1. Matthew 22: And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment.
Matthew 22: "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
John 13: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Greetings in Jesus! Let’s prepare our hearts to hear, understand, and obey the Word of God (let’s pray)
Matthew 28: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

2. We continue our CHRONOLOGICAL LIFE OF CHRIST sermon series – our study of all 4 gospels to better know and imitate the perfect life of our Lord!

3. 7 Chief Divisions of Jesus’ Life (Chad Laird)
1. Jesus’ Divine Preexistence (Heaven) Jn. 1
2. Jesus’ Divine Birth (Bethlehem) and Childhood (Egypt/Nazareth) Mt. 1-2, Lk. 1-2
3. Jesus’ Divine Baptism (Jordan River), Temptation (Judean
Wilderness), and Early Judean Ministry (Jerusalem) Mt. 3-4, Mk. 1, Lk. 3-4, Jn. 1-4
4. Jesus’ Divine Galilean Ministry (Capernaum, Sea of Galilee)
Mt. 4-18, Mk.1-9, Lk. 4-9, Jn. 5-7
5. Jesus’ Divine Perean and Late Judean Ministry (Jericho, Bethany)
Mt , Mk. 10, Lk , Jn. 7-11
6. Jesus’ Divine Passion Week (Jerusalem/Bethany) and Crucifixion (Jerusalem)
Mt , Mk , Lk , Jn
7. Jesus’ Divine Resurrection (Jerusalem), Appearances (Jerusalem,
Galilee), and Ascension (Mount of Olives) Mt. 28, Mk. 16, Lk. 24, Jn :
We are currently in the midst of Jesus’ Galilean ministry where Jesus spent approximately 3 years preaching the gospel in and around the Sea of Galilee.

4. Harmony of the Gospels (Adapted from John MacArthur’s Study Bible)
Event
Location
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Kingdom Parables
Nazareth or Capernaum?
13:1-52
4:1-34
8:4-18
CONTINUING OPPOSITION
Departure across the sea and calming the storm
Sea of Galilee
13:53; 8:18, 23–27
4:35–41
8:22–25
Healing the Gerasene demoniacs and resultant opposition
Gerasene
8:28–34
5:1–20
8:26–39
Return to Galilee, healing of woman who touched Christ’s garment, and raising of Jairus’ daughter
Three miracles of healing and another blasphemous accusation
Final visit to unbelieving Nazareth
Mark 4: And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

5. That’s why today‘s sermon is “Jesus – Our Storm Stopper”
We’ll look at
Matthew 8:23-27 Mark 4:35-41 Luke 8:22-25
And by comparing them – we’ll get the full picture of this amazing event where Jesus shows Himself to be God – doing only what God can do – demonstrating power over the weather – commanding the weather in this case to HUSH and BE STILL.
I. Review Jesus, Our Storm Stopper 1. Jesus Led 2. The Disciples Followed 3. The Weather Surprised & Threatened 4. The Disciples Cried Out For Help 5. Jesus’ Rebuke of the Disciple’s Fear and Lack of Faith 6. Jesus’ Rebuke of the Storm (Hush, Be Still) 7. The Disciple’s Fear and Amazement (The Son of God Was In The Boat) Matthew 8: Mark 4: Luke 8:22-25

6. Today title is “Angry Pigs” (just making sure you were paying attention) that’s not the title) but I did chuckle at myself when I thought I had a great idea that someone could earn a million by developing a sequel to the game “Angry Birds” – we will see in our text some pretty angry pigs…
Pigs

7. II. Today’s Texts
Matthew 8:28-34
28 When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. 29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them. 31 The demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."

8. II. Today’s Texts
Matthew 8:28-34
32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

9. Mark 5:1-20 II. Today’s Texts
1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 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. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" 8 For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9 And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain.

10. Mark 5:1-20 II. Today’s Texts
12 The demons implored Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

11. Luke 8:26-39 II. Today’s Texts
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28 Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me." 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.

12. Luke 8:26-39 II. Today’s Texts
33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. 35 The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38 But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

13. Overcoming Demonic Opposition
III. Title/Proposition
Overcoming Demonic Opposition
In the account of Jesus encountering and overcoming two demon possessed men in the region of Gadarenes, one was possessed by so many demons that he called himself Legion. We’ll look at Jesus’ superior power over Legion and 7 S’s that will give us insight into how we are to Biblically address and overcome demonic opposition in our lives and ministries.
III. Title/Proposition
Overcoming Demonic Opposition
In the account of Jesus encountering and overcoming two demon possessed men in the region of Gadarenes, one was possessed by so many demons that he called himself Legion. We’ll look at Jesus’ superior power over Legion and 7 S’s that will give us insight into how we are to Biblically address and overcome demonic opposition in lives and ministries.
1 Peter 5: Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

14. IV. MAIN POINTS (7 S’s) Setting (Decapolis/ Gerasenes)
Showdown (Jesus and thousands of Demons)
Sad Situation (Demon Possession)
Son of God’s Superior Power
Suicidal Pigs
Scared and Selfish City
Set Free and Sharing Servant (Indebted Man Shares what Jesus did for Him – EVERYWHERE!)

15. 1. Setting Gadarenes (Decapolis)
Matthew 8:28a When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
Gadarhno,j Gadarenos: of Gadara, Gadarene
Origin: from Gadara, Gadara (Gadara, the capital of Perea)
Gadarene, belonging to Gadara (an important Hellenized town, one of the Decapolis, and south-east of the Sea of Galilee).
Mt. 8:28 country of the Gergesenes. Some texts say “Gadarenes” (cf. Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). This refers to a small town on the lake opposite Tiberius, perhaps where the modern village of Khersa (Kursi) is located. Some ancient tombs are there, and the shoreline descends steeply into the water, exactly matching the description of the terrain in this account.
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1407). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
Mk 5:1 the other side of the sea. The eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (cf. Luke 8:26). the country of the Gadarenes. The preferred reading in Mark is “Gerasenes” rather than “Gadarenes.” It most likely refers to the small town of Gersa (or Khersa, Kursi; see note on Matt. 8:28) which was located midway on the eastern shore. “Country of” refers to the general region that included Gersa and was under the jurisdiction of the city of Gadara, which was located some 6 mi. SE of the Sea of Galilee; this was probably why Luke referred to the region as the country of the Gaderenes (Luke 8:26, 37).
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1467). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
Gadarénos: of Gadara, Gadarene
Original Word: Γαδαρηνός
Transliteration: Gadarénos (gad-ar-ay-nos')
Gadarenos: of Gadara, Gadarene Origin: from Gadara, Gadara (Gadara, the capital of Perea)
Gadarene, belonging to Gadara (an important Hellenized town, one of the Decapolis, and south-east of the Sea of Galilee).
[Thayer] Gadarhno,j
Gadarhno,j, Gadarhnh, Gadarhnon (from the proper name Gadara; cf. the adjective VAbilhnh,, Magdalhnh,), of Gadara, a Gadarene. Gadara was the capital of Peraea (Josephus, b. j. 4, 7, 3), situated opposite the southern extremity of the Lake of Gennesaret to the southeast, but at some distance from the lake on the banks of the river Hieromax (Pliny, h. n. 5, 16), 60 stadia from the city Tiberias (Josephus, Vita 65), inhabited chiefly by Gentiles (Josephus, Antiquities 17, 11, 4); cf. Winer's RWB under the word Gadara; Rüetschi in Herzog iv., p. 636f; Kneucker in Schenkel ii. 313f; Riehm, HWB, p. 454; (BB. DD. under the word). cw,ra tw/n Gadarhnw/n the country of the Gadarenes, Gadaris: Mark 5:1 Rec.; Luke 8:26 Rec., 37 RG (but here h` peri,cwroj tw/n Gadarhnw/n), and in Matt. 8:28 T Tr WH; but the manuscripts differ in these passages; see Gerashnoi and Gergeshnoi.*

