![]() ![]() ![]() For them to take the Gospel to new places meant they would have to eat “mystery food” - not knowing where it came from, who killed it, how long it had been dead, who cooked it, how clean or dirty the kitchen was in which it was cooked, or what effect the food was going to have on their stomachs. In fact, their journeys to pagan lands would no doubt necessitate that they eat foods they previously considered to be dirty or unclean. To fulfill this assignment, they would be required to eat foods they had never seen before. Remember that Jesus was speaking to followers whom He was going to send to the farthest ends of the world. Because the word thanasimos (“deadly thing”) is also used in this verse, it tells us that Jesus meant this: “ …and if they consume anything that would normally be fatal, or anything that would usually make a person sick, it will have no effect upon them.…” It depicts s omething that is probably not powerful enough to kill, but strong enough to make one sick or ill. Jesus continued by saying that if a believer consumes something fatal while he is on a God-sent trip, this fatal substance “shall not hurt them.” The word “hurt” is the Greek word blapto, which means to weaken, to disable, to hurt, to harm, or to injure. Hence, this part of the verse could be translated, “ …and if they consume anything that would normally be fatal.…” This means that Jesus wasn’t referring only to liquid chemicals, but to anything that is deadly or fatal, including chemicals or foods. The word “any” is the small word ti, which means anything. However the word used here in Mark 16:18 describes something that is deadly or fatal. The word “deadly” comes from the Greek word thanasimos, a derivative of the word thanatos, which is the Greek word for death. Although this word usually refers to drinking, it can also picture a person who is consuming something, such as meat or some other kind of food. The word “drink” is actually the Greek word pino, which means to drink or to consume. But is this really what Jesus meant? Let’s look at this verse to see what Jesus was talking about! They actually believe Jesus intended for Christians to consume lethal chemicals to prove that when their faith is strong, such substances will have no effect on them. Just as they take up venomous snakes to prove the strength of their faith, they intentionally subject themselves to deadly poisons for the same purpose. And if they are bitten, they use this as an opportunity to prove that a snake bite will have no effect on them.īut in Mark 16:18, Jesus went on to say, “…and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them….” Based on these words, this sincerely misled group also deliberately drinks deadly poisons, such as strychnine and arsenic. They believe that if their faith is strong, they will not be bitten. In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, I mentioned a religious group in the remote hills of some states that “takes up serpents” and passes them around the congregation to demonstrate the strength of their faith. 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.… ![]()
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