Sunday, February 14, 2021

Supernatural Elements in Exorcism Accounts and the Ontological ("Real") Existence of Demons

One very strong piece of evidence showing us that the historical Jesus and the authors of the Synoptic Gospels believed in the ontological existence of demons and were not simply using the language of the day (contra Christadelphians) is that of there being supernatural elements in exorcism accounts. Commenting on this, Thomas Farrar, himself a former Christadelphian, wrote:

 

There are at least three supernatural elements in the exorcism stories (that is, apart from the supernatural power wielded by Jesus) that are worth noting. These are problematic not only for accommodationists but also for proponents of the error theory, some of whom are not prepared to allow that there was anything supernatural about Jesus’ exorcisms.

 

The first element is the superhuman strength of the Gerasene demoniac which enabled him to tear chains apart and break shackles in pieces (Mark 5:4). “No one was strong enough to subdue him,” Mark tells us.

 

The second element, already alluded to above, is the transfer of the Gerasene ‘legion’ of demons to the herd of pigs. Some have tried to construe the pigs’ stampede either as an odd coincidence or as triggered by the demoniac’s behaviour (the latter view is taken by Langton). (Langton, Essentials of Demonology: a Study of Jewish and Christian Doctrine, Its Origin and Development [1949]: 158-159) Sanders, himself an avowed rationalist, dismisses such explanations:

 

Some have attempted to explain this [psychosomatic] explanation to the story of the Gerasene demoniac and the swine: by mental suggestion Jesus really did cure a 'demoniac', that is, he brought him back to his right mind. The man went into convulsions, which alarmed and panicked the swine, who charged over a cliff. I find this explanation unconvincing, and I doubt that those who have offered it have ever tried to panic a herd of swine by throwing a fit. The story is not subject to rational explanation. (Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus [1995]:158)

 

The Gospels indicate that this surprising turn of events occurred because the demons requested permission to enter the pigs and Jesus granted it (Mark 5:12-13). That is, the demons had the initiative and Jesus granted their request; his role was passive. The accommodationist who affirms the supernatural component of Jesus’ miracles is left to explain how a mental illness can unilaterally leave a person and enter into a herd of pigs.

 

The third supernatural element to note is the demons’ (or at least the demoniacs’) apparent supernatural knowledge about Jesus’ identity. Mark records the unclean spirits or demons habitually recognizing Jesus as the Son of God: “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” (Mark 3:11). The demoniac in Mark 1:24 declares, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God.” The Gerasene demoniac cries out, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5:7) Luke similarly records, “And demons came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41).

 

It is not just that one or two of the demoniacs recognised Jesus’ identity (though that would be significant in itself). As a rule, the demoniacs knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. This is particularly noteworthy in Mark’s Gospel because of his emphasis on the so-called Messianic secret. Jesus discourages people from revealing his identity. Moreover, in the Markan narrative, no human being confesses that Jesus is the Christ until Peter’s confession in Mark 8:29.

 

No human being (apart from demoniacs) confesses that Jesus is the Son of God until the centurion at the cross (Mark 15:39; cf. Mark 14:62). Prior to these confessions, it is only God (Mark 1:11; 9:7) and the demoniacs who recognise Jesus as the Son of God. While it may be suggested that the demoniacs surmised from the reports about Jesus that he was the Son of God, in the Markan narrative context, their knowledge is unmistakably supernatural. Mark portrays the demons as having supernatural knowledge. This, position, of course, is not exclusive to Mark: Davies and Allison state, with reference to Matt. 8:29,

 

The demons, like the devil, (4.3, 6), have supernatural knowledge: they know Jesus’ true identity without being told (cf. Mk 3.11; 5.7; Lk 4:41; Acts 16.17). Contrast 9.27, where the disciples still wonder who Jesus is. (Davies & Allison, Matthew 8-18 [2004]:81)

 

As Bock states succinctly with reference to Luke’s Gospel, “The world of spirits knows who Jesus is.”(Bock 19941:438) This is actually another point of continuity with contemporary demonology, as noted by Keener (commenting on Mark 1:24):

 

Ancients often recognized that demons had access to supernatural knowledge; it is not surprising that these demons perceive Jesus’ true identity, which the people there still do not recognize. (Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament [1993]:138)

 

