Chapter # 3 Paragraph # 5 Study # 3
December 3, 2019
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis:   Jesus, as the "Stronger Man" fully intends to "bind" the strong man and "spoil his goods".

Introduction:   In our last study we looked into Jesus' response to the accusation that He was an executor of the power of Satan. This accusation was leveled because of the indisputable demonstration of Jesus' authority over demons and the intense hatred of the scribes and of "official" Jerusalem. These opponents knew they had to come up with a "believable rationale" that would effectively blunt the claims that Jesus is God's Beloved Son. These claims were most fundamentally rooted in His ability to command unclean spirits and get their compliance in spite of their hatred of Him. And, these claims had to be better than that of "those who were [supposed to be] 'alongside of Him'" because that "rationale" was not "believable".

In this case, Jesus began His response by pointing out that those hate-filled scribes could not point out any case in their experience wherein any person of intelligence would choose to "shoot himself in the foot" by setting himself up to fail.

This evening we are going to look into a part of the second aspect of His response to the "official" determination of Jerusalem.

• I. It Begins With "Alla".
  • A. It is a weird thing that the Authorized Version, being rooted in the Textus Receptus, does not have this "Alla".
    • 1. The textual tradition is so strong for the presence of this word that its omission does not even get a mention of any kind in the textual apparatus or the textual commentary.
    • 2. The word, itself, is the strongest "adversative conjunction" in the Greek language of the New Testament.
    • 3. The point of an "adversative conjunction" is to make clear the fact that a very strong change of mental direction is being put forward.
    • 4. In our text, just three words before this current use, we have an example of its meaning: "Satan (if purposely self-divided) cannot stand BUT has an end" (a strong contrast between his intent and the reality of his utter failure).
      • a. It is important for us to realize Satan's "method of pursuit" in respect to his intent.
        • 1) He knows himself to be less than "omnipotent".
        • 2) He thinks he knows that Yahweh is, in this respect, like him: less than omnipotent.
        • 3) As the original "evolutionist", who can only guess at the issue of "origins", he settled his desire to possess the Throne of Yahweh upon the "notion" that Yahweh, like himself, had a "beginning" and therefore was simply one who had a better mastery of most of the skills of "ordering His available assets" so that He could dominate all of the "known others".
        • 4) Thus, the idea of "mastering assets" boiled down to getting control over all of the "others" who obviously possess "power" (whatever its source).
        • 5) Thus, the driven "need" to absolutely dominate as many of the "others" as possible.
      • b. It is also important for us to realize that his "method" is "contradicting the point of view held by the others" through cunningly devised counter-arguments that "seem" to have validity.
        • 1) Within this "method" lies a "sub-method": establishing an effective "control" mechanism over those whose "power" he seeks to combine with his own.
        • 2) This "establishment" includes two major "persuaders": fear, and persuasion.
          • a) The "demons" and their "possession of humans" is the "fear" aspect of this approach.
          • b) The "humans" and their "promotion of skillfully conceived lies" is the "persuasion" aspect of this approach.
          • c) Thus, we have "demon possession" and "demonic doctrine promoted by the scribes" (the recognized "authorities on matters of truth and faith", even though the universally recognized absence of "authority" in the synagogue teaching sessions existed without debate).
  • B. Thus, the "Alla" tells us that Jesus is going to reveal the "actual truth" about just how false Satan's approach to all things is.
    • 1. He actually does have "an end", but it is not one he cunningly sets up to try to convince the people that Jesus cannot be "believed".
    • 2. This "end" is presented by the "Alla" as a "contrast".
• II. Then It Is Revealed In A "Parable".
  • A. There are "spoils to be possessed".
    • 1. In our text/context these "spoils of conflict" are, actually, "people".
      • a. The "strong man" has a "house" filled with "cooperating people of power".
      • b. The "stronger man" seeks to break the "cooperation".
    • 2. The "intentions" are vastly different.
      • a. The "strong man" holds these "cooperators" in bondage to himself to increase his "power".
      • b. The "stronger man" seeks to "release these cooperators" and join them to Himself to share His power with them.
  • B. The "spoils" are called "vessels" (Mark 11:16) and Romans 9:21-23 identifies two categories of them in light of the larger plan of God to make "Life" possible.
  • C. And these "spoils" are going to be in the possession of the "strongest" in the conflict.
    • 1. Jesus actually declares that "the strong man" will be "bound" (defeated in the conflict) by the superior strength of the "stronger man" (Luke 11:20-22).
    • 2. And He roots His "strength" in the power of His "authoritative doctrine", obvious in the synagogue by both "obviousness" and "exorcism" of the "contrary doctrinal perpetrators".
    • 3. This "power" is that of "persuasion regarding the obvious", not "fear" (not only is there no fear in perfected love; Perfected Love does not use "fear" as a primary motivator: John 3:17).

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This is article #126.
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