Matthew 12:43-45 - Waterless places and my house?
Does Matthew 12:43-45 object to the need for deliverance for those who have been believers in the past?
Matthew 12:43: "“Now when the unclean spirit comes-out from the person, it-goes through WATERLESS places seeking rest, and does not find (it)."
Matthew 12:44: "Then it-says, ‘I-will-return to MY HOUSE from-where I-came-out’. And having-come, it-finds (it) being-unoccupied, having-been-swept and put-in-order."
Matthew 12:45: "Then it-proceeds and takes-along with itself seven other spirits more-evil (than) itself. And having-gone-in, they-dwell there, and THE LAST (STATE OF) THAT PERSON BECOMES WORSE (THAN) THE FIRST. So it-will-be also (with) this EVIL generation”."
The "unclean spirit"?
It is written in Matthew 12:43 about "the UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Matthew 12:43).
The expression "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" can be used interchangeably with the expression "demon" (Mark 7:25 & Mark 7:26).
For more information:What are demons?
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It is written in Matthew 12:45 about this unclean spirit that "it-proceeds and takes-along with itself seven other SPIRITS more-EVIL (THAN) ITSELF" (Matthew 12:45). It therefore also indicates that this unclean spirit would be an EVIL SPIRIT.
The expression "EVIL SPIRIT" can be used interchangeably with the expression "demon" (Luke 8:2).
For more information:What are demons?
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In the context of Matthew 12, several verses earlier, Jesus just cast out a demon, as it is written: "(a) blind and mute (man) BEING-DEMONIZED was-brought to Him. And He-cured him, so-that the mute (man was) speaking and seeing" (Matthew 12:22). Jesus added when questioned about this: "I AM-CASTING-OUT the DEMONS" (Matthew 12:28).
The unclean spirit "comes-out"?
It is written: "the unclean spirit COMES-OUT [exerchomai 1831 in Greek]" (Matthew 12:43).
The Greek word used for "COMES-OUT" [exerchomai 1831 in Greek] in Matthew 12:43 comes from "out-of" [ek 1537 in Greek, preposition] and "to-come" [erchomai 2064 in Greek, verb].
The term used for "COMES-OUT" [exerchomai 1831 in Greek] in Matthew 12:43 can be used in Matthew to describe when a demon is CAST OUT of someone.
For example in Matthew 8: "THE DEMONS were-begging Him, saying, “If YOU-ARE-CASTING us OUT, send us out into the herd (of) pigs”. And He-said (to) them, “Go!” And the (ones), HAVING-COME-OUT [exerchomai 1831 in Greek], went into the pigs" (Matthew 8:31-32).
For example in Matthew 17: "Jesus rebuked him, and THE DEMON GOES-OUT [exerchomai 1831 in Greek] from him, and the boy was-cured from that hour. Then the disciples, having-come to Jesus in private, said, “For what reason were we not able TO-CAST IT OUT?" (Matthew 17:18).
"Waterless" places?
After that the unclean spirit departs from the person, it goes "through WATERLESS places seeking rest, and does not find (it)" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24) and then "it-says, ‘I-will-return to my house from-where I-came-out’" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24).
It may be implied that the unclean spirit may try to find again "WATERLESS places" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24) in the person from where it came out.
Could someone who have believed in the past be described as "WATERLESS" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24)?
There are only 2 other verses in the entire New Testament where the Greek word for "WATERLESS" is used, one is in 2 Peter and the other is in Jude.
In the account of 2 Peter, we can read about people "denying the Master having-bought them" (2 Peter 2:1) who are "leaving-behind (the) straight way, they-went-astray" (2 Peter 2:15). It is then described that "These (ones) are WATERLESS springs" (2 Peter 2:17).
Interestingly, Jesus referred to the unclean spirit which goes "through WATERLESS places seeking rest, and does not find (it)" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24), and then when returning to the person "having-gone-in, they-dwell there, and THE LAST (STATE OF) THAT PERSON BECOMES WORSE (THAN) THE FIRST" (Matthew 12:45).
2 Peter actually used a similar expression after describing the ones "denying the Master having-bought them" (2 Peter 2:1) who were "WATERLESS springs" (2 Peter 2:17) as it reads 2 verses later: "(by) what one has-been-subdued, (by) this he-has-been-enslaved. For if — having-escaped-from the defilements (in) the world by (the) knowledge (of) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and again having-been-entangled (by) these (things) — they-are-subdued, (then) THE LAST (STATE) HAS-BECOME WORSE (FOR) THEM (THAN) THE FIRST" (2 Peter 2:19-20).
