Birth of Jesus’ Earthly Ministry
a. Galilee (Mk. 1:14)
b. Gerasenes (Mk. 5)
c. Tyre and Sidon / Decapolis (Mk. 7)
d. Caesarea Philippi (Mk. 8)
e. Perea (Mk. 10)
f. Jerusalem (Mk. 11)

Birth of End Time Expectation (Mk. 13)

Birth of the Church (Mk. 16:9-20)

Codex: “a manuscript in book form”

Evidence Against the Long Ending:
a. Codex Sinaiticus & Codex Vaticanus do not include vs.9-20
b. Grammatical reasons

Evidence in Favor of the Long Ending:
a. 99.8% manuscripts do include vs.9-20
b. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and others reference it
c. Consistent with rest of New Testament

Mark 16:9-11 – ““Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.”

“Whom he had cast out seven demons…” (Lk. 8:2)

Lk. 8:2 – “…seemed to them an idle tale.”

Mark 16:12-13 – “After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.”

Lk. 24:16 – “But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”

Mark 16:14 – “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”

“Unbelief,” Gk. ἀπιστία (apistia)
Gk. πίστις, “faith or belief,” + Gk. prefix ἀ (negation)

“Hardness of heart,” Gk. σκληροκαρδία (sklērokardia)
Gk. σκληρός (skleros), “hard or tough,” + Gk. καρδία (kardia), “heart”

Acts 9:4 – “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

Mark 16:15 – “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Mark 16:16-18 – “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Accompanying Signs
a. Cast out demons (Acts 16)

b. Speak in new tongues (Acts 2:3-4; 10:46)

c. Pick up serpents with their hands (Acts 28)
“Serpent,” Gk. ὄφις (ophis), “snake”
NOT: Gk. ἔχιδνα (echidna), “venomous snake” (Acts 28:3)

Rev. 12:9 – “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent (ὄφις), who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.” (See also: Genesis 3)

d. Drink poison
Eusebius (quoting Papias): Justus drank poison and was unharmed (See also: Acts 1:23)

e. Lay hands on sick and heal (Acts 3, 4, 20)

Mark 16:19 – “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”

Nicene Creed: “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

Mark 16:20 – “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.”

TAKEAWAYS

1. God uses imperfect, unfaithful people to accomplish His purposes.
1 Cor. 1:26-29