16. If we piece together the synoptic narratives, we discover that Jesus probably left Capernaum between six and seven p.m. (cf. Mk 4:35). Because of the storm, it likely took three to four hours to go across the lake (less than five miles). Thus, it is now probably sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight. The action takes place under a starlit sky with an audience of hired hands who watch the swine.
This land is opposite Galilee, in Gentile territory, on the east bank of the lake. This holds special importance to Luke as he outlines the gospel going to the Gentiles. Matthew labels it as Gadara rather than Gerasa. Gadara was a well-known city some sixteen miles away and seven miles back from the lake. Thus, this portion of the lake was in Gadarene territory. About half a mile from the lake was a small city named Gerasa. This is probably where Jesus landed for it is the only place on the lake where the cliff is close enough to the water for the pigs to rush down and drown. Strictly speaking, it is incorrect to speak of the area as “Gerasene.” The similarities in names likely caused the confusion with the transcribers.
This area has a narrow bank, met abruptly by high limestone cliffs full of caves. Archaeologists have found tombs twenty feet square with side recesses for bodies. These were used to bury the dead. Poor indigents sometimes used the caves as shelters as well as tombs. This is not uncommon even today.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.
5:20 Decapolis. A league of 10 Greek-influenced (Hellenized) cities E of the Jordan River (see note on Matt. 4:25).
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1468). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
4:25 Decapolis. A confederation of 10 Hellenized cities S of Galilee and mostly E of the Jordan. The league of cities was formed shortly after Pompey’s invasion of Palestine (ca. 64 b.c.) to preserve Gr. culture in the Semitic region. These cities were naturally Gentile strongholds.
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1399). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

17. 2. Showdown Demons confront Jesus (we don’t have to go looking to confront evil, evil will come and confront us)
Matthew 8:28b, 29 …two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs… 29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" Mark 5:2, 6-7 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him… 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" Luke 8:27-28 And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons… 28 Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me."
two demon-possessed men. Mark 5:2 and Luke 8:27 mention only one of the men. Evidently one was more dominant than the other.
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1407). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
This idiomatic expression, “What do you want with me” (lit. “What to me and to you”), can be understood in a number of ways: “What do we have in common?” or “What business do you have with me?” or “Why are you interrupting my life?” He is essentially asking Jesus what is the meaning and/or significance of this encounter.
The second part of this demoniac’s address, “Son of the Most High God” sounds odd coming from a demon. It is as kosher as a dill pickle. In the OT “Most High God” is an orthodox title for Jehovah (Gen 14:18–22; Num 24:16; Isa 14:14; Dan 3:26; 4:2). So why is it coming from a demon? It may be that the demon is trying to invoke the name of God before Jesus invokes the name of the demon. You see, the current practice of exorcism was to conjure up the names of powerful people and “gods” in order to overpower the demon and send him away. Whoever had the most impressive resume of names supposedly won.
This fellow had a long list of names backing him. But only one is given—Legion. This term refers to a unit of the Roman army generally consisting of 6,000 men. It is not necessary, however, to take this as a literal number. Jewish rhetoric often referred to multiple demon possession as “legion.” Nonetheless, the fellow is in bad shape. He is filled with a slug of evil spirits.
The demons have Jesus way outnumbered. Still, they are petrified of him. They know he has the authority and sufficient power to punish them. They are well aware, in fact, of their impending imprisonment in the Abyss at the judgment (cf. Mt 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). They beg the Master not to sentence them prematurely.
The word “Abyss” originally meant “bottomless.” In general it refers to the realm of the dead. It has various specific meanings ranging from primeval chaos to the prison of evil beings (cf. Rom 10:7; Rev 9:1–3; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1–3). Matthew adds the note (8:29), “before the appointed time.” Eventually Satan and all his cohorts will be punished and locked up (Rev 20:1–3, 10). They are not asking to be delivered. They know this is not possible. They are asking, however, to have their full time to wreak havoc on the earth.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.
(previous showdown with Satan and Jesus – the temptation of Christ right after His baptism)
Matthew 4:1-11 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Mark 1: Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.
Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." 4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'" 5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 "Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,' 11 and, 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
u`panta,w hupantao: to go to meet, to meet
Origin: avnta,w antao (to meet face to face, meet with)

18. Two classes of angelic beings:
Holy (elect) angels – those who choose to remain loyal to God
Fallen (evil) angels – those who chose to follow Satan in rebellion against God.
Many expositors believe Rev. 12:4 is a reference showing that 1/3 of the angels joined Satan in his rebellion and thus became demons
Revelation 12: Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

19. Two categories of fallen angels/demons:
Within the ranks of the evil angels, the scriptures teach there are two further categories:
Fallen free angels – able to freely move around to do Satan’s bidding against humans –> scripture calls these demons (Matt. 8:28, 1 Cor. 10:20, James 2:19)
Fallen confined (imprisoned) angels – 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6–7, Rev. 9

20. Judgment of Angels (2 Peter 2:4)
(NASB) 2 Peter 2:4 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;
(Young’s Literal) 2 Peter 2:4 4 For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast them down to Tartarus, did deliver them to judgment, having been reserved,
2 Peter 2:4 – translated ‘cast into hell’ by major versions, but…
Two Greek words used in the Bible that are translated ‘hell’
ᾅδης, Hades - the abode of departed spirits
translation of OT word שְׁאוֹלָה – Sheol
γέεννα, Gehenna - a valley W. and S. of Jer., also a symbolic name for the final place of punishment of the ungodly

21. Abode of Confined Angels - TARTARUS
But here in 2 Peter, the term is ταρταρώσας
- the only NT occurrence
Freiburg, Analytic Greek Lexicon –> strictly hurl into Tartarus, regarded by the Greeks as a place of torment and punishment below Hades; probably so regarded in Jewish apocalyptic literature also; consign to Tartarus, throw into hell

22. What is Tartarus?
Tartarus is described with the word ζόφος – deep gloom, darkness
This word is also used in Jude 1:6 “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.”
Hades (Luke 16:23–24) and Gehenna (Mark 9:43) are described as a place of suffering and the temporary holding place of dead unbelievers (not demons) till they are raised to be judged by Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment and ultimately condemned to the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20)
Though the word only appears once in the NT, Greek and Jewish literature refers to it as a place of torment and punishment below Hades

23. The conclusion is that Tartarus is NOT hell
Tartarus is most likely the bottomless PIT referred to in Jude 1:6 and Revelation 9:2
Revelation 9:1-2 “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”
a;bussoj abussos: boundless, bottomless
fre,ar phrear: pit, a well

24. ταρταρώσας – Tartarus referred to in Luke 8:31
Summary description of Tartarus
It is a place of deep gloom and darkness
It is a temporary holding place of judgment
There are certain angels already there (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6, Revelation 9)
Tartarus is very likely what the demons are referring to in Luke 8:26–33 when they mention “the abyss”
Luke 8: They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. (a;bussoj abussos: boundless, bottomless)
The demons were aware of the existence of the abyss
They apparently knew it to be a place of torment
They obviously knew Jesus COULD cast them there
They begged Him to cast them into a herd of swine instead of the abyss

25. 3. Sad Situation Symptoms of Demonic Possession
Matthew 8:28b …They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. Mark 5:3-5 …and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 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. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Luke 8:28,29 …and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs… For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.
Matthew says that two demon-possessed men met Jesus. Luke and Mark only concentrate on the more prominent of the two—the one who did the speaking. He comes running up to Jesus and falls at his feet. Here we have a classic description of a demoniac (Liefeld, p. 913): (1) Nakedness—disregard for personal dignity, (2) social isolation, (3) retreat to simple shelter (i.e., caves), (4) recognition of Jesus’ deity, (5) demonic control of speech, (6) shouting, (7) extraordinary strength—tearing chains apart is impressive power. Besides all this he was not only homicidal but almost suicidal (Mt 8:28; Mk 5:5). He was the talk and terror of the town.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.

