POSSESSED PERSONS in the BIBLE. — In the Gospels
(and *Acts*) numerous healings of possessed persons are narrated. With
*possessio*, a demon (v.) or more demons animate
the body (Lescitre), but as an *motor adventitius*
(Benedict XIV) or an external principle of actions
(Leistle): they penetrate it, that is, they subsist there and
operate, and they can torment it if not prevented by God
(St. Bonaventure).
This is denied by rationalists who deny miracles,
down to modern scholars (such
as O. Holtzmann,
E. Rasmussen, J.
Weiss, A. Harnack,
etc.), who maintain
the non-existence of
spirits, which would be
chimerae of superstitious
peoples, a residue of the
darkness of past centuries,
symbols and figures of moral
and physical evil; the
symptoms of demonic possession,
described in the
Gospels, would refer to
subjects of nervous diseases
(epileptics, hysterics,
etc.); the cures would have
occurred through hypnosis
and suggestion: Jesus would
not have expelled demons,
but would have healed such
sick people with his psychic
power.
True and
proper possessed persons are not spoken of in the
Old Testament. Sometimes a demonic influence of an
ethical nature appears (1 Kings 22, 19-23; 2 Chron. 18, 18-22: the spirit of
falsehood deceives the prophets of King Ahab) or even of a
physical nature (as in the case of Job); but this influence is rather
external. The case of Saul (1 Sam. 16, 14-23; 19, 9) is interpreted
by many (A. Calmet, M. Hagen, L. Janssens) as a
severe melancholy caused and fomented by the evil spirit.
In the New Testament the intervention of Satan up to
*possessio* is connected with the diabolical attempt to divert
Christ’s mission through seduction and intimidation (Mark 1, 12 f.; Matt. 4, 1-11; Luke 4, 1-13; Luke 22, 31),
so as to obstruct the Kingdom of God (Luke 11, 20; Matt. 12, 28).
The Son of God, on the contrary, came to undo
the work of the devil (1 John 3, 8), and the Apostles are in turn
invested by the Master with the power to cast out demons
(Luke 10, 17-19). Jesus engages in the final struggle on the
day of the Passion (John 12, 31 f.; 14, 30; 16, 11), with a
battle virtually already won.
Various references to Jesus’ miracles place alongside
the healed sick the liberated possessed persons (Matt. 4, 24; Mark 1, 32-34; 39;
Matt. 8, 16; Luke 4, 40 f.; Mark 3, 10; Luke 6, 17-19; 7, 21).
That Jesus is immune from error or deception is clearly
evident from the Gospels, even when considered merely as
historical books. Both He and the Evangelists clearly distinguish
the sick from the possessed, while admitting that certain
diseases are caused by demonic presence.
Moreover, if it is true that Jesus adapted Himself to the manner of
speaking of His contemporaries when dealing with physical phenomena
or secondary matters, this did not occur, however, in matters of a
religious character; indeed, on this point He intended to correct false
ideas (cf. John 9, 1-3). Now the influence of demons on humanity
constituted an important point of His religious mission; Jesus spoke of
it on His own initiative (Luke 11, 21 f.; 22, 31; John 12, 31; 14, 30;
16, 11; Matt. 25, 41, etc.), not only for therapeutic purposes.
Numerous possessed persons are found, especially in the Synoptics,
above all in Galilee. They are possessed by one or more “unclean”
or “evil” spirits (Matt. 12, 45, and parallels) who torment them
(Mark 5, 2-6), who speak through their mouths (Mark 1, 34;
3, 10, etc.). Diabolic possession sometimes causes muteness (Matt. 9, 32; 12, 22), madness (Matt. 12, 22), epilepsy (Matt. 17, 14-20), frenzy (Matt. 8, 1-5). Not all diseases, however, are attributed to diabolic possession; indeed, sometimes they are expressly distinguished (Luke 6, 17-18; 7, 21; 8, 2; 13, 22, etc.).
Some facts demonstrate the personal and intelligent nature of
Satan’s activity in the possessed. The most important liberations of
possessed persons are: “the man possessed by an unclean spirit” in the
synagogue of Capernaum (Mark 1, 23-28; Luke 4, 33-37); the possessed
of Gerasa (Mark 5, 1-20; Matt. 8, 28-34; Luke 8, 26-39): in the mouth
of the possessed is anticipated Peter’s confession; the Syrophoenician
girl possessed (Mark 7, 24-30; Matt. 15, 21-28): Jesus acts according to
the prayer and persuasion of the woman; the epileptic possessed
(Mark 9, 18-29; Matt. 17, 14-21; Luke 9, 37-42): Jesus recognizes the
presence of the demon).
As for the manner of expelling demons from the unfortunate
possessed, Jesus refers to the method in use among the Jews (Matt. 12, 27; Luke 11, 19); in Acts 19, 13 mention is made of Jewish exorcists; some expelled demons in the name of Jesus (Mark 9, 37). To deny the divine cause of the miracle, the Jews accused Jesus of performing the miracle through the prince of demons (Matt. 9, 34; 12, 24-27; Mark 3, 22; Luke 11, 15, 19).
Jesus liberates the possessed with a mere command: He does not
at all follow the empirical therapies of the time, which were often based
on magic.
For other cases of possessed persons, V. DEMONIA AND MANIFESTATIONS.