In the context of the Bible, convulsions are often associated with demonic possession or severe physical ailments. The term "convulsion" refers to a sudden, violent, irregular movement of the body, caused by involuntary contraction of muscles. This phenomenon is depicted in several biblical narratives, where it is frequently linked to spiritual or physical distress.

Biblical References:

1. Mark 9:17-26: One of the most notable accounts of convulsions in the Bible is found in the Gospel of Mark. A man from the crowd brings his son to Jesus, describing him as possessed by a spirit that renders him mute and causes him to have convulsions. The father explains, "Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid" (Mark 9:18). Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, commanding it to leave the boy and never return. The spirit cries out, convulses the boy violently, and departs, leaving him as if dead, until Jesus takes his hand and lifts him up.

2. Luke 9:39: This passage parallels the account in Mark, where a father describes his son's condition to Jesus: "A spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him" (Luke 9:39). Jesus heals the boy, demonstrating His authority over demonic forces and His compassion for those afflicted.

3. Matthew 17:14-18: In another synoptic account, a man kneels before Jesus, pleading for his son who suffers from seizures and falls into fire and water. Jesus rebukes the demon, and the boy is healed instantly. This narrative emphasizes the power of faith and prayer in overcoming spiritual and physical afflictions.

Theological Implications:

In these accounts, convulsions are often linked to demonic activity, suggesting a worldview where physical ailments can have spiritual origins. The healing acts of Jesus highlight His divine authority and the power of God to restore health and wholeness. These accounts also underscore the importance of faith, as Jesus often attributes the healing to the belief of those seeking His help.

Historical and Cultural Context:

In the ancient Near Eastern context, illnesses and physical symptoms like convulsions were frequently interpreted as manifestations of spiritual or supernatural forces. The biblical narratives reflect this understanding, portraying Jesus as the ultimate healer who transcends both physical and spiritual realms.

Practical Application:

For believers, these passages encourage reliance on prayer and faith in God's power to heal and deliver from both physical and spiritual afflictions. They also serve as a reminder of the compassion and authority of Jesus, who responds to human suffering with mercy and power.

Related Topics:

· Demonic Possession
· Healing Miracles of Jesus
· Faith and Prayer
· Spiritual Warfare

These biblical accounts of convulsions provide insight into the nature of Jesus' ministry and the holistic approach to healing that encompasses both body and spirit.1. (n.) An unnatural, violent, and involuntary contraction of the muscles.

2. (n.) Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion.

4682. sparasso -- to mangle, convulse
... Word Origin akin to spairo (to gasp) Definition to mangle, convulse NASB Word Usage
throwing...into...convulsions (2), throws...into a convulsion (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4682.htm - 6k

4952. susparasso -- to convulse completely
... demons). Word Origin from sun and sparasso Definition to convulse completely
NASB Word Usage threw...into a convulsion (2). to convulse. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4952.htm - 7k

Also this Holy Hermit, Richard, Out of the Abundance of his ...
... Richard, the saint of God, reclined; and after she had slept thus for a short time,
leaning slightly upon Richard, suddenly a violent convulsion seized her in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/lection viii also this holy.htm

La Brea
... And being new and big too, its genesis demanded, for the comfort of the barbaric
intellect, a cataclysm, and a convulsion, and some sort of prodigious birth ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter viii la brea.htm

The First vision "On Earth"
... The Sixth Seal. B^2 e vi.12-. The Great Convulsion. f -12, 13. Effects in Heaven.
e 14-. The Great Convulsion. f -14-17. Effects on Earth. ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the first vision on earth.htm

Book Six Turmoil in the Twenties. ...
... now in, through which she was fully persuaded I should pass from sickness to health,
even though it would be after a still sharper convulsion which physicians ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book six turmoil in the.htm

On the Road to Jerusalem
... daughter. So with his house yet ringing with the first convulsion of terror
Costobarus ordered his party with all haste to the camels. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter ii on the road.htm

Prepositional Phrases
... continuity of life. contradiction of terms. contrariety of opinion. convulsion of
laughter. copiousness of diction. cord of sympathy. countenance of authority. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section v prepositional phrases.htm

All the Bells were Ringing the Angelus. ...
... and awesome piece of sculpture truly, is this same "Mourant"!" showing, as it does
with deft and almost appalling exactitude, the last convulsion of a strong ...
//christianbookshelf.org/corelli/the master-christian/i all the bells were.htm

Haggai
... servant and signet. Clearly he is to be king in the Messianic kingdom which
is to issue out of the convulsion of the world. It cannot ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/haggai.htm

Religious Dangers
... would decay; London work, instead of being better and better done, would be worse
and worse done, till it stopped short in some such fearful convulsion as that ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon x religious dangers.htm

Self-Humbling and Self-Searching
... They are placed upon their pedestals; they stand there quietly; and unless some
terrible convulsion should occur, probably that will be the whole of their ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/self-humbling and self-searching.htm

Convulsion (8 Occurrences)
... tumult; a commotion. Multi-Version Concordance Convulsion (8 Occurrences).
Mark 9:20 So they brought him to Jesus. And the spirit ...
/c/convulsion.htm - 9k

Quake (23 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To shake, vibrate, or quiver, either from not being solid, as soft, wet
land, or from violent convulsion of any kind; as, the earth quakes; the ...
/q/quake.htm - 12k

Fit (47 Occurrences)
... and violent attack of a disorder; a stroke of disease, as of epilepsy or apoplexy,
which produces convulsions or unconsciousness; a convulsion; a paroxysm ...
/f/fit.htm - 23k

Thebes (5 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 30:16 And I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall be in great convulsion,
and No shall be rent asunder; and in Noph shall come adversaries in the day-time ...
/t/thebes.htm - 7k

Convulsions (4 Occurrences)

/c/convulsions.htm - 7k

Convulsing (2 Occurrences)

/c/convulsing.htm - 7k

Constant (16 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 30:16 And I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall be in great convulsion,
and No shall be rent asunder; and in Noph shall come adversaries in the day-time ...
/c/constant.htm - 12k

Shock (6 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) The sudden convulsion or contraction of the muscles, with the feeling of
a concussion, caused by the discharge, through the animal system, of ...
/s/shock.htm - 9k

Samson (37 Occurrences)
... Straining all his nerves, he bowed: As with the force of winds and waters pent,
When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars With horrible convulsion to and ...
/s/samson.htm - 37k

Nineveh (23 Occurrences)
... had been destroyed, but they were so massive, that the distinguished explorer
attributed their overthrow not to the act of man, but to some convulsion of Nature ...
/n/nineveh.htm - 52k

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