On last Lord’s day, we were learning about some of the many controversies that have arisen in recent times concerning certain verses in this final chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, that have produced considerable doctrinal division in Christendom. Today, Pastor Fisher continues dealing with the conflict of interpretation of these last verses, in the gospel of Mark in a final installment based on these verses in the message has called: “Focusing On The Gospel” So, listen in today as our bible teacher, Pastor Fisher addresses from the Word the biblical position on these verses as we approach the conclusion of this series.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 12:32 – 13:5 (KJV)
Deu 12:32 What thing so ever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 16:14 – 20 (NASB)
Mark 16:14 And afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:16 “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Mark 16:17 “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; Mark 16:18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:19 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) the biblical interpretation of the sign gifts stated in Mark 16:17 & 18 is that God the Son gave to His Apostles these signs to validate the final movement of God on earth known as the church; which is the primary agency through which His eternal gospel would be spread to the end of time and the ends of the world.
#2) There is evidence in the Scriptures that these signs curtailed and seemed to end with the completion of the primary Apostolic regime and were no longer required after the New Testament, God’s completed revelation of His intentions for mankind, was available as a guide for the church through out the times of the Gentiles.
#3) The Scriptures are filled with warning to believers to focus only on what God’s Word teaches and it can easily be seen that those who depart from the Word of truth are being guided by the prince of darkness who seeks to highlight that which is not central to God’s purpose which is the understanding of His love and grace toward those who walk in the truth.
