Should we preach from the long or traditional ending of Mark? That, brothers and sisters, is a question that has been asked and answered in every generation since the great textual revolution of the late 19th century. And what that means is this. Today, we have every advantage in answering it and answering it in a clear affirmative. because its authenticity as the inspired word of God has been capably defended by many, many men. Examples and for your reading. If you like old books, I would, of course, recommend Dean Bergan's classic, the last 12 verses of Mark, vindicated against recent critical objectors and established. What a wonderful title. If you like less old books, I would recommend Nicholas Lund's more recent work, The Original Ending of Mark, a new case for the authenticity of Mark 16, verses 9 through 20. If perhaps you have less time than is needed to read entire books, the Trinitarian Bible Society has an excellent booklet. It's titled, Should the Last Twelve Verses of Mark 16 Be in Your Bible? Perhaps you don't have time either for books or booklets? If so, then let me just recommend a single chapter, and not even an entire chapter, just the end of chapter 6 of E.F. Hill's classic, The King James Version, Defended. And if you don't like to read at all, and would prefer to watch videos online, Dr. Jeffrey Riddle has defended these verses most capably and on more than one occasion. He did so against James White in October of 2020. He did so again at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in November of 2021. He did so yet again only a couple weeks ago in Budapest. I could recommend many other resources that defend the ending of Mark as inspired and authentic, and I want to tell you why. Because the evidence in favor of their authenticity is, and this is no exaggeration or overstatement, the evidence is indeed overwhelming. 99.8% of manuscripts contain it. Church fathers in the second, third, fourth, and fifth centuries quote it. Most of the medieval manuscripts contain it. the Protestant Reformers accepted it, and the post-Reformation scholastics defended it, and even the so-called oldest and best manuscripts that omit it. And there are, again, remember the previous lecture, only two of these, by the way, Each contains indicators that the ending was indeed known to the scribe at the time. Vaticanus leaves a blank column where the ending ought to appear. And Sinaiticus expands the lettering, the scribe expands the lettering to avoid seemingly leaving an entirely blank column. He even adds some fanciful artwork as well. So when it comes to these verses, the apologetic work has been done. The text has been vindicated. There is not much more to say. And that, I will be completely honest with you, began to worry me a bit as I sat to prepare this lecture. I thought, well, how do I answer a question that's been answered already and so many times before and by men more competent than myself? How do I avoid plagiarism? What can I possibly add? And thus perplexed, I did what any Christian does, I began to pray for wisdom. I prayed more specifically, I began to pray over a disputed passage. And during that season of prayer, I heard something strange. I think I heard an internet debater mock that. Mock the concept of praying over a variant reading. mocking the place of prayer when it came to discerning the true inspired word of God. So that convinced me to take a new approach to defending this passage, which I'll take tonight, and it's approach that is distinctly spiritual. And it's not something, I have to confess this, that I myself came up with. It's been in the Westminster Confession of Faith for centuries already. In chapter one, The authority of Holy Scripture is addressed, and there all sorts of reasons are given, enumerated as to why the Christian should recognize and receive Scripture as the Word of God. It mentions its self-attesting authority. The Bible claims to be the Word of God. It mentions the testimony of the Church, the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of its style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give glory to God. It mentions the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, It mentions other incomparable excellencies and the entire perfection thereof. All these things and more should move and induce the Christian to recognize the Scriptures as the Word of God. But then the Confession mentions one more evidence that stands really above all others, and it is this Our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority of Scripture is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. So this led me to try an experiment I don't know if it'll go well, and it hasn't been done before as far as I know, but here it is. Let's test that doctrine. Let's test our doctrine to see whether it'd be true. Let us read the verses together and ask God, ask God to send forth the Holy Spirit The same spirit which inspired them sent forth the spirit to persuade us fully that they are indeed authentic and apostolic and able to make us wise unto salvation and able to equip us for every good work. Let us read God's word and to pray. Let us read God's word and ask him, would you persuade us fully? If you have your Bible with you this evening, I'd invite you to open to Mark chapter 16. And we'll stand out of reverence for the Word of God read, and then we'll pray together. Please stand as I read from Mark chapter 16, and beginning in the verse 9. Now, when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked and went into the country, and they went and told it unto the residue, neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. And let us pray. Our Father in heaven, On the first day of the week, through the resurrection of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, you conquered sin, put death to flight, and gave us the hope of everlasting life. We thank you, O God, that this victory is so clearly set forth in these verses, and we now ask and plead that you would do for us what your Son did for the eleven Send forth your word and your spirit to destroy unbelief and to demolish hardness of heart. Do this, we pray, that we, your people, might be found believing and obeying the things that are here written to the praise and glory of that one who died for our sins and was raised for our justification, that one who has ascended into heaven and who has poured out his spirit. that today we might believe these things, even until he comes again. Hear us and answer quickly. We pray it in his name. