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Introduction

• Putting to practice our episode on textual criticism 
• Missing verses or sections
• One major section is Mark 16:9–20
  • Important for COC folk because of Mark 16:16
• What versions say:
  • NRSV
    • Includes a shorter ending and longer ending (vv. 9–20) in brackets
    • States that some ancient authorities end at verse 8, others include the shorter reading, others the longer reading, and others both. 
  • NIV
    • Includes longer ending in brackets
    • “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.” 
  • ESV
    • Includes longer ending in brackets and shorter ending in footnote
    • “Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.”
  • NKJ
    • “Vv. 9–20 are bracketed in NU as not in the original text. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other mss. of Mark contain them.”

External Evidence

Ending at Verse 8

• Witnessed in the two oldest and best uncial manuscripts
  • Codex Sinaticus (4th Century)
  • Codex Vaticanus (4th Century)
• Both are Alexandrian
• Oldest Latin text

Longer Ending

• Manuscript evidence dating all the way back to the Diatessaron (170), as well as evidence from the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th centuries. Should be noted that several manuscripts that include the longer ending have an asterisks or obeli noting that it is not original.
• Variety of text types (Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine)

Internal Evidence

Flow

• Subject in verse 8 is the women and the assumed subject in verse 9 is Jesus.
• Mary Magdalene is mentioned in verse 9 but the other women of 1–8 are forgotten.
• Mary Magdalene is introduced again in verse 9, even though she was a character in the previous scene.

Vocabulary

• 15 words that are used nowhere else in Mark’s Gospel.
• 1 word not used anywhere else in the NT
• 1 phrase not found anywhere else in the NT
• 1 phrase not used to refer to the disciples anywhere else in the NT
• 2 words and 2 phrases not used to refer to the disciples anywhere else in Mark’s Gospel
• 1 word not used to refer to the resurrection appearances anywhere else in the NT
• 4 words not used to refer to Jesus anywhere else in the NT

Other Considerations

• Shorter ending is preferred
• More difficult reading is preferred
• Which best explains the origin of the other?

Conclusion

• Not original, likely a second century addition. 
• I believe the Gospel likely originally ended at verse 8.
  • Some have argued either that Mark never finished the Gospel or that the original ending was lost. 
• The longer ending seems to have been a compilation of the endings of the other Gospels and beginning of Acts. 
• I do not believe the text should be used authoritatively, and it doesn’t need to be. 

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