Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

EXORCISM

An attempt to control and cast out evil spirits believed to have entered a person in order to cause harm. The Gospels (with the exception of John) contain numerous references to demon possession and exorcism. There is one major exorcism account in Acts (16:16-18), and incidental remarks about Paul and Jewish exorcists (19:13-20). Jesus performed most of the exorcisms in the Gospel accounts (e.g., Matt. 4:11, 23; Mark 1:12-13, 21-34), though the apostles also performed exorcisms. Exorcism presupposes the belief in the existence of spirit beings who can enter into an individual’s body, and occupy it permanently (Mark 5:1-14) or intermittently (9:14-27). Known as demonic possession, it often involved some sort of oppression by the alien spirit.

Exorcism is traced back to the ancient Near East. An exorcist usually called on the power of a stronger, and usually good spirit, to subdue or cast out a less powerful, and usually a malevolent spirit. Methods varied from a few words of command to a full ritual ceremony and elaborate magical incantations. When necessary the exorcist will use a combination of methods to ensure success. Practices of exorcism are associated with the belief that demonic possession often brought sickness to the victim. Thus, exorcising the demon from the individual was a form of treatment of the illness believed to have been caused by the intruding spirit. There is, however, a distinction between exorcism and healing. The epilepsy that the boy in Mark 9:14-27 suffered was caused by an evil spirit, but there is no such connection made to the woman with an issue of blood (5:25-34).

Jesus exorcised demons by his commanding word with no apparent appeal to authority beyond himself. Early Christians, however, cast out demons in the name and authority of Jesus (Luke 10:17-20; Acts 16:16-17).

Bibliography. S. Eitrem, Some Notes on Demonology (1971); S. R. Garrett, The Demise of the Devil (Minneapolis, 1989); S. V. McCasland, By the Finger of God (New York, 1951); G. N. Twelftree, Jesus the Exorcist (Peabody, 1994).

Charles Yeboah

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

EXORCISM

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)