26. Symptoms and Activities of Demonic Possession
Extreme Violence (threat to others – “no one could pass that way”)
Homelessness/Fascination with Death (“he had his dwelling among the tombs” “was not living in a house, but in the tombs”)
Superhuman Strength (“no one was able to bind him”, broke chains/shackles)
Nudity (“not put on any clothing for a long time”)
Human strategies or efforts to subdue, control, or free - fail miserably (“no one was strong enough to subdue him”) (Ex. Seven Sons of Sceva - Acts 19:13-20)
Screaming/Loud Voice (“night and day, he was screaming” "shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!"
Self Mutilation/Affliction (“gnashing himself with stones”)
Seizures/Uncontrolled body movements (“For it had seized him many times”)
Strange Behavior / Going to Desolate and Solitary Places (“driven…into the desert”)
Extreme Violence (threat to others – “no one could pass that way”)
Homelessness/Fascination with Death (“he had his dwelling among the tombs” “was not living in a house, but in the tombs”)
Superhuman Strength (“no one was able to bind him”, broke chains/shackles)
Nudity (“not put on any clothing for a long time”)
Human strategies or efforts to subdue, control, or free - fail miserably (“no one was strong enough to subdue him”) (Ex. Seven Sons of Sceva - Acts 19:13-20)
Screaming/Loud Voice (“night and day, he was screaming” "shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!"
Self Mutilation/Affliction (“gnashing himself with stones”)
Seizures/Uncontrolled body movements (“For it had seized him many times”)
Strange Behavior / Going to Desolate and Solitary Places (“driven…into the desert”)
1 Corinthians 6: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Acts 19: 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." 14 Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 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. 17 This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18 Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19 And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

