Is this Bible verse about believers and poison to be taken literally?

Reading the passage at face value without added tradition, I can understand why there are no more signs etc. The "good news" that Jesus preached was: That is not what Christianity preaches today, therefore the signs are not there. Even Paul preached as though the kingdom of God was imminent.As far as not testing God, God does not deter us from testing those who claim to speak for him, those who claim to know his will, those who claim to be apostles, or spirits that seem to come from God.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

That is near, at hand, imminent.Two thousand years+ is not "at hand."

quote:

---

What was that entire "Left Behind" book series about?

---

The author's impression of what the Christian rapture will be like.

quote:

---

The Baptists have been waiting for the rapture from the time they were established. They have been baptising everyone they can get their hands on. All sects of Christianity preach repentance.

---

They don't preach that the Kingdom of God is imminent, unless of course some major disaster happens or a millenium comes about. Christian Baptist Beliefs excerpt: They preach the "good news" of Christ not that the Kingdom of God is at hand.I've been a Protestant Christian for over 40 years. Never felt the Kingdom was imminent from what the churches taught. Evangelist gave the message repent so you don't burn in hell, not that the Kingdom is imminent. The only thing imminent is our own mortality.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

How did you post the day before the post to which you are replying?

---

Now that's a sign!! Seriously, my post is dated the 3rd and I posted on the 3rd.The OP is dated the 1st.Not sure what you're looking at.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

I'm not sure what you are getting at here.

---

You wanted to know my idea of imminent.

quote:

---

Actually He was discussing His own return, but kingdom of heaven or Christ...kinda the same. Which generation was He referring to anyway?

---

At face value, that speech doesn't necessarily speak of Jesus returning.The generation at the time Jesus was supposedly speaking. It makes no sense otherwise.I don't see the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Christ as the same or sorta the same.

quote:

---

That is just 3 denominations that preach the imminent return of the kingdom.

---

The kingdom of Christ, not the Kingdom of God as Jesus did.After 2000+ years imminent loses its imminency.

quote:

---

It appears that by your standard of sharing the good news, at least some people should be able to access the powers mentioned in Mark 16:17 and 18.

---

If they are sharing the same good news that Jesus did.From what you have shared, the churches aren't.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah." Deuteronomy 6:15-16. Anyone who willingly imbibes poisons on Satan's terms is rushing headlong into Hell!

---

I agree one shouldn't drink toxins just to prove one is a Christian, but have you unintentionally ingested toxins?Have you been free from illness since your conversion? No colds, headaches, or indigestion, etc. or any major illnesses.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

What is your definition of the kingdom of god and it's imminence?

---

A theocratic kingdom based on God's Laws (Judaism) for God's chosen people.Imminent means soon. It has been over 2000 years since Jesus supposedly died. The coming of Christ has lost its imminency.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

I don't see that definition as stemming from Biblical interpretation. Could you specify which Bible passages point to this conclusion?

---

I don't abide the Christian tradition of one-liners.
Read the prophets as a whole and not in pieces.Here's a start.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

quote:

---

Since you only provided one prophet's words I guess that I can comment on these alone.

---

I said read the prophets. You have a Christian Bible, read the writings of the prophets.I didn't intend to give you one-liners you could argue with. If you want to understand my comments, read the prophets.Since this isn't related to the OP or my original post I don't intend to get into a debate about it.

quote:

---

Are you saying that the stuff Christ said in Mark 16:17 and 18, cannot be accomplished by modern Christians because of their spreading of the wrong "good news"?

---

If the words are to be taken at face value, yes.

quote:

---

Is there any group of believers in God that can perform these amazing feats?

---

I think that was one of Schraf's points. If these words are to be taken literally (at face value) why aren't they performed consistently by, at the bare minimum, the Christian clergy of today when they are evangelizing?Quite obviously these amazing feats are not consistently performed by any group of Christians today. Therefore if the author's words are to be taken at face value, Christians apparently are not spreading the right news.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

Aside from the possibility that Christians today aren't preaching the correct good news, we also have the possibility that this section was added later to lend support to Christian recruitment.As I understand it, the Jews didn't agressively recruit new members.

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France

In the Book of Mark, as I showed in Message 116, the author does not define the good news as dealing with a belief that Jesus is the Son of God (literally) or his resurrection. When Jesus sent out the twelve Here also they don't appear to be preaching to believe that Jesus was the son of God (literally) and couldn't preach the resurrection or that Jesus had died for their sins because it hadn't happened yet.In Message 132 you asked what MY definition is of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached (mainly because I don't equate the Kingdom of God with the Kingdom of Christ.) I gave you my understanding and in Message 136 I told you that the Biblical basis for my understanding is the prophets.My definition has nothing to do with the face value of what the author of Mark has Jesus saying.

quote:

---

You're the one who put forth your interpretation of what the "good news" was. Then you said that the misinterpretation of that term by Christians caused the loss of ability to perform the miracles of Mark 16:17 and 18.

---

I didn't say that they misinterpreted the term, I said that they are not preaching the same good news that the author of Mark described at the beginning of the book.The church excerpts that you shared also showed that churches are not preaching the same good news that Jesus did according to the author of Mark.At face value, I don't find in the book of Mark that the author defines the good news as being about Jesus being the Son of God (literally), the resurrection, that Jesus died for their sins, or a second coming. The author also doesn't mention the kingdom of Christ.Where in the book of Mark do you find the author describing at face value the good news that churches preach today?

---

"The average man does not know what to do with this life, yet wants another one which lasts forever." --Anatole France