Super Christians-help!

[evelynicholson]

Lastly he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them 'Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved:whoever does not believe will be condemned.These are the signs that are associated with believers;in my Name they will cast out devils,they will have the gift on tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed ,should they drink deadly poison;they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover**St Mark 16:14-18. I wondered about this passage as I can’t do any of these things as far as I know. Is this able to be understood, or is their any teaching on it. If you drink poison you will die (or is it a metaphor? ??)EV
PS:What is speaking ‘in tongues?’ Can anyone here do this?

 

[deb1]

Lastly he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them 'Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved:whoever does not believe will be condemned.These are the signs that are associated with believers;in my Name they will cast out devils,they will have the gift on tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed ,should they drink deadly poison;they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recoverSt Mark 16:14-18. I wondered about this passage as I can’t do any of these things as far as I know. Is this able to be understood, or is their any teaching on it. If you drink poison you will die (or is it a metaphor? ??)EV
PS:What is speaking ‘in tongues?’ Can anyone here do this?

I’ve always been curious about this passage myself so I will leave the answer to more knowledgeable Christians. But I can answer about speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues means speaking a real foreign language that you were never taught for the purpose of converting other Christians. You would, for example, suddenly have the ability to speak Swahili to convert someone who couldn’t speak English.

 

[evelynicholson]

I’ve always been curious about this passage myself so I will leave the answer to more knowledgeable Christians. But I can answer about speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues means speaking a real foreign language that you were never taught for the purpose of converting other Christians. You would, for example, suddenly have the ability to speak Swahili to convert someone who couldn’t speak English.

Might this just mean then, Deb that you would be gifted with languages, perhaps, or able to pick them up quickly? We say, don’t we ‘in a foreign tongue’ (in England anyway)anyone know about any translations of this from Greek? I saw a video of people in Africa speaking ‘in tongues’ but it seemed to be random noises (not being offensive here, just don’t understand what it means. Ev

 

[deb1]

Might this just mean then, Deb that you would be gifted with languages, perhaps, or able to pick them up quickly? We say, don’t we ‘in a foreign tongue’ (in England anyway)anyone know about any translations of this from Greek? I saw a video of people in Africa speaking ‘in tongues’ but it seemed to be random noises (not being offensive here, just don’t understand what it means. Ev

There are some who do make random noises. I never know what to think of this and I don’t like to judge others’ experiences. I know Paul said that God didn’t like chaos in his church services and suggested that there be a translator on hand when someone spoke in tongue.

But I know that when I went to a Pentecostal church we were encouraged to “feel the Holy Spirit” and dance around. The only trouble is that when I feel the most close to God I only well up but I don’t outwardly manifest those feelings in any way, so dancing around would be unnatural and play acting for me.

There are a lot of good Christians on this site who will give you much better answers though.

 

[I_Leatherman]

I don’t know.
But since in that particular passage He:
appeared to the eleven
reproached them for their disbelief
told them to go and spread the gospel
and that any of them who did believe (now) could:
cast out devils - as some of the eleven must have done (because He had previously instructed them that some devils could be cast out only after they fasted and prayed)
Gift of tongues - Some of the Apostles preached and could be understood by lots of people each in their own native tongues.
pick up snakes - there was a story that St. Paul was bitten by a snake in a wood pile after he was shipwreaked on an island.
Drink poison - why not, many were trying to kill the Apostles at different times.
Lay hands on the sick and they recover - Again the Apostles could do this not just for the sick but could also raise them from the dead as St. Peter did.

Perhaps, and I only say perhaps - He was still addressing just the Apostles when He said these things, after having reproached them for not believing.
He may have just pointed out to Them what they would be able to do as a help towards carrying out His order to ‘Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation’.

 

[Pater_Familias]

Lastly he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them 'Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved:whoever does not believe will be condemned.These are the signs that are associated with believers;in my Name they will cast out devils,they will have the gift on tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed ,should they drink deadly poison;they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover**St Mark 16:14-18. I wondered about this passage as I can’t do any of these things as far as I know. Is this able to be understood, or is their any teaching on it. If you drink poison you will die (or is it a metaphor? ??)EV
PS:What is speaking ‘in tongues?’ Can anyone here do this?

Well the key here seems to be verse 17 which qualifies as follows"believers will be given the power to perform miracles …" Its clear that faith is needed before this can happen. CC 227 Teaches that an implication of faith in one God is God is trusted in every circumstance even adversity. Maybe your faith as mine has not reached those great depths of trust yet.

God bless
Arthur

 

[deb1]

I
Perhaps, and I only say perhaps - He was still addressing just the Apostles when He said these things, after having reproached them for not believing.
He may have just pointed out to Them what they would be able to do as a help towards carrying out His order to ‘Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation’.

This makes sense as the bible doesn’t seem to indicate that any of the early Christians beyond the apostles were able to do these things.

 

[jonk]

Lastly he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them 'Go out into the whole world, proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved:whoever does not believe will be condemned.These are the signs that are associated with believers;in my Name they will cast out devils,they will have the gift on tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed ,should they drink deadly poison;they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover**St Mark 16:14-18. I wondered about this passage as I can’t do any of these things as far as I know. Is this able to be understood, or is their any teaching on it. If you drink poison you will die (or is it a metaphor? ??)EV
PS:What is speaking ‘in tongues?’ Can anyone here do this?

I wonder if “casting out devils” and “laying hands on the sick” can be compared with exorcism and the anointing of the sick performed in the Apostolic Churches - Catholic, Eastern & Oriental Orthodox. I heard people have miraculously recovered after receiving the sacrament.