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. Mark 16:17-18 KJV
Answer: You are
quoting a disputed passage in Mark that was written later by a scribe that drew
material from Luke's writings.
Although the vast majority of later Greek manuscripts contain Mark 16:9-20, the Gospel of Mark ends at verse 8 in two of the oldest and most respected manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. As the oldest manuscripts are known to be the most accurate because there were fewer generations of copies from the original autographs (i.e., they are much closer in time to the originals), and the oldest manuscripts do not contain vv. 9-20, we can conclude that these verses were added later by scribes. The King James Version of the Bible, as well as the New King James, contains vv. 9-20 because the King James used medieval manuscripts as the basis of its translation. Since 1611, however, older and more accurate manuscripts have been discovered and they affirm that vv. 9-20 were not in the original Gospel of Mark. https://www.gotquestions.org/Mark-16-9-20.htmlPentecostal's like to quote Mark 16:16 & 17 as proof for continuationism.
First they depend in the 1769 KJV
to defend their doctrines. The archaic language and italic insertions help them
when the text is not looked at too closely.
Example 1 Corinthians 14...the word "unknown" is in italics.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
(T)he words in italics were not miraculously given to the translators by God as additional inspiration the same way He did as recorded in 2 Peter 1:21, “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Neither are the italics there to add emphasis. The words in italics in the King James Bible are words that were added by the translators to help the reader better understand the intent of the passage translated from the original languages. https://kjbrc.org/the-use-of-italics-in-the-king-james-bible/
The continuationist has built a whole doctrine on an italicized word.
The Greek is glossa singular and is better translated as ecstatic utterances. Paul was
rebuking it because it was gibberish generated through heightened emotions. I
will get back to this.
Mark 16:17a And these signs shall follow them..
"these signs" are apostolic sign gifts that were for unbelieving Jews to authenticate
the gospel until the New Testament canon can be written.
When you study Acts, from 1-15 they appear...then after Acts 15 they fade away. For most of 1500 years the persecuted Church never sought or performed signs and wonders. This is continued until the 1900's when in Topeka Kansas Charles Parham started Pentecostalism in his Bible school with an emphasis on Acts 2. From that time forward disciples of his movement sought to continue "signs and wonders" as an experience.
Mark 16:17b....that believe; In my name....
I have been associated with continuationist most of my life. My relatives were Assembly of God during the first wave. In the late 1960's they were still called Holy Rollers because during heightened emotions they would speak in gibberish and roll in the aisle between the pews.
One thing that is a buzz word among them is "In the name of Jesus"...from this text. They take it as a mystical matra that they expect Jesus to manifest and bless their meetings with miracles, healings, signs and wonders.
In their meetings you will regular hear "In the name of Jesus I command you to be healed. In the name of Jesus no harm will come to your house and I bind Satan in His name, be free!"
Mark 16:17 In my name shall they cast out devils..
Exorcism is mentioned in Acts 19:11-20
This is where the scribe drew this from Acts. There are not other mention in the New Testament of Exorcism after Jesus' ministry to Israel.
Pentecostal's point to Mark 16:17c to justify their deliverance meetings to lay on hands and exorcise demons in their members.
There are two extremes in people’s thinking about demons. One says that what we call demons are nothing more than negative thoughts and behaviors that any human being is capable of. Those who hold this view believe that “deliverance” from a “demon” is brought about by the application of self-control; this view is usually accompanied by the discounting of anything supernatural. The other extreme says that any bad happening whatsoever is the work of demons. Those who hold this view often “rebuke” everything from the common cold to a drop in the stock market. The correct emphasis on demonic deliverance lies somewhere between these two extremes.
Mark 16:17d.....they shall speak with new tongues;
This sentence is used to justify their ecstatic utterance.
The Greek here is Glossolalia, languages, the plural of Glossa a language:
Strong's Number: 1100
New American Standard (50) - tongue, 25; tongues, 25;
1. the tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech.
2. a tongue
.....a. the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.
The archaic word "tongues" is abused by Pentecostals without defining their terms. When you study 1 Corinthians 14 Paul rebukes glossa in the singular:
14:2, 4, 13, 14, 19,
...and acknowledges glossolalia in the plural
14:5, 6, 18, 21, 23 (it can be more than one speaking in ecstatic utterance or more than one dialect spoke at the same time),
In 14:9 this is the organ in the mouth.
In 14:26 & 27 is a single language like Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, etc.
So the scribe in Mark 16:17d does not mean the same thing as Pentecostals today take these words.
Better translated it is "they shall speak with unheard of languages."
Paul said this "unheard of languages" is a sign of God's judgment of unbelieving Jews.
1 Corinthians 14:21 In the law it is written,With men of other languages and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 28:11,1222 Wherefore languages are for a sign, not to them (Jews) that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them (Jews) that believe not, but for them which believe.
Footnotes in New International Version
a. 1 Corinthians 14:2 Or in another language; also in verses 4, 13, 14, 19, 26 and 27
b. 1 Corinthians 14:5 Or in other languages; also in verses 6, 18, 22, 23 and 39
c. 1 Corinthians 14:5 Or in other languages; also in verses 6, 18, 22, 23 and 39
d. 1 Corinthians 14:16 The Greek word for inquirer is a technical term for someone not fully initiated into a religion; also in verses 23 and 24.
e. 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11,12
f. 1 Corinthians 14:34 Or peace. As in all the congregations of the Lord’s people, 34 women
g. 1 Corinthians 14:35 In a few manuscripts these verses come after verse 40.
h. 1 Corinthians 14:38 Some manuscripts But anyone who is ignorant of this will be ignorant
Mark 16:18 a. They shall take up serpents; This is from Acts 28:2-4
2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
This has lead to the practice of snake handlers.
Answer: Snake handling, as practiced by some misguided churches, is not a biblical endeavor. Mark 16:17–18 is used by some as a basis for handling snakes: “These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will . . . pick up snakes with their hands.” Churches that practice snake handling have special services in which people actually handle venomous snakes, supposedly giving evidence that the church members are true believers who are empowered and protected by God. It’s true that Mark 16:17–18 says Jesus’ followers will “pick up snakes,” but there are several problems with the modern practice of snake handling.
Mark 16:18b....and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
This sentence has no parallel in the book of Acts, so it is an addition not inspired of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 16:18c..they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
This is based on Acts 5:14-16, 9:32-34, 19:11 & 12, 28:7-9
Keep in mind, the book of Acts is transitional from Law to Grace, from the Torah to the Holy Spirit. You never build doctrine from Acts. It is a historical account of what happened in the early Church and was never meant to be taken as normative after the first century.
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