27. 4. Son of God’s Superior Power Jesus cast out inferior demons
Mt 8:32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine,
Mark 5: Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!" 8 For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" 9 And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many." 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them." 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine;
Lk 8:31-32 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. 32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.
The Power of Christ
And He said to them, “Begone!” And they came out, and went into the swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. (8:32)
When the disciples cast out demons even with God’s commissioning and empowering, it often required considerable time and persistence as well as prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21; Mark 9:29). But Jesus cast the entire legion of demons out of the two men with but a word: Begone! He gave permission to the demons (see Luke 8:32) in the form of a command which they were powerless to disobey, and immediately they came out, and went into theswine.
Again we can only wonder at the demons’ reason for doing what they did. Whether they directed the whole herd to rush down the steep bank into the sea where they perished in the waters, or whether that was simply the animals’ frenzied response to being inhabited by the evil spirits, it seems likely the demons knew the outcome in advance. But we do not know why they did what they did or what happened to them after the pigs drowned.
As fallen angels, demons are extremely powerful beings (see 2 Kings 19:35; Ps. 103:20; 2 Pet. 2:11). When an angel was sent with a message for the prophet Daniel, he was delayed by a demon (called “the prince of the kingdom of Persia”) for three weeks, and the Lord had to send the archangel Michael to his aid (Dan. 10:13). It is therefore hardly surprising that Paul warns us that even as God’s own children we cannot withstand the attacks of demons apart from the Lord’s armor, especially the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16).
Demons have superior intelligence (Ezek. 28:3–4), superior strength (Mark 5:4; Acts 19:16), superior supernatural powers to perform “signs and false wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9), and the superior experience of having existed long before the creation of the world, first as holy angels and then as fallen. They not only have great knowledge of God’s nature and power but also great knowledge of man’s nature and weaknesses. As spirit beings they are not limited by time, space, or form. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to bruise Satan’s head and it will only be by the Lord’s power that he will be bound and cast into the abyss and eventually into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:3, 10). It required tremendous power to cast out so many demons as Jesus did in the country of the Gadarenes, yet He did it in an instant. …
The Lord’s supreme purpose in casting out the demons and Matthew’s purpose in reporting it were to demonstrate Jesus’ authority and power over Satan and his forces. The fact that the demons went into the swine and the swine reacted in the frenzy they did was dramatic and convincing evidence that they had left the two men. Their fierceness and violence was transferred to the pigs and there could be no doubt in the minds of observers as to what had happened.
MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Mt 8:3032). Chicago: Moody Press.
After acknowledging Jesus’ superiority by way of question and address, the demoniac betrays his clear awareness of his inferior position and the futility of his situation (Gnilka, 1:204) by desperately “adjuring” Jesus not to “torture” him (μή με βασανίσῃς). In so doing a double irony arises. First, adjuration formulas generally appear on the lips of the exorcist and accompany the exorcism proper rather than being uttered by the one possessed (Koch, Wundererzählungen, 58). This cry obviously parodies the usual adjuration formula by putting Jesus in a subservient position to the demon, a position clearly denied by the man’s actions in 5:6 and his words in 5:7b (Pesch, 1:287; cf. Bultmann, 210, n. 5). Second, the demoniac adjures Jesus by the God whom he has just recognized to be Jesus’ father! Thus, the man’s response to Jesus further demonstrates the unclean spirit’s confused desperation before Jesus. The “demon” has abandoned all attempts to use his own power to gain control. Instead we have an “encounter” where the one recognizes at the outset (cf. 5:6 and 5:7) that he has met his match and simply desires to negotiate a settlement.
Finally, Jesus’ superiority over the unclean spirit is expressed by the demoniac’s fear of “torture” (βασανίσῃς). Many find here a latent reference to an apocalyptic expectation of the final judgment as in Matt 8:30 (so Lohmeyer, 95; Taylor, 280; Grundmann, 144). Others find simply a fear of “punishment” or banishment from the spirit’s “home,” as supported by the context (e.g., 5:10–13, Haenchen, 193; Gnilka, 1:205). The latter most likely expressed the thrust of the exorcism story (cf. a similar fear expressed in 1:24 and note the destruction in 5:13), but Mark’s use of the Strong Man parable in 3:27 to explain Jesus’ exorcisms in 3:23–30 suggests that both their destruction and the eschatological character of that destruction are combined for Mark and his readers. Jesus’ power over the “Strong Man” (in this case one too strong for any to bind or control) becomes evident from the beginning, so that the demoniac’s “adjuration” merely makes Jesus’ ultimate power the more obvious.
8 This verse reads like an afterthought. Mark’s tendency to use explanatory γάρ—clauses has led several to attribute this awkward verse to his redaction (Klostermann, 49; Taylor, 281; Koch, Wundererzählungen, 63–64). The reason for its addition supposedly stems from the absence of the typical, explicit command for the demon to come out (e.g., Klostermann, 49). Thus Mark or an earlier redactor simply supplied a missing component to an exorcism story (Lohmeyer, 95; Grundmann, 144; Schweizer, 112). Koch (Wundererzählungen, 63–64) notes that the silence command typical of an exorcism story is missing, simply because it has no appropriate place in this story (so Minette de Tillesse, Secret, 85, n. 1; Burkill, ST 11 [1957] 161–62), and suggests that Mark adds this comment to take its place. Pesch (1:288) simply views this comment as setting the stage for the dialogue in 5:9–10.
Without doubt, the comment stands in awkward tension with what has gone before by implying a previous ineffectual command for the unclean spirit to come out of the man. This implication stands at odds, however, with the story’s repeated emphasis on the servile position of the unclean spirit toward Jesus. Thus, Haenchen (192–93) attributes this to a redactor’s misunderstanding of 5:2–7. Failing to recognize that Jesus has been in control from the beginning (5:2–7), the one who added 5:8 read the story more as a traditional exorcism and sought to add a missing but essential component of such a story. And if one reads 5:8 with what precedes it, that seems the most logical explanation.
If, however, we take this explanatory comment specifically with the adjuration of 5:7b, it explains why the unclean spirit feared “torture” and what the “torture” was. The unclean spirit had been ordered out of its present habitat. This explanation also sets the stage for the dialogue in 5:9–10, 12 which develops both the concern of “torture” by expulsion (5:7b, 8) and sets up the actual banishment of 5:13 in keeping with the demon(s)’ request in 5:10, 12.
Furthermore, since the destruction of the swine in 5:13 carries out the expulsion of 5:8 according to the request of 5:10 and 12, it seems most likely that the explanatory 5:8 was added at the stage in the story’s development when 5:10, 12–13 expanded the original exorcism story to include the drowning of the swine. And since this material (5:10, 12–13) involved the “sea” (5:13; cf. 5:1) and the “region” (5:10; cf. 5:2), 5:8 too may have been added or modified when the exorcism story was adapted to the sea setting of 4:35–41 and 5:21–43 rather than as a redactional afterthought by Mark. If so, 5:8 without the explanatory conjunction “for” (γάρ) and with a different tense of λέγειν may well have expressed the original exorcism order per se by having Jesus, who disregards the adjuration of 5:7b (similarly in 1:25), simply order the unclean spirit out.
9 In the present form of the story, however, the exorcism continues along a different tack. Jesus asks the name of the unclean spirit. Typically, this request for the name represents a ploy used by the exorcist in gaining control over the spirit (Bonner, HTR 36 [1943] 39–49; K. Thraede, RAC 7 [1969] 51, 56). But abdication of control by the unclean spirit from the beginning of this story and the spirit’s ready response implies a different function for this question here. Furthermore, if Jesus needed to know the unclean spirit’s identity, it would have meant Jesus’ lack of knowledge had put him at a disadvantage against the unclean spirit’s knowledge of Jesus’ identity. Here as before, the story diverges from the formal pattern of an exorcism story.
Instead of granting Jesus control over the demon(s), the question and response reveal the extent of the man’s domination. On the one hand, this verse explains his uncontrollable behavior in 5:3–4 in terms of the power of “legion” (Haenchen, 190). On the other hand, the ready submission of the man to Jesus in 5:6 accents Jesus’ power over this extensive force of the demonic. Consequently, this part of the story may also have been added with the expansion of 5:3–6 that elaborated on the man’s extreme predicament. Accordingly, the subject begins to vacillate between the singular “I” and the plural “we” from this point on. “Legion” appears as a Latin loan word in Greek and Aramaic texts which indicates how pervasive the concept was in the ancient world. A military term, it designates a unit or brigade in the Roman army including infantry and cavalry. The number varied between 4000 and 6000, but by Jesus’ day and during the time of the empire the number appears fixed at approximately 6000 men of whom nearly 5800 were infantry.
Whether “Legion” actually represented a name (Klostermann, 49; Pesch, 1:288) or simply a collective noun (Grundmann, 144; Haenchen, 190) is disputed but somewhat moot. On the one hand, taken as the answer to the question, “What is your name?” (τί ὄνομά σοι;), “Legion” favors the former. On the other hand, the lack of evidence for the name “Legion” elsewhere and the reference in 5:15 to the man as the one having “the legion” (τὸν λεγιῶνα) favors the latter. Should one take it as a name, the spirit(s)’ immediate explanation, “For we are many” (ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν), makes clear that the “name” primarily connoted a vast number rather than an identity by which the exorcist might gain control over the unclean spirit.
10 The unclean spirit(s)’ subservient role comes through again in the repeated request for a concession from Jesus. The repetition is accented by the imperfect tense and the adverbial use of πολλά (παρεκάλει αὐτὸν πολλά). This request that Jesus not send them “out of the region” continues and specifies the content of the spirit’s adjuration in 5:7b. Some have found traces of an ancient folktale behind this request that expresses the demon’s fear of being displaced or sent back to the place of origin (Klostermann, 49; Lohmeyer, 96; Taylor, 282; Kertelge, Wunder, 102). But this request may well have been a later addition coordinated with the later setting of 5:2 that adapted an earlier exorcism story set at Gerasa to its present setting by the sea. This request not to be sent from the “region” (χῶρας) refers to a geographical area and uses the very term, “region” (χῶρα), of 5:2a that expanded the boundaries of the Gerasenes to include the sea (cf. Luke 8:31, ἄβυσσον).
Guelich, R. A. (1998). Mark 18:26 (Vol. 34A, pp ). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
There is a tremendous occurrence presented to us here. The demons made a very peculiar request. They preferred swine to the abyss. The permission of Jesus here has been severely criticized by men who are liberal in their theology. Their objection has been that He would not destroy the swine, as the “gentle Jesus” wouldn’t do things like that. That’s nonsense, of course. I was having breakfast in Chicago with a man who had gone into liberalism. I had known him in school, and he had been sound then, but the way he was talking about Jesus and describing Him was totally fictitious. And he used this illustration, saying he didn’t believe Jesus would destroy swine because that was such a terrible thing. Well, to begin with, these people shouldn’t have been in the pig business. The Mosaic Law forbade it. And then I reminded this fellow that the two thousand pigs destroyed here were insignificant compared to the pigs that were destroyed in the Flood at the time of Noah. And the third interesting thing was that as we were having breakfast together, he was eating bacon. “Oh, my!” I said to him, “I wish the little piggie that you are eating this morning were here to tell you what he thinks of you, for you weep like the walrus and the carpenter.” (You remember, they just kept on eating the oysters but they wept because there was a lot of sand, not because they were eating the oysters. They wept for the wrong thing.) Well, I think we have a lot of that type of thinking about us ty.
Now let me come back and say some things about this matter of demon possession:
1. Not only Mark but all of the Scriptures bear definite witness to the reality of demons. For those who accept the authority of Scripture, there must be an acceptance of the reality of demons.
2. They were especially evident during the ministry of Jesus but, of course, were not confined to that period. By the way, we’re living in a day right now when there is a resurgence and a manifestation of demonism again. Many illustrations of this could be given.
3. For some strange reason they seek to indwell mankind. They seek to manifest their evil nature through human beings. They are extremely restless. This description is clear. “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out” (Luke 11:24). Is this not the characteristic of all evil, even evil men? There is the restlessness of seeking expression of the evil nature.
Good spirits never seek to take possession of men. The Holy Spirit is the one exception, and He only indwells believers. But as truly as He indwells believers so demons can possess the unsaved. Demons cannot possess the saved. We are told that greater is He that is in us (the Holy Spirit) than he that is in the world (Satan) (1 John 4:4). Therefore, a child of God cannot be demon-possessed.
4. In this incident the demons would rather go into a herd of swine than the abyss. That is interesting to note.
5. They should be called demons and not devils. There is only one Devil. Our translation is faulty here. They are called “unclean spirits” because of their nature.
6. Scripture does not give us the origin of them. Anything I would say today would be highly speculative.
7. There seems to be many of them.
8. They are under the control of Satan. Now I said I would not speculate, but here I go. I’m of the opinion that when Satan fell, these were the angels that followed him. Now having said that, let’s not say any more.
9. Their purpose is the final undoing of man. They are certainly working on Satan’s program.
10. There are present-day examples of demon possession. We have Satan worship right in our own neighborhoods, and there are a lot of college students and professors who are engaged in it. They say they find reality in it. I think they do, by the way. I think that Satan is prepared to give reality to those who worship him. The all-important question is: what kind of reality do they find?
11. The Lord Jesus Christ has power over demons. That, I think, is the great lesson for us to learn.
There is no reason for any believer to be afraid of demons or to adopt some superstition or spooky notion concerning them. If you feel that you are bothered with them, then just ask the Lord Jesus to deliver you. They have been cast out in His name, and it is a lack of faith in the Lord Jesus to walk in fear of them today. If you feel that they can control you in any way, or possess you, or direct you, then you need counselling. Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ has power over demons.
McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 4, pp ). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

