Mark 16:9–20 are the last twelve verses of the Gospel of Mark:
"Now when he rose early on the first day of the week (Sunday),
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.
She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her,
they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form
to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back
and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 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. And he said to them:
'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe
will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe:
- in my name they will cast out demons;
- they will speak in new tongues;
- they will pick up serpents with their hands;
- if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;
- they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.'
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 (God the Father). And they went out
and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the message by accompanying signs." (Mark 16:9–20).
These verses aren't included in two of the oldest and most reliable fourth-century Greek biblical manuscripts; Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. It’s almost unimaginable that the copyists who made them weren't aware of Mark 16:9–20,
but they left it out of their Bibles. Modern Bible versions often include it in brackets or footnotes, such as ESV, NLT, NIV, LSB, and NASB. Jesus describes there the signs
that would follow those who believe him (Mark 16:17–18). It’s important to know
that including a note here isn't a recent development in church history.
Christians have known for centuries that Mark 16:9–20
may not have originally been part of the Gospel of Mark.
It may have been added later by a trustworthy source:
My opinion is that Jesus rose Saturday evening and not on Sunday morning,
see why in The sign of Jonah in When Did Jesus Die and When Was He Born?
Note also: "Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb." (Mat 28:1).
"after the Sabbath" can also be translated "late on the Sabbath (Saturday)".
Mary Magdalene is thought to be from the town of Magdala on the western coast
of the Sea of Galilee, southwest of Capernaum. She is one of several women who have followed Jesus and supported his ministry with their own money (Luke 8:1–3). Luke confirms that Jesus rescued her from seven demons, but the inclusion
of this comment here is more evidence that the passage isn't original. There's
no reason for Mark to mention it after introducing her in the verse Mark 15:40.
Water baptism isn't required for salvation,
see time 2:22–5:44 in Is Water Baptism Required For Salvation? . . .
and Christian Water Baptism in The Book of Romans.
We shouldn't intentionally pick up snakes or intentionally drink deadly poison.
These verses shouldn't be interpreted that way. Instead it probably means,
that if it happens by accident, God can take care of us and heal us.
Reasons to keep these verses:
When we look at the manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark that survive today, more than 99 percent contain Mark 16:9–20. This includes not only over 1,600 Greek manuscripts, but also most manuscripts of early translations of the Gospel of Mark.
Further, around 180 AD, Irenaeus unambiguously quoted Mark 16:19
as Scripture in Against Heresies. Justin Martyr and Tatian also knew the verses earlier in the second century. Undeniably, many early Christians
considered Mark 16:9–20 to be part of the Gospel of Mark. These persons
may have quoted from an earlier manuscript that we no longer have available,
older than Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. This is strong evidence
that Mark 16:9–20 was part of the original text, inspired by God. See this explained at time 2:22–4:41 in Mark 16:9-20 – What Does Jesus Want Me to Do?
Summary:
For detailed information, see Was Mark 16:9–20 Originally Part of Mark’s Gospel?
My personal opinion is that Mark 16:9–20 may not be original,
but should be part of the Gospel of Mark, but in brackets,
with a note that some parts of it should be read with caution:
- Jesus rose on Saturday evening, not Sunday morning.
- Why overemphasize that Mary was delivered from demons.
- Water baptism isn't required for salvation.
- We shouldn't intentionally pick up snakes or drink deadly poison.
See also Critical verses in the gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.
