Focus Scriptures:
Read Mark 16:9–20
And I say focus scriptures because I believe they are indeed true and holy scriptures. These particular verses are controversial because two ancient manuscripts, the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, are two of the oldest that we have seen, and they do not include these verses. There is typically a note added by the scribe after verse eight that explains this.
The codex Sinaiticus dates back to about the year 400 A.D. and was found on Mount Sinai, hence the name. Other prominent verses are missing as well in that manuscript. For instance, the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer: "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:13). And the woman caught in adultery in John 8 is also omitted in Codex Sinaiticus. Two other omissions in the Codex Sinaiticus that carries concerning theological significance is the reference to Jesus’ ascension in Luke 24:51, and Mark 1:1 omits reference to Jesus as the Son of God.
It almost seems as if this scribe had a particular agenda concerning the divine nature of Jesus Christ, especially beyond the grave. Not unlike the progressive church, the Mormon church, the Muslim's and others do today.
Two of the early church fathers around AD 180, unambiguously quoted Mark 16:19 as Scripture. Irenaeus is one them and he quotes this verse in "Against Heresies" (3.10.6). And that's good enough for me.
So, what's so controversial about these verses?
Well, let's take a look.
It's early Sunday morning. Jesus has risen from the grave.
Hmmm. Well right off the bat we see a problem for some. But then it turns out that he FIRST appears to "Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons."
Now, think about her situation in and among the first church followers. First, she's a woman. She's also got this history of having been possessed by SEVEN demons. She's perfectly possessed when she meets Jesus. And that sort of thing tends to color the minds of one's friends, even though they've seen her miraculous healing. So Jesus appears first to her. And she goes to the new ragtag church of unbelievers to tell them that he is risen from the dead and had appeared to her.
Mark 16:11
"But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it."
A little later on, Jesus, "appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country." (v.12)
These are likely the two disciples talked about in Luke's gospel who were traveling on the road to Emmaus and encountered Jesus in an unrecognizable form at first. And if you've heard this story before, you know that Jesus reveals himself to them in the breaking of bread and teaches them in great detail about himself from the scriptures.
And again; (13) "they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them."
After this Jesus lays into the whole bunch for not understanding all he had taught them prior to his crucifixion, and for rebuking the others who came to them with news of his resurrection.
Mark 16:14
"Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen."
And so, you see, this is the thing that truly divides the community of believers. This resurrection of the Lord is of great importance and controversy. And has been from the beginning. And I'm glad that this happened. I think it's important that these men were so skeptical. Especially in light of how much they were changed by this. What happened with them is the same context of every true conversion of every faithful Christian. There isn't one Christian who hasn't had to wrestle with this resurrection business. Everyone who would follow Jesus MUST pick up his cross and follow him. You can't move on into the very next verses if you don't first deal with the unbelief. Unresolved doubts and confusion are going to stifle what happens next if you don't put this one spiritual question to rest.
How can you say that, Mike? It isn't right to suggest that people can't be Christian and still have doubts and unbelief about his divinity and his resurrection.
Listen, I understand that sentiment. I don't want to take this line. But I love God, and I respect his Word with absolute conviction. If I don't, I am a fool for believing any of it. I might as well get the hell out of here and never come back. If I doubt ANY of his Word I might as well be dead, because that's what his word says.
For example: The very next verses.
Mark 16:15-16
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
There it is. Plain as the nose on your face. Believe it or not. The choice is yours. What follows for you is His choice. Believe...be saved. Do not...condemned. There's no room for compromises in that. No room for indulgences paying your way out hell or for others, and no room for purgative places where you can eternally work out your unbelief in the afterlife. It's either life or death, only you can determine that outcome, only your converted heart and mind while living can determine that outcome.
1 John 5:12
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
The Bible does not mince words on these things. It's vote for life or for death. And Jesus goes on to explain how you'll know the truly converted people.
Mark 16:17-18
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
And so now we can maybe see now where the issue is with these verses. Some Christians are going to have difficulty tracking with these things. I mean how many Christians have you seen drinking poison and surviving unharmed? And what about healing the sick and speaking in tongues? Never mind snake handling. I mean, does anyone not find it odd that Jesus just commissioned the spreading of the good news to ALL CREATION and somehow the evidence for that effort is all these sorts of oddities?
I'm frankly confused by this. Unless I put it into the context of the book of Acts. So I imagine that the disciples are just as confused by these things at this first hearing of them. And it's good that they are because these things are specifically about them. They're confused because these are prophetic things. Jesus is telling them in advance of the things many of them will face in the months and years to come in their experiences.
I don't believe that these things are for every Christian of every age. These are prophetic words to his apostles who we will see later on in the book of Acts did indeed have these very experiences. Jesus shared these revelations with them to help them discern the things that are about to happen to them. And I believe Christians shouldn't tempt God with attempts at conjuring up these things as evidence of their faith as well. It's not necessary because you only need to remember just a couple of verses earlier, remember that it's about believing. So, you know your heart, you know your mind. You know your truth and so does God. Believe or not. That's on you, it's not contingent upon mysticism like drinking poison or wrangling deadly snakes and speaking in the tongues of angels.
Mark 16:19-20
"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 preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs."
And just as Jesus prophesied, they did these miraculous signs. They accomplished these signs because they had received the gift of The Holy Spirit (See Acts chapter 2). These signs were never meant to become a matter of personal revelation and satisfaction. These were meant to confirm to the apostles and the early church that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. It is for his glory, not ours. It is NOT a service "performed" by Christians that confirms their power and glory or their eventual sainthood. These are not human-angel gifts. They don't speak as angels because they are angelic, these speak the tongues of men so that men will hear Christ proclaimed in ALL his glory as the risen Lord, for His glory alone, in their own language. The signs follow Jesus proclaimed as King of The Universe, they do not proceed that gospel. We should never try to put the signs before The King and his gospel being proclaimed. It is the gospel that changes hearts and minds, it is hearing the word that creates faith.
Now go...go and preach the good news. And if you haven't submitted yourself to life in Him, I want to encourage you to pray now for his life to live in you. Pray for his wisdom and for The Holy Spirit to recreate your heart and mind conformed to Christ. Pray for forgiveness of your sins, and for your unbelief and for help going forward with your continued unbelief.
I'll be praying for you.
God Bless you always.
(Next up, the gospel of Luke, it's Christmas again!)