But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Parallel translations
- WEB But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you.
- KJV But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
- NKJV But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- NASB But if I cast out the demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- NLT But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If Jesus casts out demons by the finger of God, then God's Kingdom has come upon them. His exorcisms signal the Kingdom's arrival.
Overview
The 'finger of God' echoes God's power in the Exodus and points to divine, not demonic, agency. Jesus' victory over demons is proof that God's reign is breaking in through him. This declares the dawning of the Kingdom in the person and work of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Exod 8:19“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
- Matt 12:28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Luke 10:9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
- Matt 3:2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
- Dan 2:44In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.
- 2 Th 1:5All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
- Luke 10:11‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’
- Acts 20:25Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.
- Acts 28:23–28So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 11:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.