Adornment… please be gentle I am learning and not from an anabaptist background

[Sudsy]

The modern, Protestant concept was not something that was accepted back then.

It is interesting who has and who still does believe they represent the OTC - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_true_church

In my Pentecostal days, our church was called 'The Full Gospel Tabernacle' so I guess it could have been labelled an OTG church. I remember some though that had a very arrogant attitude that they were the OTC of the New Testament as they believed they had all the spiritual practises and beliefs of the earliest NT church and preached a 'full Gospel'. That same church today is now called 'LakePoint Family Church' (more user friendly ?).

Were you guys snake handlers?

No and as noted in some Bibles, some of the oldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts do not contain verses 9–20 in Mark 16. Other manuscripts contain verses 9–20 but set them apart from the rest of the Gospel. And even if this was to be part of scripture the text does not necessarily mean that every believer will do these signs just as not every believer will manifest all the gifts of the Spirit, imo.

But, if I recall correctly, the Pentecostal group I was raised in, considered handling snakes and drinking poison was considered putting God to a test to save you from harm unnecessarily. Paul did have a snake experience in Acts 28:3 but it was not to purposefully test God. I don't believe there is any scripture supporting drinking poison to test God.

We also did not believe you can't be saved if you don't speak in other tongues. But they did encourage new believers to pursue this experience as an initial sign that they were born again and the Holy Spirit lived within them. One of my best friends left the Pentecostal church and has spent all his life very active in the Salvation Army and one reason for leaving was he felt pressured to experience speaking in tongues / the baptism of the Holy Spirit as Pentecostals would say. Some say but in Corinthians it says 'Do all speak in tongues' implying no some do not but a Pentecostal might argue that is due to their lack of faith that they do not.

Problems arise when scriptures are taken as stand alone commands and statements and they conflict with other scriptures that appear to say the opposite. Most Christian faith groups believe they are the ones 'rightly dividing the word of truth' and some then consider themselves the OTC.

Personally, I believe what Paul said about now we all only 'know in part'. We have some things right and some not. But I do believe in a OTC or also called 'the bride of Christ' and is made up of those who God alone recognizes as one of this 'great throng'.

[Josh]

Snake handlers are very rare, despite all the sensational press about them.

[Heirbyadoption]

I attended a service once upon a time where they waved several rattlers around, out in the hills of western Virginia. It was neither a particular appealing nor inspirational experience. Then again, there was already enmity between snakes and myself in a very relevant, non-spiritual way anyhow, so that probably didn't help.

[Neto]

Snake handlers are very rare, despite all the sensational press about them.

Especially after the first time....

[ohio jones]

Snake handlers are very rare, despite all the sensational press about them.

You might say they are a dying breed.

[Swiss Bro]

I just asked because the „full gospel“ bit in the name sometimes designates snake handler churches as they believe if you do not practice this you do not preach the full gospel. The minority text might be older than the majority text but the majority text contains, as the name indicates, the majority of texts so is more reliable imo. Anyway, I agree that we should not put God to a test by handling snakes and drinking poison on purpose but God can certainly prevent us from dying if we tread on a snake or ingurgitate poison by accident hut He still has plans with us down here.

[Ken]

Snake handlers are very rare, despite all the sensational press about them.

You might say they are a dying breed.

According to the Encyclopedia of American religions there are up to 5,000 adherents of snake handling attending between 50 and 100 churches spread across 10 states.

So about the equivalent of a mid-size CA group.

[Sudsy]

I just asked because the „full gospel“ bit in the name sometimes designates snake handler churches as they believe if you do not practice this you do not preach the full gospel. The minority text might be older than the majority text but the majority text contains, as the name indicates, the majority of texts so is more reliable imo. Anyway, I agree that we should not put God to a test by handling snakes and drinking poison on purpose but God can certainly prevent us from dying if we tread on a snake or ingurgitate poison by accident hut He still has plans with us down here.

The 'full gospel' that the Pentecostal church I was raised in preached, is a 'four-fold gospel' that is all about Jesus. He is our the Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Soon Coming King. A “Full Gospel Christian” believes that the Holy Spirit is still doing everything He was doing in the New Testament Gospels such as still healing, still giving the gift of tongues, still performing miracles, etc. Since Jesus is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), Pentecostals believe He is still operating in the world with the same methods.

Here is an pretty good article on the Mark 16: 9-20 text - https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/arti ... rk-gospel/

[JimFoxvog]

That isn’t the literal meaning of the text, though. That requires a congregation to discern together and then establish extra-biblical church rules.

Congregational discernment certainly helps, but can't we all agree that the Bible teaches us to take care of our bodies?

[Josh]

That isn’t the literal meaning of the text, though. That requires a congregation to discern together and then establish extra-biblical church rules.

Congregational discernment certainly helps, but can't we all agree that the Bible teaches us to take care of our bodies?

Of course we can. I'm fine with a congregation making extra-biblical church rules.

However, the Bible does not teach not to use modern drugs for recreational purposes. That is simply not a clear reading of the text.