Matthew 12:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

NIV: And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

NASB: And if by Beelzebul I cast out the demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges.

CSB: And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges.

NLT: And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.

KJV: And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.

NKJV: And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

Jesus is answering an accusation made against Him by the Pharisees. They have claimed His impressive ability to cast out demons comes from Satan, whom they call Beelzebul (Matthew 12:22–24). Jesus' first counterargument is that if this were true, it would mean that Satan was casting out his own demons. He would be in a war against himself, and his kingdom would fall. In other words, the idea itself is foolish (Matthew 12:25–26).

Now Jesus offers a second rebuttal: By whom do the "sons"—in this context, meaning disciples or associates—of the Pharisees cast out demons? Apparently, some Pharisees in Israel practiced exorcisms, or at least claimed to. One thing that impressed the crowds about Jesus was that His authority over demons was absolute. He cast them out with a single word (Matthew 8:16). Exorcists of the day apparently attempted to use incantations and other elaborate ceremonies to remove demons from people.

Jesus' point, though, is more one of simple logic. An accusation that He cast out demons by the power of Satan could only raise questions about whose power the Pharisees called on to cast out demons. Their foolish accusation could backfire on them and bring their own associates' practices into question. The worse problem with that line of thinking, as Jesus goes on to explain, is what it says about the Pharisee's hard-hearted stubbornness towards God (Matthew 12:32).

Matthew 12:22–32 begins with Jesus healing a demon-oppressed man who cannot see or speak. The passage ends with a controversial, troubling statement. The crowds wonder if Jesus is the Messiah. Some Pharisees say Jesus casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Jesus counters their argument with both logic and a harsh rebuke. The Pharisees have missed the truth: the kingdom of God has come. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—seeing such a miracle and attributing it to Satan—is a sin which will not be forgiven.

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

Matthew 11 depicted Jesus preaching and teaching after sending out His chosen disciples in pairs in chapter 10. Chapter 12 immediately picks up with more confrontation with the Pharisees. Jesus responds to those criticisms and rebukes their evil hearts as the source of their evil words. In the following chapter, Matthew will shift His focus onto Jesus' parables.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.