Week 38 Mark 16
Mark’s gospel ends with two optional endings (the bible doesn’t say Take Your Pick. But that’s kind of what it comes down to.)
I decided to look a bit more carefully at the details recorded in Mark’s Longer Ending. I wanted to see if I could find the details from those 38-lines in any of the other gospels. Would other gospels confirm Mark? Or not? I did a quick survey and found these items in the Longer Ending:
On Sunday morning Jesus rose from the dead
Mary was first to discover the news about the Lord
Mary told the disciples but they didn’t believe her
The Lord appeared to two men on a road
The two men told the disciples but the disciples didn’t believe them
The Lord appeared to the eleven disciples (scolded them for not believing)
He told them to preach the gospel everywhere
He told them that they would be able to do miraculous things:
1. Cast out demons
2. Speak new languages
3. Handle snakes safely
4. Drink poison
5. Heal people
The Lord then returned to heaven.
Only one of the details is new to me. All the rest I could find in the gospels or the book of Acts. That detail? I can’t think of anywhere the bible says poison will not hurt me.
My conclusion? Even if I’m not absolutely sure who wrote Mark’s Longer Ending I can accept it with one exception. The Poison Guarantee.
Note: the Longer Ending is in Mark 16:9-20