One question, four answers

Rebecca Dean
‘Demons resist simple definitions’

The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, all portray Jesus as a healer and miracle worker who is able to cast out unclean or evil spirits and demons. These entities were a widely – though not universally – accepted reality in the ancient Mediterranean world, commonly blamed for a range of human illnesses, misfortunes, or apparently strange behaviours. Indeed, all four Canonical Gospels include moments where Jesus’ opponents attribute his own actions to demons.

Jesus’ reported activity as an exorcist has some features in common with other ancient accounts, for example in the request for the name of the demon, which was felt to be needed in order to obtain power over it, or in the provision of an external sign of the demon’s departure from its host, which we see in the destruction of the herd of pigs following the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac. At other points, Jesus’ practice seems to deviate from what we find elsewhere, such as in the simple use of his own authority to exorcise, rather than a reliance on the naming of other esteemed figures…

Rebecca Dean is a New Testament lecturer at Rippon College Cuddesdon

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George Mwaura
‘They are treated as genuine spiritual beings’

The Bible’s depiction of Jesus expelling demons is a fascinating area of inquiry, merging different cultural, religious, and historical perspectives. But did Jesus cast out real demons or are the accounts in the Bible metaphorical expressions of a deeper spiritual truth? The primary source for understanding Jesus’ interaction with demons is found in the gospels, particularly within the Synoptic Gospels. In these texts, numerous accounts depict Jesus casting out demons from afflicted individuals (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37). These passages offer a consistent portrayal of purported demonic possession and the subsequent expulsion of said demons through Christ’s divine authority. For instance, in Mark 1:23-26, Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit in a synagogue and commands it: ‘Come out of him!’ (Mark 1:25). The demon responds by acknowledging Christ’s divine identity as the Holy One of God prior to obeying his command. This account suggests that those involved believed firmly in the presence and power of demonic forces….

George Mwaura is a United Reformed Church minister in Milton Keynes

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Simon Copley
‘We have permission to look beyond the observable’

Yes. But I am reminded of the maritime pilot, commended by a ship’s captain for ‘knowing where all the rocks are’. ‘I don’t’, he replied, ‘I only know where there aren’t any.’

Which is a warning to focus on the answer, not the question. Jesus kept demons quiet, so we should. What we think about demons is not as important as what we think about Jesus who, if the apostolic witness is credible, brought real freedom to the tangibly afflicted.

I shared this ‘pilot wisdom’ with a young relative while explaining about conducting communion in her house, beset by strange disturbances. The house is now peaceful and she is a committed Christian – because she grasped that Jesus is the answer…

Simon Copley is a URC minister in Sheffield, and is Treasurer of GEAR

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Kathy Spooner
‘Counsellors are trained to put aside their own beliefs’

The question that a counsellor would have uppermost in their mind is how their Christian client understands the role of the demonic in their own lives and how this understanding is contributing to their psychological and spiritual wellbeing. The counsellors in the Association of Christians in Counselling are trained to put aside their own beliefs and preferences to become fully attentive to the client. In listening well to their unfolding story about what has brought them to therapy and key events and influences in their lives, the counsellor will begin to discern how the client understands the world around them, including their journey of faith and understanding of God. In relation to influence of the demonic, from my experience there tend to be three main ways in which Christian clients perceive the interaction of forces of evil with their psychological and spiritual wellbeing…

Kathy Spooner is a qualified counsellor and supervisor as well as being the CEO of the Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions

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This is an extract from an article published in the February 2024 edition of Reform

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