What Are Demons? Pt. 2

Scroll down and click play to listen along

 

Main Question for today

What is a demon/ what are a demon's characteristics?

 

Based upon your understanding of the New Testament alone, what is a demon?

 

Terminology

δαιμονιον ("dai-mon-ee-on") appears roughly 60 times in the New Testament and it means "Hostile/ evil Spirit" or "Demon"

This word is one of the most common words used for demons and is found primarily in the Gospel accounts

 

πνευμα ακαθαρτον ("peh-new-ma   ak-ath-ar-ton") appears multiple times throughout the New Testament and means "impure/ unclean spirit"

Found especially in Mark and Luke

 

Demonic Activity

Take a minute to pause the video and answer this question: 

Within the New Testament, what are some activities that are attributed to demons?

 

When you are ready, un-pause the video and listen along to what the class had to say.

 

Read the following passages for a better understanding of what the New Testament says about demonic activity

Insane Behavior: Matthew 8:28 and Mark 5:1-5

Inability to speak: Matthew 9:32

Inability to hear: Mark 9:25

Blindness: Matthew 12:22

Symptoms of Epilepsy: Luke 9:39

Self-destructive tendencies: Matthew 17:15

 

Take a moment to think about these questions: 

Do the gospel writers ever clearly explain the relationship between demon possession and sickness? Why or why not?

Within the New Testament, are all sicknesses caused by demons? 

Do all demons cause sickness?

 

Read the following passages to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between demons and sickness

Acts 16:16ff

Mark 5:21-43

Mark 7:31-37

Matthew 8:1-4

Luke 6:6-11

 

Does there seem to be a distinction between those suffering from diseases and those who are demon-possessed? If you are unsure, check out these passages and see how the Gospel writers differentiate between the different categories of people brought before Jesus

Matthew 4:24

Mark 1:32

Luke 7:21

 

 

Jesus' Exorcisms and the Kingdom of God

Read the following passages and listen along to the conversation from the class. As you read and listen pay special attention to what these have to say about "kingdoms."

 

Matthew 12:25-29

Mark 3:23-27

Luke 11:17-22

 

What do these passages say about Kingdoms?

 

Read these passages also. What do these say about Jesus' commissioning of the disciples and the coming Kingdom of God?

 

Mark 3:13-15

Mark 6:7-13

Matthew 10:8

Luke 9:1-2

 

What does this mean for us today?

What is most significant here? is it the demons we should be focusing on or should we direct our attention to something else instead?

Why is the connection between demons and God's Kingdom/ the Gospel message, significant?

How does the ministry of Jesus serve as a way to give people freedom from the influence of evil forces?

What does this mean for us today? How do we focus our attention to the Kingdom of God in light of everything we've learned today?