28. 4. Son of God’s Superior Power Jesus cast out inferior demons
Mark 5:8
e;legen ga.r auvtw/|\ e;xelqe to. pneu/ma to. avka,qarton evk tou/ avnqrw,pouÅ
He had been saying For to him Come out the spirit the unclean out of the man
He said
Mark 5:8 8 (for he said to him, 'Come forth, spirit unclean, out of the man,')
e;xelqe verb imperative aorist active 2nd person singular
Mark 5:8 [Textus Receptus] ἔλεγεν γὰρ αὐτῷ Ἔξελθε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Mark 5:8 [Codex Alexandrinus (A) (5th century)] f.8v c.2 ελεγεν· γαρ αυτω το πνευμα το ακαθαρτον εξελθε απο του ανου
Mark 5:8 [Codex Vaticanus (B) (Gr. 1209) (4th century)] 27a c2 ελεγεν γαρ αυτω εξελθε το πνευμα το ακαθαρτον εκ του ανθρωπου     .
Critical Apparatus :
(1) εξελθε τὸ πνευμα το ακαθαρτον : B
(2) τὸ πνευμα το ακαθαρτον εξελθε : A
(3) εκ : B
(4) απο : A
The exact order of events is unclear, but may have been as follows:
1. The demoniac performed an act of reverence to the Lord Jesus (v. 6).
2. Jesus ordered the unclean spirit to come out of him (v. 8).
3. The spirit, speaking through the man, acknowledged who Jesus was, challenged His right to interfere, and begged Jesus with an oath to stop tormenting him (v. 7).
4. Jesus asked the man’s name. It was Legion, signifying he was indwelt by many demons (v. 9). This apparently does not contradict verse 2 where it says he had an unclean spirit (singular).
5. Perhaps it was the spokesman for the demons who begged permission to enter a herd of swine (vv. 10–12).
6. Permission was granted with the result that two thousand pigs raced down the mountainside and drowned in the sea (v. 13).
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believers Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1332). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Did Jesus fail to cast out the demon’s on his first try? (Read Mark 5:6-13) No
(Professor Rosscup – what does the text NOT say)
Luke clarifies that Jesus was first asking of the demon’s name (remember He knew them previously – weird to think about)
After Jesus’ question – we then see the demon’s fear of and imploring to Jesus not to be sent to tartarus/the abyss.
Then Jesus said Go (gave them permission to go into the pigs).
Manuscript discrepancy – imperfect vs aorist active (verb tense)
Aorist Tense  The aorist is said to be "simple occurrence" or "summary occurrence", without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. This tense is also often referred to as the 'punctiliar' tense. 'Punctiliar' in this sense means 'viewed as a single, collective whole,' a "one-point-in-time" action, although it may actually take place over a period of time. In the indicative mood the aorist tense denotes action that occurred in the past time, often translated like the English simple past tense.
For example: "God...made us alive together with Christ." Eph 2:5  "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6
Imperfect Tense  The imperfect tense shows continuous or linear type of action just like the present tense. It always indicates an action continually or repeatedly happening in past time. It portrays the action as going on for some extended period of time in the past.  The idea of continual action in the past does not apply when the verb "to be" is in the imperfect tense. There it should be considered a simple action happening in past time, without regard to its "on-going" or "repeated happening" in the past.
For example: "For you were once darkness, but now light in the Lord." Eph 5:8
8 This verse reads like an afterthought. Mark’s tendency to use explanatory γάρ—clauses has led several to attribute this awkward verse to his redaction (Klostermann, 49; Taylor, 281; Koch, Wundererzählungen, 63–64). The reason for its addition supposedly stems from the absence of the typical, explicit command for the demon to come out (e.g., Klostermann, 49). Thus Mark or an earlier redactor simply supplied a missing component to an exorcism story (Lohmeyer, 95; Grundmann, 144; Schweizer, 112). Koch (Wundererzählungen, 63–64) notes that the silence command typical of an exorcism story is missing, simply because it has no appropriate place in this story (so Minette de Tillesse, Secret, 85, n. 1; Burkill, ST 11 [1957] 161–62), and suggests that Mark adds this comment to take its place. Pesch (1:288) simply views this comment as setting the stage for the dialogue in 5:9–10.
Without doubt, the comment stands in awkward tension with what has gone before by implying a previous ineffectual command for the unclean spirit to come out of the man. This implication stands at odds, however, with the story’s repeated emphasis on the servile position of the unclean spirit toward Jesus. Thus, Haenchen (192–93) attributes this to a redactor’s misunderstanding of 5:2–7. Failing to recognize that Jesus has been in control from the beginning (5:2–7), the one who added 5:8 read the story more as a traditional exorcism and sought to add a missing but essential component of such a story. And if one reads 5:8 with what precedes it, that seems the most logical explanation.
If, however, we take this explanatory comment specifically with the adjuration of 5:7b, it explains why the unclean spirit feared “torture” and what the “torture” was. The unclean spirit had been ordered out of its present habitat. This explanation also sets the stage for the dialogue in 5:9–10, 12 which develops both the concern of “torture” by expulsion (5:7b, 8) and sets up the actual banishment of 5:13 in keeping with the demon(s)’ request in 5:10, 12.
Furthermore, since the destruction of the swine in 5:13 carries out the expulsion of 5:8 according to the request of 5:10 and 12, it seems most likely that the explanatory 5:8 was added at the stage in the story’s development when 5:10, 12–13 expanded the original exorcism story to include the drowning of the swine. And since this material (5:10, 12–13) involved the “sea” (5:13; cf. 5:1) and the “region” (5:10; cf. 5:2), 5:8 too may have been added or modified when the exorcism story was adapted to the sea setting of 4:35–41 and 5:21–43 rather than as a redactional afterthought by Mark. If so, 5:8 without the explanatory conjunction “for” (γάρ) and with a different tense of λέγειν may well have expressed the original exorcism order per se by having Jesus, who disregards the adjuration of 5:7b (similarly in 1:25), simply order the unclean spirit out.
Guelich, R. A. (1998). Mark 18:26 (Vol. 34A, pp ). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

29. 4. Son of God’s Superior Power Jesus cast out inferior demons
Jesus has power to throw demons into the pit (and people into hell/Lake of Fire)
The only reason Jesus didn’t torture or send these demons into the abyss was God has already set the TIMING NIV Matthew 8:29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?“
Jesus cast out thousands of demons with one word “GO!”
The surrounding villagers knew the enormous power of the demoniac, so when Jesus demonstrated superior power – they became afraid of such power (and perhaps were effected by previous slander and false claims that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan and was on the side of evil instead of good – no wonder people were afraid and implored Him to leave)
The demons begged and the town implored – but will you repent and by faith confess Him as Lord – acknowledging Him for who He truly is – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15)
5:9 “What is your name?” Most likely, Jesus asked this in view of the demon’s appeal not to be tormented. However, He did not need to know the demon’s name in order to expel him. Rather, Jesus posed the question to bring the reality and complexity of this case into the open. Legion. A Lat. term, by then common to Jews and Greeks, that defined a Roman military unit of 6,000 infantrymen. Such a name denotes that the man was controlled by an extremely large number of militant evil spirits, a truth reiterated by the expression “for we are many.”
5:10 he begged. The demon understood that Jesus had all power over him and addressed Him with an intense desire that his request be granted. not send them out of the country. See note on v. 1. The demons wanted to remain in the same area where they had been exercising their evil powers.
5:13 Jesus gave them permission. According to His sovereign purposes Jesus allowed the demons to enter the pigs and destroy them—the text offers no other explanation (cf. Deut. 29:29; Rom. 9:20). By doing this, Jesus gave the man a graphic, visible, and powerful lesson on the immensity of the evil from which he had been delivered.
5:15 sitting. The man’s restful condition was a strong contrast with his former restless, agitated state. in his right mind. He was no longer under the frenzied, screaming control of the demons.
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1468). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

