Re: Aids to Casting Out Demons
- From: lsenders@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 02:36:22 GMT
Tim Campbell wrote:
> I just asked a question of you concerning the Matthew 28 and Matthew 10
> passages. I was simply asking you to comment on the clarity with which
> Jesus said, as a part of the Great Commission, that these activities
> are to be a part of our lives of faith.
Mt 10 and 28 are not parallel passages. Mt 10 relates only to the
Jews. The context has the disciples at that moment, performing these
things to attest that the Messiah had, indeed, come. Casting out
demons was a demonstration at that time, of the authenticity and divine
authority of their Rabbi. This is very much a Jewish thing.
John 2:18 The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, "What SIGN do
You show to us, seeing that You do these things?"
John 4:54 This is again a second SIGN that Jesus performed, when He had
come out of Judea into Galilee.
John 6:14 When therefore the people saw the SIGN which He had
performed, they said, "This is of a truth the Prophet who is to come
into the world."
John 6:30 They said therefore to Him, "What then do You do for a SIGN,
that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?
John 10:41 And many came to Him and were saying, "While John performed
no SIGN, yet everything John said about this man was true."
John 12:18 For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because
they heard that He had performed this SIGN.
The "sign" gifts were given to the early Church only as a "sign" to the
Jews. This was but a transitional revelation that God had stopped
dealing exclusively with the Jews. This is part of the Pauline
argument in Galatians, that the Abrahamic covenant was coming partially
to fruition in that the Gentiles were being called. The casting out of
demons is nowhere established as a norm for the Church. Rather, it was
a specific sign of authentication at a specific time in history, in a
specific context.
Do demons still exist? Certainly. Are exorcisms still a possibility.
Again, yes. But it is historically evident that the time of Christ's
first advent brought about a heightened activation of demonic activity.
Revelation, Joel and other prophecies declare that just prior to His
second advent, the same crecendo will occur. But nowhere in the
scriptures is this an emphasized activity for the Church. Recently
reading through Paul's exhortations written to Timothy, saw no evidence
or emphasis of such a ministry. In point of fact, it is not until the
"later days," that such activity again crecendos.
Mt 28, is post resurrection, pre-Pentecost. I see no where in the
context any exhortation to cast out demons.
.
- References:
- Aids to Casting Out Demons
- From: Jim
- Aids to Casting Out Demons
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