me and setting me free. As You forgive me for my sins and make me free, I also forgive myself for sinning against the Lord and for sinning against my body. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I forgive my ancestors, descendants, and everyone who has ever hurt me in any way, and I ask You to forgive them as well. I break all curses, hexes, vexes and demonic ties that bind. I break all soul ties caused by witchcraft or sexual sins. I decree and I declare that the yokes that held me bound are destroyed by the anointing of God. Jesus, You gave Your disciples authority over all demons. You said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” I now exercise that same power to set myself free.
  • Jesus and the Impurity of Spirits in the Synoptic Gospels

    Jesus and the Impurity of Spirits in the Synoptic Gospels

    Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament • 2. Reihe Herausgeber / Editor Jörg Frey Mitherausgeber / Associate Editors Friedrich Avemarie • Judith Gundry-Volf Martin Hengel • Otfried Hofius • Hans-Josef Klauck 185 Clinton Wahlen Jesus and the Impurity of Spirits in the Synoptic Gospels Mohr Siebeck Clinton Wahlen, born 1960; M.Div. Andrews University, 1989; Lecturer in New Testament and Greek, Zaoksky Theological Seminary, Russia, 1992-1998; Ph.D. Cambridge University, 2004; currently Associate Professor of New Testament, Language and Literature, AUAS Theological Seminary, Philippines. ISBN 3-16-148387-1 ISSN 0340-9570 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 2. Reihe) Die Deutsche Bibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data is available in the Internet at http://dnb.ddb.de. © 2004 by Mohr Siebeck, Tiibingen, Germany. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to reproductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed by Guide-Druck in Tübingen on non-aging paper and bound by Buchbinderei Held in Rottenburg. Printed in Germany. For my wife Gina and our precious children Daniel and Heather mrr -ion ¡T-ipn'? ^cnn Preface Despite my very early interest in physics and mathematics, it was not until my undergraduate studies in theology that I began to understand the vital role one's 'frame of reference' plays also for literary and historical studies. During six years of teaching New Testament and Greek at a Russian seminary, I came to see more clearly the limitations of my own culturally conditioned reading of the Bible.
  • I Think It Is Interesting and Telling That the Gospels Tell Such a Different Story About Evil Than the Hollywood Version That We’Ve All Been Overly Exposed To

    I Think It Is Interesting and Telling That the Gospels Tell Such a Different Story About Evil Than the Hollywood Version That We’Ve All Been Overly Exposed To

    1 I think it is interesting and telling that the Gospels tell such a different story about evil than the Hollywood version that we’ve all been overly exposed to. Hollywood wants us to think that there is some kind of continual war between good and evil and the jury is still out about who is going to win. That is not what the Christian Gospel proclaims. In the Christian Gospel, unclean Spirits don’t stand a chance against the in-breaking, authoritative power of Jesus Christ. In our reading from this morning, the unclean spirit is so afraid of Jesus that the first thing he asks is if Jesus is going to destroy him. Jesus seems to view him as little more than an inconvenience saying “be silent, and come out of him.” To quote the Apostle Paul: In the Christian Gospel, “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, [are] able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus is the Holy Presence of God on earth. When the Kingdom breaks in around him, nothing evil can stand in his way. In this story of the exorcism in the synagogue, Mark tells us that “no oppressive boundary will stand or withstand the [power] of Jesus. All that is demonic…will not survive in the face of the demon- tossing, [Holy] Spirit-possessed Son of God.”(Charles, Gary, Feasting on the Word Year B, 313).