cast out demons

April 17, 2019

We ate and drank with you (Lk 13:26-13:26)

“Then you will begin

To say.

‘We ate

And drank

With you.

You taught

In our streets.’”

 

τότε ἄρξεσθε λέγειν Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν, Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν

 

Luke continued with Jesus saying that they would begin to say (τότε ἄρξεσθε λέγειν) that they ate and drank with him (Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν).  He had taught in their streets (Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ ἐπίομεν).  This verse is somewhat similar to Matthew, chapter 7:22, from the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps a Q source.  Matthew had Jesus say that on that day, the judgment day, many would say to him Lord! Lord (Κύριε Κύριε)!  Did we not prophesize in your name?  Did we not cast out demons in your name?  Did we not do many great marvelous works in your name?  In Luke here, they said that they had ate and drank with Jesus.  They let him teach in their streets and towns.  In other words, they were friends.  Do you worry about lost friends?

September 8, 2018

Cast out demons (Mk 6:13-6:13)

“The twelve cast out

Many demons.

They anointed

Many sick people

With oil.

They cured them.”

 

καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλλον, καὶ ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ πολλοὺς ἀρρώστους καὶ ἐθεράπευον.

 

There is something similar in Luke, chapter 9:6.  These 12 apostles carried out the dual functions of casting out demons and healing people.  Mark always put a lot of emphasis on casting out many demons (καὶ δαιμόνια πολλὰ ἐξέβαλλον).  But they also anointed many sick with oil (καὶ ἤλειφον ἐλαίῳ πολλοὺς ἀρρώστους) that cured them (καὶ ἐθεράπευον).  Oil was considered a basic healing element in the ancient world.

August 28, 2018

Satan will come to an end (Mk 3:26-3:26)

“If Satan

Has risen up

Against himself,

He is divided.

He cannot stand.

But his end

Has come.”

 

καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει.

 

There are similar statements to this in Matthew, chapter 12:26, and Luke, chapter 11:18.  Mark said that if Satan has risen up against himself (καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ’ ἑαυτὸν), he was divided (καὶ ἐμερίσθη).  He would not be able to last   or stand (οὐ δύναται στῆναι) because the end of Satan has come (ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει).  Mark did not have the argument about how their own sons or other exorcists were able to cast out demons.  All in all, this was a very strong argument against Jesus and Beelzebul working together.

August 27, 2018

Jesus appointed twelve apostles (Mk 3:14-3:15)

“Jesus appointed twelve.

They were to be with him.

He called them apostles.

He sent them out

To preach.

They would have authority

To cast out demons.”

 

καὶ ἐποίησεν δώδεκα ἵνα ὦσιν μετ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν καὶ ἵνα ἀποστέλλῃ αὐτοὺς κηρύσσειν

καὶ ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια·

 

Mark explicitly indicated what the role of these special 12 apostles should be.  Quite often they are called the “12” instead of “the apostles”.  They had a dual function as apostles, since they were to preach and cast out demons.  Mark said that Jesus appointed 12 of his disciples (καὶ ἐποίησεν δώδεκα) to be with him, called apostles (καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν).  He sent them out to preach (καὶ ἵνα ἀποστέλλῃ αὐτοὺς κηρύσσειν).  They would have authority to cast out demons (καὶ ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια).  In other words, Jesus was giving his own power or authority to cast out evil spirits to these 12 disciples or apostles.  This would be referred to later as the apostolic authority.  Matthew, chapter 10:1, also said that they had the authority to heal people also.  This was a big deal.  The number 12 corresponded to the number of sons of Jacob or the 12 tribes of Israel.    Jesus thus established these 12 disciples as apostles to carry on his work of preaching and casting out or exorcising evil spirits.

April 11, 2018

The work of the apostles (Mt 10:8-10:8)

“Cure the sick!

Raise the dead!

Cleanse the lepers!

Cast out demons!

You received

Without paying.

Give without payment!”

 

ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε.

 

There is no exact equivalent to this passage in the other gospels.  Jesus, via Matthew, laid out what the work of an apostle of Jesus should be.  These apostles were to do what Jesus had been doing.  They were to heal or cure the sick or ailing people (ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετ).  They were to raise up the dead (νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε), a difficult task.  They were to cleanse the lepers (λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε) and cast out the demons (δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε).  As they had not paid to get this gift to be an apostle (δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε), so thus they should not receive any payment (δωρεὰν δότε) for their work as an apostle.  They should give freely of their time since this was not a money-making project.

March 28, 2018

Evildoers (Mt 7:22-7:23)

“On that day,

Many will say to me.

‘Lord!

Lord!

Did we not prophesy

In your name?

Did we not cast out demons

In your name?

Did we not do many marvelous works

In your name?’

Then I will declare

To them.

‘I never knew you!

Go away from me!

You evildoers!’”

 

πολλοὶ ἐροῦσίν μοι ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ Κύριε, οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι ἐπροφητεύσαμεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν;

καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι Οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς· ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν

 

This verse is somewhat similar to Luke, chapter 13:26-27.  Matthew has Jesus say that on that day (ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ), the judgment day, many would say to him (πολλοὶ ἐροῦσίν μοι), Lord! Lord (Κύριε Κύριε)!  Did we not prophesize in your name (οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι ἐπροφητεύσαμεν)?  Did we not cast out demons in your name (καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν)?  Did we not do many great marvelous works in your name (καὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν)?  Then Jesus was going to declare to them (καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς) that he never knew them (καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς), because they were evildoers.  Just as David had told the evildoers to depart in Psalm 6:13, Jesus wanted these evildoers (οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν) to leave him alone (ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ).  Who are these evil doers?  They seem like disciples of Jesus, since they prophesized, cast out demons, and did marvelous works in the name of Jesus.  What evil had they done to make them unworthy on the final judgment day?  This text is not clear.