The Demise of the Devil: Magic and the Demonic in Luke's Writings

186 Pages·1990·10.961 MB·English

by  Susan R. Garrett

THE DEMISE
OF THE DEVIL
Magic and the Demonic
in Luke's Writings
SUSAN R. GARRETT
Fortress Press Minneapolis
THE DEMISE
OF THE DEVIL
And a number of those who practiced magic
arts brought their books together and burned
them in the sight of all; and they counted the
value of them and found it came to fifty
thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the
Lord grew and prevailed mightily.
Acts 19: 19-20
THE DEMISE OF THE DEVIL
Magic and the Demonic in Luke's Writings
Copyright © 1989 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations
in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner
without prior written permission from the publisher. Write to: Pennissions, Augsburg
Fortress, 426 S. Fifth St., Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©
1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of Churches, adapted by the author according to the original language.
Jacket illustration: The harrowing of hell, c. 1200 (M. 44 F. I I). Courtesy the Pierpont
Morgan Library, New York.
Cover and text design: Publishers' WorkGroup
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Garrett, Susan R., 1958-
The demise of the Devil: magic and the demonic in Luke's writings
I Susan R. Garrett.
p. cm.
Revision of the author'S thesis (Ph. D,).
Bibliography: p,
Includes index.
ISBN 0-8006-2409-2
I. Magic-Biblical teaching. 2. Devil-Biblical teaching.
3. Bible. N.T, Luke-Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Bible.
N.T. Acts--Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
BS2589,6.M25G37 1989
226.4'081 3343--dc20 89-36046
ClP
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Infonnation Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
(§lTM
Materials, ANSI 7329.48-1984.
Manufactured in the U.S.A. AF 1-2409
93 92 91 90 89 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
This book is dedicated to Barney 1. Jones
Duke University Professor Emeritus
in friendship and in gratitude
CONTENTS
Preface ix
Introduction 1
Accusations of Magic? 2
Written Texts and Social "Texts" 5
Interpreting Magic in Luke's Writings 9
1. Magic and the Study of Magic II
Magic in the Greco-Roman World II
Magic and the New Testament 19
2. The Struggle for Authority:
Satan in the Narrative World of Luke-Acts 37
Introduction 37
The Testing in the Wilderness (Luke 4: 1-13) 38
The Beelzebul Controversy (Luke II: 14-23) 43
The Fall of Satan (Luke 10: 17-20) 46
Summary and Analysis 57
3. Simon Magus (Acts 8:4-25) 61
Introduction 61
Philip's Mission in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8) 63
Simon Magus (Acts 8:9-13) 65
Simon and the Holy Spirit 69
Summary and Analysis 74
4. Paul and Bar Jesus (Acts 13 :4-12) 79
Introduction 79
Mission on Cyprus 80
Paul's Curse of Bar Jesus (Acts 13:II) 81
Summary and Analysis 85
5. The Seven Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:8-20) 89
Introduction 89
Paul's Mission in Ephesus (Acts 19: 8-12) 90
The Seven Sons (Acts 19:13-16) 91
The Reaction of the People (Acts 19: 17 -20) 94
Summary and Analysis 97
Conclusion 101
The Demise of the Devil 101
Concerns of the Lukan Community 103
Luke and Hellenistic Magic 106
Abbreviations I 1 I
Notes 1 1 3
Scripture and Ancient Source Index 161
Index of Modern Authors 173
Subject Index 177
PREFACE
For many ancient Jewish and Christian authors, to talk about magic
was at one and the same time to talk about the devil. I discovered
this equivalence in researching what began as a study, not of the devil,
but of Luke's treatment of magic in the Gospel and Acts. Hence I have
written a book that is about both topics. It is my hope that the study
will contribute to the ongoing scholarly discussions of ancient Jewish
and Hellenistic magic and of Luke-Acts.
Many persons helped me with this book. I would especially like to
thank Wayne Meeks of Yale University, who directed the dissertation
out of which the present work grew. His advice was always astute
and candid, and I have benef1ted from his insight at many points.
Abraham Malherbe, Richard Hays, and Robert Wilson, also of Yale,
likewise gave me considerable assistance with the project, for which
I am appreciative. John A. Hollar. Senior Editor of Fortress Press,
provided invaluable help throughout the editing process. Stefanie
Ormsby Cox, Associate Editor, oversaw many details and capably
directed the final editing. Craig Wansink prepared the indexes for the
book. The complete list of others who provided helpful suggestions
and critique is too long to enumerate, but I would especially like to
single out Dale Martin of Duke University; David Tiede and David
Fredrickson of Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary; Beverly
Gaventa of Columbia Theological Seminary; and Hendrikus Boers,
Carl Holladay, and Vernon Robbins of Emory University. Finally,
above all I am grateful to my husband Jim for his patience, encour
agement. and enthusiasm throughout the duration of the project.
I have dedicated the book to Barney Jones, Professor of Religion
Emeritus at Duke University, a friend and guide to generations of
Duke students. It is he who first encouraged me to pursue a career
in teaching and research, and for this I will always be gratefuL
SUSAN R. GARRETT
INTRODUCTION
One seldom finds unexplored territory within the New Testament.
The subject of magic in the writings of Luke, however, has remained
uncharted by modern interpreters. It is a subject to which Luke gives
considerable attention: in the Gospel, Luke reports that Jesus was
accused of sorcery (11:14-21). Three times in Acts, the evangelist
depicts "magicians" who find their best efforts foiled when they dare
to operate within the potential sphere of the Christian mission: Simon,
the great magician of Samaria, is cursed by Peter for trying to buy
Christian "authority" (Acts 8:4-25). Bar Jesus, a Jewish magician
false prophet, is blinded by Paul for attempting to impede Paul's
proclamation of the word (13:4-12). And the seven sons of Sceva,
Jewish exorcists operating in Ephesus, are stripped and flogged by a
demon when they attempt to perform an exorcism in Jesus' name
(19: 11-20). This repetition of the motif of magic's failure indicates
that magic was of enormous concern to Luke. But the nature of that
concern has rarely been investigated.
Perhaps embarrassment has been partly to blame for the scholarly
inattention. To some readers, the magic-incidents have seemed to be
relics of a bygone mentality, not easily accessible to the modern schol
arly mind, and not very relevant in the face of more pressing and
contemporary theological questions. Moreover, the narratives portray
Christians in what some have regarded as an unflattering light. Peter
curses Simon Magus, and Paul inflicts blindness on Bar Jesus. It is
Paul's own "sensationalist" miracles that provoke the antics of the
seven sons of Sceva. The Christians' actions seem hardly to differ from
those of the "magicians" whom they oppose! Such resemblances
aggravate the interpretive problem faced by those persons in the acad
emy and church who would prefer to leave Christianity's first-century
mythological framework behind.
Of course there are many Christians today who affirm the reality
of the demonic realm. Among such persons. one sometimes encoun
ters resistance of another sort: the opinion that to study magic or the
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