Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman

Demons, Ghosts, and Satan; What the Bible Says About Things That Go Bump in the Night

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Apr 22, 2025
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INSIGHT

Early Christian Demon Imagery

  • Early Christians recognized demons as evil spirits possessing humans, but lacked detailed physical descriptions.
  • Modern images like the horned devil developed later through Jewish and Christian artistic depictions.
INSIGHT

Biblical Ghosts Are Ambiguous

  • Biblical ghost stories exist but are relatively rare and ambiguous in tone.
  • Ghosts could be harmful or helpful, like Samuel's ghost aiding Saul in the Hebrew Bible.
INSIGHT

Demons vs. Ghosts in Early Texts

  • Demons are generally portrayed as wholly evil opposing God, while ghosts can be neutral or helpful.
  • The term 'demon' derives from more neutral Greco-Roman ideas, showing a shift in meaning within biblical culture.
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