The entire Bible (from Genesis to revelation) is God’s Operations Manual for Life…
And in it’s pages we are not only given a road map and instructions for eternal life, but we also are given the Rules of Engagement and instructions in how we are to engaged in spiritual warfare (see 2 Cor 10: 3-6), along with many other important instructions for life.
Miracle, Signs and Wonders
In Mark 16, Jesus (after His resurrection) rebuked His disciples for their unbelief and their lack of faith.
As far as I can see, that same problem exists today in the church.
When I became a Christian, I knew less than nothing about the Bible, and I made a promise to the Lord that the Bible would be my Plumb line and Guide (and as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16) “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruction in all righteousness,” and if I could find it in the Word I would accept it as truth.
Mark 16:14-18
The Voice
14 The eleven did not believe until Jesus appeared to them all as they sat at dinner.
He rebuked them for their hard hearts—for their lack of faith—because they had failed to believe those witnesses who had seen Him after He had risen.
Jesus: 15 Go out into the world and share the good news with all of creation.
16 Anyone who believes this good news and is ceremonially washed (baptized) will be rescued, but anyone who does not believe it will be condemned.
17-18 And these signs will follow those who believe:
1. They will be able to cast out demons in My name,
2. Speak with new tongues,
3. Take up serpents,
4. Drink poison without being harmed, and
5. Lay their hands on the sick to heal them.
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In chapter 16 verse 8, the women fled from the tomb with mingled shock and panic.
They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.
This is not surprising.
The wonder is that they had been so brave and loyal and devoted up to now.
From the other Gospels we learn that after finding the tomb empty, Mary Magdalene ran and told Peter and John.
Coming back with her they found the sepulcher empty, as she had told them.
They returned to their home but she stayed at the empty tomb.
It was then that Jesus appeared to her.
16:10, 11 Again she went back to the city to share the good news with the sorrowing disciples.
For them it was too good to be true.
They did not believe it.
The Appearance to Two Disciples (16:12, 13)
16:12 The full account of this appearance is found in Luke 24:13–31.
Here we read that He appeared in another form to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
To Mary He had appeared as a gardener.
Now He seemed like a fellow-traveler.
But it was the same Jesus in His glorified body.
16:13 When the two disciples returned to Jerusalem and reported their fellowship with the risen Savior, they met the same disbelief that Mary had encountered.
The Appearance to the Eleven (16:14–18)
16:14 This appearance of Jesus to the eleven took place that same Sunday evening (Luke 24:36; John 20:19–24; 1 Cor. 15:5).
Although the disciples are referred to as the eleven, only ten were present.
Thomas was absent on this occasion.
Jesus rebuked His own for their refusal to accept the reports of His resurrection from Mary and the others.
Verse 15 records the commission that was given by the Lord on the eve of His Ascension.
There is thus an interval between verses 14 and 15.
The disciples were commanded to preach the gospel to the whole creation.
The Savior’s goal was world evangelization.
He purposed to accomplish it with eleven disciples who would literally forsake all to follow Him.
16:16 There would be two results of the preaching. Some would believe, be baptized, and be saved; some would disbelieve and be condemned.
Verse 16 is used by some to teach the necessity of water baptism for salvation.
We know it cannot mean that for the following reasons:
1. The thief on the cross was not baptized; yet he was assured of being in Paradise with Christ (Luke 23:43).
2. The Gentiles in Caesarea were baptized after they were saved (Acts 10:44–48).
3. Jesus Himself did not baptize (John 4:1, 2)—a strange omission if baptism were necessary for salvation.
4. Paul thanked God that he baptized very few of the Corinthians (1 Cor. 1:14–16)—an impossible thanksgiving if baptism were essential for salvation.
Approximately 150 passages in the NT state that salvation is by faith alone.
No verse or few verses could contradict this overwhelming testimony.
Baptism is connected with death and burial in the NT, not with spiritual birth.
What then does verse 16 mean?
We believe it mentions baptism as the expected outward expression of belief.
Baptism is not a condition of salvation, but an outward proclamation that the person has been saved.
16:17, 18 Jesus here describes certain miracles that would accompany those who believe the gospel.
Most of these signs are found in the Book of Acts: Cast out demons (Acts 8:7; 16:18; 19:11–16).
New tongues (Acts 2:4–11; 10:46; 19:6).
Handle serpents (Acts 28:5). Drink poison without harmful effects—not recorded in Acts but attributed to John and Barnabas by the church historian Eusebius.
Lay hands on the sick for healing (Acts 3:7; 19:11; 28:8, 9).
What was the purpose of these miracles?
We believe the answer is found in Hebrews 2:3, 4.
Often men would ask the apostles and others for proof that the gospel was divine.
To confirm the preaching, God bore witness with signs and wonders and various gifts of the Holy Spirit.
As we read this text, “these signs will follow those who believe, here Jesus gave His disciples a promise of divine power and protection as they fulfill the Great Commission.
This promise is to be understood in the context of the dangers inherent in the worldwide spread of the gospel, as Paul was bitten by a snake and preserved on the island of Malta (Acts 28:1-6).
Jesus never intended drinking poison or handling snakes to be a specific test or measure of faith.
[NOTE: Many scholars question the authenticity of vv. 9–20, primarily because of omission of these verses in some of the earliest manuscripts, and because their style is somewhat different from the rest of Mark.
However, Christian writers of the second century, such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tatian, testify to the inclusion of these verses, and the earliest translations, such as the Latin, Syriac, and Coptic, all include them.
In any case, the passage does reflect the experience and expectation of the early church concerning the practice of charismatic gifts, and the question of its authenticity should remain open.]
God changes not… “He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8).
God is true to His Word and His Word has not changed.
God says that He has counted His Word above all His name (Ps 138:2), and that His Word shall not return to Him void, without accomplishing the purpose wherein it has been sent (Isa 55:11).
SELAH (let us pause and calmly think about these things)
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