Introduction to the Endings of Mark

You may have noticed that your Bible has an asterisk beside or brackets around the last few verses in Mark (specifically verses 9-20).  The reason for this is that there is a dispute over whether those verses were actually written by Mark and whether or not they should be considered inspired scripture.  This article will attempt to explain the dispute, come to a conclusion, and explain how this may affect the way we read and view our Bibles.  We will examine the available manuscripts, references from early church fathers, and the writing style of the last twelve verses of Mark.

The Endings

Actually, there are four endings of Mark in the current manuscripts.  As the Bible was copied by hand in the first few centuries sometimes errors were introduced to certain verses.  Scholars review all the available manuscripts considering when and where they were written and piece together what was and was not in the original writings.  In most of the books of the Bible, this process is not difficult, but the issue surrounding Mark is still debated.  The first ending (1) found in the oldest Greek manuscripts ends Mark at chapter 16, verse 8. Because this ending essentially leaves the reader hanging, especially when compared to the other versions, it is often called "the abrupt ending." (2) A small number of manuscripts continue after verse 8 with what is commonly known as "the shorter ending."  Some Bibles also include this short passage in a footnote or as an alternate verse 9: "But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told.  And after these things Jesus himself sent out through them, from the east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation." (3) A large number of later manuscripts continue with verses 9-20, called "the longer ending" or the "traditional ending." This is the ending included in almost every Bible today.  (4) The traditional ending also appears with an additional section¹ between verses 14 and 15, often called "the Freer Logion."  This added section is obviously non-original and has very little external evidence supporting it.  Its content, style and language are non-Markan and this ending is never included in Bibles.

Consideration of the Four Endings

The Abrupt Ending (1)

The two oldest Greek manuscripts (the Vaticanus (B) and Sinaiticus (À) written in the 4th century), the Old Latin codex Bobiensis (it^k), the Sinaitic Syriac, about one hundred Armenian manuscripts, and the oldest Georgian manuscripts conclude with 16:8, ^{2 3 4} supporting the idea that Mark's writing did not include verses 9-20.

The Shorter Ending (2)

The shorter ending is generally regarded as an attempt to provide a more appropriate, smooth ending to verse 8.  In all but one case, the longer ending (3) follows the shorter ending, indicating these two sections were developed independently and then later combined.  It also contains language not used by Mark.  While it attempts to provide an opportunity for the women to follow the command in verse 7 to "go tell [the] disciples and Peter", it contradicts 8b "they said nothing to anyone" ([v]Mark 16:7-8[/v]).

The Longer Ending (3)

The longer ending enjoys the support of the majority of manuscripts.⁵  But while there are many more manuscripts containing the longer ending, they all postdate the manuscripts omitting this section.  Several early Christian writers such as Augustine (who lived in the fifth century) reference the longer ending in their writing, but the earliest church fathers such as Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Cyprian, and Cyril of Jerusalem make no mention of the section.⁶  Jerome (who lived in late 3rd and early 4th centuries) wrote that the longer endings was absent from almost all Greek codices know to him and Eusebius did not include it in his 'canons'⁷ saying that "accurate" copies of Mark end with verse 8.⁸   Justin may have made reference to verse 20 (I Apol. 45),⁹ but the earliest confirmed quotation from verses 9-20 comes from Irenaeus (A.D. 177).

The longer ending also has problems with its style and flow of thought. First, the vocabulary of 9-20 contains several phrases found nowhere else in Mark, and language found nowhere else in the New Testament.¹⁰ Verses 9-11 also begin with a new assumed subject (Jesus), and reintroduces Mary as if she had not been mentioned before.  This awkward transition may indicate this section was originally compiled as a catechetical summary that was later appended to the end of Mark¹¹ or that it was excerpted from another document.¹² Whatever its origin, it was most likely not written by Mark.

What Did Mark Intend to Write?

What Did Mark Intend to Write?

