The Nugget:
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
My Comment:
The term spirit is yet another term which is often misunderstood. To correctly understand the meaning of this term in the Bible, and particularly the New Testament when considering the underlying Greek word pneuma, it is necessary to consider all the instances where this word is used. Below, I share from The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, my note given at Matthew 8:16 where I list 15 different uses of this term:
spirits. 1Sa 18:10. Gr. pneuma, +S# G4151. Here used of demons or evil spirits, as at Mat 10:1; Mat 12:43; Mat 12:45, Mar 1:23; Mar 1:26, 27; Mar 3:11; Mar 3:30; Mar 5:2; Mar 5:8; Mar 5:13; Mar 6:7; Mar 7:25; Mar 9:17; Mar 9:20; Mar 9:25; Mar 9:25, Luk 4:33; Luk 4:36; Luk 6:18; Luk 7:21; Luk 8:2; Luk 8:29; Luk 9:39; Luk 9:42; Luk 10:20; Luk 11:24; Luk 11:26; Luk 13:11, Act 5:16; Act 8:7; Act 16:16; Act 16:18; Act 19:12, 13; Act 19:15, 16, 2Co 11:4, Eph 2:2; Eph 6:12 mg. 2Th 2:2, 1Ti 4:1 b. 1Jn 4:1; 1Jn 4:1; 1Jn 4:3; 1Jn 4:6 b. Rev 16:13, 14; Rev 18:2.
The word pneuma, spirit, is used of:
(1) God, Joh 4:24 a.
(2) Christ, 1Co 6:17,
(3) The Holy Spirit, +Mat 3:16,
(4) FS121A1, The operations of the Holy Spirit, +Luk 1:17,
(5) FS121A2, The New Nature, +Rom 8:1,
(6) FS121A3, Psychological uses:
1) the principle of life, of which death is described as giving up or commending to God the spirit, (+Mat 27:50; +Mat 27:2)
2) the distinctive, self-conscious, inner life of man: (+1Co 2:11; +1Co 2:3)
3) “life” in the physiological sense, but drawing rather to the meaning of “soul,” +Luk 8:55.
(7) FS121A2, Spirit is put for character, as being in itself invisible and manifested in one’s actions, +Mat 5:3,
(8) FS121A2, By Metonymy, spirit is put for what is invisible, etc. +Mat 26:41 note.
(9) FS171Q1B. By Synecdoche, spirit, an integral part of man individually, is put for the whole man, +Mar 2:8.
(10) Adverbial use, whereby spirit implies essence, or whatever is spoken of as possessed or done, as being so in the highest degree, +Act 18:25.
(11) Spirit is used of angels or spirit-beings, +Luk 24:37.
(12) Spirit is used of demons or evil spirits, +Mat 8:16.
(13) Spirit is used of neutral beings, +1Jn 4:2 b, note.
(14) Spirit is used of the resurrection body, +Rom 1:4.
(15) FS121A1, Spirit in the phrase pneuma hagion, Holy Spirit, without the Greek articles, is put for the various gifts of the Spirit, “power from on high,” +Mat 1:18 note.
Compare the classification of the corresponding Old Testament Hebrew word, ruach, +*Gen 6:3 note.
If you own a copy of The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or its greatly expanded successor, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, you are able to turn to each of the Bible passages for each of the 15 categories given above to study how the word pneuma or spirit is used even further.
hello jerry thank you for your insights of this mt 8.16 i like what luke has to say on this verse luke 4.41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of God, And He rebuking them telling them not to speak: for they knew He was Christ.!!!