Bluegrassrivals

Full Version: Snake Handling beliefs
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
Here are the verses from The Bible that snake handling churches use to justify their practices. But there is a deeper message than what these verses tell.


Exodus ch. 4 (KJV)
2: And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

3: And he said, cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

4: And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

[Image: 967955_1280x720.jpg]

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGcBuNAuog6QgGMrYgNY6...ED7aOSNocA]

Mark ch. 16 (KJV)
18: 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.


Luke ch. 10 (KJV)
19: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.


Acts ch. 28 (KJV)
3: And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4: And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

5: And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

6: Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

[Image: Timber%2BRattlesnake.jpg]

[Image: DSCF6620m.jpg]
But the fall of man was at the tongue of a serpent....

Genesis ch. 3 (KJV)
1: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2: And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Here are the new testament versus that I have heard preached in a snake handling service. And yes, I was present, if for a very short time. I've never seen my mother run so fast in my life as she did that night!!


Mark 16:15-20King James Version (KJV)

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 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.

19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.


I'm not here to condone or deny this practice, but I will say this......if anybody ever sees me handling a snake in the name of God, you can be CERTAIN that I got a direct message from God to do it!!

This passage is also used for those who drink poison. I have never witnessed this personally, but I have heard of it happening a long time ago.
Cottonmouth.

[Image: 1280px-Cottonmouth_quarter.jpg]
The timber rattlesnake... The copperhead... The cottonmouth... The eastern diamondback rattlesnake...

These snakes ^^^^ are used by the majority of snake handling churches. It's no coincidence these are the venomous snakes found in the Eastern part of the country.

If they truly believe that handling snakes is a way to worship God, they only need to handle King Cobras, Black Mambas and Inland Tiapans.



But here is what the Bible says about tempting God.


Deuteronomy ch. 6 (KJV)
16: Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah.

Matthew ch. 4
7: Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Luke ch. 4 (KJV)
12: And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.






The Bible can be read from cover to cover..... and you will learn from it each time you read it.
However..... if you only take one or two verses and 'twist' & 'conform' it out of context to justify what you are doing, then that is wrong. The Bible is hard to read, but that is the beauty of it. God speaks to people when they read it. That is why thousands and thousands of preachers can use the same verses and have different messages each time. But it's up to you what you do with how you are spoken to.


It's hard to debate that somebody that handles snakes and they say 'God told me to' as their answer. I'm not saying that He didn't, but nowhere does the Bible say that handling snakes should be used to Praise Him or Worship Him.

As a matter of fact, a serpent is spoken about as the devil or evil in most Bible verses.
I'm sorry but snake handling is not from God........serpent in the bible simply means the devil not an actual snake.
Mark chapter 16 is the events AFTER The Resurrection....... meaning, Jesus is telling His disciples how to preach the Gospel (Death, Burial & Resurrection) & that if you are preaching the Gospel, that He will take care of you. The phrase 'take up serpents' does not mean that you have to do so. If you read the verses before and after.... and the verses in the first chapter of Acts, any reasonable person will understand that 'They shall take up serpents' is NOT meant to be used as a form of praise or worship. Jesus knew that His people would face difficult times when it came to His ministry. Snakes and snake venom were used as a type of assassination tool back in Biblical times. Verse 18 says 'if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them'.... NO WHERE does that say poison.

Mark ch. 16 (KJV)
15: And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18: 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.
19: So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20: And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.


The Book of Mark only has 16 chapters and chapter 16 only has 20 verses. So this ends the book of Mark. Matthew, Mark, Luke & John are the four gospels, but the book of Acts is the next book in The New Testament.


Acts ch. 1 (KJV)
1: The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2: Until the day in which he was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen:
3: To whom also He shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, Ye have heard of Me.
5: For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6: Then they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7: And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.
8: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9: And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
10: And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11: Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.


Acts ch. 28 (KJV)
3: And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4: And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
5: And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
6: Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
Calm down!! I said I wasn't upholding this practice, but those are just the verses I have heard over the years that were used when others talked about the practice.
Put me in a church with snakes, and I'll put you a new doorway in as I'm busting out Confusednicker:
Granny Bear Wrote:Calm down!! I said I wasn't upholding this practice, but those are just the verses I have heard over the years that were used when others talked about the practice.

That wasn't for you silly billy....

That was just a general statement to anybody wondering about snake handling.
Forget it Pulp! I'm putting Demarcus in a snake handling church!!


Smile
Granny Bear Wrote:Forget it Pulp! I'm putting Demarcus in a snake handling church!!


Smile

Put it on Facebook..... I gotta see that!!!!
A team of Clydesdes couldn't pull me in one.
I am fine with the extinction of all venomous snakes. The only good snake is a dead snake.
Demarcus ware Wrote:Put me in a church with snakes, and I'll put you a new doorway in as I'm busting out Confusednicker:

same here Confusednicker:
RunItUpTheGut Wrote:I am fine with the extinction of all venomous snakes. The only good snake is a dead snake.

You got that right.