These Signs Follow Them...do they follow us?

Christ had the power to cast out demons and so do we, matter a fact read Luke 10:19, Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14.

Mark 16:9-20 appears in certain Bible manuscripts and versions of the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. But they do not appear in the older Greek manuscripts, the Sinaiticus and Vatican MS. 1209 of the fourth century. Dr. B. F. Westcott, an authority on Bible manuscripts, said that “the verses . . . are no part of the original narrative but an appendage.” (An Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, London, 1881, p. 338) Bible translator Jerome, writing in the year 406 or 407 C.E, said that “almost all the Greek codices [are] without this passage.” (The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark, London, 1871, J. W. Burgon, p. 53) The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967) says: “Its vocabulary and style differ so radically from the rest of the Gospel that it hardly seems possible Mark himself composed it [that is, verses 9-20].” (Vol. IX, p. 240)

In commenting on the long and short conclusions of the Gospel of Mark, Bible translator Edgar J. Goodspeed noted: “The Short Conclusion connects much better with Mark 16:8 than does the Long, but neither can be considered an original part of the Gospel of Mark.”—The Goodspeed Parallel New Testament, 1944, p. 127.

Thus, Mark 16 ends with verse 8, with verses 9-20 and the short conclusion as being added at a later date. Supporting this testimony of the Greek manuscripts and versions are the church historian Eusebius (bishop of Caesarea in the third and fourth centuries). Eusebius wrote that the longer ending was not in the “accurate copies,” for “at this point [verse 8] the end of the Gospel according to Mark is determined in nearly all the copies of the Gospel according to Mark.”

Bible scholars agree that the last twelve verses shown with the book of Mark, which speak about tongues and not being injured by snakes, were not written by Mark but were added by another. Samuel Tregelles, a noted nineteenth-century English Bible scholar, states: “Eusebius, Gregory of Nyssa, Victor of Antioch, Severus of Antioch, Jerome, as well as other writers, especially Greeks, testify that these verses were not written by St. Mark, or not found in the best copies.”

gumby said:

Christ had the power to cast out demons and so do we, matter a fact read Luke 10:19, Colossians 2:15 and Hebrews 2:14.

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Correct. Has this sign ever accompanied/followed you personally for others to see?

Guestman said:

Mark 16:9-20 appears in certain Bible manuscripts and versions of the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. But they do not appear in the older Greek manuscripts, the Sinaiticus and Vatican MS. 1209 of the fourth century. Dr. B. F. Westcott, an authority on Bible manuscripts, said that “the verses . . . are no part of the original narrative but an appendage.” (An Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, London, 1881, p. 338) Bible translator Jerome, writing in the year 406 or 407 C.E, said that “almost all the Greek codices [are] without this passage.” (The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark, London, 1871, J. W. Burgon, p. 53) The New Catholic Encyclopedia (1967) says: “Its vocabulary and style differ so radically from the rest of the Gospel that it hardly seems possible Mark himself composed it [that is, verses 9-20].” (Vol. IX, p. 240)

In commenting on the long and short conclusions of the Gospel of Mark, Bible translator Edgar J. Goodspeed noted: “The Short Conclusion connects much better with Mark 16:8 than does the Long, but neither can be considered an original part of the Gospel of Mark.”—The Goodspeed Parallel New Testament, 1944, p. 127.

Thus, Mark 16 ends with verse 8, with verses 9-20 and the short conclusion as being added at a later date. Supporting this testimony of the Greek manuscripts and versions are the church historian Eusebius (bishop of Caesarea in the third and fourth centuries). Eusebius wrote that the longer ending was not in the “accurate copies,” for “at this point [verse 8] the end of the Gospel according to Mark is determined in nearly all the copies of the Gospel according to Mark.”

Bible scholars agree that the last twelve verses shown with the book of Mark, which speak about tongues and not being injured by snakes, were not written by Mark but were added by another. Samuel Tregelles, a noted nineteenth-century English Bible scholar, states: “Eusebius, Gregory of Nyssa, Victor of Antioch, Severus of Antioch, Jerome, as well as other writers, especially Greeks, testify that these verses were not written by St. Mark, or not found in the best copies.”

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Be that as it may, the church tends to ignore the passages in John which speak the same things. Ever wonder why? Perhaps it's because they don't have the fruit/signs that Christ Himself stated that those born of God will do. Interesting. Have you ever done the things that Christ Himself stated that those who are of the Father, those who are in Christ, will do? It's virtually unheard of. Ever wonder why? Yet these same people that have never been involved even remotely in any of these things are teachers and professors and doctors of the law, and tell us what to believe and how to rightly divide the word of truth. Kind of like the fox guarding the hen house, isn't it? I'll stick with what Christ said so clearly, and if my life doesn't stack up to it, literally exemplify it, then I'm hurting or Christ is a deceiver, right? Christ is not a deceiver. And I have the frutis, the works that follow, as He Himself stated would be the case. It is not me, but Christ Himself in me. "Who, haveing a light, hides it?" If you have it, you can't hide it. If you don't have it, it can't shine. Pretty simple, really. Do you have the works that Christ said His will have? If not, either you are newborn, or you don't know Him. "you will know every tree by it's fruit" and "test yourself and see whether you are actually in the faith". The works don't save, but the saved have the works. It's impossible to be otherwise. "....if that light in him is darkness, how great is that darkness."

whirlwind said:

Hello Guestman,

I have read that before and appreciate your adding it here. However, from the Companion bible, E.W. Bullinger writes....

