Monday, July 13, 2020

Luke 4:33-35, 40-41 and the Personality of Demons

I have addressed the Christadelphian movement a number of times on this blog, such as their denial of the ontological existence of Satan and demons. One of the strongest biblical texts disproving their understanding of demons (KJV: “devils”) is that of Luke 4:33-35. If one reads the text in Greek, one will find that the demon is presented by Jesus as a person distinct from the demonised/possessed individual:

 

In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him (αὐτῷ [n.]), saying, "Be silent, and come out of him (αὐτοῦ [m.])!" When the demon (τὸ δαιμόνιον [n.]) had thrown (ῥῖψαν [active aorist nominative neuter participle of ριπτω]) him (ατν [m.]) down before them, he came out of (ξλθεν π) him (ατο [m.]) without having done him (αὐτόν [m.]) any harm. (NRSV)

 

In Greek, δαιμόνιον is, grammatically, a neuter, and the demonstratives and pronouns used for a demon would be a neuter. We see that the terms translated in bold that are used in reference to the demon are not, grammatically, masculine (which would be used of the possessed individual) but are all neuters, including that Jesus is speaking to the demon, and even when the demon is exorcised, he is still a personal agent in this narrative. This contrasts with the masculine pronouns used of the demonised person.


Elsewhere, in vv. 40-41, we have Jesus addressing, not the demonised person, but the demon:

 

As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. Demons (δαιμόνια [n. pl.]) also came out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them (ατ [n. pl.])  to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah. (NRSV)

 

The pronoun “them” is a neuter plural, referring to the demons, not the demonised people (had Luke wished to state Jesus addressed the demonised persons, he would have used a masculine plural). Again, as with vv. 33-35, Luke is presenting Jesus as addressing the demons, not the demonised merely, as persons distinct from the individuals they possess. Such is further strengthened by their presented as being cognizant of Jesus' messianic identity and mission.


For an excellent discussion of demon possession, exorcism, and the Christadelphian claim such are examples of subversive deconstruction of the purportedly false teaching of the reality of demons by Jesus et al., see Thomas Farrar's (himself a former Christadelphian and now Roman Catholic) essay: