Great discussion! Thanks. This is a Theology 101 question I guess, but how come demonic possession is so common in the NT but absent from the OT? From the passage itself, isn’t the timing of the events a little off (perhaps symbolically)? The man starts “crying out with a loud voice” and only then do we hear that it’s because of something that Jesus had been saying. Why not start with Jesus’s word and then move on to the man’s loud response?
Nah--I don't think that is Theology 101, this is deep level thinking and I love it. I tend to be more "apocalyptic" in interpretation, so I view passages like this through a more broad cosmic lens. In this way, Jesus' life and work had profound impacts on the entire cosmos, and even demons were aware of this shift. So, whether the storytelling is just a technique or symbolic, it seems like the authors are helping us see both the natural and supernatural impact of Jesus' presence.
Thank you for your writing…learning how to exegete & exposit scripture slowly but surely ☺️
It is a game changer!
Great discussion! Thanks. This is a Theology 101 question I guess, but how come demonic possession is so common in the NT but absent from the OT? From the passage itself, isn’t the timing of the events a little off (perhaps symbolically)? The man starts “crying out with a loud voice” and only then do we hear that it’s because of something that Jesus had been saying. Why not start with Jesus’s word and then move on to the man’s loud response?
Nah--I don't think that is Theology 101, this is deep level thinking and I love it. I tend to be more "apocalyptic" in interpretation, so I view passages like this through a more broad cosmic lens. In this way, Jesus' life and work had profound impacts on the entire cosmos, and even demons were aware of this shift. So, whether the storytelling is just a technique or symbolic, it seems like the authors are helping us see both the natural and supernatural impact of Jesus' presence.
Great! Thanks for sharing these insights. I like how you put it: "even demons were aware of this shift."
Appreciate you, my friend! This is the fun stuff!