Peace, Grace, and Love to All who set their hands to Peace!
A recent exchange here prompted me to write an account of the ONE MAN of Gadarenes posessed with demons and the TWO MEN of Gergesenes posessed with devils.
These accounts are written by three different writers in Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8.
On the surface this account seems to be of two separate encounters, since there are TWO MEN "residing" in Gergesenes from Matthews account, and ONE MAN "residing" in Gadarenes from the Mark and Luke account.
These accounts are about the SAME MAN!
So why did Matthew write that there were TWO MEN? And why did Matthew state that these same TWO MEN resided in Gergesenes? And why did Mark and Luke have only ONE MAN residing in Gadarenes?
This "historical" account is filled with many spiritual correlations such as him being in the graveyard, unsuccessful attempts at binding with chains, cutting himself, crying out, etc. but the PRIMARY TEACHING from the Apostles/disciples, from the INSPIRED WRITERS is that ONE of the TWO men was a stranger to Jesus Christ and that they BOTH RESIDED IN THE SAME FLESH! This is WHY Matthew call the men TWO men and also WHY he made the CONNECTION to Gergesenes!
The meaning of "Gergesenes" in Aramaic is "a stranger drawing near" and is connected to a Hebrew root word, Girgasite meaning "dwelling on a clayey soil." So here we see the beauty of Aramaic meaning linked to Hebrew root-word meaning played out in the reality of NAMES AND PLACES in the Bible. Only God could put such things together over time and in reality.
The Girgasite "dweller on the clayey soil" is also the "stranger drawing near" to the ONE MAN, and is CONSIDERED BY MATTHEW to be that SECOND MAN! The stranger is "legion" ("for we are many" is his statement.) It is that stranger who identified himself to Jesus, for the hearers' sakes. Jesus certainly knew in advance from being LED THERE and from the "preceeding signs" what was happening here with this ONE MAN/TWO MAN. It is quite the fascinating chain when all three accounts are linked together.
Anywhere you read of the Girgasites in the O.T. there are certain correlations that "could" be made. The text is PROGRESSIVELY COMPLEX and also links to REALITY.
The meaning of Gadarenes is "REWARD AT THE END." This is where ONE MAN dwelt...AT THE END, where the REWARD was... Where JESUS CHRIST had SEPARATED HIM from HIS SIN, OR HIS SECOND MAN.
Now when you read of "the stranger" you know who Jesus is addressing. Now when you read Jesus berating the Pharisees and Saducees it was not the ONE MAN He was talking to, but the SECOND MEN. The SECOND MEN who were ATTACHED to the ONE MEN! The ONES He called "CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL" and moreso, the "stranger(s)" that dwelt upon the clayey soils of those MEN called Pharisees and Saducees. It was to the "strangers" that Jesus proclaimed His indignation and damnation! It is ALWAYS SO with Jesus speaking condemnation! It is not the the friend (all of mankind) but to the FOE (children of darkness who cannot be SEEN!)
For those who love The Word may you find DEEP understandings and not be discouraged by WRONGLY SUPPOSED accounts or with what appear to be "contradictions." Usually "behind" these "contradictions" there are great things hidden, especially for YOU who believe! The unbeliever is blinded by their "stranger" or their SECOND MEN.
Here is a good link to make "correlation trails"
http://www.bju.edu/bible
but they will only be understood in The Spirit, and The Spirit is Love. Love "encompasses" all things, LOVES all ONE MEN, and does not judge ANY ONE MEN!
The reward at the end is that all of us ONE MEN will be SEPARATED from our "strangers." Our SECOND MEN. It is of the stranger that caused Paul to write "Nevertheless NOT I, but SIN that dwells IN ME!" Saul was changed to Paul in a picture of SEPARATIONS just as Cephas was changed to Peter. It is UPON THIS UNDERSTANDING that Jesus builds His Church!
I know those who bicker and dispute and do not love are writing from the "strangers seat." You, the ONE MAN have my love in understanding also, as we all truly in heart seek to defeat the stranger dwelling upon our clayey soil by Jesus Christ, The Word, within us, as Living Seed and The Earnest Deposit. The ONE MEN are Perfect and are MADE SO by Him!
The strangers sin horrendously, and are upon us ALL until the end, where there is The Reward that awaits us!
Ah, Bible contradictions. You gotta love 'em.
God is Love. There is a reward at the end for ALL of mankind! Not one person will burn in torture and hell, NO not even for an instant!
