Do the Inconsistencies about Jesus Healing the Demon-Possessed in Gergesenes Disprove Jesus Healed Him or that Jesus Is the Son of God?


There are those in this world who try to confuse Christians by telling them that the Bible has inconsistencies. They say that since there are lies in the Bible, that disproves that Jesus Is the Son of God.  Is that true? First of all, they are trying to confuse you by misguided logic. Just because there may be inconsistencies in the Bible, doesn’t make them lies. Additionally, having inconsistencies in the Bible in no way disproves that Jesus Is the Son of God!  Now, I plan to do further research on this particular miracle reported in the New Testament and see if there is anything significant enough to disprove that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man and that Jesus Is the Son of God. I will share this information with you, so you can make up your own mind!

I will be using the New King James Versions [NKJV] of the Bible. Additionally, I will use the internet, as needed. Some passages will have both the word he and him within the same verse, which can make it difficult to know who is speaking and who is being spoken to. I will put who is speaking and who is being spoken to within brackets when I feel it’s unclear by the text. For those who are listening to this podcast, I generally try to let you know when I’m sharing bracketed information.

Additionally, I will put my analysis, opinions, and comments within brackets, as well. That will allow those who want to read the research further for themselves to go to either Biblical Proof! at https://biblicalproof.blogspot.com/ or Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com

Matthew 8:28-34 says: When He [Jesus] had come to the otherside, the country of Gergesenes, there met Him two demon possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.” And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water. Then those who kept them fled and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Mark 5:1-20 says: Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even the chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” Then He [Jesus] said to him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him [Jesus] to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. 

Luke 8:26-39 says: Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when he stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him [Jesus] that he might be with Him [Jesus]. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

The Gospel of John does not have anything about Jesus healing the demon possessed man.

[Well, first of all, we have to determine which things to analyze. Since each of the three Gospels that records that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man, says a different name for the location, we need to see if that inconsistency is significant.]

Matthew 8:28 says: When He [Jesus] had come to the otherside, the country of Gergesenes, there met Him two demon possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. The footnote for this Bible verse says: the NU-Text reads “Gadarenes” I looked in the front of the [NKJV of the Bible to see what NU meant. It says it is the modern eclectic, or “critical,” text of the Greek New Testament.

Mark 5:1 says: Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  The footnote for this says: NU-Text reads “Gerasenes”.

Luke 8:26 says: Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. The footnote says:NU-Text reads “Gerasenes”.
[First, I did a Google search to see if  Gadarenes, Girgesenes, Gerasenes are all the same place. I got the following information from Bible.Gateway.com at https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionaries/dict_meaning.php?source=3&wid=S8128 It said: (These three names are used indiscriminately to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. The first two are in the Authorized Version. (Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) In Gerasenes in place of Gadarenes. The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and hence in the country of Gergesenes. But as Gergesa was a small village, and little known, the evangelists, who wrote for more distant readers, spoke of the event as taking place in the country of the Gadarenes, so named from its largest city, Gadara; and this country included the country of the Gergesenes as a state includes a county. The Gerasenes were the people of the district of which Gerasa was the capital. This city was better known than Gadara or Gergesa; indeed in the Roman age no city of Palestine was better known. "It became one of the proudest cities of Syria." It was situated some 30 miles southeast of Gadara, on the borders of Peraea and a little north of the river Jabbok. It is now called Jerash and is a deserted ruin. The district of the Gerasenes probably included that of the Gadarenes; so that the demoniac of Gergesa belonged to the country of the Gadarenes and also to that of the Gerasenes, as the same person may, with equal truth, be said to live in the city or the state, or in the United States. For those near by the local name would be used; but in writing to a distant people, as the Greeks and Romans, the more comprehensive and general name would be given.--ED.)]
[In reviewing this, all three names appear to be referring to the same general area, which is not significant enough to disprove that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man or that Jesus Is the Son of God.]

The next inconsistency of importance is that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke have recorded that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man, but the Gospel of John does not have it recorded. Is that significant?]

