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Rev. Merlin Shorb
Rappahannock. Methodist Charge
Flint Hill, Sperryville and Willis Chapel
"CHRISTIANS AND RATTLESNAKES”
The proof text for the handling of venomous reptiles in Christian worship is Mark 16:18. Unfortunately, our English translations are woefully misleading on this text. Most of them translate the verb as "pick up," "take up," or "handle." But a quick review of the New Testament uses of this same verb reveals that when referring to the undesirable the verb is rendered "remove." And there is little doubt that serpents are undesirable in a biblical context.
For example, the very same verb described a mountain to be "removed." (Mark 11:23) In another place a mob demanded of Pontius Pilate to "remove" this Jesus. (Luke 23:18) John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the one who "removes" the sin of the world. (John 1:29) The early church clearly indicated how they used this verb under such circumstances. They therefore would speak of the "removal” of serpents rather than the "handling" of them.
We do not demonstrate the Lord's power by flirting with danger. Daredevils only draw attention to themselves. But God specializes in our safekeeping. Our sense of self-preservation becomes part of our Christian witness. Our security amid life's pitfalls comes from the Lord, not from our own daring. To deliberately place ourselves at risk is presumption, not faith.
The handling of rattlesnakes was never intended as a means of divine worship. We can easily see how quickly such a gross error is cleared up merely by recovering the original meaning of a word. I don’t know why even the newest translations do not reflect a simple word study in this case. I do feel that the Bible will always prove reliable whenever the understanding of the early church comes to light.
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