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Luke 11:24-26.

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Nathan45

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...

Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)
‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” 25When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.’

anyone have a good interpretation of this?
 

Secundulus

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...
Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)


anyone have a good interpretation of this?

You have to accept who Jesus is and follow him after he has cast out demons or they will come back and make you worse than you were before. He was referring to some specific person at hand.

A parallel idea was where he said "13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
English Standard Version. Jn 5:13-14

Here he meant that Jesus had healed his bodily affliction because of the man's faith. he told him to go and sin no more so that something worse does not happen. He meant that if the man, once healed and forgiven, continued to sin, that his bodily affliction would not return (which would be bad) but that his soul would be forfeit to hell (which would be worse.)
 
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DArceri

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...

Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)


anyone have a good interpretation of this?


Notice verse 19:
19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?

There were Jewish exorcists who claimed power to cast out demons, and Jesus points out that if such exorcisms is not from God, then they will just come back with more demon "friends". However, if they come back and find the once vacant soul 'occupied' by the power of Christ, they will leave.
 
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tapero

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...

Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” 25When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.’

anyone have a good interpretation of this?

Not really sure what it means. Do know demons can't be in Christians. The Holy Spirit (God) indwells all Christians, and never leaves, is a mark, seal, a guarantee of our salvation.

So, knowing this, I suspect what another wrote below might be close to the mark. When demons were cast our of a person it appears that they can reenter that person. The reference to house swept clean and in order is confusing to me, for I can't think of what that might be referring to.

Perhaps the person now feels better with the demon gone, which of course one would, as we see the torment caused by demons in men in the bible, so perhaps now that the person feels better, this relates to being swept and in order possibly; and that even though this occurs, it doesn't prevent the demon from entering them again.

I would put this verse in google, and see what comes up, as I'm sure it's discussed. I don't go into urls so can't do this.

Good question.
 
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LivingWordUnity

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Notice verse 19:
19And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out?

There were Jewish exorcists who claimed power to cast out demons, and Jesus points out that if such exorcisms is not from God, then they will just come back with more demon "friends". However, if they come back and find the once vacant soul 'occupied' by the power of Christ, they will leave.

I think that was a very good interpretation.
 
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ebia

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...

Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)


anyone have a good interpretation of this?
NT Wright has a really good explaination in Luke for Everyone, but the book is at work and I keep forgetting to look it up and I can't remember the details.
 
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MessianicJewishGuy

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So i've been reading the gospel of Luke...

Luke 11:24-26 (NRSV)


anyone have a good interpretation of this?
Yes I do. Lets read the whole chapter:

Luke 11 (King James Version)


1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3Give us day by day our daily bread.
4And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
5And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
14And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
15But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
16And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
17But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
19And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
20But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
21When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
22But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
23He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
24When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
25And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
27And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
29And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
30For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
37And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
45Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.




Were you cherry picking or were you reading it in context. It interprets its self.
 
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