[Mark 3:14-15 says: Then He [Jesus] appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: In reading this, it may have been that the Apostle John was elsewhere preaching at the time that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man and was not a witness to this. Additionally, in doing lots of research on Biblical Inconsistencies and other Biblical authorities, some of the Apostles add additional information to what the other Apostles have recorded, if it wasn’t included. Possibly, the Apostle John felt that Matthew, Mark, and Luke had the main information and that he didn’t need to add anything further.]

[There is no way to truly know why the Apostle John did not record Jesus’ healing of the demon-possessed man. Is any of this significant enough to disprove that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man or that Jesus Is the Son of God? In evaluating this, even if the Apostle John didn’t record this, doesn’t disprove that Jesus healed the demon-possessed man or that Jesus Is the Son of God.]

[An additional point to analyze is how many possessed men were healed.]

Matthew 8:28 says: When He [Jesus] had come to the otherside, the country of Gergesenes, there met Him two demon possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

Mark 5:2 says: And when He [Jesus] had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 

Luke 8:27 says: And when He [Jesus] stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs.

[In reviewing this information, whether it is recorded that Jesus healed one man or two men isn’t significant enough to prove that Jesus didn’t heal the demon-possessed nor does it have any implications to disprove that Jesus Is the Son of God.]

[Next, we will look at what is recorded that the demons said to Jesus.]

Matthew 8:29-31 says: And suddenly they [the demons] cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

Mark 5:5-7 says:  And always, night and day, he [the demon possessed-man] was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

Mark 5:9-12 goes on to say: Then He [Jesus] said to him, “What is your name?” And he [demon-possessed man] answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”

Luke 8:27-28 says:  And when he stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he [the demon-possessed man] cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”

Luke 8:30-32 further says: Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he [the demon-possessed man] said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. 

[In my opinion, all three Gospels have the demons saying the same basic things: that Jesus is the Son of God or Most High, that they didn’t want to be tormented and then asked if Jesus would permit them to enter into the herd of swine. There appear to be no inconsistencies in these reports.]

[Last of all, I will analyze what happened after the demons entered the swine and ran into the lake/sea and drowned. I am going to copy and paste the portions of the above Bible passages that apply to this analysis, so that I can examine it more carefully.]

Matthew 8:33-34 says:  Then those who kept them fled and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Mark 5:14-20 says: So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him [Jesus] to depart from their region. And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Luke 8:34-39   When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him [Jesus] that he might be with Him [Jesus]. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

[In all three Gospels, those who fed the swine went to tell the people in the city and country about how Jesus had healed the demon-possessed and how the demons entered the swine and drowned in the lake/sea.]

[All three Gospels said that they were afraid and citizens came and asked Jesus to depart from them.]

[Although the Gospel of Matthew didn’t have this recorded, both the Gospels of Mark and Luke have it recorded that the man who had been healed from the demons went to Jesus as He was boarding the boat and asked to go with Him. Instead, Jesus told him to share the healing that Jesus/God had done for him and he did this.]

[After researching and evaluating all of this information, there were minimal inconsistencies which were considered of no major significance. None of them were significant enough to disprove that Jesus healed the demon-possessed. In fact, you would think these passages corroborate the fact that it actually happened. Not only was this recorded in these three Gospels, but those who fed the swine were eye-witnesses of Jesus’ healing the demon-possessed. The citizens of the area who heard of this miraculous healing, those that fed the swine and the Apostles were either eye-witnesses or recorded the information for disciples who were eye-witnesses that the demon-possessed was healed.]

[Additionally, who but Jesus, the Son of God, could heal someone filled with a legion of demons? Besides that, in each of the three Gospels, it is recorded that the demons all acknowledged that Jesus Is the Son of God/the Most High. These all verify that Jesus Is the Son of God.]

[Don’t let people confuse you with false logic about inconsistencies. I have yet to find anything in the Bible that disproves that Jesus Is God’s Son in reading the Bible 16+ times from cover to cover. In fact, the more that I read the Bible on a daily basis, my faith in Jesus being the Son of God is continually reinforced, which helps me get through the stressors of this world. Try reading the Bible daily. Jesus is here for you, as well!]