{They shall take up serpents} (opheis arousin). Jesus had
said something like this in Lu 10:19 and Paul was unharmed by
the serpent in Malta ( Ac 28:3f. ). {If they drink any deadly
thing} (k'an thanasimon ti pi(9373)in). This is the only N.T.
instance of the old Greek word hanasimos (deadly). Jas 3:8
has hanat(8870)horos, deathbearing. Bruce considers these verses
in Mark "a great lapse from the high level of Matthew's version
of the farewell words of Jesus" and holds that "taking up
venomous serpents and drinking deadly poison seem to introduce us
into the twilight of apocryphal story." The great doubt
concerning the genuineness of these verses (fairly conclusive
proof against them in my opinion) renders it unwise to take these
verses as the foundation for doctrine or practice unless
supported by other and genuine portions of the N.T.
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