Michael Psellus on the Operation of Daemons

daimonion are not once confounded, though the first occurs in the New Testament upwards of thirty times and the second about sixty, they can by no just rule of interpretation be rendered by the same term. Possessions are never attributed to the being termed ho diabolos (the devil), nor are his authority and dominion ever ascribed to demons. Nay, when the discriminating titles of the devil are occasionally mentioned, daimonion is never used as one.

It may be proper to subjoin here the most striking instances of the term being mistranslated in the Authorized Version. Acts 17:18: "Others said, 'He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods,'" should be "strange demons." 1st Corinthians 10:20-21: "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils [demons], and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils [demons]; ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils [demons]; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils [demons]." Here, in every instance, the word rendered "devils" should be rendered "demons." Revelation 9:20: "The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils [demons];" read "demons." 1st Timothy 4:1: "Giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of devils [demons]," should be "demons." James 2:19: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well; the devils [demons] also believe and tremble;" substitute "demons."

With respect to the instance of demonic possession recorded in Psellus' work, which is irreconcilable with the supposition that such possessions were imaginary: although it may be objected that that particular case is not duly authenticated, we can hardly conceive it possible for any one who implicitly believes the infallible truth of Scripture, and reads it with ordinary attention, to call in question the reality of demonic possessions, at least in the apostolic age. Nothing can be more pertinent than Dr. Campbell's remarks on this subject (Diss. vi., p. 1, § 10):—"A late learned and ingenious author (Dr. Farmer),"