Mark 16:15-18:
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
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.
Notes on Mark 16:15-18:
The Great Commission in these verses includes the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus for the healing of the sick. Jesus did not even question that it would happen. He said, “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” You should believe His words and act accordingly.
Who shall lay hands on the sick so that they recover? Those who believe, not just those who preached to them! The ministry of laying on of hands for healing belongs to every born-again child of God. Jesus did not say or imply that this privilege was only for SOME who believe. It is in the same list of privileges as “they shall speak with new tongues,” which we know is available to ALL believers in light of Acts 2:39. (Those who are Spirit-baptized are able to speak with tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:5 also shows us God’s will for ALL believers to speak in tongues, which proves that He wants ALL believers to be Spirit-baptized.)
God says that these signs will follow (not precede!) them that believe, so it is implied that those who work these signs will be out sharing the good news as they are commanded to. In verse 20, we see that God confirmed His Word with signs following. Signs do not stand alone; they confirm the Word. If what you’re preaching isn’t the Word, God has nothing to confirm. That is why many churches never see miracles.
No reasonable Christian believes that the Great Commission has been revoked. We are still to go into the entire world so that everyone will hear the gospel. The Great Commission stands or falls together. It is unreasonable to think that Jesus would tell us to go into all the world now and not confirm His words with signs following (verse 20) as He did then. This would indicate that Jesus, whom Hebrews 13:8 declares to be “the same yesterday, today and forever,” has changed, which is pure nonsense.
Note that healing is also promised to any Christian who is poisoned. This must be considered to be accidental poisoning of oneself or deliberate poisoning of the Christian by someone else. This is not a license to drink poison to prove something; that would prove only your own stupidity after you died because of it. Such an act would be akin to Jesus jumping off the temple – a satanic temptation to put God to an unreasonable test. Some wise-guy doubters like to dare you to drink Drano on purpose to prove that you believe this passage. This is just like Satan’s temptation of Jesus and would get you to the same place as jumping off a building – the graveyard.
The same goes for serpents. Paul did not deliberately handle serpents to prove something; doing so is a dangerous way of putting God to an unreasonable test. When a serpent bit Paul, it was an accident. Paul just took it up and tossed it into the fire (Acts 28:3-6).
While there have been a few churches that have handled snakes and/or drank poison to prove this passage, the number of such churches has diminished over the years as the leaders ended up dead.
Because these kinds of poisoning are mentioned, I believe that it is proper to consider this same protection valid for other forms of poisoning, such as insect stings or food with deadly bacteria.
This passage does not prove “baptismal regeneration” – if you believed, it was just taken as a given that you would be baptized. However, a person saved on his deathbed would not have to be baptized in order to go to heaven. (I had the honor of leading my grandmother to the Lord on her deathbed; there was no possibility of her getting baptized before she went to be with Jesus.) The requirements for salvation are still those in Romans 10:9-10 – believe that Jesus rose from the dead and confess Him as Lord with your mouth. A careful look at the verse in question reveals that no statement at all is made about someone who believes and is not baptized, so attempting to draw an argument from silence on that combination is unwarranted.
As you can see, casting out demons and speaking in tongues are included in the Great Commission as well; these topics are discussed elsewhere in this book.
When I was a young Christian, I read this wonderful passage. The church I had started attending did not believe in healing as presented in this book. But I remember them telling me that the Bible is the Word of God – the final authority for doctrine and conduct. I reasoned that if that were true, and Jesus said that we would lay hands on the sick and they would recover, I’d best start doing what He said. I remember the first person at that church I ever laid hands on. She had female problems that kept her flat on her back 2-3 days every month. I got some friends together and told them about this passage, and then we acted on it. That was the end of her problem! Then I started looking for people I could lay hands on, which wasn’t hard because people with diseases were not hard to find. They recovered too! I still get a thrill out of laying hands on sick people in the name of Jesus and seeing them recover. It never gets old!
Laying hands on the sick is NOT an advanced topic for mature believers. Laying on of hands is one of the six fundamental doctrines of Christ in Hebrews 6:1-2.
See also:
Notes on Exodus 15:25-26
YOU Can Do Miracles
God Uses Real People
Do the Math
Laying Hands on the Sick
How to Deal with the Devil
Deliverance Myths
Your Authority over Sickness
Speaking to Mountains, Trees and Diseases
Healing and Deliverance from Poisoning
The Power in the Name of Jesus
Who You Are and What You Have
Different Ways to Get Healed
Healing and the Holy Spirit
The Works He Did You Can Do: Here’s How
YOU Can Be Healed
Signs and Wonders!
