Please explain this

quote:

Originally posted by prince albert:
Mark 16 verses 17, 18,are used by the Snake handlers to justify their practice, I saw Gary dobbs one day talking to some that handled Snakes and he asked a Baptist preacher to explain these verses and all he would say is "well I don't know".

now I know we have some on here that can explain this so us hear you.

here are the Verses I forgot to include them and I know that nobody is goig to look up anything.

mark 16:17 and these signs shall follow them that believe, in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues.

Mark16:18 they shall take up Serpents , and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

I don't think one can explain it based upon these two verses. However, if one examines in in context of preceding verses it makes more sense.
Mark 16:14-19 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. (15) And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (16) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (18) they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (19) So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.(ESV)

Jesus was addressing his apostles, who because of their unbelief, did not believe those who had said that he had risen. He then charged his apostles to go out and preach the gospel. These miraculous abilities applied to his apostles. We can see the evidence of this when Paul was bitten by a viper on the Isle of Malta (Acts 28).

I shall forego this test of faith.

For me, the verses before & after 17 & 18 help me understand them; so I hope you don't mind me posting them.

quote:

Mark 16:11-20..."When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."

Jesus told this group of individuals that as they preached the gospel, signs would occur. We find in the last verse that this happened. It sounds to me like prophecy and prophecy fulfilled...the end, but I could be wrong.

I don't see how these verses have anything to do with handling snakes. When Satan told Jesus to jump (Luke 4) because scripture says angels would save him, Jesus said "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Snake handling sounds like putting God to the test.

JMHO

LOL, earthmomma...same here.

well Coachman I didn't expect an answer right away, I was going to hear all the Ideas that people that will take just one or two verses and try to give an answer.

I know that you have to rightly divide the word to understand what things are saying, I always started at verse nine where he appeared to Mary Magdalene and she went and told them that mourned and wept at the Crucifiction that he had risen, and none of them believed her, then he appeared unto the two who walked on the road to emmaus it says they were Cleophas and didn't name the other one, and they went and told it to the apostles but they didn't believe them either.

then he appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, then he told them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. he that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be condemned. then he gave them that believed the power to cast out devils, and to speak with new tongues, they could take up Serpents and if they drank any deadly thing it would not hurt them and could lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

these signs were only given for them to confirm the word or in other words to prove to the people that they were from God, the apostles could lay hands on a desciple and give him the power to heal and do wonders but the deciple couldn't pass it along to anyone else. Paul says in 2nd timothy 4:20 that he had left Trophimus in Miletum sick, if they could have used their power for their own purpose then surely he would have healed Trophimus and carried him along with him, but after the apostles died and the desciples died on which they had laid their hands to give them the power then Miracles ceased. but nowhere can you prove that you are to handle Snakes to prove your faith, but people are funny, if you look long enough you can find anything.

Ooops...sorry PA.

perfectly alright coachman we have some real discussions sometimes