16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe1: in my name shall they cast out demons2; they shall speak with new tongues3;
Mark 16:17,18
1. And these signs shall accompany them that believe. The Book of Acts gives examples of each one of these except the fourth.
2. In my name shall they cast out demons. See Acts 5:16; Acts 8:7; Acts 16:18
3. They shall speak with new tongues. See Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6.
16:18 they shall take up serpents1, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them2; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
1. They shall take up serpents. See Acts 28:3-5.
2. And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them. Though we have no record of a disciple escaping the effects of drinking poison, there is little doubt that in the many persecutions such cases did occur.
These signs confirmed the Gospel and helped estabish Christianity in the world. These signs did not follow all believers, but some, and not always, only for a time.