"They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing"" ""Why don't you try it for yourself and find out for certain.""
Obviously Mark 16:18 does not apply today yet Matt 24:13 does ? For believers today, why do some use the Gospels to teach how to enter eternal life yet they reject teachings like Mark 16:18 ?
** Confusion solution - ONLY Paul was given the UNIQUE role to teach how to enter eternal life to believers today & NOT the Gospels.
It's called 2 Tim 2:15 .....rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Correctly applying Scripture to the relevant audience & age.
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First of all I’ll put these verses in to give you a hint of how Jesus spoke and how in most case scriptures are written in
Those 'Gospels' eg Mark 16:18 also teach ""They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;"
Mathew 13:3 (Jesus) And he spoke to them at length in parables,* saying: “A sower went out to sow.
Mathew 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Both passages and many others highlights the importance of faith and endurance. Matthew 24:13 calls believers to remain faithful until the end, promising salvation for those who do. Mark 16:18 illustrates the miraculous protection and power available to believers who trust in God, even in perilous circumstances.
Mark 16:18 about trusting in God's power remains meaningful for many believers even today, especially when facing difficulties. It encourages faith that God's protection and healing can be present, though it doesn't guarantee that believers will be spared from all harm or suffering. It calls for trust in God's sovereignty and goodness amid adversity.
We also see the same in Pauls’ writing:
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life... neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This is confidence in God's power and love, which aligns with Mark 16:18's themes of divine protection and power.
Confusion solution - ONLY Paul was given the UNIQUE role to teach how to enter eternal life to believers today & NOT the Gospels.
Short answer is NO, As the Gospels also prominently teach how to enter eternal life. While Paul emphasizes grace, faith, and living a transformed life, the Gospels, especially the teachings of Jesus, also provide clear guidance on how to attain eternal life.
Examples:
Matthew 19:16-17 "Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ “Jesus responds: "If you want to enter life, keep the commandments. “Here, Jesus points to obedience and righteousness as a way to eternal life, emphasizing a moral and faithful response.
The Greatest Commandments (Mark 12:28-34): Jesus summarizes the Law: Love God and love your neighbour, these are the core of entering the kingdom of God.
John 3:3, 5: Jesus says to Nicodemus: "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."
These verses directly describe the new birth as essential for entering eternal life
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Faith in Jesus is presented as the key to eternal life. In all the Gospels especially Jesus’ teachings:
Focusing on the conditions for entering, obedience, faith, rebirth, love, and belief. They show the way through moral and spiritual transformation.
While Paul’s writings:
Emphasize that entry into eternal life is ultimately through faith in Jesus Christ by grace, not by works alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul clarifies that salvation is a gift, received through faith, and not earned by deeds.
I’ll recap it for you Z
Both the Gospels and Paul teach about entering eternal life.
The Gospels show the way, obedience, faith, rebirth from the old self to the new and love.
Paul explains the means, faith in Jesus Christ and God's grace
The bottom line is, it is not correct to say that only Paul teaches how to enter eternal life. The Gospels are foundational, providing the primary teachings of Jesus about how to attain eternal life, which Paul echoes and expands upon in his epistles.
The confusion might come from over-emphasizing Paul's writings as the only source of instruction on salvation, which can dwarf the foundational teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.
On the other hand, it could be that you're aware that Paul emphasizes grace and faith as the means of salvation but haven't fully recognized that Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels also describe the way to eternal life.
