Mark 16:9-20 - A textual variant!

16:9-20

At this point we enter the major “textual variant” in the New Testament. The woman caught in adultery being the only other one of significant length. Some early manuscripts end at v8. Some add a v9, and others have v9-20. On a textual level perhaps the most likely ending is at v8, it is the, what seems to us, abrupt ending which may be caused others to add v9-20. Eusebius in 325 AD rejected the “longer ending” of Mark. Whatever the case there are two key points to note. First, none of the material of v9-20 is new, it does not add any new doctrine, nor does it contradict teaching found elsewhere in the New Testament. Secondly, the Bible is completely open about the problem, there is no attempt to hide it.The style of writing in v9-20 is different from the rest of Mark, and the reintroduction of Mary Magdalene, who was only just mentioned by Mark, seems odd. In fact it reads more of a hurried summary of what happened after the resurrection and the birth of the church, and its spread into the world.

I will not go into detail on these verses, but will point out the passages elsewhere in the New Testament that contain the same teaching:

Mark 16:9-11 John 20:11-18

Mark 16:12,13 Luke 24:13-35

Mark 16:14 Luke 24:37,38

Mark 16:15,16 Matt 28:18-20

Mark 16:17,18 Luke 10:17,19

Mark 16:19 Luke 24:50,51

Mark 16:20 Acts 1:7,8