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Tim Maas
Supporter
Jesus spoke these words in Luke 10:19 following the return of the seventy-two disciples whom He had sent out to the various towns that He Himself would later visit, in order to prepare them for His arrival. (He later essentially repeated the same words just prior to His ascension, as indicated in Mark 16:18, in speaking of the evangelizing that His followers would do following His departure.) Jesus was saying that poisonous snakes and scorpions that His followers might encounter in the normal course of their travels would not be able to harm the disciples through their bites or stings. (Paul later demonstrated this in Acts 28:1-6.) However, I would say that, in my opinion, these words and events were meant for a specific missionary purpose at that time, and were not intended as a license for people (even down to the present day) to deliberately "put God to the test" through the intentional (but unnecessary) handling of poisonous creatures, in the expectation of God's protection.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Great question! The phrase "I have given you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions" comes from Luke 10:19 (NIV), where Jesus speaks to His disciples: Luke 10:19 (NIV) "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." The "serpents and scorpions" symbolize demonic forces and spiritual opposition. Jesus is telling His disciples that He has given them power over Satan and his works. Jesus' authority enables believers to overcome evil influences, temptation, and attacks from the enemy. Though they would face challenges, God’s power would ultimately safeguard them as they carried out His mission. I do not believe this verse is meant to be taken literally (as in handling actual snakes and scorpions), but rather as a metaphor for overcoming spiritual battles through the power of Christ. Scripture Memory Fellowship has a catchy tune called "I Have Given You Authority (Luke 10:19-NIV) Scripture Memory Song. I love it. Google it, and you will see. "Look, I have given you authority to tread 1 on snakes and scorpions 2 and on the full force of the enemy, 3 and nothing will 4 hurt you." NET Notes: "1 Or perhaps, “trample on” (which emphasizes the impact of the feet on the snakes). 2 Snakes and scorpions are examples of the hostility in the creation that is defeated by Jesus. The use of battle imagery shows who the kingdom fights against. See Acts 28:3-6. 3 Or “I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and [authority] over the full force of the enemy.” The second prepositional phrase can be taken either as modifying the infinitive πατεῖν (patein, “to tread”) or the noun ἐξουσίαν (exousian, “power”). The former is to be preferred and has been represented in the translation. The enemy is a reference to Satan (mentioned in v. 18). [Luke 10:18] 4 This is an emphatic double negative in the Greek text." -- NET = New English Translation Some people pray based on Luke 10:19, thanking God for the authority to overcome the enemy and remain unharmed.
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