Mark 16:15-20. This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on April 11, 2021.
The authority and power of Jesus is something that the world pays little attention to. It seems to have no bearing upon the process of answering the problems of our society. Yet, God’s Word tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
May God help us to hold on to this truth, and to live it out in a society that is increasingly casting off the truth of Jesus. Don’t give up your inheritance for a bowl of beans. Don’t cast aside the only thing that can give your life meaning today, and prepare yourself for the eternity that awaits once you die.
The textual issue of Mark 16:9-20
I did not go over this last week, but will do so now. There is an issue with the text of Mark 16:9-20. The NKJV just has a footnote that mentions that these verses are missing in Codex Sinaiticus & Codex Vaticanus, but are in nearly all other manuscripts- codex simply means a book. This makes it sound like there is little contrary evidence to retaining these verses. The NIV states, “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20.” This makes it sound like most of the evidence, or at least the best evidence, is on the side of omitting these verses. The NLT actually lists a shorter ending, and a longer ending and gives some footnotes. So, what is up with these verses and should they be in the Bible?
Let’s look at the manuscript evidence first. We do not have the originals of any biblical books and, in fact, do not have whole copies of the New Testament that date any further back than the 4th century, or the 300’s AD. So, the two codices (plural for codex) that the NKJV list are considered the most ancient full copies of the Bible, even though they are old and have some pages missing, etc. There is another codex called Codex Alexandrinus that is considered just as important as the other two mentioned. They were created within 50 years of each other. In this case, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus omit the verses and Alexandrinus retains the verses. It is important to know that Sinaiticus and Vaticanus do not always agree in textual issues. For example, there are times when Sinaiticus agrees with Alexandrinus against Vaticanus, and other times that Vaticanus agrees with Alexandrinus against Sinaiticus. This should give us pause and make us ask why this would be so in this case.
Another issue regarding the manuscripts is that 99% of the manuscripts have the verses in them. However, two of the most ancient copies of Mark that we have do not have the verses. This causes a pause for all scholars.
Another line of evidence is found in ancient translations. The Latin translation by Jerome that was done in the 300’s AD has the verses in them. Interestingly, Jerome mentions some of the manuscripts from his day (we do not have these) did not have verses 9-20. Weighing the evidence of his day, he determined that they should be retained. There are some other translations to other languages that occur later, which leave these verses out. However, this only reiterates the reality that there was a question in this area. Most ancient translations retained the verses. So, this line doesn’t really help to determine anything more than that a question existed from the 300’s on that most scholars chose on the side of retaining the verses.
Lastly, we do have evidence that is older than the 300’s and this comes from writing of the early Church Fathers, or Leaders. Some of these are from the 100’s AD and some from the 200’s AD. Tatian created a harmony of all 4 gospels between 150 and 170 AD. He essentially collated the verses in an approximate order so that all 4 gospels were in one book. He has these verses in his harmony, called the Diatessaron. Irenaeus, in his book Against Heresies, quotes from these verses (this would be around 180 AD). There are no writers from the 100’s AD that dispute its veracity. It is in the 200’s that we begin to run into writers that mention some manuscripts not having the verses. So, now we know that the issue at least goes back to the 200’s, and that if it was known about earlier, either no one felt it important enough to point out, or were unaware of any issue.
This leaves scholars to try and come up with a scenario that would explain these facts. The most likely of the proposed scenarios so far is that it is possible that the original copy of Mark’s Gospel had its last page/leaf/(scroll) damaged or lost. Perhaps later when it was being copied the verses were supplied from memory (by Mark? Or someone else?). It is difficult to know for sure. It is hard to believe that someone could just add verses that had no connection to the Gospel without others disputing it. So, the verses must have been original or very close to the original so as to cause no alarm.
The main problem with omitting these verses is that verse 8 of chapter 16 would be a strange place to stop for the Gospel. I believe that the evidence points to the fact that they should be included, but even then, everything that we find in these verses can be verified from the other Gospels and the book of Acts.
The mission of the followers of Jesus
Back on January 24, 2021, we looked at the Great Commission from all four Gospels. There, we recognized that they clearly detail the same event, but have different emphases. Jesus was getting ready to leave his disciples in the sense that he would not be physically appearing to them again, like he had been doing for nearly 40 days. Thus, he gives them the work, or mission, that he wants them to focus on as they move forward.
The scope of this mission is “all the world,” and “to every creature.” Previously, they were restricted to go to the “House of Israel,” but now Christ is expanding their task. They are to go to all the world. This was not an idea that the world of those days held. Pagans saw the world as controlled by territorial spirits. You appeased the spirits of your location. It wouldn’t make sense for everyone to worship only one God. On the other hand, Jews saw the nations as rejected by God, though they would teach those who were interested, but that was it.
