Did God really tell us to take up serpents?
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LovebirdsFlying
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I haven't watched the video yet, and right now I'm short on time. I can type faster than I can watch. Please pardon me if I rehash a point.
I don't think He commanded us outright to take up serpents, certainly not as part of a worship service, but I believe He told us we COULD, should the need arise. This was illustrated in the life of Paul, when a viper dangled from his hand, and he shook it off into the fire and was unharmed. The contact was accidental on Paul's part. He didn't pick up the serpent on purpose, to test the Lord, as even Scripture tells us not to test Him. But when the circumstances happened, true to Christ's promise, it didn't harm him.
Does that mean none of God's children will ever be harmed by coming into accidental contact with a venomous snake? Of course not. People are bitten, and sometimes they die, even if they belong to the Lord. I don't have all the answers, here. I think it's a more general principle. We never know what God's going to protect us from, and we didn't even realize we were in danger.
I don't think He commanded us outright to take up serpents, certainly not as part of a worship service, but I believe He told us we COULD, should the need arise. This was illustrated in the life of Paul, when a viper dangled from his hand, and he shook it off into the fire and was unharmed. The contact was accidental on Paul's part. He didn't pick up the serpent on purpose, to test the Lord, as even Scripture tells us not to test Him. But when the circumstances happened, true to Christ's promise, it didn't harm him.
Does that mean none of God's children will ever be harmed by coming into accidental contact with a venomous snake? Of course not. People are bitten, and sometimes they die, even if they belong to the Lord. I don't have all the answers, here. I think it's a more general principle. We never know what God's going to protect us from, and we didn't even realize we were in danger.
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I believe that if God had intended for me to "take up serpents" He would have made them furry. What really gets me is that they only handle the poisonous ones. If I were so inclined to handle serpents in church, it would be little friendly green ones. But, watch the clip. It's less than 10 minutes and Wendy says it better than I can.
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guyver
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One bible version will say pick up snakes while another will say handle snakes.
Jusus never picked up any snakes but he certainly knew how to handle them.
1“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33Serpents, brood[n] of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Jusus never picked up any snakes but he certainly knew how to handle them.
1“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33Serpents, brood[n] of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
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When the devil told Jesus to jump off the roof of the temple in order to expect angels to save Him, Jesus said, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." I believe that is the Lord's answer to snake handling, and anyone who handles snakes and gets bitten, they have to take the consequences.
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T.i.m.o.t.h.y.
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I would agree with replies #4 guyver and #9 Presbyterian Continuist.
The Christian churches who handle snakes, there are laws against selling poisonous snakes, so what they handle is non-poisonous. It seems that they do the kind of thing that they can control which removes it from being a supernatural phenomenon to bring glory to God.
Sometimes I'd like for that verse to say "they shall be bitten / scratched by their cat and it will not hurt them or need cleaning and a bandaid."
The Christian churches who handle snakes, there are laws against selling poisonous snakes, so what they handle is non-poisonous. It seems that they do the kind of thing that they can control which removes it from being a supernatural phenomenon to bring glory to God.
Sometimes I'd like for that verse to say "they shall be bitten / scratched by their cat and it will not hurt them or need cleaning and a bandaid."
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There is a group that handle rattlesnakes, and there is a video where a guy was bitten by one that he was handling, and I think that he died as a result. I don't think the reference in Mark referred to the deliberate handling of real snakes. It was more figurative language in the same way that Jesus gave believers authority to step on snakes and scorpions. These were not real snakes and scorpions, but refers to the spiritual forces that attack us. Peter says that the devil goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. This does not mean that the devil is a roaring lion, and actually devours people. It is descriptive language. My daughter is a power lifter and I get her to do the lifting that I can no longer do in my old age. I call her "mighty mouse" but this does not mean that she is an actual mouse with super strength. When our cat misbehaves like going under the bed when we want to catch him for his visit to the vet, my wife will call him a "naughty monkey". This is the type of language that Mark uses to snake handling and drinking poisons. It could also mean using effective language to win souls, and laying hands on people for spiritual healing through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We need to know the difference between descriptive/figurative language and actual prescriptive language. Just because Judas went out and hanged himself when he was disillusioned, full of guilt and depressed, it doesn't mean that we should do the same when we feel the same way.
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T.i.m.o.t.h.y.
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It surprises me that those who believe it's scriptural to be handling poisonous snakes would publish a video that shows someone being bitten by a snake then die.
I don't know about anyone else, but buying poisonous snakes are illegal in my area so the snake handler Christian church in my area handle non-poisonous ones.
I don't think that the words in Mark encourages the deliberate handling of poisonous snakes. Nor poisonous drink.
I have reread my previous reply over several times but I can't see anything that would cause you to think that I didn't know the difference between figures of speech and literal meanings. Would you point it out to me?
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Where did I say that you didn't know the difference between figures of speech and literal meanings? I was commenting on the topic in hand, not your handling of it.
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T.i.m.o.t.h.y.
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I asked because your reply (your original above) was all one long paragraph without a break so it left me wondering if it was all addressed to me Or was it some to me and some not. I asked, you answered, so now I know for certain.
Thank you for indulging me my puzzlement by providing clarity.
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