MovieChat Forums > The Devil's Advocate (1997) Discussion > Mm, I thought "Satan" was a role anyone ...

Mm, I thought "Satan" was a role anyone could perform, not a name

posted 9 years ago by al666940-3
7 replies | jump to latest

I mean, in the NT and the OT, "the satan" (it's in fact the accuser/adversary, a title/function, not an actual particular name) can be anyone, from an angel part of God's court (Job) to even saint Peter (the gospel where Peter swears he won't allow Jesus to go to Jerusalem to be killed and Jesus sets him straight calling him out "Satan", it's right there).

So regardless of Christian tradition making "the satan" into a specific angelic being, the Bible actually gives no such basis for it (tempting Jesus in the desert is to spiritually train him for his mission, so that angel is clearly simply doing God's will and not out for some obviously absurd/impossible personal feat of getting Jesus to step out and worship him)

Even the movie, while on one hand making "Satan" a specific angel who looks like Pacino, on the other kinda implies this by having the reporter becoming Kevin's new "accuser/opponent/tempter", thus becoming his new "satan" after Kevin managed to resist Milton in the end.

That's my take anyway.

[–] itz_theo 9 years ago

Well imagine satan being able to appear in many forms(playing a role) and also a single entity. Ofcourse there's no valid proof to this

[–] WestCoastGod 9 years ago

Would you like it to be proven right in front of you? If so, just let him know.

[–] itz_theo 9 years ago

I do believe in God and satan. I added "there's no valid proof" just to keep away atheists from replying to me. But I did not expect someone like you(a believer or a satanist) to reply lol.

[–] WestCoastGod 9 years ago

Lol, not a satanist. However, I believe Satan do exists.

[–] itz_theo 9 years ago

Well that's good to know then. :)

[–] tonik_2000 9 years ago

Jesus wasn't actually calling Peter "Satan." He was talking to the actual Satan who was inhabiting Peter's body, who was making Peter attempt to thwart the Crucifixion.

[–] MaximRecoil (4598) 6 years ago

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

"Satan himself" clearly refers to a specific being. In fact, if you want to make sure that it's clearly understood that you are talking about one specific person, that's exactly how you do it, i.e., add the word "himself" after the name.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Here we see there is a specific sentence for Satan, which again indicates a specific being.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Here we see some other names that this specific being is known by, along with a specific event that happened to him.

"I mean, in the NT and the OT, "the satan" (it's in fact the accuser/adversary, a title/function, not an actual particular name) can be anyone"

What are you talking about? "Satan" appears 56 times in 49 verses of the Bible, and in every case it is capitalized (because it is being used as a name, i.e., a proper noun), and it is never preceded by the word "the". In other words, "the satan" doesn't appear in the Bible.