"So then, they will be your judges."

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Dimmesdale
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"So then, they will be your judges."

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Post by Dimmesdale »

"And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges." - Matthew 12:27

What did Jesus mean here. Who is "they." Are "they" the demons, who will judge the Pharisees, or the exorcists of the Pharisees? For some reason I can't see what is being communicated here. Please help me out.....

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Difflugia
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Re: "So then, they will be your judges."

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Post by Difflugia »

Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:58 pm "And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges." - Matthew 12:27

What did Jesus mean here. Who is "they." Are "they" the demons, who will judge the Pharisees, or the exorcists of the Pharisees? For some reason I can't see what is being communicated here. Please help me out.....
"They" is "your people."

I would verbosely paraphrase verses 27-28 this way:

"If I drive out demons by demons, then you and your people do so as well. If you are right about us, then your own people have convicted you of demonism. If you are wrong about us, then they have convicted you of hypocrisy. If you change your mind and accept that you are witnessing exorcism by the power of God, then I am fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah [quoted in verses 18-21] in your presence."

I suspect that the hypocrisy angle is the most important one, since 12:1-8 and 9-14 are both also pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

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Re: "So then, they will be your judges."

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Post by DavidLeon »

Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:58 pm "And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges." - Matthew 12:27

What did Jesus mean here. Who is "they." Are "they" the demons, who will judge the Pharisees, or the exorcists of the Pharisees? For some reason I can't see what is being communicated here. Please help me out.....
They are the disciples of the Pharisees. Jesus was turning the tables on them. Their (Pharisees) charge against him was applicable to them as well. If he was expelling demons by Satan then they must be doing the same. Satan wouldn't be driving them out so their reasoning was faulty. If they couldn't attribute Jesus' works to himself as they were too great for mortal men, and they didn't want to attribute them to God for that would mean Jesus was working for God, then they had to conclude it was another supernatural entity. Satan.

If they (Pharisees) were operating under God they could do as he did, if they were operating under Satan they would fall for removing demons would have been a division. Divided they fall. If the works of the Pharisees were traditions of men they would fall away and be forgotten.
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