Baptist and Reflector

Baptist and Reflector “ SPEAKING TIIE TRUTH IN LOVE” * ORGAN TENNESSEE BAPTIST CONVENTION Volume 105 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1939 •Number 38 SERPENT HANDLING Edward Haim, Jacksboro, Tennessee. E ARE LIV IN G in an age distraught with and harassed by A careful observation of the quotation from Mark’s gospel, in the ever menacing encroachment of many so-called “ isms” the light of this context, shows distinctly that these boastful W — Modernism, Socialism, Communism, Nazism, Fascism, charlatans are as far from the truth as it is humanly possible Spiritualism, Buchmanism, Holy-Rollerism, et al. But perhaps the to be. They generally read verses seventeen and eighteen and one which most concerns many of our churches is the last named stop there, because it better serves their purpose. Every clause one, for, externally, it seems to have a semblance of Apostolic of these two verses is written in the future tense; the word “ shall,” Christianity. a sign of the future, appears seven times. When this portion However, it is not the purpose of this article to deal with every alone is read, the Scripture seems to support their contention doctrinal phase of this particular sect. Attention w ill be given and makes it appear that “ these signs shall follow thpm^that be only to the nauseating hypocrisy, and to the unwarrantable pre lieve” till Jesus comes again. However, such a tfendeFtng of tensions, of certain religious quacks among them for the handling the Word is impossible, for the context does not bear out this of serpents to demonstrate their faith and supernatural gifts and idea. Notwithstanding this fact, they hesitate not to use such a power. scheme to hoodwink their deluded followers and further deceive Frequently we have outbursts of this particular sort of heathen them into propagating this pernicious practice. worship throughout the mountain sections of eastern Kentucky There can be no question concerning the futurity of the promise and Tennessee, And such practices remind one of the hilarious thus made by Jesus to His disciples in A. D. 33, just before His “Snake Dances” of the cliff-dwelling Indians of Arizona. The Ascension. It would be presumptuous to deny this fact. Never Hopi god is a pagan god, too, and must be proved by the handling theless, we should search the Scripture further to ascertain of rattlesnakes. However, the two cults differ on this point— whether this prophecy was fulfilled during Apostolic Days. Verse the Cliff Dwellers dance and handle serpents to get rain and twenty reads: the Holiness Sect dance and handle serpents to get crowds and “ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord popular applause. Of these two demonstrations of pagan worship, working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. the last named one is the more abominable because the wor Amen.” shippers pose as followers of the Lord Jesus while the former do not. Here we have the true rendering of the previous quotation. ‘ I A number of facts stand out clearly to those who do not close OPHE TWO VERSES of Scripture (Mk. 16:17, 18) generally their eyes to revealed truth'. First, the verb tense changes from •*- quoted by the serpent handlers to establish Biblical authority future to past. We have two past-tense verbs in this verse— for their heathenish demonstrations' of fanaticism are given in “ went” and “ preached.” The past tense denotes completed action. full herein below: Second, the “ future promises” of Jesus (verses 17 and 18) had already been fulfilled when Mark set this Scripture to writing "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name — not earlier than A. D. 57 nor later than A. D. 68. So we see shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; that this prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled within a period of they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, twenty-four to thirty-five years after His Ascension. it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” The fulfillment of each promise made here—save “if they drink In his translation of the New Testament, Dr. Edgar J. Good- any deadly thing,” and our boastful contemporaries never attempt speed refers to Mark 16:9-20 as “Another Ancient Appendix” to to do this— may be found recorded in the New Testament as the gospel of Mark. That is, these verses are not found on the fallows: “ In my name shall they cast out devils,” in Acts 5:16; most ancient manuscripts of this Gospel but were appended later 8:7; 16:18; “ They shall speak with new tongues,” in Acts 2:4; during the early centuries of the Christian era. And Dr. James 10:46; 19:6; “ They shall