30. 4. Son of God’s Superior Power Jesus cast out inferior demons
The demons called Him the Son of God / Son of the Most High God
The demons begged/entreated Him / implored Him earnestly
The demons feared torture
basani,zw basanizo: to torture
Origin: ba,sanoj basanos: a touchstone (a dark stone used in testing metals), hence examination by torture, torture
In the end what the demons did was based on Jesus’ permission (authority)
evpitre,pw epitrepo: to turn to, entrust, hence to permit
5:9 “What is your name?” Most likely, Jesus asked this in view of the demon’s appeal not to be tormented. However, He did not need to know the demon’s name in order to expel him. Rather, Jesus posed the question to bring the reality and complexity of this case into the open. Legion. A Lat. term, by then common to Jews and Greeks, that defined a Roman military unit of 6,000 infantrymen. Such a name denotes that the man was controlled by an extremely large number of militant evil spirits, a truth reiterated by the expression “for we are many.”
5:10 he begged. The demon understood that Jesus had all power over him and addressed Him with an intense desire that his request be granted. not send them out of the country. See note on v. 1. The demons wanted to remain in the same area where they had been exercising their evil powers.
5:13 Jesus gave them permission. According to His sovereign purposes Jesus allowed the demons to enter the pigs and destroy them—the text offers no other explanation (cf. Deut. 29:29; Rom. 9:20). By doing this, Jesus gave the man a graphic, visible, and powerful lesson on the immensity of the evil from which he had been delivered.
5:15 sitting. The man’s restful condition was a strong contrast with his former restless, agitated state. in his right mind. He was no longer under the frenzied, screaming control of the demons.
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1468). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.

33. 5. Suicidal Pigs
Matthew 8:32 And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. Mark 5:13 And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. Luke 8:33 33 And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
5:11 swine. Pigs were unclean animals to the Jews, so the people tending this herd were either Gentiles or Jews unconcerned about the law (see note on Matt. 8:30).
8:30 herd of many swine. Mark 5:13 adds that there were 2,000 in this herd. Such a large herd of unclean animals suggests that Gentiles dominated the region. It also suggests that the number of demons was large (cf. Mark 5:9).
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1407). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. If the number of a legion and the pigs were exact, that would make three demons to one pig. No wonder they committed SUIcide. But doesn’t that make Jesus guilty of destroying private property? Not at all. Jesus only permitted it, he did not cause it. Let’s not blame God for Satan’s work. Besides, pigs were unclean animals to the Jews. We can hardly expect Jesus to honor a herd of pigs. The bottom line is that Jesus considers the soul of one man more valuable than 2,000 pigs. And that can scarcely be criticized.
Why do the demons ask to enter the pigs and then immediately destroy their hosts? Perhaps the demons know that Jesus will be blamed for the destruction of the herd. Thus, they are trying to cause trouble for Jesus. At the same time, demons are naturally destructive. They are doing nothing essentially different to the pigs than they did to the man. It is simply not true that Satan (and his cohorts) take care of their own. They typically destroy whatever they can get their hands on.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.

34. In 2013, there were 41,149 deaths by suicide in the United States
 In 2013, there were 41,149 deaths by suicide in the United States. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death; homicide ranks 16th.  It is the second leading cause of death for year olds. 

35. 6. Scared and Selfish City
Matthew 8: The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region. Luke 8: When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. 35 The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36 Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 37 And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. Mark 5: Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region.
It must be close to midnight. As the shepherds (or pig herders) report this incident, they are waking up the owner(s) of the flock. An emergency town meeting is called in the middle of the night.
For the first time in who knows how long, this demoniac is liberated. The townspeople gather on the shore of the lake in the wee hours of the morning. There they find the ex-demoniac sitting, sane, and dressed, perhaps even in Jesus’ own tunic. When they see this they are afraid. But what frightens them? They knew the power of the demoniac; they couldn’t control him even with chains. But Jesus had. That kind of power was beyond them. They also know their major cash crop was just destroyed. They need a scapegoat. Jesus is available. Instead of submitting to his power, they expel him out of fear.
This is a community decision (cf. “all the people”). It is easier to ask Jesus to leave than to figure out the complexity of the situation and where they stand. Peter had asked Jesus to leave after the great catch of fish (Lk 5:8). But there was one big difference. Peter did it because he caught a glimpse of Christ’s holiness and his own sinfulness. These people did it because they caught a glimpse of Jesus’ power and wanted to protect themselves from it. Jesus stayed and worked with Peter. But because of the Gerasene unbelief, Jesus leaves them as they requested. He is a gentleman. He won’t foist himself upon you.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.
Mt 8:34 begged Him to depart. Perhaps they were concerned with the financial impact from the loss of the pigs. More likely, they were all ungodly people frightened to be in the presence of such spiritual power (cf. Mark 5:14, 15).
Mk 5:17 plead with Him to depart from their region. The residents of the region became frightened and resentful toward Jesus because of what had happened. They may have been concerned about the disruption of their normal routine and the loss of property, and they wanted Jesus and His powers to leave the area so no more such financial losses would occur. More compelling, however, was the reality that they were ungodly people frightened by Christ’s display of spiritual power (see note on Matt. 8:34).
MacArthur, J., Jr. (Ed.). (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed., p. 1468). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.
5:14–17 Those who witnessed the swine’s destruction ran back to the city with the news. A crowd returned to find the ex-demoniac sitting at Jesus’ feet clothed and in his right mind. The people were afraid. Someone has said, “They were afraid when He stilled the tempest on the sea, and now in a human soul.” The witnesses recounted the whole story to the newcomers. It was too much for the populace; they pleaded with Jesus to depart from the region. This and not the destruction of the pigs is the shocking part of the incident. Christ was too costly a guest!
“Countless multitudes still wish Christ far from them for fear His fellowship may occasion some social or financial or personal loss. Seeking to save their possessions, they lose their souls” (Selected).
MacDonald, W. (1995). Believers Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1333). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

36. “Radical obedience to Christ is not easy
“Radical obedience to Christ is not easy... It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us.” (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream)
“I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what was radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable.” (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream)
“A materialistic world will not be won to Christ by a materialistic church.”
“But then I realize there is never going to be a day when I stand before God and He looks at me and says, 'I wish you would have kept more for yourself.' I'm confident that God will take care of me.” (Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream)
“The most glorious reason you exist is for the proclamation of the glory of God to the ends of the world. And it's more than having a nice life.”

