Author Alex Konya, director of Word of Life Europe and Eurasia, and Paul Weaver, academic dean of the Word of Life Global Bible Institute, recently talked about Alex’s book, Demons: A Biblically Based Perspective on WOL’s Learn the Word podcast.
Konya, who pastored for 16 years before becoming a WOL missionary to Hungary, wrote Demons in part because others had asked him questions and in part to fulfill the need for a master’s thesis at Grace Theological Seminary. His research resulted in the book, which was published in 1990. A second edition came out in 2014. Both are published by Regular Baptist Press.
Konya takes questions from Weaver in the first of a multipart podcast on the topic of demons. Konya points out that much of what was written about demons in the late 20th century, as well as what is taught and written today, is based on experience. He says that experiences should be judged by the Word, not the other way around. But he admits that Bible-believing Christians don’t always have answers: “We can’t explain every experience, nor do we have to explain every experience. What we need to know is what the Word of God clearly says. Particularly in this realm—where emotion, experience, and imagination can take over—we need to confine our clear statements to what the Bible says.”
While Weaver asks many questions about demons and demon possession, Konya always answers from what the Bible accounts of demon possession show or seem to show. As he says, “There’s no definitive passage of Scripture that says if A and B are true, then this person is demon possessed.” In fact, the Bible doesn’t even define demons. The definition Konya comes up with is based on his research into the true accounts of demon possession recorded in the Word.
Weaver wholeheartedly endorses Demons, saying that he appreciates the book because it is focused on exposition of Biblical text rather than experience. He also says that professors he has spoken to say Konya’s book is the best on the subject and, he adds, WOL “highly recommends it.”
