Matthew 12:26
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Matthew 12:26 | |
|---|---|
← 12:25 12:27 → | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 12:26 is the 26th verse in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament.
In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort, this verse is:
- Καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς τὸν Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτὸν ἐμερίσθη· πῶς οὖν σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ;
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
The New International Version translates the passage as:
- If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?
Analysis
If Satan cast out Satan ... implies that the kingdom of Satan upon earth could not stand, if one devil were always to be rising up and fighting with another devil, so that the inferior would be endless working to remove his superior. So Christ working to expel demons must be from God, because Beelzebub would never send out devils to drive each other out, since this would bring his kingdom to ruin. [1][2]
Lapide relates the following story based on this passage: "An aged priest, worthy of credit, who had discharged the office of exorcist for many years and expelled devils at Rome, once told me he had seen with his eyes, and heard with his ears, two men possessed with devils, contending and fighting with one another, in the Church of S. Matthew. The devil who possessed one of the men was of a higher order and superior to the other; and he wished to cast out the other devil, as an inferior, from the man whom he possessed. But the inferior devil resisted, and greatly abused his superior; and among other things, he said to him, “Thou art an infernal devil, and by the just judgment of God being banished to hell, art far more heavily punished than I am, who am not an infernal devil, but am permitted to live here in the air, because I did not rebel against God as thou didst, but only clave and consented to Lucifer, as a subject to my superior.” But such things as this are very uncommon and are succeeded by peace, even as these two devils after a short time laid aside their contention, and rested, and held their peace. For although those who are damned, and the devils, burn with pride, wrath, and hatred one against another, and quarrel, and tear one another in hell like dogs; nevertheless, on earth they must agree among themselves, in order that they may establish their kingdom and dominion over men."[3]
