Big Healing Book - Not All of “Those Who Believe” Will Pick Up Snakes, So Not All

Objection: Not All of “Those Who Believe” Will Pick Up Snakes, So Not All of “Those Who Believe” Are Supposed to Lay Hands on the Sick and Have Them Recover (Mark 16:17-18)

On the surface, this seems to be a reasonable argument. You could substitute the phrase about drinking any deadly thing and having it not harm you, because a minority of Christians will ever have that experience, and make the same argument.

However, it makes sense to let Scripture explain itself. Deliberate snake handling is nowhere encouraged by Scripture and was not practiced in the book of Acts. However, Paul had a snake bite him in Acts 28:3-6. He suffered no harm even though the natives of the island were waiting for him to drop dead. The apostles and others in the book of Acts most definitely laid hands on the sick and healed them. Jesus said that we would do the works that He did and greater (John 14:12). He did not pick up snakes on purpose. He left an example for us to follow, so we should lay hands on the sick in the His name and see them recover, but not pick up snakes on purpose.

Also, there is an if before the deadly thing statement, so Jesus did not mean that ALL believers will drink deadly things and be unharmed. Because this immediately follows the snake statement, the clear implication is Christ’s followers will be supernaturally protected from accidental snakebites and poisonings if they should happen. This does not give anyone the right to deliberately drink battery acid while cuddling a rattlesnake. Most Christians will never need to claim these promises, but thank God, the promise of protection is there in case they need it. But there is no if before the statement about laying hands on sick people. It is God’s will for all believers to enjoy the glorious privilege of laying hands on the sick in the name of Jesus and seeing them recover.