Chapter # 5 Paragraph # 1 Study # 3
December 8, 2020
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(188)
1901 ASV
3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;
4 because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him.
5 And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him;
7 and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many.
10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding.
12 And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13 And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea.
14 And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass.
15 And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid.
16 And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.
17 And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders.
18 And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him.
19 And he suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee.
20 And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men marvelled.
- I. Mark's Characterization Of The Demoniac's Activities: 5:3-5.
- A. It clearly describes the impact of "demon possession" upon a human being.
- B. It clearly reveals an intention on Mark's part to reveal what happens to people when they succumb to the temptation to "allow" demons to dominate them.
- C. It clearly reveals an horrific outcome of "an evil heart of unbelief" for the possessor of such an heart.
- D. Is Mark's presentation of the issues of "faith in Jesus as John's 'Mighty One' thesis" as given in 1:7 as the primary thesis of Mark's "introduction" to his entire record of "the Gospel of Jesus Christ" (1:1).
- II. The Details Of Mark's Characterization.
- A. The prelude at the end of 5:2 identifies two issues by the use of a word that means "a monument" typically residing in a grave yard to mark a grave.
- 1. The reference to "tombs" begins in this verse. It is followed up in the next verse with the use of a related word that means "a grave".
- a. The word used in 5:2 is also used in 16:8 as Mark's "parting shot" in his presentation of the "essential problem" that his "Gospel" of "The Mighty One" was written to address: fear (the verb first used in 4:41 and last used in 16:8).
- b. This twice-declared "setting" for Mark's record is indisputably "Death-Focused".
- c. This "Death-Focus" is the big backdrop to Mark's entire "Gospel".
- 1) When, in Mark's introductory material, John the Baptizer claimed that "The Mighty One" was going to come after him, his focus upon "might" had to do with His "moral might" ("I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals"), and His "accomplishment might" (I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit").
- 2) "... in John's mind, this 'might' was to be understood in two ways.
- First, the Mighty One was mightier in moral excellence. John's disclaimer of worth as one who could loose the sandal latchets can only be rightly understood in moral terms. In the New Testament era, a disciple would do all manner of service for his master except loose the thongs of his sandals. The slave, on the other hand, would do this task. But, John's claim is to be less than worthy to be a slave. How can he see himself as not sufficient to be an abject slave? This only makes good sense if he sees himself an unqualified by some flaw in his character, for it is only in the ethical realm that the creatures of God find themselves so out of order as to not be capable of rendering service. In other words, the only reason John could be seen as 'unworthy' would be for moral reasons as one not sufficiently holy to serve the Coming Lord. That this is John's meaning is seen immediately in the way Mark interprets the phrase by means of the temptation of Jesus ... and in the way Mark develops the idea of superior ethical might in the section of his gospel which addresses that issue (9:1-13:37).
- Second, John contrasts his 'might' with that of the Coming One in terms of what they two could accomplish. He could only baptize with water. This was not a great accomplishment. He could not generate the necessary repentance, nor could he guarantee that his baptism was even a valid seal of repentance. But, the One who was really 'mighty' could not only effect genuine repentance (a prerequisite of a kingdom of genuine righteousness), He could also seal its effectiveness by baptizing with the Holy Spirit." [Excerpt from my Master's Thesis.]
- 3) Because this "Gospel of Jesus Christ" is organized under this concept of "moral/ accomplishment might", we can see that the issue is Jesus' ability to destroy the "Death" impact that currently reigns in this sin-laden world: the "baptism with the Spirit" is fundamentally focused upon "New Life" as a contrast with the original creation of man when God "breathed spirit into his nostrils and he became a living soul". That "spirit's" capacities were undercut by the Fall and the gift of the Holy Spirit is the issue of new life capacities.
- a) This is no small theme: Paul announced in 1 Corinthians 15:26 that "...The last enemy that will be abolished is death...".
- b) Death was initially the "at issue" reality in respect to the prohibition regarding eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17) and "the first has become the last" in Paul's declaration.
- c) Revelation 21:4 declares the final triumph: "...there will be no longer death...".
- 2. The characterization of the man as "with an unclean spirit".
- a. This characterization perfectly fits Mark's "Mighty One" thesis because it is in direct contrast to the "Holy" (i.e., "clean") "Spirit".
- 1) "Uncleanness" in the Old Testament records is supremely descriptive of the rejection of what is "unclean" in terms of the needed action/result. In the case, for instance, of "food", those items declared "unclean" were deficient in their capacities as food for the nourishment and life of the body. In the case of physical deficiencies, for another instance, "lepers" were to cry out "unclean" whenever they were to be among healthy people so that those people would "observe social distancing" so as to not have familiar interactions with people who could destroy their physical lives by communicating illness to them.
- 2) Alternatively, the "Holy Spirit" is everywhere presented as the "spirit" Who can impart life in any circumstance at any time, when "life" is viewed in terms of "action/result" terms.
- b. This characterization is the one which Mark initially used in 1:23, 26, and 27 (verses within Mark's first paragraph of his "Jesus is the Mighty One" presentation).
- c. This characterization is "modified" in this paragraph (5:1-20) by altering the terminology of "unclean spirit" to "demon" within the boundaries of this particular paragraph (by the verb used in 5:15, 16, and 18, "diamonizomai").
- d. The "point" here is that "unclean spirit" is further defined as "demon"; an extension of Mark's characterization that moves from "uncleanness" as a focus upon inherent capacity to "rebellious deity" as "demons" who were conceived to be "gods" (capable persons) who were in rebellion against "The God". One of the "definitions" given in secular literature is "wretch" (as one subject to horrific experiences). This is no small matter.
- 1) Mark's first alteration of this terminology is found in 1:32-34 so that he revealed that he strongly wished to focus upon the two major "problems" that rebellious spirits create for men who submit to their machinations.
- 2) Mark's characterization of the experiences of the man "with an unclean spirit" which is "a demon" is clearly awful and intentionally repugnant as the "setting" for the promise of salvation from "The Mighty One".