Mark 5:2
King James Version (KJV)
And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Translations
Mark 5:2 - Amplified Bible
And as soon as He got out of the boat, there met Him out of the tombs a man [under the power] of an unclean spirit.
Mark 5:2 - American Standard Version
And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Mark 5:2 - Bible in Basic English
And when he had got out of the boat, straight away there came to him from the place of the dead a man with an unclean spirit.
Mark 5:2 - Darby Bible
And immediately on his going out of the ship there met him out of the tombs a man possessed by an unclean spirit,
Mark 5:2 - English Standard Version
And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
Mark 5:2 - King James Version
And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Mark 5:2 - La Biblia de las Americas
Y cuando El saliò de la barca, enseguida vino a su encuentro, de entre los sepulcros, un hombre con un espìritu inmundo,
Mark 5:2 - The Message
Mark 5:2 - New American Standard Bible
When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,
Mark 5:2 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy
Cuando Jesùs saliò de la barca, enseguida se acercò a El, de entre los sepulcros, un hombre con un espìritu inmundo,
Mark 5:2 - World English Bible
When he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Mark 5:2 - Young's Living Translation
and he having come forth out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
Mark 5:2 - Additional Comments
There did not need to be any announcement of Jesus' arrival. Satan knew, and warned his demons of Jesus' presence there. They knew who He was, even if those traveling with Him did not, or, at least, did not fully know (as was seen by their panic on the sea).
The way these demons reacted to Jesus shows what an amazing thing it must have been to be in Jesus' presence, especially for those who really knew who He was. How unfortunate for most of those who were blessed with His presence that they did not know or understand who Jesus really was. How great it would be to have the understanding we now have and to be able to visit with Him. And yet, even though we do not have His physical presence, He is with us all the time. What an amazing thing that is! We see how the demons reacted to being in His presence. How do we react? Do we marvel, or are we too used to it? It makes me think that we are much in the same way with most of those Jesus walked with - we truly don't understand who He is, otherwise I expect we would act differently than we do!
This man was possessed by demons, i.e. he was "demon possessed". What are the characteristics commonly associated with demon possession?
A possessed individual is typically characterized by having strange physical ailments or disfigurements; verbal outbursts, mostly obscene or sacrilegious in nature; violent behavior and vulgar behavior; bodily spasms and contortions; ability to speak languages never before studied; self-mutilation; "superhuman" abilities such as psychic abilities, abnormal strength, or an ability to perform behaviors out of the realm of human possibility such as levitation; cessation of normal bodily functions for periods of time, including breathing and heart beat; and a pronounced revulsion to symbols, places, people, objects, and ceremonies having any religious context. Other phenomena associated with the presence of a demon include an acrid stench; marked decrease in the temperature of the room which a possessed individual occupies; writing appearing out of nowhere; sounds and voices arising from nowhere; and objects moving on their own and destruction of objects in the room, without anyone having laid a hand upon them.
Now, much of what had previously been considered to be examples of control of an individual by a spirit or demon are now commonly accepted as numerous forms of mental illness, easily explained by nervous system activity.
For example, the superhuman strength often exhibited by individuals who are possessed might be explained by the presence of a bipolar disorder; bipolar disorders are frequently accompanied by psychosis, particularly during the manic episodes. Manic individuals exhibit abundant amounts of energy and often have abnormal strength, similar to what can be seen in an individual who is possessed. This strength is similar to what happens during fear. The unconscious processing of fear sets off a variety of involuntary reactions. Among them is the outpouring of adrenaline, resulting in abnormal strength. The stories about little old grandmothers lifting four-wheelers off their grandchildren are true.
And so, the body, given the right stimulus, can produce the strength to break shackles and chains, as this man does (5:4).
However, there is quite a bit about demonic possession which cannot be explained by biology. This category includes such phenomenon as levitation, wounds appearing upon the victim that have not been inflicted by the self or another concrete source, knowledge of languages never before studied, sometimes never even heard, and psychic abilities such as knowing facts about other individuals that have never been met. In addition, the accompanying situations related to the area around possessed individuals do not seem to be explainable in terms of the brain or any aspect of biology; science cannot yet explain the distinct decrease in temperature of the room the individual occupies, the appearance of writing and sounds from an unseen force, and the movement of objects on their own.
Note that Jesus healed many who were demon possessed (Matt 8:16), even when the person was not present (Mark 7:25-30, Matt 17:14-21).
So how do we recognize when someone is demon possessed versus someone who is mentally ill? And what can we do about it?
Ultimately you have to relay on the leading of the Holy Spirit for the answer. But, look for supernatural knowledge or physical occurrences, and revulsion to anything related to God and the Bible, in addition to characteristics which could be signs of mental illness like self hatred, terrified feelings of guilt, extreme fears, and deep depression.
Remember that demons can have strong influences on non-Christians even when it's not possession (2 Cor 4:3-4).
Deal with demonic possession with, in Jesus (Acts 19:11-18), much praying and fasting, without unbelief (Matt 17:14-21). You need to get yourself prepared for such a spiritual confrontation by making sure there is no unconfessed sin in your life. Also, have some mature Christians join you in the prayer and fasting.
Comments are closed.