according to mark 16 v15-19 a believing chirtian can take any deadly thing not die.?

Question

meaning deadly posion but a nonbeliever will die therefore a ture chirstian will not die even if they drink posion? pls explian how anyone can pass this test?

Answer 1

As pugwashjw rightly pointed out, there are actually two different endings to the book of Mark in the ancient manuscripts. According to the footnote in my New Oxford Annotated Study Bible;

"Some of the most ancient authorities bring the book to a close at the end of verse 8. One authority concludes the book with the shorter ending; others include the shorter ending and then continue with verses 9-20. In most authorities verses 9-20 fol ow immediately after verse 8, though in some of these authorities the passage is marked as being doubtful."

So, according to at least some Biblical scholars, these verses were added later, and were not originally part of the Gospel of Mark. That seems to be evidenced by the available manuscripts. There were several early Gnostic sects in Syria and Egypt called Ophites, who venerated the serpent in the Garden of Eden. They had a different take on that story than mainstream Christians -- that the "God" in that story was really an evil figure called the Demiurge (a cosmic tyrant), and that the serpent in the garden was the "good guy," who gave Adam and Eve the secret Knowledge -- the Gnosis -- through the fruit of the Tree of Life. It is possible that they practiced snake handling, and may have influenced the addition of these verses.

These verses, as problematic as they are, form scriptural basis of a number of Pentecostal offshoots in the Appalachian mountains who practice Snake Handling. They could be considered "Charismatic" because of their ecstatic worship style -- praying in tongues, possession of the holy spirit, etc. But they also handle rattlesnakes and copperheads, drink a weakened solution of strychnine, and run blow torches up and down their arms. When they get bit by the snakes, they often refuse medical treatment, calling on their faith alone to save them from the poison.

Some Native American tribes also practiced snake handling, and I have often wondered if this practice in the Holiness Pentecostal churches derives from Native American practices.

Answer 2

This was NOT meant as a test. But rather a testimony.
What I mean is - It is not teaching go out and drink poison to see if you have faith. But rather nothing is impossible to God.
Even if you are poisoned God is able to spare you. I know of a story from back in the fifties or sixties in South America.
A missionary to a tribal people was given food as a gift that had been secretly poisoned. The missionary ate the food not knowing what had been done to it and suffered no ill effects. When the missionary not only didn't die as expected but suffered no ill effects the person who put the poison in the food was amazed and became a Christian. And then shared with the missionary what had been done.

This is the type of thing the passage is talking about. God is able to deliver. But as the 3 Hebrews said when cast into a fiery furnace for not bowing to an idol, "Our God is able to deliver us, but even if He chooses not to we will not bow down." So deliverance is up to God and is for his purposes. It is not something we set out to test.

Answer 3

You have to be very careful about that text. Do not attempt anything stupid! Jesus himself showed that tempting God thus when the Devil tempted him would have met in disaster.

The fact is that if you read the book of Acts, we see proof where Paul was in fact bitten by a poisonous viper and shook it off into the fire while the onlookers thought him punished by God until they realized that nothing ill toward was happening to him.

From this and the love chapter in Corinthians, we can see that the first century Christians enjoyed this special protection by reason of prophecy (Mark's) and by power of the Holy Spirit.

In Corinthians Paul does explain that these powers would fade away, be done aways with once the Bible canon had been completed and the Christian congregation had come past its infancy. From this, present day Christians cannot expect this to happen, even though God can do so if he wills it.

(For more, contact me.)

Answer 4

Christians are no more immune from sickness than anyone else. In the Bible especially during the times of the Apostles they were given the power to perform miracles to demonstrate the authority of their position. This “gift of the Holy Spirit” is rarely seen in modern times because the “Universal” church has been established and we no longer need miracles to confirm the presence of authority. Mark 16:16 is being taken out of context. This verse is pointing toward “spiritual life” not physical life. Thus the words “saved”, and “damed”. Not everyone is going to have physical recovery. The death rate is 100%.

Answer 5

Hi there Don,

Let us not forget something.....

Matthew 4:7
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

So, if a man thinking along these lines, and allow someone or some - thing to see if he would keep from dying should he dash his foot against a stone - just to see if this works, and he fail..... He should know before he approaches that ledge, that he should fail.... Why? Because he is tempting God.....

Your sister,
ginger,
((dream interpreter for over 20 years))

Answer 6

15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they 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."

19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

Note: it says this is for those who believe :) I do not know many people who would be willing to drink poison and 100% believe they will be fine, but if they did, I believe they would be fine...Just as the Bible says :)

Answer 7

It doesn't refer to this body in this life but the spiritual body. I wouldn't go drinking Draino or anything.

Man! I hate those long winded answers like the one below. I especially hate the bible quotes and the cut and pasters. Who wants to read a long winded answer?

Answer 8

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they 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 (Mar 16:17-18).

Now, these signs are given in context of going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. As they're preaching the gospel to every creature, yes, they will be speaking in new tongues, new languages. I think of the tremendous translation work of the Wycliffe Society today, casting out devils. That's a task that the missionaries find quite common. It isn't as common here in the United States because of the powerful Christian influence. But you get into some of the foreign lands, and demonology becomes a very heavy issue.

Taking up serpents (Mar 16:18);

You remember when they were building a fire on the island after the shipwreck, and a poisonous asp fastened on Paul? And the natives said, "Wow! He must really be a wicked man. Because even though he escaped the judgment of the storm and the shipwreck, yet the gods aren't going to let him live." And they waited for Paul to roll over in convulsions and die. And after awhile Paul just shook the thing off into the fire. And after awhile when nothing happened to Paul and he didn't go into convulsions and die, they said, "He must be a god." And they were ready to worship him as a god. There are those cults today who foolishly gather rattle snakes and they get into some kind of a spiritual frenzy, speaking in tongues and all, and then they take the rattlesnakes and they begin to pass them around the circle. Down in the hills of Kentucky, there are quite a few of these snake handlers. And actually, they are not all in Kentucky; there were some people over in Long Beach who were involved in this cult. So it's close to home.

Another radical pastor took poison around and had each one of his board members drink the poison to prove their faith, whether or not they had enough faith to serve on the board of the church. Some of the board members did not have enough faith, and the pastor was charged with second-degree murder. When Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, he said unto Him, "Jump! For it is written, 'He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways, lest at any time you dash your foot against the stone.'" And Jesus said, "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" The Lord never intended anybody to deliberately put themselves into jeopardy to prove anything. He doesn't expect you to go out and take up rattlesnakes to prove that you have faith, or to drink poison to prove that you have faith. "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." You are not to do any foolish rash act to make a proof of your faith.

Answer 9

Anyone who actually tried this sort of nonsense is currently in the running for this year's Darwin Award!!!

Answer 10

That was in Jesus' day. It no longer applies to today's Christians.

1Cr 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.