Aineo wrote:

Mark 16:15-18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18.They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. KJV

There are a couple of differences between these two passages. When was the last time you handled a pit viper or drank poison? Oneness advocates emphasize tongues and ignore the balance of Luke 16.

The question to Kingzon should be; When was the last time you tempted God?

Jesus was not talking about fondling cobras and rattle snakes to prove one's faith. To do so would be to tempt God. Any interpretation of Scripture that violates or contradicts Biblical principles is a private interpretation and falsehood. When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness he set Him up on the pinnacle of the temple and said, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thy self down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." Then, Jesus said unto him, It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Math 4:5-7). So Aineo, how can you say Oneness Apostolics ignore Mark 16:18? Oneness Apostolics understand about rightly dividing the Word of Truth as you apparently do not. Apostle Peter spoke well about apostates like you and the other heretics such as Origen and Augustine when he said, "they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2Peter 3:16). So what was Jesus talking about in Mark 16:18? To answer that I will simply let Scripture interpret Scripture:

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on SERPENTS and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." - Jesus (Luke 10:19)

"And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand...And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt NO HARM." (Acts 28:3,5)

Thus, the phrase, "they shall take up serpents" simply means power over and protection from demonic forces. In Luke 10:19 the obvious subject is about casting out devils and power over demon forces. (see Luke 10:1-20). "And they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them" refers to protection from accidents. When Paul was accidently bitten by a deadly viper he shook it off and no harm came to him insomuch that the barbarbians with him thought he was a god to have survived. (see verse 6).

To sum up the signs that shall follow the believer according to Mark 16:17,18:

1. "They shall cast out devils" - (Mark 3:14,15 ; Luke 9:1,2 ; 10:1-18)
2. "They shall speak with new tongues" - (Acts 2:4 ; 10:44-48 ; 19:1-7)
3. "They shall take up serpents" - (Luke 10:1-20)
4. "They shall drink any deadly thing..." - (Acts 28:3-6)
5. "They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" - (Mark 3:14,15 ; Luke 9:1,2 ; 10:1-18 ; Acts 28:8,9)

These signs are to follow every single believer that has been born again. These are not the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Jesus did not say these gifts shall follow... but these signs shall follow... The signs demonstrate to the unbeliever that Jesus is the risen Christ who indwells the true believers. Wherever the Gospel is preached the signs shall follow. Without the signs following the preaching of the Gospel, Christianity is another vain religion no better and no different than any other man-made religion. It is the sin of unbelief and disobedience to deny these signs. Notice what Jesus also said, "...for there is no man which can do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me." (Mark 9:39) This same verse in the NKJ says, "...for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me." Throughout numerous posts on numerous threads you have done nothing but speak evil against Jesus and His name and His Gospel. The reason mainly for that is no doubt none of these signs follow you. But I can assure you these signs follow me; and yet I have been accused of everything except being the devil himself for nothing more than defending the name of Jesus against mockers and scoffers.