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Verse Commentaries:
Chapter Level Commentary:
The Angel's Message
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Third paragraph
4. Etc.
CANONICITY OF Mar_16:9-20
A. I do not believe Mar_16:9-20 are original to the Gospel of Mark. They are not inspired and should not be included in the New Testament.
B. Everything past Mar_16:8 is absent from the ancient uncial Greek manuscripts of
1. Sinaiticus, known by the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet à . This manuscript includes the whole NT and is from the fourth century. It was found at St. Catherine's monastery on Jebul Musa, the traditional site of Mt. Sinai
2. Vaticanus, known by the Greek letter B. This manuscript includes the whole NT except Revelation and is also from the fourth century.
It was found in modern times in the Vatican library in Rome.
C. The third ancient uncial witness to the Greek New Testament, Alexandrinus, is known by the Greek letter A. This manuscript includes the whole NT and is from the fifth century. It is from Alexandria, Egypt. It does include an ending to Mark (the one found in the Textus Receptus and KJV). This long ending first appeared in Irenaeus' (a.d. 120-202) Against Heresies III:10:5; and Titian's (a.d.110-172) compilation of the four Gospels called The Diatessaron. However, Clement of Alexandria and Origen of Alexandria never quote or allude to these verses even one time. This tells me that the ending was not original even in Alexandrinus, which was from the same city. The verses are included in MS C, which is also from Alexandria sometime in the fifth century.
D. Eusebius (a.d.275-340), an early church historian of the fourth century, said "the most accurate copies" end at Mar_16:8.
E. Jerome (a.d. 347-420), the translator of the Latin Vulgate, said that almost all Greek manuscripts lack an ending after Mar_16:8.
F. Mar_16:9-20 contain 14-17 words that are not used previously or are used differently in the Gospel of Mark. There is also a marked change of style and syntax. The obviously non-biblical signs of Mar_16:18 affirm the uninspired nature of these additional verses.
G. Manuscripts from Egypt (Coptic) have four different endings after Mar_16:8. Some Greek manuscripts include the long ending (i.e., Mar_16:9-20) and then the short ending or the short ending and then the long ending or one of the other endings in combination.
1. Here is one short ending from a Coptic manuscript: "And all things which He commanded Peter and those who were His, they finished telling, and after this Jesus manifested Himself to them; and from the rising of the sun as far as the West, He sent them to preach eternal salvation by the Holy Gospel which is incorruptible."
2. Here is another short ending. "But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation." This is called "the short ending" and is found in the old Latin manuscript K.
H. The major problem is that the Gospel of Mark seems to end so abruptly in Mar_16:8. There are many theories, but no one knows for certain why Mark ends so abruptly on a note of fear.
I. There is a good explanation of this textual problem in Bruce M. Metzger's book A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, published by the United Bible Societies, pp. 122-126, or Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Nida's book A Translator's Handbook on the Gospel of Mark, published by the United Bible Societies, pp. 517-522.
J. For a brief discussion of textual criticism see Appendix Two at the end of this commentary.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. Why are there such differences between the four Gospel accounts?
2. Why does Mark's Gospel end on such a negative note?
3. Why is the resurrection the central pillar of Christian faith?