But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Read Chapter 12
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Kingdom of God. Christ either calls himself and his coming the kingdom of God, because it was the beginning of the kingdom of God, and laid open the way to us: or the sense may be, If I, as proved in an argument above, cast out devils by the spirit of God, therefore what I, my apostles, and John preach, is true, viz. that the kingdom of God is at hand; because the Holy Spirit, who worketh miracles by us, proveth that our preaching is true. (Maldonatus)
And they are worthily appointed judges over them, to whom Christ is found to have given that power over the daemons, which it was denied that He had.
If then the disciples work by Christ, and Christ by the Spirit of God, already is the kingdom of God transferred to the Apostles through the office of the Mediator.
He alludes, as is His manner, under the name children of the Jews, either to the exorcists of that race, or to the Apostles who are by race of that nation. If He means the exorcists who by the invocation of God cast out daemons, He thus constrains the Pharisees by a wise enquiry to confess that their work was of the Holy Spirit. If, He would say, the casting out of the daemons by your children is imputed to God, and not to daemons, why should the same work wrought by Me not have the same cause? “Therefore shall they be your judges, "not by authority but by comparison; they ascribe the casting out of the daemons to God, you to the Prince of the daemons. But if it is of the Apostles also that this is said, (and so we should rather take it,) then they shall be their judges, for they shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
For the kingdom of God denotes Himself, of whom it is written in another place, "The kingdom of God is among you; There is also a third kingdom...
To cast out demons is a work of the highest power and not of any ordinary power. For Matthew said, “If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons,” just as Luke said, “If I by the finger of God cast out the demons.” The inference then might seem to be that if this is so, then quite obviously the Son of God has appeared. This, however, he did not quite say directly but in a reserved way so as not to provoke them. He dimly intimates it by saying “then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Do you grasp this wisdom? His presence was quietly shining forth precisely through the very things to which they were assigning blame. Then, to conciliate them, Jesus said not simply “the kingdom is come” but in a personal sense “to you.” It is as though he had said, “Good things have come specifically to you, so why then do you feel so displeased that you are being wonderfully blessed? Why do you make war against your own salvation? This is that very time which the prophets long ago foretold. T...
After the first answer, He comes to a second more plain than the first, saying, "And if I by Beelzebub cast out daemons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.”
What means the Kingdom? My coming. See how again He conciliates and soothes them, and draws them to the knowledge of Himself, and signifies that they are warring with their own good, and contentious against their own salvation. For whereas ye ought to rejoice, says He, and leap for joy, that One has come bestowing those great and unutterable blessings, hymned of old by the prophets, and that the time of your prosperity is at hand; ye do the contrary; so far from receiving the blessings, you do even speak ill of them, and frame accusations that have no real being.
Now Matthew indeed says, If I by the Spirit of God cast out; but Luke, If I by the finger of God cast out the devils: Luke 11:20 implying that to cast out devils is a work of the greatest power, and not of any ordinary grace. And He means indeed that from these things they should infer and say, If this be so, then the Son of God has come. This, however, He says not, but in a reserved way, and so as not to be galling to them...
Or, because the Apostles well knew within their own conscience that they had learnt no evil art from Him. Desiring then to show that the things which were said against Him were only jealous suspicions, He brings forward the Apostles. And also He leads them to a knowledge of Himself, shewing how they stood in the way of their own good, and resisted their own salvation; whereas they ought to be joyful because He had come to bestow great goods upon them; "If I by the Spirit of God cast out daemons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.” This also shows that it is a matter of great power to cast out daemons, and not an ordinary grace. And thus it is He reasons, “Therefore is the kingdom of God come upon you,” as much as to say, If this indeed be so, thenis the Son of God come upon you. But this He hints darkly, that it may not seem hard to them. Also to draw their attention, He said not merely, “The kingdom hath come,” but, “upon you;” that is to say, These good things are coming for y...
This means, if it is by divine power that I cast out demons, then I am the Son of God, and I have come for your sake, to do good to you. So, then, I have come unto you, and this is the kingdom of God. Why do you slander My coming which is for your sake?