Although it is clear that Mark did not write verses 9-20 or any of the other proposed endings, the passage is included in most Greek texts because of its antiquity and its importance in the textual tradition of the Gospels.  As for the actual ending of Mark's writing, there are three options; (1) he intended to end with verse 8, (2) he intended to write more, but was prevented from finishing for some reason, or (3) his original ending was lost.

It is important to note that if Mark's original ending was lost, there is a possible canonical problem for Christ says "not the smallest letter... will pass away" ([v]Matt. 5:18[/v]) and "the Scripture cannot be broken" ([v]John 10:36[/v]).  Peter writes "the word of the Lord stands forever" ([v]I Pet. 1:25[/v]).  Since we have no evidence indicating that Mark was prevented from finishing his writing,¹³ we need to consider whether it is possible that Mark intended to end with verse 8.  If we find that he didn't intent to end the book there, then we should consider whether verses 9-20 should still be considered a legitimate ending and a part of the inspired Scripture.  The Psalms were written by multiple inspired authors, so it is also possible that an inspired writer finished the Gospel of Mark.

Mark's Emphasis & Style

"They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid" ([v]Mark 16:8[/v]) is an initially unexpected ending.  It is obviously not the gospel ending we have come to expect and what we find in the Matthew, Luke and John.  There is no account of Christ's post-resurrection ministry and the feeling of triumph found in found in the other gospels is completely lacking. But there are at least a few possible reasons why Mark may have concluded with this verse.

The strongest argument is that Mark consistently emphasizes fear as the normal response when Christ's power and transcendence are displayed ([v] Mark 4:41; 5:15; 33, 36; 6:50; 9:6, 32[/v]).¹⁴  Consider the three accounts of Christ calming the storm; Matthew reports "the men were amazed" ([v]Matt. 8:27[/v]), Mark says they "were terrified" ([v]Mark 4:40[/v]), and Luke records both their "fear and amazement" ([v]Luke 8:25[/v]).  If Mark chose to end his gospel with the woman's fear, it is not only consistent with his writing and emphasis, but the women's overwhelmed response may also be an acknowledgment of Christ's power in the resurrection.  Some scholars have proposed that Mark intended to leave his original audience hanging so they would be forced to consider whether Jesus was really the Christ.

Theological Considerations and Conclusion

Theological Considerations

Even though Mark did not write verses 9-20 and there is satisfactory evidence that indicates verse 8 was his desired ending, some scholars such as Metzger have proposed that this section be considered legitimate Scripture.  As mentioned, it is possible that verses 9-20 were written by an additional inspired author.  But the problems of its authorship notwithstanding, this passage also contains somewhat dubious theology, specifically regarding baptism and spiritual gifts. The statement "whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" ([v]Mark 16:16[/v]) has been used to support baptism as a requirement for [def]salvation[/def].  This is usually reconciled by showing the lack of baptism in the negative statement "whoever does not believe will be condemned," but the statement of baptism in the positive still remains.  The sign gifts discussed in verses 17-18 ([v]Mark 16:17-18[/v]) are also somewhat questionable, and have sometimes used as an excuse for vile practices such as drinking poison to test one's dedication to Christ.  It is true that God protected Paul from a snake bite ([v]Acts 28:6[/v]) and this passage does seem fairly consistent with the early church's use of sign gifts to validate the gospel, but the passage seems to indicate all believers will do these things.  There are of course other passages in the Bible that are not easy to reconcile, and we do not simply dismiss them because they are difficult, but considering this section's other problems and its lack of a credible author, it should not be considered part of the New Testament.

Conclusion

The inspired writing of Mark that has been passed down ends with 16:8.  Although it is impossible to know whether Mark intended to write more, we can know that he was not the author of verses 9-20.  Although this information may be initially disturbing, it should not cause believers to question their Bible.  We should certainly be wary of basing our views of any major doctrine on them these 12 verses, but they are still an interesting topic of discussion. And ultimately, the believer can rest in the fact the the books of the Bible, in their original writings, were fully inspired by God.  Mistakes in copying have been introduced over the last 2000 years, but the total number of verses in dispute are very few and add up to about a paragraph of the Bible.