All About Healing Services
Authorized Distributors
Do It Anyway
Perfectionism and the Fear of Making Mistakes
Conformed to Christ’s Image
Ministering to the Sick
Preparing to Minister Healing
BEING Anointed vs. FEELING Anointed
You Are Christ on the Earth
The Flesh Freakout Factor
Deliverance Myths
Some of God’s Promises Have Conditions
The Insecure Preacher
What 1 John 1:9 Really Means
How to Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit
What If I Lay Hands on People and They Don’t Get Healed?
If I Lay Hands on Someone and Nothing Happens, Should I Apologize to That Person for My Lack of Faith?
How Much Faith Does It Take to Heal a Serious Illness?
Is Deliverance a Dangerous Practice Best Left to Trained Exorcists?
Can I “Stand in Proxy” for Someone Else in a Healing Line?
Should I Believe That I Receive Healing or Command Sickness to Leave?
Should I Expect to Fall Over or Resist Falling Over When I Am Prayed Over?
How Long Should We Keep Our Hands on Someone When We Lay Hands on Him?
Do We Need to Know the Specific Condition Before We Can Minister Healing?
To What Extent Are Prolific Miracles Limited to Those Called to the Ministry?
Must We Fast and Pray to Make Certain Demons Leave?
Should We Plead the Blood When Dealing with Demons?
I Just Commanded a Demon to Leave, But It Is Still There. What Do I Do Now?
Does Saying Grace Protect Us from Food-Related Illnesses?
Does Mark 11:23 Work for Unbelievers?
What Can You Do for Comatose or Delirious People Who Cannot Believe God for Themselves?
Why Are There More Miracles on the Mission Field Than at Home?
Should We Wait Until We Sense the Anointing to Lay Hands on the Sick?
Unforgiveness Is Itself a Forgiven Sin, So How Could It Hinder My Healing?
Was the Healing of the Crippled Man in Acts 3 Based on Peter's Authority or on a Special Manifestation of the Spirit?
Objection: Laying Hands on the Sick Is Not Part of the Great Commission
Objection: Mark 16:9-20 Was Not in Some Early Manuscripts
Objection: Mark 16:17-18 Was for the Early Apostles, Not All Believers
Objection: Mark 16:18 Refers to SPIRITUAL Illnesses
Objection: Mark 16:18 Speaks Collectively – Only Those Who Actually Have Gifts of Healing Can Heal the Sick by Laying On of Hands
Objection: Mark 16:18 Does Not Say, “They Shall Recover IF They Have Enough Faith,” Yet Faith Healers Blame the Sick for Not Believing
Objection: Jesus Healed and Did Miracles to Authenticate His Messiahship
Objection: The Apostles Never Said, “By His Stripes You Were Healed” When They Preached Christ
Objection: The Lord Did Not Say That These Signs Would Follow Those Who Believe ALWAYS, So They Were Just to Get the Church Started
Objection: Mark 16:17-18 Can’t Mean That All Believers Can Lay Hands on the Sick Because Not All Believers Did So in the Bible
Objection: Christ’s Command to HEAL THE SICK Stopped Before the Cross and Has Never Been Repeated Since Then, Even in Other New Testament Writings
Objection: God Works in Mysterious Ways, His Wonders to Perform. We’ll Never Know Why God Lets Some People Stay Sick.
Objection: We Cannot Heal as Jesus Did Because He Had the Spirit Without Measure, While We Have the Spirit Given by Measure
Objection: Christ’s Disciples Were Told to Heal EVERYONE. No One Does This Today, So We Cannot Say We Have the Same Authority They Did.
Objection: Mark 16:18 Does Not Say, “They Shall Recover IF They Have Enough Faith,” Yet Faith Healers Blame the Sick for Not Believing
Objection: Jesus Said That Those Who Came After Him and Did Miracles Would Be Unsaved Deceivers (Matthew 7:22-23)
Objection: James Said to Call for the Elders (a Private Situation), Not to Go to a Public Healing Meeting
Objection: Demons Were Only a Superstitious Way of Explaining Illness Long Ago
Objection: The Day of the Healing Evangelist Is Over – ALL Christians Should Heal
Condition: Demon Possession
Condition: Poisoning
Condition: Snakebites
Condition: Anything Else Not Listed Here
Mistake: Violating Natural Laws