take up serpents,” in Acts 28:2-5, and Moffatt, in his translation, treats them likewise, but adds the “ They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover,” in following in part in a footnote: “The following appendix rep Acts 28:8, 9. resents a couple of second century attempts to complete the Now, if they can cast out devils, speak -in unknown tongues, gospel.” take up serpents, and heal the sick, through miraculous powers Dr. C. I. Scofield, in his footnotes on this passage says in part: God has bestowed upon their particular sect, why cannot they “The passage from verse 9 to the end is not found in the two most also “ drink deadly poison” ? Reason teaches us that the same ancient manuscripts, the Sinaitic and Vatican, and others have God who would protect them from the venom of snake-bite would it with partial omissions and variations.” But Dr. A. T. Robert also preserve their lives if they drank prussic acid, carbolic acid, son, perhaps the greatest Greek scholar of modern times, says hemlock, or any other deadly poison. The challenge has often in his Word Pictures of the New Testament, Vol. I, page 405: gone out for them to demonstrate their faith in this manner, but “The great doubt concerning the genuineness of these verses it has not as yet been accepted. (They know a funeral would (fairly conclusive proof against them in my opinion) renders it follow.) unwise to take these verses as the foundation for doctrine or A third important thing is revealed in the twentieth verse that practice unless supported by other and genuine portions of the serpent handlers seem not to comprehend: “The Lord working N. T.” with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” II From this we perceive the real purpose of these miraculous signs p ’ OR ARGUM ENT’S SAKE, let us say that these verses are — to “ confirm the Word”— that is, to establish the New Testament ■* genuine— the very Word of God. (And the writer has always on a parity with the Old, and to confirm the Deity of Jesus, the accepted them as such.) Granted that they really are the promises Incarnate Word. Most of the Jews held tenaciously to the Old of the Lord Jesus, then every Christian should be careful to accept Testament but rejected the New. Lustly, the Lord no longer con them as authentic— though not necessarily in harmony with the firms His Word by bestowing miraculous sign-gifts upon His recent Holiness application of them. If modern serpent handlers people. They ceased during Apostolic Days with the completion are wrong on their interpretation of this portion of the Word of the New Covenant, und Mark closed his gospel with an “ Amen.” See also I Cor. 13:8. (and they are wrong), the spirit of fairness impels us to point out their egregious error. (Continued on page 3) "A t dnwn the sky wns still angry with crimson light—crimson with (ire, and. Indeed, with the blood of the thousands of victims who perished. Fathers and mothers watched their children burnt alive. Other children saw their pnrents struggling to fight their way across tho flames, only to disappear in the ruins of falling beams und pillars. The shrieks Baptist and B tta o r and cries of the dying and wounded resounded In the night, muffled only by the incessant roar of the ever hungry fires. Hundreds tried to escape by climbing the old city wnll, but were caught by the pursuing flames O. W. Taylor, Editor John D. Freeman. Executive Secretary and, os if by magic, were shriveled into cinders. It wns a terrible _______ Don Norman. Field Representative______________________ holocaust, and perhaps quite satisfactory to the Japanese, whose lust to kill is not yet satisfied. BAPTIST AND REFLECTOR COMMITTEE W . C. Creasman, R. Kelly White, P. L. Ramsey, John A. Huff, C. W . Pope, "It seems ns though the bodies of our people are being crucified, but the C. O. Simpson spirit Is being baptized in fire and blood." And this is the “ civilizing influence” that is penetrating into 31cCowat-fiercer Press, Inc., Jackson, Tenn. China! May China be the victor, and in the end we believe she will. Entered at Poatofflce, Jackson. Tenn.. as second-class matter as a weekly, except during Christmas week, under the act of March 3, 18/9. Editorial and General Office. 149 Sixth Avenue. North, Nashville. Tenn. Terms of Subscription—Single subscriptions payable in advance, one year S2.00. six months SI.00. Club rates and plans sent on request. Obituaries and Obituary Resolutions— The first 100 words free; all other Warring Against Hitler, Not the German People words one cent each. Other resolutions 1 cent each for all words. Advertisements— Rates upon request.

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