37. 7. Set free and Sharing Servant
Mark 5: As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Luke 8: But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
The ex-demoniac begs to go with Jesus. The imperfect verb indicates that he continues to beseech Christ. Why does he want to go? Obviously, he loves Jesus and appreciates what he had done. And he knew that if he stayed close to Jesus the demons could not come back. But beyond his love for Jesus, he will always be the ex-demoniac (like an ex-con), to these Gadarenes. He will always have the scars on his body as a reminder to the community of who he was. And the town will associate him with the loss of 2,000 pigs. He wants a fresh start and a new identity. According to Jesus, however, it is more important that he witnesses in his community with his old identity.
Jesus sends him home to his family. The content of his message is simple. He is to tell two things: (a) “How much God has done for you” and (b) “How he has had mercy on you.” We often make evangelism far too complex. Here we have an ex-demoniac with merely one evening of “Bible College” education. He simply goes home and tells his story. The results are phenomenal. He not only goes throughout the whole town but through the entire Decapolis, a group of ten Greek cities.
But that is not the end of the story. The next time Jesus returns to that area, he has a wonderful reception and feeds 4,000. No doubt, it is largely due to the testimony of this one man.
Moore, M. E. (2011). The Chronological Life of Christ (pp ). Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company.
Everyone Evangelising Everyone Everywhere (Colossians 4:5-6)
23 NOVEMBER 2010 BY DOUG VAN METER
Reflect for a moment on the following anecdote, which will serve to illustrate an important lesson regarding evangelism.
A traveller came upon three men working in a large open quarry—nothing but boulders, rocks and pebbles. The traveller observed these men breathing hard, wet with sweat as they swung their sledge hammers again and again in order to slowly pulverize the granite hunks.
The traveller then asked these men what they were doing. The first man quickly and harshly barked that he was “breaking his back.” The second man matter-of-factly quipped that he was “making a living.” The third man however, paused, pondered, and with a glint in his eye answered: “Me? I’m building a glorious cathedral.”1
The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is called to aggressive evangelism. The Lord in His grace has recently started to stir our church in this regard. He has graciously begun another work of reformation.
In recent studies I have asserted what I believe to be the biblical teaching regarding the conversion of culture through the conversion of its citizens. That is, as souls are converted then society is impacted. Clearly this was the Lord’s intention when He used the metaphors of salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
As more and more people are regenerated and then increasingly converted in their worldview, society will consequently be influenced for good. This consequence is not the driving factor but it is an important factor. We would argue from Scripture that the glory of God as displayed through the supremacy of His Son is our primary motive for the Great Commission (see Ps 67), and yet I fail to see how this can be separated from the cultural consequences of a converted people. Of course what I am describing here is the work of the Great Commission: making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers prove their faith by submission to the Lordship of the risen Christ—in all areas of life. Such disciples will be growing in embracing and displaying of the biblical worldview. But, of course, for one to become a disciple they must be evangelised. And that is what we are called to begin with. Evangelism is but the first step in making disciples; it is, nevertheless, the beginning. In this study I want to challenge you to do it!
One means towards our involvement in evangelism is the development of a biblical vision. “Where there is no revelation,” wrote Solomon, “the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18). Or, in slightly older language, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (AV).
We need to see our lives in the story of those three men who were working in the quarry. With which of the three do you most identify?
We need to see ourselves in the work of building a cathedral, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to see ourselves building this cathedral in everything we do. Specifically, we need to see ourselves building this cathedral as we carry out our vocation. That is, when you go to work realise that you are neither “breaking your back” nor “making a living” but are instead being used of God to “build a glorious cathedral.” Note: not merely a “cathedral” but rather a “glorious cathedral”!
Let me summarise the above by saying that everyone of us who has been born again is responsible (indeed, privileged!) before God to evangelise. Proclaiming the good news of the grace of God to sinners in Jesus Christ is our privileged duty. And we are to do so everywhere that God places us. Further, we are to seek to share this with everyone whom we can. In a nutshell, our churches should become increasingly committed to the mindset of everyone evangelising everyone everywhere.
Let me try to flesh this out.
What does it mean to “evangelise”?
The word “evangelise” literally means “to proclaim good news” or “to preach the gospel.” Simply stated, to evangelise is to proclaim the good news of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. We will develop the actual task of evangelism below, but let us first note—biblically speaking—who is responsible to evangelise.
This is not an unimportant question, for there is one theory that states that Jesus gave the Great Commission only to the apostles, and that the assignment ended with them.
But I am convinced that a survey of the New Testament reveals a very different picture. The actual word “evangelise” seems very much to have been a word favoured by Luke, who used it some 25 times in Luke and Acts. Matthew is the only other Gospel writer to have used the word, and he did so but once.  Paul uses it some 20 times in six of his epistles, the writer of Hebrews uses it twice, Peter uses it three times in his first epistle, and John uses it twice in Revelation.
Let’s take a brief survey of evangelism as it is seen in the New Testament and see what we can learn about our responsibility in the matter.
First, we notice that Jesus was involved in evangelism. Consider:
Matthew 11:5—“The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Luke 4:18—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
Luke 4:43—“But He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.’”
Luke 8:1—“Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village,preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him.”
Gabriel “evangelised” when he said to Zacharias, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings” (Luke 1:19). And when the angel of the Lord spoke to the shepherds, Luke uses the same term:
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”
(Luke 2:9-10)
John the Baptist “preached” (“evangelised”) to the people (Luke 3:18). The apostles evangelised after the ascension.
Acts 5:42—“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
Acts 8:25—“So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.”
Acts 13:32—“And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.”
Philip, a deacon in the early church, was involved in evangelism (Acts 8:12, 35, 40). Paul spoke of unnamed messengers who might “preach” to the Galatians (Galatians 1:8-9). In this context, Paul warns the Galatians to be discerning about the message that is “evangelised” to them. He does not forbid listening to the evangelism of non-apostles, only of doing so without discernment. There is surely an inference here that the responsibility to evangelise was not merely the domain of the apostolic band. This serves as a death knell to the argument that the Great Commission was limited to the original apostles. And by extension, certainly the work of evangelism was never intended to be limited to the domain of a select group of preachers.
Revelation 14:6 speaks of an “angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel topreach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.” This angel (“messenger”) is sent with the good news to all peoples. Since we know that God has entrusted the preaching of the gospel to humans, the implication is that it is humans who will reach these peoples. It seems to imply that “unofficial” messengers will evangelise.
A case can be made that this chapter hearkens back to Revelation 7 where 144,000 servants are sealed. In that chapter the sealed servants seem to be the means of the multitude being evangelised in v. 6. As I have argued elsewhere, these 144,000 are the early primarily Jewish church, which did evangelise the known world (cf. Colossians 1:6, 23).
But perhaps, from our perspective the most significant text which speaks of believers evangelising is found in toward the middle part of the book of Acts.
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
(Acts 8:1-4)
Observe that it was “those who were scattered” who “went everywhere preaching the word.” But this group did not include the apostles, for believers “were scattered all throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles.” The apostles remained in Jerusalem, but it was those who went from Jerusalem who evangelised as they went.
Later still, we read of some disciples “from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus” (Acts 11:20).
What can we conclude from this? Surely it is evident that evangelism is essential and that every believer shares the responsibility for evangelism. In other words, our mindset is to be “everyone evangelising everyone everywhere.”
What is the Gospel?
How would you answer the question, what is the gospel? I have recently given much thought to the fact that believers applying for membership of BBC should perhaps be asked this question. We do not want to intimidate anyone, but surely it is important that Christians be able to define in a succinct manner what the gospel is. Many can testify to what the gospel has done in their lives—and that is certainly important—but many of the same cannot actually define the gospel.
I would offer as a simple definition of the gospel the following: The good news of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. In biblical language, the gospel is the truth that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
According to the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism (1974),
to evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according the Scriptures, and that a the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit to all who repent and believe.
That is good news indeed. Listen to this good helpful explanation by John Cheeseman:
Evangelism is not persuading people to make a decision; it is not proving God exists, or making out a good case for the truth of Christianity; it is not inviting someone to a meeting; it is not exposing the contemporary dilemma, or arousing interest in Christianity; it is not wearing a badge saying “Jesus Saves!” Some of these things may be right and good in their place, but none of them should be confused with evangelism. To evangelize is to declare on the authority of God what he has done to save sinners, to warn men of their lost condition, to direct them to repent, and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.2
The gospel is not potentially good news; it is particularly good news. That is, Jesus Christ died forparticular sinners, and every sinner for whom He died will be saved. All those who the Father gave to the Son will come to him. He died for them and will lose none of them (John 6:37-39). Jesus did not die for all sinners to make salvation potentially possible for all. No, He died for particularsinners to purchase their certain salvation. He died for those who were “appointed to eternal life” (Acts 13:48). He died for those whom God “chose in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4). He died for “the elect’s sake” (2 Timothy 2:10).
This should give us great confidence in our evangelism. We are declaring a message that is historically valid and which will be historically victorious. It is not up to us to convince people that they must be saved. We are to preach the gospel to everyone, and trust God to save those for whom Christ died. He will do so!
We have a historically validated and victorious message that must be vocalised to everyone everywhere. Everyone is to be evangelising everyone everywhere.
Who are we to evangelise?
I trust you have the answer prepared: We are to evangelise everyone. This might seem a somewhat obvious statement, but as George Orwell once said, “we have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.”3 In that case, consider the obvious duly restated!
A cursory look at the ministry and words of Jesus Christ reveals that everyone is to hear this good news. I understand well that not all will be saved, but all need to hear of the Lordship of Christ. All need to hear of their obligation before Him; all need to hear that they will give an account to Him. And certainly the elect need to hear.
The “universal” language of the New Testament regarding evangelism is quite clear. Jesus said that “the field is the world” (Matthew 13:38). Again, He said of evangelism in the first-century church, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Again, “Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Matthew 26:13).
Jesus reminded the religious of His day, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves’” (Mark 11:17).
In the Great Commission He commanded that disciples be made in “all nations” (Matthew 28:18-20). He instructed the disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Again, “Repentance and remission of sins [must] be preached . . . to all nations” (Luke 24:46-47).
Or consider perhaps the most beloved verses in all Scripture: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Jesus further described Himself as “the living bread” available to “anyone” who would eat. His flesh (“the living bread”) was given “for the life of all the world” (John 6:51). Again, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), and “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
Paul warned the Athenians that “God now commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30-31). He told the Romans that God expects “obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Romans 1:5). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
These are but a few samplings of the plethora of New Testament texts which suggest we must preach the gospel to everyone.
The believer is to be soul-conscious. That is, we must view each individual whom we encounter as one made in the image of God and therefore in need of God’s forgiveness. We must appreciate that each individual whom we encounter is one who is accountable before the Lord as one who will give an account to God on Judgement Day. Each individual whom we encounter has the potential to give glory to God. But the gospel is essential for them to fully glorify Him (cf. Romans 8:28-30). Thus, the truth of humanity created in God’s image compels us to evangelise all and sundry.
We must view each and every individual as potentially one for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Of course, we don’t know for sure if those whom we evangelise are elect, but as someone has wonderfully illustrated, evangelism is like screwing light bulbs into sockets: You simply screw them in and see if they light up. Some will light up immediately, others will light up over time, and still others will remain dark always. It is not our task to give light, only to screw the bulb into the socket.
And so we see that everyone is to evangelise everyone. But this leads to our next consideration.
Where are we to evangelise?
I suspect that you have latched onto the motto by now and are fully prepared to answer, everywhere!
You are to evangelise everywhere that God, in His providence, has placed you. God providentially placed Paul in Athens, perhaps the most superstitiously religious city of the day, and Paul understood it to be an opportunity for evangelism. He looked for a springboard for the gospel, and once he found it he immediately latched onto it.
Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”
(Acts 17:22-27)
God has providentially placed us geographically for the extension of His kingdom. Geography is important. It is somewhat saddening to observe the flight of South Africans from the country. There is great pessimism about the future of South Africa—based on the present political landscape—and so many citizens have opted for greener pastures in other countries. A good number of professing Christians are among those fleeing.
It is not my place to cast aspersion upon anyone’s decision to emigrate, but perhaps more careful consideration is required before making a hasty decision. The social and political future may well look bleak from our present perspective, but surely God has placed Christians in South Africa in order to reach those “who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1 Timothy 1:16). What are you doing in your neighbourhood and in your city to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Included in this must be the matter of our vocation. Evangelism is not the exclusive domain of “professional clergy.” God has given you certain abilities and placed you within a particular vocation. Some view their vocation as back-breaking work, whilst others understand that they are just making a living. I want to suggest, in keeping with our opening illustration, that we should view our vocation as an opportunity to build a glorious cathedral. Each Christian should be a cathedral builder in the world in which God has placed us.
There are several issues here that must be addressed and perhaps in a future study we can return to this issue. But for now, let me suggest that the church must return to an appreciation that work precedes worship. God worked and then He rested; man was to follow this pattern. The implication was that after labour man was to rest for the purpose of reflecting on God’s work. The point is that work is a godly and therefore legitimate pursuit. If we are to spend the majority of our time in the workplace then I conclude that this is where we are to subdue the world for Christ. Hence the workplace becomes an important locus of evangelism.
Dorothy Sayers, in her well-known essay, “Why Work?”, wrote,
In nothing has the Church so lost Her hold on reality as in Her failure to understand and respect the secular vocation. She has allowed work and religion to become separate departments, and is astonished to find that, as result, the secular work of the world is turned to purely selfish and destructive ends, and that the greater part of the world’s intelligent workers have become irreligious, or at least, uninterested in religion.
But is it astonishing? How can anyone remain interested in a religion which seems to have no concern with nine-tenths of his life? The Church’s approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the Church should be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables.
Church by all means, and decent forms of amusement, certainly—but what use is all that if in the very centre of his life and occupation he is insulting God with bad carpentry? No crooked table legs or ill-fitting drawers ever, I dare swear, came out of the carpenter’s shop at Nazareth. Nor, if they did, could anyone believe that they were made by the same hand that made Heaven and earth. No piety in the worker will compensate for work that is not true to itself; for any work that is untrue to its own technique is a living lie.
I simply want to drive home the point that our workplace is a place of ministry; worship, yes, but more accurately, it is a place of service. It is the sphere in which the Lord has placed you for the purpose of evangelism and, by His grace, a place of discipleship.
Practically, this requires that Christians in the workplace be winsome. It is only by being winsome that we will have the privilege of winning some to Christ. And winsomeness is a consequence of wisdom (Proverbs 11:30).
When you are winsome in your testimony, people will be compelled to ask you for the reason for such a countercultural hope. You will then be in a position to “answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6).
How do we evangelise?
Of course, the next major question is, how do we evangelise? This will be the subject of our next study.
As we conclude our time together, let me say that there is a requirement—a precondition—to be met before we can evangelise everyone everywhere. In order to do this, you must first beevangelised! You must not only hear the gospel but you must be regenerated through the gospel. Have you come to realise from above what God has done for you in Christ Jesus? If not, then ask the Lord to reveal this to you. And when He does, then—and only then—will you be energised and equipped to join everyone evangelising everyone everywhere.

