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NASB | Matthew 8:16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 8:16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons; and He cast out the evil spirits with a word, and restored to health all who were sick [exhibiting His authority as Messiah], |
Subject: Do demons still exist? |
Bible Note: Cwade, happy new year to you also. Perhaps a good place to begin a study of demons and demon possession is in a responsible Bible dictionary, which will in turn provide one with copious scriptural references. Two such Bible dictionaries are Harper's and Holman. A good chiasmic narrative of demon possession is the account of the Gadarene demoniac in Mark 5. The idea of demons is shrouded in much superstition and wild -- and all to often bogus -- speculation that one is well advised to proceed carefully in his study of the subject and to avoid the myriad of pitfalls that lie in the path. However, two truths seem to emerge: [1] That the New Testament accounts of demon possession were real and that the Gospel writers were describing events that were not the same things as mere physcial or mental illnesses and, [2] that there still exist today forces in the world that can only be viewed as men being possessed by supernatural, evil spirits. Jesus certainly treated the cases of demon possession as realities and so therefore should we. The cure for demon possession in the New Testament was always faith in the power of Christ. It still is. --Hank |