BibleFacts

Endings of the Gospel of Mark

 On Church History

All copies of Mark have the 16th chapter verses 1 though 8. The standard  that we are familiar with (e.g. KJV) also has verses 9-20. The majority of manuscripts contain the standard  verses 1-20) some earlier manuscripts will have different endings and some medieval manuscripts will have various combinations of them.

The Standard

Verses 9-14:
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. NRSV

Verses 15-20:
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. NRSV

Everything that seems supernatural in these verses has already been recorded in other places.

  1. The disciples cast out demons and laid hands on the sick in many passages in scripture.
  2. Paul was bitten by a poisonous serpent and did not die on the Isle of Malta (Acts 28)
  3. The disciples spoke in foreign languages on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

People argue over this passage as to whether these signs exist. In reality all these signs did exist, and Mark does not say these were only for a certain time or that they were for all Christians throughout our age.
There is no reason not to except this passage as valid scripture; however anyone who wishes to be contentious about it, should note that adding it or leaving it out does not change any doctrine. The earliest quote of this is from Mark 16:19. It comes from Irenaeus, AH 3.10.6, which means the standard form was in use in 175 AD. This Standard is used in over 16,000 Greek Manuscripts (about 95%) including; Codex Bezae, Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi Syri, the Peshitta, the Diatessaron, and church fathers Justin Martyr in Apology 1.45, Irenaeus in AH 3.10.6, and Hippolytus )

The Cut off:
Some manuscripts simply end after verse 8. The Codex Siaiaticus, Codex Vaticanus, and church fathers Jerome (Letter 120.3) and Eusebius stop at verse 8.

Eusebius comment:
The Accurate copies conclude the story according to mark in the words of the young man seen by the women and saying to them "Do not be afraid. You seek Jesus ... for they were very afraid." For the End is here in nearly all copies of Mark.   4th century

The Short Ending

Short Ending
added at the end of verse 8:

And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from the east tot the west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.

This short end is only found in Codex Babbiensis, a 4th Century Latin manuscript, but several medieval manuscripts comment this may have been included in the original gospel of Mark.

The Additional Paragraph

Additional Paragraph
added at the end of verse 14:

And they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and the power of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirits. Therefore reveal your righteousness now."  - thus they spoke to Christ. And Christ replied to them , "The term of years of Satan's power has been fulfilled, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who have sinned I was handed over to death, that they may return to the truth and sin no more, that they may inherit the spiritual and imperishable glory of righteousness that is in heaven."

This is the Standard with additional paragraph tacked on to verse 14. It is only found in Codex Washingtonianus, a late 4th century Greek manuscript, now housed in the Smithsonian. Although church father Jerome stated most copies end with verse eight, he commented on this addition

Jerome's Comment:
In some Greek manuscripts of Mark, at the end of the gospel there is written "Afterwards when the eleven had sat down to a meal, Jesus appeared to them and rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who had seen him after his resurrection. And they made excuses saying "This is the age of lawlessness and unbelief under Satan, who does not allow the truth and the power of God to be grasped by unclean spirits. There fore reveal your righteousness now."    Against Pelagius 2.15    4th century

 

 

www.biblefacts.org Date: 11-2003