Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Snake handling pastor died of snake bite

So a pastor died handling snakes. See here.

No, not because he is trying to save somebody but he regularly handles snakes as a test of faith... and his faith didn't work. He died. But I hope his faith of going to heaven works better.

I am sure some people would take this opportunity to mock Christianity as being stupid... like failing to predict end time not too long ago.

Here is the Bible Verse that killed him, almost at the end of Gospel of Mark: Mark 16:17-18

"17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Note: this isn't at the end of other 3 gospels.. only Mark mentioned this.

Paul and Peter (and some others) were able to drive out demons. Are there any more to drive out today?

Here is something safer to try, put hand on sick people did that work? Of course not, else we put the doctors and hospitals out of work. Well Paul and Peter can. Is he able to speak new tongue? Has he tried deadly poison? If he did he is probably not here much earlier to handle the snakes. See if that didn't work why would he think snakes won't hurt him?

But special power should have come to accompany those believers as indicated in those verses. Where is that power? Thy of Little Faith?!

Poor guy, here is an important footnote he missed! [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.] See here. Those lines are ... forgery!

But I think he missed Jesus's point. His main idea was verse 15: go into the world and preach the gospel... and not serpent show. This is consistant throughout the NT. Paul, John and Peter don't go around in snakes in their hands, don't they? The pastor should have looked at this verse: 1 Corinthians 10:9 "We should not test Christ,as some of them did—and were killed by snakes."

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