“And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:”
And to have authority to drive out demons — the third element of the apostolic commission: authority over the demonic realm. The preaching and the exorcism are the same two-part ministry that characterized Jesus' own Galilean campaign (Mark 1:39). The twelve are not merely appointed to replicate Jesus' teaching; they are authorized to exercise the same kingdom authority over the powers that oppress. The authority is given (delegated) rather than inherent — they can drive out demons because Jesus gives them the power to do so, not because they possess such power independently. This delegation of authority is the first step in the mission that will eventually extend to all nations.
Church Fathers on Mark 3:15
After having forbidden the evil spirits to preach Him, He chose holy men, to cast out the unclean spirits, and to preach the Gospel.
Luke, however, says that He went up to pray, for after the shewing forth of miracles He prays, teaching us that we should give thanks, when we obtain any thing good, and refer it to Divine grace.
Or spiritually, Christ is the mount, from which living waters flow, and milk is procured for the health of infants; whence the spiritual feast of fat things is made known, and whatsoever is believed to be most highly good is established by the grace of that Mountain.
Read all 16 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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