To this day there are churches in rural America where the attendees actually handle poisonous snakes as part of their interpretation of Mark 16: 9-18. They believe that if a person has enough faith, God will protect them should they be bitten yet not die. The central part of their worship service is to dance about with these dangerous creatures around their necks or hold them in their hands. Many adherents including their pastors have died when bitten. This brings into question that part of the biblical text that says, “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them…” These people actually believe and apply this verse. Let us explore the various issues around this text.
First, we must recognize that some of the earliest manuscripts of the Bible do not include the words found in Mark 16: 9-18. For centuries this has been a heated debate. Early church fathers did not adhere to these words. However, there are biblical texts that do include this portion of Mark. The disconnect is difficult to explain. The most logical idea is that after Mark wrote his gospel, he later added these words. Another idea is that a scribe whose responsibility it was to transcribe the biblical texts onto a new parchment left these words out. So, you see, there is no definitive answer especially about verse eighteen.
Even if this text was original, we must call it still into question because there is no complement elsewhere that members of the early church or even the current church can benefit from safety against poisonous snakes. This is a lesson that we must take to heart. If we find a verse standing out in a singular position, there must be other biblical texts which agreed to it and complement it. The closest we can claim was when Paul had been shipwrecked. He was gathering wood to start a fire. A poisonous snake jumped out and bit his hand, but he shook it off into the fire and was not hurt. However, just because we have this single incident does not justify a connection between the verse in Mark and the experience of Paul.
This practice is abhorrent because it is a testing of God. The Bible plainly speaks against such practice. Those who practice snake handling say that they will be safe if they have enough faith. This is wrong also because it places the responsibility of safety on the human and not God. There is no indication in the early church even three hundred years after the last disciple died that this practice was observed. We must learn the lesson from these misguided people. Handling a dangerous snake and tempting God is in no way a means of worshiping him.
This is also an example of how church practices can become man centered and not God centered. Our duty as a part of worship is to offer praise and submission to the Almighty. To do otherwise, borders on pagan practices. Beware of anyone who tells you outlandish ideas of what it is to serve God!
Christian Writer 