Twelftree, however, argues that the demoniacs did not possess supernatural knowledge. He states: A case has been made to show that what the demon(iacs) said in their consternation as they confronted Jesus, was not the result of supernatural knowledge but what any demon(iac) might have said when facing a well-known powerful Jewish exorcist. What the demon(iac)s were doing – despite how it was understood later, even by Mark – was not intentionally declaring Jesus’ messiahship. Instead they were, through naming and attempting to bind Jesus, trying to defend themselves by disarming their adversary. (Twelftree, Christ Triumphant: exorcism then and now [1985]:63) Twelftree notes how this technique of the demons parallels other spiritual power encounters in ancient literature, and in this respect it is further confirmation of the continuity between the demonology of the Synoptic Gospels and that of the broader world. It should be noted that Twelftree acknowledges that Mark understood the demons to possess supernatural knowledge; however, he does not regard Mark as historically accurate at this point. Instead, he thinks that ‘Son’ in Mark 3:11 and 5:7 is a Markan redaction and that the demoniacs actually addressed Jesus with the less precise ‘holy one of God’ terminology of Mark 1:24, which he does not consider to be Messianic. In this writer’s view, it is more likely that the demon(iac)s did address Jesus in Messianic terms and, in any case, this is what the Synoptic writers portray to the reader.

 

Watkins, a Christadelphian writer, suggests that the demoniacs were compelled by the Spirit of God to make “elevated utterances.” (Watkins, The Devil – the Great Deceiver: Bible teaching on sin and salvation 1971:33) However, aside from stating Christ’s true identity there is nothing elevated about these utterances: “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matt. 8:29). Moreover, if Jesus recognised that the demoniac’s utterance was inspired by the Spirit of God, it is unlikely that he would have “rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent…’” (Mark 1:25)

 

It is very difficult to account for the Synoptic writers’ ascription of supernatural characteristics to the demon(iac)s if they did not regard demon possession as a supernatural phenomenon. Hence this feature of the Synoptic accounts creates a major problem for the accommodation theory (‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a person’: An Assessment of the Accommodation Theory of Demon Possession and Exorcism in the Synoptic Gospels, pp. 39-41)

 

Another aspect that further strenghtnes this case is that Jesus trains others to engage in exorcism and accepts the exorcism of those who, presumably, did hold to the ontological existence of demons. As Farrar elsewhere noted:

 

6.7.Training and allowing others to exorcise

 

It is this last line of evidence which helped persuade Langton that the accommodation theory was untenable. He stated, in words quoted earlier,

 

Not only did Jesus fail to correct or deny those beliefs; throughout His ministry, by word and deed, He also emphasized them, and solemnly conferred upon His disciples the power to cast out evil spirits. (Langton 1949:160)

 

Indeed, we read in the Gospels of two separate occasions on which Jesus sent out his disciples on a mission which prominently featured exorcism. On the first occasion it was his inner circle of twelve disciples that he sent out:

 

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” (Luke 9:1-2; cp. Mark 6:7-13; Matt. 10:1ff)

 

Mark confirms that the disciples “cast out many demons” (Mark 6:13).

 

The second mission included seventy-two (or seventy) others. In this case the instructions did not explicitly contain an instruction to engage in exorcism. However, the account of the disciples’ return from the mission shows that, for them, their exorcisms were the most memorable part of the trip!

 

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 ESV)

 

Jesus’ response demonstrates that, not only does he fully endorse and celebrate their success in exorcism, but as noted earlier he adds theological significance by linking it to the defeat of Satan (cf. the parable of the strong man).

 

Clearly, Jesus did not merely tolerate being regarded by others as an exorcist, as he might have done in the interest of accommodation. He actively encouraged his disciples to exorcize demons, celebrated when they did so successfully, and even coached them when they failed (Mark 9:28- 29).

 

We further need to draw attention to a surprising exchange between Jesus and John: John said to him

 

 "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-40 ESV)

 

Here we have reference to someone who was apparently not a disciple of Jesus but who was conducting exorcisms in his name. Even if it is alleged (albeit with no evidence) that Jesus had given his own disciples special instructions to the effect that ‘demons’ weren’t really demons and exorcisms weren’t really exorcisms, it is highly unlikely that this ‘someone’ had received such instructions. It is virtually certain that this unknown exorcist believed in demons. In spite of this, Jesus not only endorsed the man’s practice, but described it as a “mighty work”! This is very difficult to explain if Jesus sought only to accommodate belief in demons, and nigh impossible to explain if he sought to subvert belief in demons. (Ibid., 43-44, emphasis in bold added)