The accounts of Jesus healing demon-possessed men in the region of the Gerasenes contain an interesting difference between the Gospel of Matthew and the accounts in Mark and Luke. Specifically, Matthew mentions two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs to meet Jesus, while Mark and Luke only mention one demon-possessed man.
Here are the relevant passages:
Matthew 8:28-34
And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Mark 5:1-20
They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
Luke 8:26-39
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.
There are a few possibilities that can explain this difference:
1. There were two demon-possessed men, but Mark and Luke only focus on one
The simplest explanation is that there were indeed two demon-possessed men that came out of the tombs, just as Matthew describes. However, Mark and Luke, for reasons unknown to us, chose to only focus on one of the men in their accounts.
It was not uncommon for the Gospel writers to focus on certain details and leave out others. The Gospels are not meant to be exhaustive biographies of Jesus. Each writer likely chose to highlight specific events based on their intended audience and purpose for writing.
So while Matthew mentions two men, it is possible Mark and Luke knew of the second man but simply chose not to include him in their accounts. Their intention was not necessarily to give an exact enumeration of how many men there were, but to relay the key events and teachings in that interaction.
2. The accounts refer to the same man
Another possibility is that all three accounts refer to just one demon-possessed man, but Matthew’s account contains added detail. Ancient Greek and Roman literature sometimes used plural pronouns or verbs to refer to a singular subject. This practice was meant to convey the subject’s great size, power, or extremity.
So in Matthew’s account, the use of the plural “two men” may have been intended to communicate the extreme demonic possession and outrageous behavior of the man described in Mark and Luke. Referring to him as “two men” expressed that he was exceedingly fierce and uncontrollable.
From this view, the differences in detail between the Gospels do not necessarily mean there were literally two possessed men. The core details of the story match between the accounts of Mark, Luke and Matthew. Matthew simply adds the extra description of “two men” to emphasize the dramatic possession and deliverance that took place.
3. The location was the same but there were different men
A third possibility some scholars propose is that while Jesus visited the same general location, there may have been separate occasions where he healed different demon-possessed men.
All three accounts mention the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes in Matthew). This was a predominantly Gentile region on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. Tombs and caves dotting the hillsides were a likely dwelling place for homeless and mentally unstable people in that day. The historical setting makes it plausible that Jesus encountered demon possession there on more than one occasion.
Matthew may have been referring to one occasion, while Mark and Luke describe a similar but separate occasion in the same region. The accounts have close parallels regarding the conversation with Jesus, demons entering a herd of pigs, and the resulting reaction from the townspeople. But these common details do not definitively prove it was one singular event.
From this perspective, the differences between Matthew and Mark/Luke do not necessarily indicate contradictory accounts of the same event. They may simply be describing separate occasions when Jesus cast demons out of men in this region known as a hotbed for possession.
4. It is meant to be deliberately ambiguous
Given the close similarities between the accounts, some argue the variation in details is intentional on the part of the gospel writers. The numerical difference may be meant to avoid drawing attention to incidental details surrounding the story.
By providing an ambiguous number of demon-possessed men, the reader is forced to focus on the crucial truths being conveyed in the passages: Jesus’ divine authority over the demonic realm and the deliverance He can bring to even the most troubled individuals.
From this perspective, the variation between “two men” and “one man” is not a contradiction nor historical discrepancy. Rather, it serves the purpose of keeping attention on the theological significance of Jesus’ power over demons.
Whether there were one or two demon-possessed men is ultimately inconsequential to the point of the passages. The ambiguity makes the reader concentrate on Christ’s ability to dramatically transform anyone whose life is consumed by evil.
5. We simply don’t have enough information to know definitively
Given our limitations with the incomplete historical record, it may not be possible to determine with absolute certainty why Matthew refers to two men while Mark and Luke describe only one. The explanations explored are reasonable possibilities based on the information we do have.
But the bottom line is that the different details between Matthew and the other Synoptic Gospels do not undermine the reliability or divine inspiration of any of the accounts. Each writer chose to include specific details based on their purposes as guided by the Holy Spirit.
As long as we acknowledge our limited perspective, the variation in details can provide an opportunity to explore reasonable explanations. The core truth and power of the account remains intact regardless of whether Jesus delivered one or two demon-possessed men in this remarkable encounter.
The Word of God is authoritative and inerrant in all it affirms. At the same time, differences between Gospel accounts remind us that God purposefully gave us a text rich and complex enough to support different faithful perspectives when all the facts are unknown.