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Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 362

Acts 5:40 "And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus..." Acts 5:40"

Day 362 – Mark 16

“And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus…” Acts 5:40

SPECIAL MIRACLES

The following text also needs careful interpretation! A careless approach can actually endanger the reader.

“They will take up serpents;
and if they drink anything deadly,
it will by no means hurt them;
they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
MARK 16:18

1. The danger posed to the reader

Presumption is deadly! If a person will presumptuously expose himself to take up deadly serpents, he can be bitten to death! If the reader thinks he can drink deadly poison and live, he might be sadly mistaken.

2. On Biblical record

Only two people were mentioned in the book of Acts as having had a special miracles’ ministry- the apostles Peter and Paul!

a) Peter- the leading apostle to the Jews

“They brought the sick out into the streets
and laid them on beds and couches,
that at least the shadow of Peter passing by
might fall on some of them. Also a multitude
gathered from the surrounding cities
to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented
by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
ACTS 5:15-16

b) Paul – the leading apostle to the Gentiles

“Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought
from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them
and the evil spirits went out of them.”
ACTS 19:11-12

3. “Unusual miracles”

Luke had the right understanding of this special ministry of miracles by the apostles!

a) These were unusual miracles.
b) This leaves out the possibility of applying Mark 16:18 to “the average believer”.
Wisdom teaches us not to venture into the realm of the spiritual presumptuously!