How many MEN were possesed, 1 or 2??

fivepointcalvinist · #1 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006, 01:05 PM

Compare Mt 8:28-33 with Mk 5:1-15:

Matt 8:28 Â¶ When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. {They were} so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way.
Matt 8:29 And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
Matt 8:30 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding at a distance from them.
Matt 8:31 The demons {began} to entreat Him, saying, "If You {are going to} cast us out, send us into the herd of swine."
Matt 8:32 And He said to them, "Go!" And they came out and went into the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.
Matt 8:33 The herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

Mark 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.
Mark 5:2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him,
Mark 5:3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;
Mark 5:4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Mark 5:5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.
Mark 5:6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;
Mark 5:7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!"
Mark 5:8 For He had been saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"
Mark 5:9 And He was asking him, "What is your name?" And he *said to Him, "My name is Legion; for we are many."
Mark 5:10 And he {began} to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country.
Mark 5:11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain.
Mark 5:12 {The demons} implored Him, saying, "Send us into the swine so that we may enter them."
Mark 5:13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand {of them;} and they were drowned in the sea.
Mark 5:14 Â¶ Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And {the people} came to see what it was that had happened.
Mark 5:15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the "legion"; and they became frightened.

[Edited on 5-20-2006 by fivepointcalvinist]

Joshua · #2 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006, 02:51 PM

2.

It's likely that one was more flamboyant than the other, thus being the primary and most mentionable in Mark's gospel.