Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jkk@aiai.ed.ac.uk (John Kingston) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Demonised, not demon possessed Message-ID: Date: 14 Apr 91 03:16:42 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AI Applications Institute, University of Edinburgh Lines: 29 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Someone replied to my original article, suggesting that the use of the word "rebuke" (Greek "epitimao") [often used when Jesus rebuked demons] when Jesus rebuked the fever in Peter's mother in law did not necessarily indicate demonic influence. The reason given was that Jesus also rebuked his disciples. In fact, Jesus only uses "epitimao" to his disciples twice, and on one of those occasions there was clearly demonic influence involved - "Get behind me, Satan!" (the other occasion was when James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven). For the record, Jesus also "rebuked" a number of evil spirits, and the wind. I stick by my assertion that the fever in Peter's mother in law was due to demonic influence, and that this provides evidence from the Bible (there is empirical evidence too) that Christians can be demonically influenced. JK John Kingston, AI Applications Institute, University of Edinburgh, 80 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1HN, Scotland E-mail jkk@uk.ac.ed.aiai, phone 031-650 2736 FAX: 031 226 2730 Arpanet: J.Kingston%ed.ac.uk@nfsnet-relay.ac.uk TELEX: 727442 UNIVED G [Many interpreters believe that "get behind me Satan" does not indicate actual possession, but simply that Peter is tempting Jesus as Satan did. --clh]