Christ would no longer leave the nations in the dark, but sends his disciples out with the truth that would set the Gentiles free from the long servitude under ignorance and the false teaching of evil spirits, and fallen angels. “Every creature” emphasizes that which is created by God, and clearly is focused on humans. God had created all of humanity to bear His image, not just Israel. It was time to aggressively enter the nations and remind them of this truth, and the Good News of Jesus.
We have our marching orders and should not stop until our commander returns.
The activity of this mission is to preach the Gospel. Mark emphasizes proclaiming the Gospel (the word translated preach is a simple proclamation made by anybody). From the other Gospels, we know that this is to include discipling those who believe. It is a critical component of the teaching of Jesus that we are to persuasively proclaim him to others. However, the idea that Christians should leave others alone in their belief systems is growing in its adherents today. At the same time that a case for Christians leaving others alone is made, there is an aggressive proselytizing of Christians to believe what the world wants us to believe.
The hallmark of Christianity is the arena of ideas and truth claims. Christians are not to be afraid to go toe to toe with other religions or philosophies because we have been sent by the Truth. Yet, we should also remain humble. We are not the Truth itself. To the degree that we rightly represent Christ is to the degree that we are right. This point has often been transgressed much to the harm of the cause of Christ.
The response to this proclamation will be either belief or rejection. Many will reject the Gospel and Jesus that we proclaim, but some will believe. Mark mentions that those who believe and are baptized will be saved. This is not a statement of what saves, I.e., one is not saved until baptized, but of what should happen. Baptism was seen as symbolic of what had happened in responding hearts, and a public declaration of a person’s inclusion into the Christian Community, and identification with them and Jesus.
Christians should always be a community that makes room for new believers, who are new spiritual babies. We are to be a family that is learning to become like Jesus together. This requires a lot of work beyond baptism, which Matthew calls “teaching” and “discipling.” Of course, God’s response will always be to save those who believe. That gives us three important “responses:” the believer who responds to Christ’s command by proclaiming the Gospel, the receiver of the Gospel who believes the message, and God who responds to that faith by saving them.
The signs that follow the mission that is done in Christ’s name are noted as: casting out demons, speaking in new tongues, not harmed by venom or poison, and healing of the sick. It is important to note the wording here. “These signs will follow those who believe.” Though Christ is in heaven, he would be with his disciples by the Holy Spirit. Christ would confirm the Gospel preached by his disciples with powerful signs at his determination. Thus, this is a list of the types of things that would happen and not a command for us to do them. We can be guilty of associating too closely the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the person through whom they happen. This wording is a balance to that. The power is always in Jesus and from Jesus, not us. We are to be faithful and he will confirm as he determines. Our mission is the proclamation, not doing signs and wonders.
None of these signs should be controversial among believers, but they sometimes are. Casting out demons may not be acceptable to secular psychologists, but it is clear that their theories do not explain all things. Speaking with new tongues is a reference to Acts chapter two, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The venom of snakes and poison is not a test of faith, nor a statement that no true Christian can be harmed by them. The Bible even records an example of this in Acts 28. Notice in that story that Paul is not purposefully looking for a serpent to prove himself. The healing of the sick, has sometimes become a mockery and a scam by the activity of pretenders. This is a tragedy and a sin against Christ. In all of these things, we should recognize that these are signs that would happen from time to time, and they did, and they are even today.
The ascension of Jesus
In verse 19, the translation “received up” is probably better translated “taken up” due to its usage today. From Acts 1, we know that Jesus lifted up into the air until he went into the clouds, and they could no longer see him. This would function to cement in their minds that they would not see him again, until he came back on the clouds in judgment. The continual appearances that had happened in the weeks after the Resurrection had now come to an end. Jesus was now residing in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father. Thus, Jesus has come full circle, back where he started. However, now he has the additional nature of a man, and the only rightful claim to the earth’s title.
We are then told that Jesus sits at the right hand of God. This speaks to the closeness with the Father, he is the right-hand man of God, and it speaks to his authority and power. Romans 8:34 adds that in that place Christ is interceding for believers. We have a savior who intercedes on our behalf before God the Father daily. This ought to comfort us a great deal and should always quash the idea that God doesn’t care about us, or doesn’t know about our problems.
Ultimately, we see that the disciples began the work that Christ gave them, and Christ fulfilled his duties. He worked with them by confirming the word that they preached with signs. How important it is for us to make sure that we are proclaiming the words of Jesus and the Bible. If we are proclaiming our ideas and opinions then why would Christ confirm those? We aren’t always right, but He is!
May this be our testimony today that we are a people living out the word of Christ and sharing that with others. May we be a people who are making room for those who are being saved, and may we be helping them to become followers of Jesus, and imagers of God, along with us.
Seated at the right Hand audio
Pastor Marty