Is it a sin for a christian to handle snakes during a religious service?

Question

Mark 16
17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
17 وَأُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا، تُلاَزِمُهُمْ هَذِهِ الآيَاتُ: بِاسْمِي يَطْرُدُونَ الشَّيَاطِينَ وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِلُغَاتٍ جَدِيدَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ،

18 وَيَقْبِضُونَ عَلَى الْحَيَّاتِ، وَإِنْ شَرِبُوا شَرَاباً قَاتِلاً لاَ يَتَأَذَّوْنَ الْبَتَّةَ، وَيَضَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَرْضَى فَيَتَعَافَوْنَ».

19 ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّبَّ، بَعْدَمَا كَلَّمَهُمْ، رُفِعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، وَجَلَسَ عَنْ يَمِينِ اللهِ.

20 وَأَمَّا هُمْ، فَانْطَلَقُوا يُبَشِّرُونَ فِي كُلّ

Answer 1

Cant read the Arabic. Assuming it's a translation of the Gospel.
Why don't you go to one of these "services" pick up a cotton mouth and if it bites you, you will have your answer.
If it's not a sin, you go to heaven, if it is a sin you go to hell, and if there is a freethinker in the audience we will mess up the experiment because we will call 911 and administer first aid. You might live.

Answer 2

A sin? No. A little dangerous maybe, even loopy.

However, try to find me a bible printed in the last 20 or 30 years that doesn't add the disclaimer that it is clear that the last four verses of Mark were clearly added at a much later date and are not part of the original text.

Answer 3

No, but they shouldn't. they have taken the scripture about the snake biting Paul and he was fine out of context and too far.
Just because the Bible says that in verse 18- does not mean we are to tempt the Lord.
OR that is my take on it.

Answer 4

It's what's known as "tempting the Lord"; it's foolishness and a complete misunderstanding of Jesus' words. Paul laid his hand on a serpent, purely accidentally, and it bit him, but he was okay. That's the Biblical example of Jesus' prophecy coming to pass. The poison thing is about people knowing you are a believer and trying to poison you, not drinking poison to see if you will die or not.

Answer 5

Only if the snake starts telling you to eat fruit.

هذه المقالة عبارة عن بذرة تحتاج للنمو والتحسين؛ فساهم في إثرائها بالمشاركة في تحريرها.

Answer 6

I don't think it's a sin its not against the word of God or against the law.

Answer 7

Hey...
You dipped a cockroach in ink and let it crawl across your screen in the last part of your question.
Did you know that?

Answer 8

To each his own, but I feel that it is tempting God.

Answer 9

Only if they are hanging out of someone's pants.

Answer 10

i HATE THIS GAME, AND FOR GOD'S SAKE PLEASE CHARM THIS SNAKE!!!! _ _ _ _ '_ _ _ _ _ _ _, vIOLETS....................................................................................,

PLEASE OL' peckerwood, TURN ON THE DAMN LIGHTS