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A recent exchange here prompted me to write an account of the ONE MAN of Gadarenes posessed with demons and the TWO MEN of Gergesenes posessed with devils.
These accounts are written by three different writers in Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8.
On the surface this account seems to be of two separate encounters, since there are TWO MEN "residing" in Gergesenes from Matthews account, and ONE MAN "residing" in Gadarenes from the Mark and Luke account.
These accounts are about the SAME MAN!
So why did Matthew write that there were TWO MEN? And why did Matthew state that these same TWO MEN resided in Gergesenes? And why did Mark and Luke have only ONE MAN residing in Gadarenes?
This "historical" account is filled with many spiritual correlations such as him being in the graveyard, unsuccessful attempts at binding with chains, cutting himself, crying out, etc. but the PRIMARY TEACHING from the Apostles/disciples, from the INSPIRED WRITERS is that ONE of the TWO men was a stranger to Jesus Christ and that they BOTH RESIDED IN THE SAME FLESH! This is WHY Matthew call the men TWO men and also WHY he made the CONNECTION to Gergesenes!
The meaning of "Gergesenes" in Aramaic is "a stranger drawing near" and is connected to a Hebrew root word, Girgasite meaning "dwelling on a clayey soil." So here we see the beauty of Aramaic meaning linked to Hebrew root-word meaning played out in the reality of NAMES AND PLACES in the Bible. Only God could put such things together over time and in reality.
The Girgasite "dweller on the clayey soil" is also the "stranger drawing near" to the ONE MAN, and is CONSIDERED BY MATTHEW to be that SECOND MAN! The stranger is "legion" ("for we are many" is his statement.) It is that stranger who identified himself to Jesus, for the hearers' sakes. Jesus certainly knew in advance from being LED THERE and from the "preceeding signs" what was happening here with this ONE MAN/TWO MAN. It is quite the fascinating chain when all three accounts are linked together.
Anywhere you read of the Girgasites in the O.T. there are certain correlations that "could" be made. The text is PROGRESSIVELY COMPLEX and also links to REALITY.
The meaning of Gadarenes is "REWARD AT THE END." This is where ONE MAN dwelt...AT THE END, where the REWARD was... Where JESUS CHRIST had SEPARATED HIM from HIS SIN, OR HIS SECOND MAN.
Now when you read of "the stranger" you know who Jesus is addressing. Now when you read Jesus berating the Pharisees and Saducees it was not the ONE MAN He was talking to, but the SECOND MEN. The SECOND MEN who were ATTACHED to the ONE MEN! The ONES He called "CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL" and moreso, the "stranger(s)" that dwelt upon the clayey soils of those MEN called Pharisees and Saducees. It was to the "strangers" that Jesus proclaimed His indignation and damnation! It is ALWAYS SO with Jesus speaking condemnation! It is not the the friend (all of mankind) but to the FOE (children of darkness who cannot be SEEN!)
For those who love The Word may you find DEEP understandings and not be discouraged by WRONGLY SUPPOSED accounts or with what appear to be "contradictions." Usually "behind" these "contradictions" there are great things hidden, especially for YOU who believe! The unbeliever is blinded by their "stranger" or their SECOND MEN.
Here is a good link to make "correlation trails"
http://www.bju.edu/bible
but they will only be understood in The Spirit, and The Spirit is Love. Love "encompasses" all things, LOVES all ONE MEN, and does not judge ANY ONE MEN!
The reward at the end is that all of us ONE MEN will be SEPARATED from our "strangers." Our SECOND MEN. It is of the stranger that caused Paul to write "Nevertheless NOT I, but SIN that dwells IN ME!" Saul was changed to Paul in a picture of SEPARATIONS just as Cephas was changed to Peter. It is UPON THIS UNDERSTANDING that Jesus builds His Church!
I know those who bicker and dispute and do not love are writing from the "strangers seat." You, the ONE MAN have my love in understanding also, as we all truly in heart seek to defeat the stranger dwelling upon our clayey soil by Jesus Christ, The Word, within us, as Living Seed and The Earnest Deposit. The ONE MEN are Perfect and are MADE SO by Him!
The strangers sin horrendously, and are upon us ALL until the end, where there is The Reward that awaits us!
Ah, Bible contradictions. You gotta love 'em.
God is Love. There is a reward at the end for ALL of mankind! Not one person will burn in torture and hell, NO not even for an instant!
smaller