Guest Bible Scholar - John R. Howell

(John is my husband and we live in Farragut, TN - USA with our 2 dogs, 2 cats, enumerable wild birds, and assorted woodland creatures)


"Cast out demons" (Matthew 10:8, ASB)



My last entry concluded with a brief riff on the words surrounding the cross and crown seal which graces the cover of all the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and their concordances.  The familiarity of lifelong Christian Scientists with this seal has certainly not bred contempt, but I wonder if Scientists really strive to fully understand and live its message.  It is also significant that Mrs. Eddy chose the wording of the American Standard Bible for these words from Matthew 10:8 though they only differ in one word from the KJV, the word "demons" for the KJV's "devils".

Why would Mrs. Eddy make this change if it were not significant?  The word "demon" does not occur anywhere in the KJV, so the Greek terms "damonizomai" (verb) and "daimonion" (noun) are translated the same as "diabolos", i.e. as "devil" or "devils".  According to Strong's the former means "to be demon possessed" and the latter "demon, (pagan) god".  When the Greek is "diabolos" (devil, Satan), such as in Matthew 4:1-11, the KJV properly reads "devil", but in verses such as Mark 16:17 in the "Probation After Death" lesson, the term should be "demon".  This discussion may seem like the runaway woolgathering of someone with a whole shelf of translations and no good games or movies on the telly, but there is an important point here.  It was certainly meaningful enough that Mrs. Eddy did not use the KJV rendering of "devils".

The underlying point of this distinction seems to be that there are false beliefs, unrealities, to be destroyed and those to be cast out, and we need to know which is which and what it means to cast out and what it means to destroy.  It might be a good idea for most of us to maintain in consciousness a bouncer who grabs all intruding evil thoughts b the scruff of their necks and throws them out--throws, not politely shows them the door.

Twice in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy quotes from 1 John 3:8:  "For this purose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."  The first time, page 5, she even italicizes the word "works".  My faint understanding of these commands is that false thoughts are demons which may result in the works of the devil.  One we destroy and the other we cast out, and rather than embarrass myself with more verbiage on the subject, I direct readers to the definitive work on this and a passel of other metaphysical subjects, "Science and Health."

Clarity of thought on this matter is doubtless essential if we are to avoid falling prey to some degree to either the devil, Satan, or to demons, however old fashioned such a notion may seem.  Dummelow has interesting notes on diabolical possession and Satan in his commentary on Matthew 4.  One sentence on Old Nick reads:  "He goes about the world like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and never ceases from his insidious attempts to detach mankind from their allegiance to their Creator."

The "Oxford Companion to the Bible" has  fairly thorough-thorough enough for me at any rate-discussion of "demons".  The Hebrew (OT) demon is quite woolly and not particularly relevant to the more unified Christian (NT) concept.  "Now demons are viewed as evil by nature, since they are obedient servants of Satan who is the ultimate adversary of God."  (Oxford Companion) Christ Jesus' authority to cast out demons was first demonstrated in Matthew 4:1-11, when he "overcame Satan's most persuasive offers...This victory qualified him to begin evicting demons from their human homes (Matt.4:24."

The "Oxford Companion to the Bible" continues later in the same article:  "Evil spirits continued to resist the power of the Holy Spirit, but faith continued to bring liberation.  As a result, a more or  less standard attitude toward demons emerged:  1.  Their primary activity lies in blinding and paralyzing human beings, who become captives of Satan.  2.  Demons are forces external to human beings, yet their power also depends on internal forces operating at subsconscious levels.  3.  This conjunction of demonic and human wills creates a captivity..."