Do You Have Something in Common W/Snake Handlers?

[El Predicador]

Works better in sequence and not leaving out the pivotal one(s) once again not every believer does everything but the verse is NOT talking about what accidentally happens. It is talking about what believer(s) do !!!!!

Originally Posted by El Predicador

Interesting, the previous verse says they shall cast out demons and speak in tongues, with all the liberals around here I suppose they think that was symbolic rather than literal too?

And lets not forget the rest of 18 healing the sick, that's just symbolic, talk about pick and choose !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark 16:17-18

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

18 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.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

It is literal. But that is a far cry from intentionally picking up snakes as part of a religious ceremony. A biblical example was Paul being bitten accidently

Originally Posted by El Predicador

Sorry but the verse says "they shall take up serpents."

Not everything will be ok if you are bitten accidentally.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I didn't deny it says "they shall take up serpents"...it does NOT say "they shall take up serpents accidentally"..

Again we have a biblical example. No where do we have a biblical example of churches meeting with a box of snakes and intentionally playing with them.

Originally Posted by El Predicador

Thank you for proving my point with scripture sir(?)

The verse says believers shall take up serpents, heal sick, cast out demons, and speak in tongues.

As you pointed out none of this was accidentally.

Did you accidentally speak in tongues? (Assuming you have)

Can you accidentally cast out a demon?

These verses lists things a believer does, not what happens to them.

[QUOTE=El Predicador;482103]Very sorry you are missing the point.

No one said every believer did everything.

Read the posts, it was in response to a post saying the passage is about accidentally handling a snake. That is not what the verse is saying[/QUOTE]

[Sister Alvear]

I think picking up snakes is tempting God...I have been delievered from snakes but not because I went looking for them.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by shamgar1

Do You Have Something in Common W/Snake Handlers?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't snake handlers do what they do because they believe God will protect them from the poison of deadly things?

Have you ever met someone who thinks they can handle anything "poisonous" without fear of harm?

They do so because they think they are strong enough to play with "snakes."

I wonder what percentage of snake handlers die?

What are you talking about here, shamgar1?

I think everyone "handles snakes" in the sense that we all take certain risks in our day to day lives. I'm risking my life every morning just driving to work! But it's an acceptable risk for me and sure beats the alternative - at least until I can telecommute.

Literal snake handling represents an unnecessary risk. There is not mandate to do this and people die every year from this folly.

But I suspect that you were looking at something more allegorical when it comes to "poison." Perhaps television or men wearing baggy short pants? And while television certainly can transmit poison - it is a serpent that is easily defanged. Would you express such concern if all "snake handlers" were handling gater snakes?

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by El Predicador

Thank you for proving my point with scripture sir(?)

The verse says believers shall take up serpents, heal sick, cast out demons, and speak in tongues.

As you pointed out none of this was accidentally.

Did you accidentally speak in tongues? (Assuming you have)

Can you accidentally cast out a demon?

These verses lists things a believer does not what happens to them.

I pointed out NONE of that was accidental? LOL please show me where I said NONE of that was accidental.

This verse ONLY list things that are common. It does not say when or how. You are inserting what the snake handlers do into this verse to say "intentional" and as I said we have an example of Paul. He was bitten by a viper and did not die. He did not have a church service going and dancing around like they do and then pull a snake out of a box as part of a church metting.

See you are taking a dynamic (ability) verse and trying to make it a ritual practice. It says these signs shall follow them (them the group).

I don't believe this verse is trying to teach everyone has each and every ability. But that does not mean everyone does NOT have each and every ability. It simply means there is a purpose and the purpose of what Jesus says and why is NOT to teach "this is what should happen in each and every service by each and every believer"

In fact if you want to be literal it does NOT say they will pick up poisonous snakes with their hands and be bitten and not die....so the snake handlers don't seem to fall into that verse either.

It also does not say these signs will PROVE who is a believer and who is not. Are these a prediction of what will happen in the church or is this a PROMISE that each believer will have the power to do?

If you think you can "exegetically" rip this verse apart to prove your point go for it, but simply saying ad nauseum "it says they shall take up serpents" is not proving much

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by El Predicador

Very sorry you are missing the point.

No one said every believer did everything.

Read the posts, it was in response to a post saying the passage is about accidentally handling a snake. That is not what the verse is saying

He might be missing your point and you might HONESTLY be very sorry over it, but I doubt it, but perhaps the real deal is YOU are missing the BIBLE point and as well our point.

My point was NOT that the passage was about accidentally handling snakes. My point was that you can't prove it was about INTENTIONALLY handling snakes. You keep repeating ad nauseum "it says they shall take up snakes" as though that proves your assertion and it does not.

It does NOT say this is about intentional and you seem to be assuming it is.

I then gave an example, where you did not, of Paul who accidentally got bitten by a snake.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

I did read the posts, which is why I didn't restate what had already been written. We have an example of this with Paul, and the implication that is drawn from that is not that you go out looking for serpents, demons, poison, or sick people, but when the followers of Christ come into contact with these things this is the result.

In fact we have another example. All through Acts Paul is never shown to be a demon hunter....rather at least in one case a demon possessed girl followed them around and for a while he did nothing. Finally getting tired of it he rebuked the devil. They did not make it a religious practice like the snake handlers of going around looking for demons to cast out.

That is the problem with some. They are viewing this verse as a promise instead of a prediction

[Steve Epley]

I have been to 2 snake handling services they were interesting to say the least. CC1 Matt does not live very far from a snake handling church outside Newport.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Pastor Poster

I don;t know if it's true, but I've heard the North American breed is not poisonous.

There's a "Wolf Spider" that looks like a tarantula that lives in the desert Southwest - it's not poisonous but it's bite is very painful.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by chosenbyone

I could just see you in one of those churches, CC1! From what I saw in this video clip, those churches were rather small and no matter where you sat, you were right up where the action was...

There would be no way that I could ever attend one of those churches. The thought alone makes my NERVOUS!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=wpVffsJ0OhA

I'd be more worried about the "snakes" running the show than the ones in the box.

[True Believer]

Originally Posted by pelathais

What are you talking about here, shamgar1?

I think everyone "handles snakes" in the sense that we all take certain risks in our day to day lives. I'm risking my life every morning just driving to work! But it's an acceptable risk for me and sure beats the alternative - at least until I can telecommute.

Literal snake handling represents an unnecessary risk. There is not mandate to do this and people die every year from this folly.

But I suspect that you were looking at something more allegorical when it comes to "poison." Perhaps television or men wearing baggy short pants? And while television certainly can transmit poison - it is a serpent that is easily defanged. Would you express such concern if all "snake handlers" were handling gater snakes?

That is what I got out of the first post also. Not the real handling of snakes but of other things that can harm us.