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The profile of the son of Sceva vs. Paul’s

The sons of Sceva were itinerant Jews under the tutelage of Sceva even as Paul was once an itinerant murderer son of Gamaliel. While Paul’s past Jewish evangelistic mission was to apprehend and imprison Christians, Sceva’s sons’ mission was to make more Judaist disciples everywhere the wind wounded them. These similarities placed them pretty much close to Paul on the surface. As such, they decided to audaciously give Paul an indirect confrontation of a lifetime.

Now, this is not the first time “the God of someone,” who was a known person, was used to perform wondrous acts. For example, the servant of Abraham, who was probably, Eleazar, may not have had a direct connection with the God of Abraham. But, he put the efficacy of that God to the test, and he found Him true, as He had always been to his master.

There exists a significant difference, however, between the sons of Sceva and the servant of Abraham. While the singular act of God’s omnipotence compelled the latter to believe tremendously in the God of his master, the former were disgraced. I am sure that if believing in the “Jesus whom Paul preached” was the motive driving the plying of that route, Jesus would have by no means cast them out, as He did through these demons.

Their Motive

The fact that the disciples of Sceva were on a falsely perceived equal pedigree with Saul now Paul might have spurred the arrogance in them to confront Paul. This they did by opposing the work of the Gospel being done by him. Ephesus, the current-day turkey, is, as it was, a center of commerce. Located near the sea, every trade route led every itinerant Jew there. So much money would have been expended on these sorcerers since trade and sorcery go together. In fact, it was documented that many buy sorcery books. How much they must have been bedeviled and extorted by these common exorcists.

Paul, as He was everywhere, a threat to communal and personal idolatry must have constituted intimidation to them. O, the trade of sorcery was at the mercy of Paul’s preaching! They must have known; either them or Paul would dominate the spiritual scape of Turkey. Thus, their aim would have been to discredit Paul’s acts, to make them commonplace occurrences. This way, more viability would have been accorded their acts, more honor ascribed their reputation, more profitability their trade of sorcery.

Their Mistake

Now Jesus said the sons of the Pharisees and synagogue leaders, part of whom Sceva was, exorcized demons with Beelzebub (see Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:19). They also went up and down looking to make disciples and finally make them doubly decided sons of Hell (see Matthew 23:15).

A Maltreated Master

As we know, their exorcize was only a reality because of a pact between them and Beelzebub. It was a bargain. The demons go out, and the victim eventually feels relief. And shortly after some days of ease and reading the sorcery books sold in Ephesus, their hearts look well-kept. The departed demon then goes and looks for seven wickeder demons. On one end of the bargain, the sons of the Pharisees, like 95% of today’s so-called Pentecostal pastors, earned honor and money. On the other end, they provided abode for terrestrial spirits who would otherwise have wandered endlessly in the wilderness.

Conversely, they failed their part of the contract when they cast out their master – Beelzebub – with the name of a superior. In this case, the demon had to obey. They had mentioned Jesus in the equation, which meant they really needed to go out. This was ill-treatment of Beelzebub. But the demons discovered they had used mixed-mediators (#mixed-mediators), and God would not be answering them. And so, they seized the opportunity to deal decisively with Sceva’s sons’ disloyalty, making them naked, spanking them, bruising them in, and noising these nasty hearts all over Turkey.

In a pact with Satan and escaping some earthly disgrace, the man will eventually suffer public shame in hell.

Mixed mediators

Many a Christian, there is, that perform their acts for a competitive show. The sons of Sceva used the name of Jesus, who Paul preached. Yes, it was erroneous. They combine two intermediaries before God. And with God, no other mediator is fit to stand and usher us into the presence of God, save Jesus. With this, they missed it all. But now, you may remove the name of Paul and Use Jesus alone and achieve the same effect Paul achieved. If not, Jesus does not say many will cast out demons in His name and come on the last days, and Jesus denies them acquaintance. It is a scary place to be: where your “Christian” life is not commensurate with your “Christian” acts. There is no better platform for self-deceit; there is that exists. There, you feel accepted where you are daily unknown; you claim friendship with our decided enemies.

The menace

The current day exorcists have advanced past the mixed-mediator mistake. They know how you take advantage of the name of Jesus to exorcize – genuinely or not. It may be short-lived, or the demon’s host may find mercy for help before the exorcised devil returns to be saved entirely. Either way, the demon caster is unacceptable to God and will suffer disproval on the Lord’s day.

Nevertheless, the demon carrier became double sons of hell. But what if there is no divine intervention? What if no one came to rescue the delivered demon host so that the demons do not return in their multiples? Since the demons may likely come back with more wicked ones, the end of such will be worse than the beginning. If the person previously lied 7 times per day before the exorcize, he has the increased possibility of lying at least 56 times per day! Suppose such fell into immorality twice a day previously, after the demon invasion. In that case, such will be open to committing at least 16 times per day. All these are not worrisome, if not that the host is deceived into thinking, being exorcized, they have the touch of God in their life.

Therefore, when a genuine simple gospel comes, such is too self-conceited to repent. Or, scoped differently, such might fall into more habitual sins now, making repentance impossible. Not because God will not forgive, if such beliefs, but because such will perceive her acts as too chronic, too hard to break. Her rising and falling may shatter her hope of resuscitation.

Yet there is hope…

The unbeliever

The most crucial demon which you can cast out yourself is the demon of unbelief. Only bury your past knowledge of those who tricked you in heavier bondage by promising you freedom under the work of Jesus by itemizing them. The ones you say, He will cleanse. No depression, no flow or coverage. And then believe He will forgive. So sweet is the experience of Jesus coming in. If there’s no assurance, please continue now until relief beacons on your soul.

Supposed believer

O you Exorciser, bury your head in shame, humble yourself, accept that you have sent many on their way to hell like Saul. It was a form of curiosity or legitimate desire for a higher knowledge that must have brought you into magic. Can you let Christ sanctify that faculty of longing for the pursuit of God? And like Saul now Paul, ask the Lord who are you? That is, press to know Him and what He will have you do. With this, all the years, the cankerworm of deception you spill on the masses have eaten may be restored. And like Paul, will someday say, “I owe no man nothing.”