The Word 'commands us to do miracles' ?

The Word 'commands us to do miracles' ?
Posted 7/13/2009 5:58 PM EDT on dailyrecord.com

Whoa!..."The Word commands us to continue to do miracles."?
Ref: Blog post: 'Share your story, by MiraclesUSA'

This is a misunderstanding of Mark 16:17-18.
These miraculous gifts in Biblical times were temporary, and came through the laying on of the apostles' hands. Those who received such gifts of the Spirit from an apostle, could not pass the gift on to a third person. A thorough Bible study will bear this out. Also, one needs to consider what the purpose of these miracles were for. Miracles confirmed the authority of who the apostles were, the gospel, and their mission. It is the same reason that Jesus himself performed miracles. "These are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God..." (John 20:31).

In 1910 George Went Hensley introduced snake handling to churches throughout the Appalachian region, after reading Mark 16:18. I understand that many preachers have died since, due to the same misunderstanding of this text. --dc

Answer to Eyes Wide Open:

Check out this interesting answer on Yedda

Bush and Religion

Right On! When you say -- “Just because no one was giving (you) logical answers to legitimate questions, didn't mean there were none.” As far as ‘the church’ not offering rational answers; what ‘church’ are you talking about? What is your definition of “the church”? There are good answers, and God’s promise is that if we seek, we shall find.


One answer I used to get, is “You shouldn’t study with that group, about baptism, because you always come back confused“? I thought to myself; ‘What kind of an answer is that?’ The fact is, --they had no answer.

About Mark 16:17; the best answer I have found comes from ‘The People’s New Testament With Notes,’ by B.W. Johnson, published by the Gospel Advocate Company, Nashville, Tennessee, 1975. This Bible study book was presented to me by The Elders, Central Church of Christ, Cocoa Fla., in 1977, at the time of my being baptized (by Fritz Klotz). See Acts: 2:41.

“These signs shall follow them that believe. It is generally held that this is a promise limited to the apostolic age and to a few of the disciples of that age. Perhaps the plural them does not have for its antecedent the singular he in verse 16, but the plural them in verse 14. If it does not, why is the number changed in verses 15 and 16? The grammatical construction requires us to look to verse 14 for the antecedent of them in verse 17. In verse 14 the apostles are “upbraided for their unbelief because they believed not them who had seen him after he had arisen.” They are commanded to go and tell the glad story, and assured that miraculous credentials shall be given to those of “them who believe” and tell the wonderful tidings. In my name shall they cast out devils, etc. See Acts 2:4; 5:16; 8:7; 16:18; 28:3.”

Don Cole

Topics: president george w. bush, church and state, religion and politics

Answered by DonColeCartoons on December 16, 2008

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