“Unique Angle”

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Can you explain why in Mark 5:9 and Luke 8:30, both describe one demon-possessed man, but in Matthew 8:28-34, two demon-possessed men are mentioned?  At first, I thought these were two different events, but no, all three books describe one event.  How can this be?  Why do Mark and Luke say there’s one, but Matthew say it’s two?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

This is a great example of why we have multiple accounts of Jesus' life.  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all record the life of Christ, but they each do it from a different perspective, and they each emphasize different things.  Matthew pointed out both demon-possessed men, but Mark and Luke focused on the story of the man possessed by legions of demons.  This isn't a contradiction; it is simply a matter of only including the details that are pertinent to their particular narrative.  Mark and Luke never said there was only one man... they just told the story of the man named Legion.

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