Mark and Snake Handlers

  • Thread starter Thread starter asteroid
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

asteroid

Guest
I was reading the Missal readings this morning and they included the verses at the end of Mark chapter 16. In those verses we read:

17 These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.

18 They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

I was just wondering what the official Catholic line (if any) is on these verses. I know we believe in miracles, I also know we’re not one of the way-out snake handling churches. Where do we stand on these verses? I know we shouldn’t test God in these things and drink poison on purpose to prove a point. But what is the catholic view related to accidental poisoning - I dare say (but don’t know for certain off hand) that some of “those who believe” have died of drinking deadly things accidentally.

(Some Bibles find the easy way out - and omit the verses altogether on a very reasonable basis, or stick them in a footnote)
 
When trying to understand what the author intended to say (especially in difficult passages like this one), we have to take them in the context in which they were written.

These verses are a part of Jesus’ last discourse to his disciples before his Ascension. He is laying out their ministry which lies ahead of them. So, these verses are meant to direct those spreading the Gospel to the four corners of the world, not to tell us to drink poison or handle snakes in some sort of test of our faith or of God’s providential care.

Jesus is merely saying that they will be protected against the power of Satan and the wiles of men in words the disciples would readily understand since they had seen the plain evidence of these evils perpetrated against their Lord in his own life and ministry.

I don’t know that the Church has any definitive interpretation of these verses. Probably not. It only defines certain verses as having to be understood primarily as teaching this or that to a very limited number of Bible verses. Otherwise, it is left up to Bible scholars and theologians to explore.
 
Sorry, it’s taken a while for me to reply.

I just wanted to thank you for your helpful reply.

Blessings

Asteroid
 
There’s a funny story about a bishop who was visted by two Fundamentalist missionaries. After some conversation, the missionaries challenged the bishop on his claim that the Catholic Church was the Church founded by Christ. They cited the passage above and taking out a small bottle, put it in front of the bishop.
“If you are truly a bishop of the Church Christ established, I challenge you to drink this bottle of poison. If you are so sure that the Catholic Church is the true church, you shouldn’t be afraid to drink this.”
The bishop smiled at him, pushed the bottle back across the table and said, “Tell you what: YOU drink it, and I’ll lay my hands on you and heal you!”
 
Wow, I actually just watched something about this on TV last night…it was really creeping me out. The only thing that kept going through my head was that it seemed to me that what these people were doing were testing God…if He really loves me, He won’t let this snake bite me…that’s wrong…I can’t really say anything about the passage in Mark on it, just that there are certain things to take literally and certain thing to take in context. For instance, the bible says to cut off the hand that causes you to sin…because we all sin constantly, if we were really following His word on this, shouldn’t we all be walking around limbless?
 
so right, brings to mind the temptation of Jesus in the desert when Satan taunted him to throw himself down on the rocks and let the angels pick up the pieces.
 
40.png
puzzleannie:
so right, brings to mind the temptation of Jesus in the desert when Satan taunted him to throw himself down on the rocks and let the angels pick up the pieces.
Click to expand...
I agree with you puzzleannie,

Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

I have seen documentaries where some fundimentalists in churches down south are dancing around holding poisonous snakes. Some of them die from being bitten. Some fundimentalists live through their snake bites. Of course I have also heard that most people don’t die when bitten by a poisonous snake but some do.

It all seems kind of crazy to me.

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
More thoughts since posting the original question:

Why don’t snake handling churches drink poison in their services too?

Is Steve Irwin an extreme fundamentalist? After all, he often handles very deadly snakes. No, that isn’t a serious question.

Could it be that snake handling churches handle snakes but don’t drink poison for one reason only - if you know what you’re doing you can handle venomous snakes without much risk of a bite but you can’t safely drink poison no matter how well you understand it.

Does “serpent” have to mean “snake” or can we relate this back to the “serpent” in the Garden of Eden in some way? I haven’t found the view in commentaries but can (or should) “serpent” and “deadly thing” be taken figuratively?
 
Seriously, all these people are doing are testing God, no matter how biblical you want to make it sounds, and that’s wrong.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top