(Photo: WBIR)
Snake handling is alive and well in the USA with Andrew Hamblin and others. In fact, one of the snake handling churches in LaFollete, TN was raided and 53 venomous snakes were seized! Furthermore, Hamblin, the pastor, was charged with 53 counts of violating a state ban on possessing venomous snakes, with each carrying a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
Andrew Hamblin Thinks the Bible Commands Snake Handling in Worship!
Hamblin says state law violates his congregation’s religious liberty. He and church members believe the Bible commands them to handle serpents in worship, based on a New Testament passage in the Gospel of Mark. ( https://www.religionnews.com/serpent-handler-tv-star-new-cause-religious-liberty/ )
Snake Handling – NOT in the Bible
The single passage Andrew Hamblin bases his doctrines on (Mark 16:17,18) is one which is missing from some Greek manuscripts! Furthermore, never do we see the example of snake handling in the New Testament church anywhere, and when Christian worship of God is mentioned, never is handling snakes even implied! God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23,24) and that is done WITHOUT physical objects, including snakes (Mary statues etc.) As sincere as Hamblin and his congregation might be, they are wrong because they are not considering all the Biblical evidence or anti-evidence regarding snake handling and worship of God or salvation assurance.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. (Rom 12:1)
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe (Heb 12:28)
People have needlessly died because they have handled snakes as Andrew Hamblin does. Do not be deceived: though Andrew Hamblin seems very sincere, he (and others like him) have strayed off on a weird and dangerous tangent with snake handling.
