The Longest Ending of Mark
Codex Washingtonianus - Wikipedia
You are probably aware that there is a longer ending to Mark. Many Bibles will either bracket Mark 16:9-20 or have a footnote. For instance my NKJV does not bracket, but has the following footnote:
"Verses 9-20 are bracketed in the NU [critical text, aka Nestle-Aland] as not in the original text. They are lacking in the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other manuscripts of Mark contain them."
(I'm of the opinion that Lutherans should affirm the longer ending since our Lutheran Confessions cite them, and we hold our Lutheran confessions to be without error.)
But did you know there is a longest ending of Mark? I didn't either until I heard this sermon by the Rev. Travis Berg. The longest Mark has an insertion after verse 14, highlighted in Bold below and inserted into the NKJV text:
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
And they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirits [or: does not allow what lies under the unclean spirits to understand the truth and power of God]. Therefore reveal thy 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 delivered over to death, that they may return to the truth and sin no more in order to inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness which is in heaven.
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
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