38. V. Conclusion/Application

39. Ways the Devil and Demons Like to Attack or Tempt Us
Discouragement, Discontentment, and Depression
Physical Trauma, Sickness, Disease, and Disability
Sudden Division, Disagreement, and Conflict in your closest relationships
Unexplained struggle with Jealousy, Anger, and forms of Pride
Impossible Situations outside your control and ability to solve or improve
Overwhelming Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and frustration
Unexplained Fear, Doubt, and Worry
False Doctrine, Deception, and Delusions
Bitterness, Unforgiveness, and Hatred
Mental Anguish, Confusion, and Impairment
Traps, Temptations, and Trials
Appeals to our Flesh, Selfishness, and Worldly desires
Accusations, Scrutiny, and Scorn

40. How To Overcome Demonic Oppression
Devote Yourselves to Prayer (Colossians 4:2) (Pray, Pray, Pray)
Go to the Lord and ask Him to fight for you and protect you in the spiritual realms you don’t understand (Romans 8:26-39)
Seek Others Prayer Cover and Counsel (Ephesians 6:18-20, 1 Thess. 5:11-25, 2 Cor. 1:11)
Saturate Your Mind with Scripture and Meditate/Memorize on what is true/Dwell on Truth (Philippians 4:8)
Put on the full Armor of God - Appropriate and utilize all the spiritual weapons and defenses God has given us (Ephesians 6:12-17, 2 Corinthians 6:7, 10:4)
Stay close to Christ and other Christians – don’t let yourselves become isolated spiritually (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Recognize how the evil one has come against you in the past and how he is coming against you in the present (2 Cor. 2:11)
Remember the Lord is greater than our flesh, our fallen world, our enemy, and all our problems! (1 John 4:4)
Mind
(Doctrine/Truth)
Heart
(Faith, Hope, Love)
Actions (Power, Obedience, Fruitfulness)