I was seeing a patttern of the Jews being commanded to keep quiet about miracles but outside Israel Jesus was more relaxed. (Mark 5:19, 7:29)

I had the Decapolis down as a Gentile area and so not subject to the "reporting restrictions" that Jesus commanded (although nobody seems to have paid Him heed) in Israel among Jews.

This kind of comes unstuck if Mark 7:36 is addressed to Gentiles who had no (false) messianic expectations of an earthly kingdom.

Help me! What is silence commanded about miracles? Is it only to Jews? Why does Jesus encourage others to spread the news?

__________________
Eoghan
member,Thurso Baptist Church
Scotland

specialist subject: Creationist Genetics (Bottleneck effect of the Ark)
interests: holiness (practical theology)
member of Biblical Creation Society (available as a guest speaker in the far north of Scotland)

I think we see from the human standpoint, Jesus determined within his native people to be as effective as he could, training his disciples/apostles and staying off the political radar.

He managed his publicity wisely; he even drove the crowds away (after initial fascination) by hard teaching; he limited his confrontations with the religious authorities who eventually would take his life. Jesus was seriously mission-focused. Nothing got in the way of that.

The trips outside Israel served at least two purposes. 1) They were like "breathers" and "retreats" away from the hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees. 2) They were foreshadowing the outbreaking of the Messianic mission to the Gentile world.

I think it is correct to understand that there was no real reason to dampen any enthusiasm or expectations outside Israel for the gospel. The Word really wouldn't and couldn't spread until the Apostles' age, but Jesus clearly had no problem with getting the news out.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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I can't help wondering if the testimony of the Gaderene demoniac(s) have got the attention of the local Jewish populations either in the Decapolis or in the ajoining Israeli territories?

This would explain the command to keep quet in the decapolis over-ruling the previous command to bear testimony among the Gentiles

Feel free to contradict me!