He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-18

            This practice of using poisonous snakes during a church service comes from a passage in Mark 16 that has not been verified in many earlier manuscripts that Jesus ever said these words.  Even if he did, the words are not a command, but saying that Christians will be invincible if they are doing God’s will.

            In Acts 28, a viper bit Paul but he did not die.  This amazed those on the island familiar with this poisonous snake and they believed in God.  This story did not ask people to bring snakes into their church services to show their faith.