Why are there two demon-possessed men in the Gerasene tombs in Matthew, but only one in Mark and Luke?

Answer

The three passages that describe the incident with the demoniacs in the region of the Gerasenes, also known as Gadarenes, are Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 5:1-20, and Luke 8:26-39. The account in Matthew mentions two men possessed by demons, while Mark and Luke only mention one. Is there a discrepancy in these narratives, and do the Gospel writers contradict each other?

The first aspect to establish is whether the three authors are recounting the same occurrence. The timing of the event in all three narratives—immediately following the calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee—as well as other similarities (such as residing in tombs, the fierceness of the demoniac, the dialogue with the demons, the driving of them into the swine, the drowning of the herd, and the reaction of the witnesses) all support the idea that Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all describing the same event. The question then arises as to whether there was one demoniac or two.

Matthew indicates there were two demoniacs, while Mark and Luke only mention one of the two. It is unclear why they opted to mention only one, but that does not rule out the possibility of a second demoniac being present. Mark and Luke do not assert that there was “only one” man possessed by demons. They simply report that one of the two encountered Jesus and conversed with Him. For whatever reason, Matthew provides more details than Mark and Luke.

In any case, there is no contradiction. A contradiction arises only if one statement renders the other impossible and there is absolutely no way to reconcile them. For instance, if we place two apples on a table. Statement 1: There are two apples on the table. Statement 2: There is only one apple on the table. These statements contradict each other. Now consider these two statements: Statement 1: There are two apples on the table. Statement 2: There is an apple on the table. These statements do not contradict each other. Similarly,In the biblical narratives, there is no contradiction. Each of the three accounts depicts demon possession and highlights Jesus’s authority over the spiritual realm. They all emphasize His deliberate journey across the sea to deliver an individual from demonic influence. Furthermore, all three accounts confirm the presence of at least one man tormented by demons. The variations in minor details among the three narratives simply indicate that they were penned by distinct authors, each emphasizing a unique facet of the story.