Demoniacs: One or Two?
Luke 8:28 - When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
Matthew 8:28 - And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
In Mark 5:2 and Luke 8:28 there is one demoniac. Matthew 8:28 mentions 2 demoniacs. Is this a discrepancy?
Solution
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0% |
Luke 8 and Mark 5 talk about the same event
Matthew is a different event as far as I can see.
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25% |
Matthew is simply stating that there were 2 men that night who came to Jesus that were possessed with devils, perhaps one of them have the devil called "Legion" in them and the other does not. Luke and Mark simply talk about the one that had "Legion" in him.
Solution
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85% |
The events in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the same event. This is a case of different gospel perspectives of the same event. This kind of thing is everywhere in the 4 gospels, especially in the Synoptic gospels, and yet there is not one contradiction in the 4 gospels. Praise and Glory to God. His Word is faithful and true.
Now in Matthew 8:28, it is giving an extra information, that there was a second demon-possessed person. One was the leader of the two. Of course, one of the two was possessed by “Legion”. Yet, it is also possible that these “legion” of demons possessed both of the unfortunate men. Whatever the case, the thing is that only one of the two demon-possessed men responded to Jesus Christ after He set them free from the demons and cast the demons into the group of swine.
Mark 5:18. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
Luke 8:38. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39. Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
This is why only Mark and Luke mention only one demon-possessed person because only he was of significance to the story. Only he gave thanks to Jesus Christ our Lord for setting him free from Satan’s minions. The other was not mentioned because he probably gave no thanks to Jesus Christ and ran off still stuck in his evil ways. Now look at the man who did respond to Jesus Christ.
Luke 8:35. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Luke adds this extra detail that he is “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind”. Anyone who comes and sits at Jesus Christ’s feet will be fully clothed and be given a “sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). Trust in the Lord God our Shepherd, like this former demon-possessed man did, and you will never have to fear anything again because God will never leave you and will always be with you, even in your worst and most dangerous times. Read All of Psalm 23.