Most modern critics are agreed that the last twelve verses of Mark 16 are not an integral part of his gospel. They are omitted to T[A]; not by the Syr. The question is entirely one of evidence. We see that the evidence comes from three sources: (1) manuscripts, (2) versions and (3) the early Christian writers, known as "the Fathers." This evidence has been exhaustively analysed by the late Dean Burgon, whose work is epitomized in Nos.1-111, below.​

He then goes into great detail showing they are indeed authentic and concludes with....

When later transcribers of the Greek manuscripts came to the last twelve verses of Mark, and saw no trace of such spiritual gifts in existence, they concluded that there must be something doubtful about the genuineness of these verses. Hence, some may have marked them as doubtful, some as spurious, while others omitted them altogether.

A phenomenon of quite an opposite kind is witnessed in the present day. Some (believers in these twelve verses), earnest in their desire to serve the Lord, but not "rightly dividing the Word of truth," as to the dispensations, look around, and, not seeing these spiritual gifts in operation, determine to have them and are led into all sorts of more than doubtful means in their desire to obtain them. The resulting confusion shows that God is not the author of such a movement.​

I would assume what Bullinger referred to was the sort of thing we witness on television today....jabbering in tongues, blowing people over with a wave of the hand, picking up literal snakes, etc.

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I read this after I had replied to the previous post. I hold that this is true in much of the study of the word. Church history is rife with the overhelming evidence of such a reprobate habit. And it continues to build upon it and add to it even now, doing that same thing even now. Much of scritpure and it's definitions continue to change, depending upon the author today. Once it is written, it is accepted by the sequacious as the truth. From there, it is added to and changed, morphing into yet another thing altogether in many instances. We see this even in secular text books! Ever wonder why the Word expressly injuncts us regarding heaping up teachers of the Word for ourselves? And just look at the numbers: it is phenomenal how many experts and teachers that the church establishments generates via seminary and bible college every year. And they are intent upon asserting their spiritual superiority and personal, deleterious take upon the sequacious. It's appalling. And the church just laps it up like a dog it's own vomit. I am repulsed by it.

Yes, I have used strong wordage here, which is not my custom. Sorry, but I saw no way around it on this one.

Those signs follow believers in the original and only gospel.
Jesus hasn't changed, people are still being protected, provided for and delivered mentally, physically and spiritually.

Of course different signs follow at different times. Not everyone gets a devil cast out or protected from poison as they havn't needed it.
All need tongues as it is prayer in the Spirit (Romans 8:26, 1 Cor. 14:2, 4, 14-18).

John 10:37: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
- Anyone claiming to represent Jesus but not having the appropriate signs-following is not properly believing.

Mark was there at Pentecost to experience the new life and appreciate Jesus victory over sin and death.
Anyone who believes that his gospel account ends in fear and defeat should read this article.

Some think that Mark 16:8, which ends with the words “and they told nobody anything, for they were in fear,” is too abrupt to have been the original ending of this Gospel. However, that need not be concluded in view of Mark’s general style. Also, the fourth-century scholars Jerome and Eusebius agree that the authentic record closes with the words “for they were in fear.”—Jerome, letter 120, question 3, as published in Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Vienna and Leipzig, 1912, Vol. LV, p. 481; Eusebius, “Ad Marinum,” I, as published in Patrologia Graeca, Paris, 1857, Vol. XXII, col. 937.

There are a number of manuscripts and versions that add a long or a short conclusion after these words. The long conclusion (consisting of 12 verses) is found in the Alexandrine Manuscript of the fifth century, the Codex Ephraemi Syri rescriptus, and the Bezae Codices. It also appears in the Latin Vulgate, the Curetonian Syriac, and the Syriac Peshitta. But it is omitted in the Sinaitic Manuscript, the Vatican Manuscript No. 1209, both of the fourth century, the Sinaitic Syriac codex, and the Armenian Version. Certain late manuscripts and versions contain the short conclusion. The Codex Regius of the eighth century C.E. has both conclusions, giving the shorter conclusion first. It prefixes a note to each conclusion, saying that these passages are current in some quarters, though it evidently recognized neither of them as authoritative.

Hence, what can be concluded ? That Mark 16:9-20 is not part of God’s inspired Word, and that for the following reasons: (1) These verses are not found in two of the oldest and most highly regarded Greek manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, as well as others. (2) They are also not found in many of the oldest and best Bible translations or versions. (3) Such ancient scholars as Eusebius and Jerome pronounced them spurious. (4) The style of these verses is entirely different from that of Mark. (5) The vocabulary used in these verses is different from that of Mark. (6) And, most important of all, the very content of these verses contradicts the facts and the rest of the Scriptures.