For more information:2 Peter 2:20 - The last state has become worse than the first?:
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"My house"?
What exactly is a "HOUSE"?
A "HOUSE" may specifically describe the body of someone.
The Greek word for "house" [oikia 3614 in Greek] comes from the Greek word for "HOUSE" (oikos 3624 in Greek). Paul wrote: "if our earthly house [oikia 3614 in Greek] — (our) tent — is-torn-down, we-have a building from God, (a) house not-made-by(-human)-hands, eternal, in the heavens" (2 Corinthians 5:1). Our "earthly house" (2 Corinthians 5:1) would be a description of our "earthly bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:40), which can be torn down, that is, our earthly body can be destroyed.
It was written that the "unclean spirit" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24) wanted to return to the "HOUSE from-where I-came-out’" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24), indicating that the unclean spirit was previously dwelling in that "HOUSE". If the "HOUSE" may specifically describe the body of someone, then an unclean spirit may specifically want to dwell in the body of someone.
Could an unclean spirit describe a believer as "MY HOUSE" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24)?
The "unclean spirit" (Matthew 12:43, Luke 11:24) described the HOUSE as its own HOUSE, as "it-says, ‘I-will-return to MY HOUSE" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24).
Believers can be described as the HOUSE of Christ, as it is written: "Christ (was faithful) as (a) Son over His HOUSE, whose HOUSE we are, if-indeed we-hold-on firmly to (the) end (our) confidence and (our) boast (of) the hope" (Hebrews 3:6).
Based on this, an unclean spirit could not describe a believer as it own "HOUSE" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24) because believers can be the "HOUSE" (Hebrews 3:6) of "Christ" (Hebrews 3:6).
For more information:Hebrews 3:6 - We are the house of Christ?:
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Christ may dwell in the hearts of believers through faith, as it is written: "Christ (may) dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:17).
An unclean spirit could not come to dwell in the hearts of believers where Christ may dwell through faith, as it may be implied in the following verse: "what (is the) harmony (of) Christ with Beliar?" (2 Corinthians 6:15).
For more information:2 Corinthians 6:15 - No harmony of Christ with Beliar?:
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So it will be with this "evil" generation?
The unclean spirit said: "‘I-will-return to my house from-where I-came-out’" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24) and "having-come, it-finds (it)" (Matthew 12:44) and then it describes it as "having-gone-in" (Matthew 12:45). In the account of Matthew, after describing that the "unclean spirit" (Matthew 12:43) returned, Jesus added: "SO it-will-be also (with) this EVIL [ponéros 4190 in Greek] generation" (Matthew 12:45).
Jesus seemed to imply that a reason for which the unclean spirit could return into the "house" (Matthew 12:44, Luke 11:24), which may specifically describe the body of someone, may be that the person would have been described as "EVIL [ponéros 4190 in Greek] " (Matthew 12:45).
For more information:What may cause a demon to be able to enter someone?
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Only 10 verses after describing the unclean spirit returning to the "house" (Luke 11:24) of someone, that is, the body of someone, Jesus said: "When your eye is single, your whole body is also full-of-light. But when it-is EVIL [ponéros 4190 in Greek], your BODY (is) also FULL-OF-DARKNESS. So be watching-out (that) the LIGHT in you is not DARKNESS! Therefore if your whole BODY (is) full-of-light, not having any PART FULL-OF-DARKNESS, (then the) whole (body) will-be full-of-light" (Luke 11:34-36).
Jesus taught here that the "body" (Luke 11:36) of someone, which would be the "house" (Luke 11:24) of someone, could have a "PART FULL-OF-DARKNESS" (Luke 11:36) if the "eye" (Luke 11:34) were to be "EVIL [ponéros 4190 in Greek]" (Luke 11:34).
This "PART FULL-OF-DARKNESS" (Luke 11:36) could be where the enemy could dwell, even though the rest of the body may have LIGHT in it. Indeed, Paul may have implied this when he wrote: "what fellowship (is there for) LIGHT with DARKNESS? And what (is the) harmony (of) Christ with Beliar?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). This passage may imply that "Beliar" (2 Corinthians 6:15), the enemy of "Christ" (2 Corinthians 6:15), may find itself in the "DARKNESS" (2 Corinthians 6:14), while Christ would be found in the "LIGHT" (2 Corinthians 6:14).
For more information:2 Corinthians 6:14 - No fellowship with light and darkness?:
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