Episode 138: Healing and the Demonic (updated w/ corrections & clarifications)

SECOND TEMPLE JEWISH VIEW of the Origin of Sickness &
Demons


 


“And we acted in accord with all of his words. All of the evil
ones, who were cruel, we bound in the place of judgment, but a
tenth of them we let remain so that they might be subject to
Satan upon the earth. And the healing of all their illnesses
together with their seductions we told Noah so that he might heal
by means of herbs of the earth. And Noah wrote everything in a
book just as we taught him according to every kind of healing.
And the evil spirits were restrained from following the sons of
Noah. (Jub 10:11–13) 


 


Commentary – Mastema [fallen angel] required assistance in his
work of corrupting and afflicting humanity. The key item to
observe is the reference to healing (Jub 10:13). VanderKam
explains, “One way the spirits harmed humans was by causing
diseases; so, God ordered the angels to teach Noah medicines to
counteract their influence.” The Second Temple Jewish mind saw a
clear connection between illness and demonic activity. This
consequentially blurred the line between healing and exorcism
and, as we have seen, the overlap is discernible in the Gospels.
Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of
Darkness 


 


NEW TESTAMENT VIEW OF SICKNESS & DEMONS


 


John 10:37-38 - If I do not do the works of My Father, do not
believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe
the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in
Me, and I in Him.”


 


John 14:12 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me
will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these
will he do, because I am going to the Father.


 


“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them
authority over unclean spirits , to cast them out , and to heal
every disease and every affliction.… These twelve Jesus sent out,
instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles (no Stage 3) and
enter no town of the Samaritans (no Stage 2), but go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Stage 1). And proclaim as
you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons .” (Matt
10:1, 5–7a; compare Mark 3:13–15; 6:7–13; Luke 6:13; 9:1,
2) 


 


Luke 7:18-23 - 18 The disciples of John reported
all these things to him. And John, 19 calling
two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are
you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
20 And when the men had come to him, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one
who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21 In
that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil
spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.
22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what
you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame
walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised
up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23
And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”


 


Luke 8:1-2 - “Soon afterward he went on through cities and
villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom
of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had
been healed of evil spirits and infirmities:
Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.


 


Luke 8:36 - And those who had seen it told them how the
demon-possessed man had been healed. (Gerasene/Gadarene
demonic)


 


Luke 9:37-43 - 37 On the next day, when they had
come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.
38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out,
“Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39 And behold, a spirit seizes
him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses
him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and
will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your
disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”
41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted
generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring
your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the
demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But
Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and
gave him back to his father. 43 And all were
astonished at the majesty of God.


 


Luke 13:10-16 - 10 Now he was teaching in one of
the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold,
there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit
(spirit of infirmity) for eighteen years. She
was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and
said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your
disability.” 13 And he laid his hands
on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified
God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue,
indignant because Jesus had healed on the
Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work
ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on
the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him,
“You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox
or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?
16 And ought not this woman, a daughter
of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years,
be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”


 


Acts 5:16 - The people also gathered from the towns around
Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with
unclean spirits, and they were all healed.


 


Acts 10:38 - how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with him.


 


EARLY CHRISTIAN VIEW of the Origin of Sickness &
Demons



 Furthermore, we are instructed by our sacred books how from
certain angels, who fell of their own free will, there sprang a
more wicked demon brood, condemned of God along with the authors
of their race. ...Their great business is the ruin of mankind.
So, from the start, spiritual wickedness sought our destruction.
Accordingly, they inflict upon our bodies diseases and
other grievous calamities. And by violent assaults, they
hurry the soul into sudden and extraordinary excesses. ...By an
influence equally obscure, demons and angels breathe into the
soul, and rouse up its corruptions with furious passions and vile
excesses.  Tertullian (AD 197)

“…the demons…No doubt, they are very kind, too, in regard
to the healing of diseases! For, first of all, they make you ill.
Then, to get a miracle out of it,...they withdraw their hurtful
influence. Supposedly, then, they have wrought a
cure!”  Tertullian (AD197)



 From the seed [of the fallen angels and women], giants
[nephilim] are said to have been born. By them, arts were made
known in the earth. They taught the dyeing of wool and everything
that is done. When they died, men erected images to them. Yet,
because they were of an evil seed, the Almighty did not approve
of their being brought back from death when they had died. For
that reason, they wander and they now subvert many
bodies. And it is these whom you [pagans] presently
worship and pray to as gods.  Commodianus (AD 240)

...As I was saying, these contaminated and abandoned spirits
wander over the whole earth. They console their own ruin by
destroying others. Therefore, they fill every place with snares,
deceits, frauds, and errors. For they cling to individuals and
even occupy whole houses, from door to door. ...And since
spirits are without physical substance and cannot be held, they
slink into the bodies of men. Secretly working in their inward
parts, they corrupt the health of these persons, bring on
diseases, terrify their souls with dreams, and harass
their minds with frenzies. They do this so that by these evils,
they may cause men to come to them for aid.  Lactantius (AD
304-313)