What does the bible say about excorcism ?
2007-02-25 11:05:22 · 9 answers · asked by motivated0311 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Numerous cases of demonic possession and exorcisms by Jesus and his disciples are reported in the Gospels and Acts. The Epistles by Paul and other authors and the book of Revelation are silent on these topics.
After Jesus' execution, exorcisms were done in the name of Jesus:
Acts 16:16 described a slave girl who was possessed. Paul exorcised a "spirit of divination" from her. He commanded the spirit to leave "in the name of Jesus."
Acts 19:13 described how some itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to exorcise a demon saying "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." They were unsuccessful, apparently because they were not Christian believers.
In Acts 19:13, the demon-possessed man exhibited superhuman strength. He turned on seven Jewish exorcists, beat them, and expelled them from the house with their clothes ripped off. The evil spirit had apparently recognized that the exorcists were not Christian; he refused to follow their commands.
In Mark 9:18, Jesus explained to a man that all things are possible, including the exorcism of his son, to those who believe.
2007-02-25 11:11:38 · answer #1 · answered by SpiritRoaming 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The word "exorcism" does not actually exist in the bible.
There are accounts of demon being expelled from a few individuals, and in each case, it was a very simple matter of Jesus, or an apostle/desciple commanding the demon to come out.
For example, at Matthew 8:28-32 it says: "28 When he got to the other side, into the country of the Gad·a·renes′, there met him two demon-possessed men coming out from among the memorial tombs, unusually fierce, so that nobody had the courage to pass by on that road. 29 And, look! they screamed, saying: “What have we to do with you, Son of God? Did you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” 30 But a long way off from them a herd of many swine was at pasture. 31 So the demons began to entreat him, saying: “If you expel us, send us forth into the herd of swine.” 32 Accordingly he said to them: “Go!” They came out and went off into the swine..."
There was no cerimony, or rituals involved. The rituals that you see in movies and on TV are the invention of humans and have nothing to do with scripture.
The Catholic church also perpetuates the idea that a ritualistic exorcism is required to expel demons, but the origins of this practice is admitted in the New Catholic Encyclopedia to be Egyptian and Babylonian in origin- and not biblical.
2007-02-25 19:18:14 · answer #2 · answered by Val W 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says that followers of Jesus are given power over demons, meaning all believers are able to cast out devils in Jesus' name. Jesus performed exorcisms on many people. It says that some demons can be cast out only with prayer and fasting. There is also a story of some people who were not believers who tried to cast a demon out of someone by using Jesus' name, even though they didn't believe. The demons mocked them, attacked them, and sent the exorcists away naked.
2007-02-25 19:17:43 · answer #3 · answered by shybusch 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know, but Exorcisms are fake.
Ppl who get exorcisms done are just having a psychotic episode.
It's not healthy.
2007-02-25 19:10:36 · answer #4 · answered by lilith 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That demons can be driven out by the name and power of Jesus.
2007-02-25 19:26:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
demons caused mental problems like the ones he cast out into pigs? can you drown demons? hmm. i think i might ask this one.
2007-02-25 19:14:28 · answer #6 · answered by Pisces 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It says that Jesus was able to cast out devils. The disciples were also able to do this. On one ocassion there was one that the disciples could not cast out. Jesus replied, this one does not come out except through prayer and fasting:
Matthew 17:15-
15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
On another ocassion non-Christians tried to cast out a devil with unfortunate results:
Acts 19:11-16
11And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
12So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
13Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the LORD Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
14And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
2007-02-25 19:20:12 · answer #7 · answered by ignoramus_the_great 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus thought demons caused leprocy
the bible is total crap... burn it,
or use it as spair toilet paper.
2007-02-25 19:08:25 · answer #8 · answered by slipknotraver 4 · 4⤊ 6⤋
NO
2007-02-25 19:08:26 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