Certainly...I did not post them as I have before and I thought everyone knew what the Sign Gifts were. My apologies as they are in Mark 16:17-19........
"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 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.”
As Has been shown by the Greek Grammar, the "THEM" in verse 17 is the "antecedent" of the ELEVEN Apostles in verse #14.
You haven't proven the Greek language operates the way you say. Indeed, you have ignored specific examples that contradict your assertion. Which plural 'antecedents' in Acts 1 were the men who Judas' led to the tomb. if it has to refer back to a plural word earlier in the chapter, then who in the passage arrested Jesus? The apostles? The two men in white clothing at the ascension, or Jesus brothers? If we look in the Gospels, none of those are a good fit. I'd prefer to think that Greek does not follow nonsensical rules that defy the context of the epistles. If your rule doesn't fit for the passages I pointed out, your rule isn't good. Real Greek scholars are supposed to derive their understanding of Greek grammatical rules from the actual usage of the language (in this case by looking at past documents.)
It's fine to see who a pronoun refers to by using grammar. It is not good to try to use Greek grammatical rules in nonsensical ways that do not make sense in context. We can understand what τοῖς is referring to by the context in some cases.
Now when you read the literal words found in verses 17-19 do YOU see the words.....Choices????
Does the literal Word of God say that the ELEVEN apostles will be able to EITHER,
Cast out demons,
or they can choose to heal the sick,
or they can choose to drink stagnant poisioned water
or that can speak in a new tongue or they can
choose to handle venomous snakes???
Is that what it says my friend??? NO IT IS NOT! "It says they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 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.”
The Sign Gifts given to the apostles were a package deal, not pick or choose what they wanted to do. They could and did do all of those things.
I see you treat references to 'them' in the same nonsensical way you treat Greek grammar. If what you are saying is the case, then every single Old Testament figure mentioned in Hebrews 11 was imprisoned, stoned and sawn assunder, etc. instead of Isaiah being sawn assunder and Jeremiah being imprisoned. How is the idea that Abraham was sawn in two consistent with the Biblical narrative?
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
When 'they' do or experience things, a representative from the group may do it. When 'they' do a bunch of things, one may do one thing and another another thing. So if 'they' speak in tongues, cast out devils, take up serpents, etc., these are activities the group does. It does not follow, necessarily, that each member of the group does each thing in the list.
We also see that the disciples asked why the ointment wasn't sold and the money given to the poor, but John makes it clear that Judas uttered the words.
I was NOT being sarcastic at all. I was being totally REALISTIC. Today, people demand that they have the Sign Gifts and all I did was to show YOU that if you can fake speaking in tongues then you should have the ability to kiss a rattelsnake. That is not sarcastic but instead is being truthfull.
Paul did not go out looking for snakes. The Bible says not to tempt the Lord thy God. When you read that bit about the Devil telling Jesus to cast Himself down, do you agree with the devil's use of scripture on that?
If you can do one you can then do ALL the Sign Gifts.
It is just like believing that men can do faith healings. "I believe that Pastor so and so can heal. "
"I have seen Pastor Billy Bob heal many people."
OK.......Enough talk. Lets see it done. Lets see all the Faith Healers go from hospital room to hospital room and empty them and put an end to this Covid-19 pandemic!!!!!!
Why is that not being done today????
You are applying your own misinterpretation of scripture to the others. I Corinthians 12 teaches that one gift is given to one and another to another. We should clarify ambiguous passages with specific passages. Mark 16 does not say whether every believer will perform every sign. Some of those (two at least, healing and tongues) are mentioned in I Corinthians 12, and it clarifies that one believer receives one gift and another another.
You are also assuming these things happen purely at will, like Superman choosing to use his heat vision whenever he wants. If we look at the apostles, it wasn't that simple. Peter could walk on water when Jesus told him to and when he did not doubt. But when he doubted he sank. Paul had some sort of infirmity that caused him to first minister to the Galatians, and they would have given him their own eye if they could have. This probably happened around Acts 14 and certainly before he went to Galatia in Acts 16. Paul did miracles on that trip and afterwards. Why didn't he just use his superpowers and instantly heal himself? Peter prayed before raising Dorcas from the dead. Luke pointed out that God did unusual miracles by the hands of Paul in Ephesus. Credit is given to God. It is not treated as something that is solely a superpower of the apostles that they can do at will every time.[/quote][/QUOTE]