9
votes
Accepted
Why do the NLT translators say "demons" (Rom 8:38)?
NLT translation philosophy is the following (quote from NLT Bible Introduction, emphases mine):
The translators of the New Living Translation set out to render the message of the original texts of ...
- 3,364
6
votes
Is there an obvious reason why we read of two demoniacs in Matt. 8:28-29 but only one is Mk. 5:2-3?
I think the most significant reason would be that Mark may have been focused on the one demoniac who afterward requested to follow Jesus. Only one of the two is recorded as having made this plea, and ...
- 6,270
5
votes
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Are evil spirits chained or not?
Oh, they are chained all right, just not 'chained' as we might know it.
The verses you quote in 2 Peter and Jude harmonise perfectly with another statement about demonic forces in the book of the ...
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4
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What is the origin of 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6?
The origin is of Hebrew / Judaism mysticism. Some suppose it to be from the Midrash and Talmud oral traditions passed down from the 3rd - 1st century BC, and then later picked up and reprinted as the ...
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4
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Does Jude 1:13 refer to literal planets or fallen angels?
Jude 1:8-13 (DRB) In like manner these men also defile the flesh, and despise dominion, and blaspheme majesty. 9 When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses,...
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4
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Did Jesus imply that others cast out demons by the finger of God in Luke 11:17-20?
To answer the main question, no - there is nothing in Luke 11 which implies that others drive out demons by "the finger of God". To understand Jesus' words here it's beneficial to have some ...
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4
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How did the disciples drive out demons, if not by prayer?
The normal method employed by Jesus and his disciples for casting out demons is not prayer at all. Prayer is speaking to God while, casting out an unclean spirit is commanding a spirit to depart, and ...
- 674
4
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Can non-disciples of Jesus cast out demons in Jesus' name or not? Mark 9:38-40 vs. Acts 19:11-16
The question complicates matters by using the word 'non-disciples'.
Some actually cast out demons in Jesus' name, effectively, and should not be stopped merely because they are not closely associated ...
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3
votes
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“Restores my soul” means what? Psalm 23:3
There is obviously a lot written on Psalm 23, and this verse in particular, so it is not probable that we will completely solve this issue here.
There are two translational (how do we move it into ...
- 1,856
3
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Demons entreat Jesus "if you cast us out send us into the herd of swine. Why ? Matthew 8:28-32
One needs little Biblical evidence to show that the demons always were working against Christ--that is well understood. The temptations Christ experienced during his fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4,...
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3
votes
Accepted
Is there a distinction between "demon" and "devil" in the original texts?
This is the text of an answer I posted to a similar question on Christianity SE:
From the perspective of the Greek New Testament, demon could be said to represent δαίμων (daimōn, from which the ...
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3
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"Lilith" in Isaiah 34:14
The Wycliffe 1382 (translated from Jerome's Vulgate) gives :
and an heeri schulen meete; oon schal crie to an other.
The Coverdale Bible of 1935, Matthews Bible of 1937, The Great Bible of 1539, ...
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3
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What is the "swept and tidy" house referred to in Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24?
In this parable, Jesus pictures the consequences of moral, ethical and religious reformation apart from a righteous relationship with Him.
The main character in this illustration is an unclean ...
3
votes
Why are prayer and fasting required to cast out certain kinds of demons?
In γένος all demons, their entire universe is implied, as the traditional interpretation has it. For instance, if I see a tennis player blaming everybody and everything except for himself for having ...
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3
votes
How are we to test the spirits?
To "try the spirits" means to test or discern the spirits to determine whether they are of God. So the question is, how do we do this?
The context of this verse is that there are false ...
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3
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In Matthew 15:26 who are the children, the dogs and what is the bread?
The broader context of this passage is that Jesus is explaining that His mission is to the House of Israel -- it won't be until later (see Acts 10) that His message will be extended to the Gentiles.
...
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3
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How can we reconcile God's not tempting anyone (James 1:13) with God's sending evil spirits to torment and deceive people?
To answer this question, it would appear that Scripture presents 2 cases:
1.) God gives men over to a “lying spirit” (1 Kings 22:23) as a means of judgment, and while it is ultimately from God, God is ...
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3
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Accepted
Was "δεισιδαιμονεστέρους" truly used in a positive sense in Greek writing, and if so, where? [As found in Acts 17:22]
I believe Paul was saying that they were very religious. The idea of δεισιδαίμων is closer to "spirit-fearing", so for rationalists, this may be an insult, and for others it may be something ...
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3
votes
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Does Matthew 9:32-34, 12:22-24, and Luke 11:14-15 describe the same event where Jesus exorcises a mute and blind demoniac?
It is understandable why the original poster would inquire about the possibility that Matthew 9:32-34, Matthew 12:22-24 and Luke 11:14-15 all refer to the same account.
Matthew 9:32-34
Matthew 12:22-...
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What led the Pharisees to associate John the Baptist’s abstinence from bread and wine with demonic possession?
For much the same reason as they accused Jesus of having a demon - it was what was taught and the number of people following that rankled with the accusers. The actions they spoke of were simply a ...
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2
votes
Accepted
What is the "swept and tidy" house referred to in Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24?
To the best of my understanding, it appears that perhaps the person may have cleaned their "house", but they may not have replaced the evil with the Golden Rule, since Jesus specifically ...
- 36
2
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What is the "swept and tidy" house referred to in Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24?
There is a simple answer to this question that seems to have missed. By prayer and fasting they were expelled, and by prayer and fasting they should be prevented from returning. The OP offers us two ...
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2
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"Lilith" in Isaiah 34:14
LEB has this as Lilith, in the sense of the night-hag or demon:
And desert creatures shall meet with hyenas, and a goat-demon shall
call to his neighbor; surely there Lilith shall repose, and she ...
- 8,708
2
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Luke 8:36 δαιμονισθεις demonized or demon-possessed?
Every lexicon I consulted has basically the same meaning for δαιμονίζομαι (daimonizomai):
Thayer: to be under the power of a demon
Souter: I am under the power of an evil spirit or demon
NIV: I am ...
- 118k
2
votes
Accepted
The spirits of God. 1 John 4:2
To get the impact/context of what the Apostle John is talking about we need to start with verse 1.Evidently false teachers who were harassing the churches with doctrines characteristic of the Gnostic ...
- 4,600
2
votes
Accepted
Did Jesus ask once or repeatedly? Mark 5:8
In some instances ἔλεγεν and other verbs in the form of imperfect do not really convey a past continuous sense, but a sense of an instance and a singularity of action, like aorist. Here is a salient ...
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2
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Why do the NLT translators say "demons" (Rom 8:38)?
I will not defend any particular version so I do not know what any given translation committee was thinking when they made their numerous decisions. What we do know is the following:
The underlying ...
- 118k
2
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Why are prayer and fasting required to cast out certain kinds of demons?
In the parable of the widow and the unjust judge Jesus teaches us to “pray always and not to lose heart (Lk 18:1-8). The question then is not when do we need to pray, but whether there is ever a time ...
- 4,220
2
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What is the “abyss” in Luke 8:31?
The word ἄβυσσος (abyssos) only occurs twice (Luke 8:31, Rom 10:7) in the NT outside of the book of Revelation where it occurs another seven times, see Rev 9:1, 2, 11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1, 3.
Its meaning ...
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