Do different kinds of demons exist?

Do different kinds of demons exist?


Indications in the Bible can be found to infer that it would be possible for at least a different KIND of demon to exist, which could imply that different KINDS of demon could exist. 


Biblical inferences

Jesus said to His disciples: "This KIND can come-out by nothing except by prayer" (Mark 9:29). Jesus would have referred to a "KIND" of "unclean spirit" (Mark 9:25). The parallel account in Matthew referred to this unclean spirit as a "demon" (Matthew 17:18).


The evidences for "This KIND(Mark 9:29) referring to "This KIND (of unclean spirit)":

1) The neuter gender of the Greek words for "THIS KIND":

Jesus said: "THIS KIND can come-out" (Mark 9:29). After that the disciples failed to cast out the "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25), they asked Jesus: "(Why is it) that we were not able to-cast IT out?" (Mark 9:28), to which Jesus answered: "THIS KIND can come-out by nothing except by prayer" (Mark 9:29). The Greek words for "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25), "IT" (Mark 9:28) and "THIS KIND" (Mark 9:29) are all in the neuter gender. Also the closest neuter antecedent to the neuter words "THIS KIND" (Mark 9:29) is the pronoun "IT" (Mark 9:28) from the preceding sentence. Jesus would have referred to "THIS KIND" (Mark 9:29) of "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25) that they were not able to cast "IT" (Mark 9:28) out. 

The neuter Greek words for "THIS KIND" (Mark 9:29) could for example not refer to the Greek word for "unbelief" (Mark 9:24) as this Greek word is in the feminine gender.


2) The Greek word for "CAN":

Jesus said: "This KIND CAN come-out" (Mark 9:29). After that the disciples failed to cast out the "unclean spirit" (Mark 9:25), they asked Jesus: "(Why is it) that we were not ABLE to-cast it out?" (Mark 9:28). The Greek word for "ABLE" (Mark 9:28) is the same Greek word as "CAN" (Mark 9:29). Jesus answered their question in the very next verse by saying: "This kind CAN come-out" (Mark 9:29). Jesus would have referred to this "KIND" of unclean spirit that they were not "ABLE" (Mark 9:28) to cast out. 


3) The Greek word for "COME-OUT":

Jesus said: "This KIND can COME-OUT" (Mark 9:29). The Greek word for "COME-OUT" (Mark 9:29) was used 2 times in the previous verses to describe the unclean spirit that CAME-OUT from the boy when Jesus said: "Mute and deaf spirit, I command you — COME OUT of him" (Mark 9:25) and "having-convulsed (him) greatly, IT-CAME-OUT" (Mark 9:26). Because Jesus did not fail to have the unclean spirit to COME-OUT, Jesus answered His disciples how this "KIND" of unclean spirit "can COME-OUT" (Mark 9:29).



Could different "kinds" of demons exist?

The Greek words used by Jesus to describe "This KIND" (Mark 9:29) of "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25) are all in the singular, and so they would describe a singular "KIND" (Mark 9:29) of a singular "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25). 

The parallel account in Matthew referred to this singular "UNCLEAN SPIRIT" (Mark 9:25) as a singular "demon" (Matthew 17:18). Jesus would have referred to "This KIND" (Mark 9:29) of demon, not to "This KIND" (Mark 9:29) of demons, thus not referring to a broader category including several demons as being of "This KIND" (Mark 9:29), but only a specific singular demon as being of "This KIND" (Mark 9:29). It could be inferred that other demons than this singular demon may be of (at least) another KIND. If so, then different KINDS of demons could exist.

Furthermore, the Greek word used for "KIND" (Mark 9:29) is the same Greek word used in Genesis 1, in which it reads for example: "God made the great sea creatures, and every reptile, living souls, which the waters brought forth according to their KINDS, and every bird according to (its) KIND" (Genesis 1:21). Here many animals were brought forth according to their KINDS. In Luke 10, disciples of Jesus mentioned to Jesus that "the demons are-subject (to) us in Your name" (Luke 10:17) to which Jesus answered: "I-am-giving you the authority to-trample on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power (of) the enemy" (Luke 10:19). Jesus seemed to have implied a link between "demons" (Luke 10:17) and "snakes and scorpions" (Luke 10:19). According to Genesis 1, different animals would have been brought forth according to their KINDS. Could this same principle be applied for the different spiritual "snakes and scorpions" (Luke 10:19) that could maybe also be described as different KINDS of "demons" (Luke 10:17)?



More details about the spirit in Mark 9:

Jesus described this unclean spirit as a "Mute and deaf spirit" (Mark 9:25). This spirit had 2 adjectives attached to it. In other Biblical passages, most spirits are described as having only 1 adjective attached to them, for example: a "false spirit" (1 Kings 22:22) or a "lying spirit" (2 Chronicles 18:21). 

For further information, click on the following article:

Spirits can be described with adjectives (of what they do)



Are some unclean spirits described as different from others in the Bible?

There are examples of unclean spirits in the Bible that are described as differing from others. 

For example, Jesus said: "when the unclean spirit departs from the person, it-goes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find (it). 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. Then it-proceeds and takes-along with itself seven other spirits more-evil (than) itself" (Matthew 12:43-45). 

Notice how Jesus refers to an "unclean spirit" (Matthew 12:43) and "other spirits more-evil (than) itself" (Matthew 12:43-45). The "other spirits" (Matthew 12:45) here are described as differing from the "unclean spirit" (Matthew 12:43) as they are described as "more-evil" (Matthew 12:45) than it



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