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. In these verses, the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself as the risen and reigning Son of God, the Savior of all men. Having died for our sins, having been raised for our justification, having ascended into heaven, there is now nothing that can hinder the sure advance of his kingdom. Christ Jesus needed his disciples to know that. He needs us to know that. And that is why these verses were inspired by the Holy Ghost, who again this evening would himself persuade you of their veracity and their trustworthiness. So, with his help, I first say this, be persuaded, Christ is risen. Be persuaded, he is risen indeed, for we read in verse 9, now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, and here we can stop and say this should not have surprised anyone at all. The Lord Jesus predicted his resurrection on more than one occasion. He told his disciples that he would be raised. He told his enemies. Even Pilate knew of the prediction. That's why he was willing to agree that the tomb be secured. Everyone, it seems, knew what Jesus had said, but as we see from the text, many yet needed to be persuaded. So that's what Jesus does. But notice how he does it in two different ways. Some he persuaded through extraordinary means. We have, for example, angels appearing to roll away the stone. We also have these extraordinary personal appearances of the Lord Jesus. The Son of God appeared, says verse 9, first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. After that, verse 12, he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked and went into the country. Afterward, verse 14, he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat. These are the extraordinary items in our passage, as I called it, the extraordinary means of persuasion. I call it that because it never happened again. No one since has seen anything like it. It was an extraordinary means of persuasion. But the ordinary means, which is to say the means which is still available for our persuasion to this day, was the testimony of Scripture. And sure, we can acknowledge that there is plenty of personal testimony going on in these verses. Mary, for example, went and told them that had been with him. Also, these two men who walked into the country shared their testimony in due time, what they experienced. But note how the means of their persuasion was distinct from that of Mary. Because when they saw him, they did not recognize him. Because Christ had concealed his identity from them in order to persuade them in a different manner. Luke explains in his account, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, Jesus expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Jesus opened the scriptures to these two men, and the Bible tells us, oh did their hearts burn within them. This was the work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the word in their hearts. And this is the ordinary means of persuasion that continues to this very day to convince all who need persuasion, Christ is risen. Do you know that today, Christian? Are you thus persuaded? Now, to all who might hesitate, let me move on and say this also. Be persuaded. Unbelief is sin. Unbelief is sin. When God reveals something to us or promises something to us or prophesies something to us, in Scripture there is but one reasonable response. Believe it, believe it. Yet as we survey these verses, how much unbelief do we discover in them? Sadly, it's something of a main theme. When Mary gave testimony to those who were mourning and weeping, we read in verse 11, they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, believed not. Then, when the men who met Christ on the road to Emmaus offered their testimony to the rest of the disciples, verse 13 reports, rather sadly, neither believed they them. And then we come to the 11 who had been chosen by Christ and specially called by Christ, who lived with Christ for some three years, who had seen with their eyes and handled with their hands the word of life, those who had been personally told by Christ that he would suffer and die and rise again the third day, what do we find in them? More unbelief, even hardness of heart. Verse 14, Afterward, he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not." Unbelief, doubt, skepticism. We are sadly living in a day where these things are upheld as virtues. Even in the churches there has arisen this new kind of faith which is not fit to be called faith at all because it is grounded in and it glories in uncertainty. There is even a popular book on the market called The Sin of Uncertainty. Why God desires our trust more than our correct beliefs. What liberal rubbish! And even in the conservative churches, we see the same kind of skepticism creeping in and being applied even to the text of Holy Scripture. There is, for example, a Reformed professor in America who warns Christians who would think to embark on what he calls a quest for illegitimate religious certainty. Abbreviated Q-I-R-C. It's clever, you see. Don't be quirky. And it's not only clever, it's presented in a way that seems so humble, so reasonable. They explained we should never trade the truth for certainty. or we should not seek any greater certainty than what God has promised to us. And I might agree on purely philosophical grounds, but we are not philosophers. We are Christians. We are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are Bible believers, and as such, we are duty-bound to believe everything that the Holy Bible teaches. And what it clearly teaches in this passage is this. Doubt is not a virtue. Skepticism is not faith. Unbelief is nothing but a sin. And it can lead to hard-heartedness. And that is why Jesus upbraided the apostles on this occasion. Now, the word upbraided, it's a bit archaic. It's not one that we use much anymore. So let me offer a few synonyms for your understanding. Jesus berated them. Jesus castigated them. Jesus chastised them. Jesus chewed them out. He lambasted them. He laid into them. He scolded them on this day. And why? I think it's rather obvious. Jesus wanted them and us to know what he thinks about unbelief. It's a sin. It is unworthy, and he hates it. It makes him, as we read here, angry, angry enough to rebuke it and angry enough to destroy it, which he has done. Through his death and resurrection and ascension, he has burst the gates of hell. He has bound the deceiver of the nations. He ever lives today to pierce the darkness of our own belief, our own unbelief and skepticism. He ever lives to break up hard hearts like stone with the spiritual sledgehammer of His Word? That is what we see Him here doing with the 11, and that is what our Lord Jesus has been doing ever since on the same first day of the week for the past two millennia. So again, I put the question, are you persuaded? Are you thus persuaded Christ is risen and unbelief is sin? So banish all doubts. I say banish all doubts. The apostles needed to be thus persuaded and so do we. Especially in light of the mission that has been given to the church. Coming now to the verse 15. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And on this point, I would say, be persuaded, brothers and sisters, the gospel is enough. The gospel is sufficient. The gospel as summarized by St. Paul, and also as confirmed in these verses, which again, we call the consent of the parts. The gospel is this, I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. This is the gospel. This is the message which the church has been given to preach. And I tell you this evening again in hope of full persuasion, it is sufficient. Sufficient even for the subduing of all things to the risen and reigning Son of God. And many think of the gospel differently, that it's sufficient for maybe lesser things. Many in our day, and especially in my land, have adopted a more narrow view of the gospel. They think of it only in terms of its power to save individuals from their sin. And of course it does have that. To be sure, the gospel's power to do that is affirmed in verse 16, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. The gospel has that power. But that power to save individual souls is rooted and grounded and flows from an even greater power as is intimated and affirmed in verse 15, go into all the world. and preached the gospel to every creature. Every creature, every created thing on God's green earth, that is the true scope of Christ's dominion. We see this even more clearly affirmed perhaps as we compare Matthew's account. Jesus there says, all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth, Go ye therefore and teach all nations heaven, with all of its angels, and cherubim, and seraphim, principalities, and powers, and living creatures, all authority in heaven given to Christ. on earth with all of its peoples, and nations, and civilizations, and kingdoms, and kings, and thrones, and courts, and legislatures, and senates, and houses, all authority there also given to Christ. We can also speak of under the earth because it does in Philippians 2 verse 10 saying that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, the principalities and powers there were spoiled as Christ made public spectacle of them. He triumphed over them in his cross and in his resurrection. This is Christ's proper dominion. It is the true scope of his finished work of redemption. He is right now subduing all things to himself. And when it comes to the question of how, the text could not be more clear. Look at verse 15, preaching, preaching. And this might also be a point which calls for some full persuasion, because preaching, at least as biblically defined, has become rare. Very rare in these modern days. It's actually non-existent in the papist churches. You might there hear some sentimental homilies, but when it comes to preaching, there is none. And the rest of it is all idolatry. and superstitious priestcraft, there is no preaching of the gospel in Rome. True preaching has also become increasingly rare in the so-called evangelical churches of the world, who have actually removed their pulpits and replaced them with stage sets that look like they were borrowed from some late-night television show. And as for the conservative churches, and the Calvinist churches, dare I even say that they have begun to lose their edge even a bit. You know what the word preach means, my friends. It means to announce, to declare, to proclaim, to herald, yet more and more what I hear coming from the pulpits, especially in my land, is nothing but equivocation and apologies And the text before us this evening serves as a prime example. There are very few men anymore who will just stand up and preach it. First, they have to talk about manuscripts and modern science. Then they need to assure people that textual variance, well, it doesn't affect any doctrine. And then they need to crack their obligatory joke about some hillbillies that handle snakes. Enough already. If, and I speak here to pastors, if you reject these verses, then be honest about it. By all means, just be honest and tell your people that the Bible in their hands and the Bible in your pews and the Bible in your pulpit contains uninspired material. Tell them, by all means, just be honest. And on the other hand, if you do accept these verses as inspired, then just preach them. Hold them forth as God's word and preach them, which is what I am trying to do this evening. Christian, are you thus persuaded? Christ is risen. Christ is reigning. He is right now subduing all things to himself as the gospel is preached to all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are not thus persuaded, this is my burden, you should be. It is the design and intent of these verses. But perhaps there remains maybe a few doubts. If that's the case, you can at least take comfort in this. You stand in very good company. even the apostles. The apostles themselves needed some persuading on this day, especially, as I said, in light of the monumental task that had been given to them as the church. Imagine what they might have been thinking. What? You want us to go where? But we're only 11 strong. You want us to go into all the world and preach the same gospel that got you crucified? Who's going to believe anything we have to say? It was a legitimate concern, but one that our Savior anticipated. And he assured them you will be receiving power from on high. So be persuaded also of this. Be persuaded the church has power. The church has received power from the resurrected son of God. It's the intent of those mysterious signs that we read of in verses 17 and 18. In my name, says Jesus. They shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents. And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. The main reason so many preachers make jokes about these verses is simply this. They don't understand them. And they don't understand them because they don't pay attention to the text. Neither do they pay attention to the context. When it comes to the text, to the words themselves, when it comes to the words, mark well here that Jesus is speaking directly to the 11, to the apostles, because their office was unique and unrepeatable in history. They were chosen, specially called by Christ to serve as his ambassadors in this world. And we all know what ambassadors are and what they do, I trust. They speak on behalf of the king. And this king was not about to send his ambassadors out to speak in his name without some seal of his authority. And that seal was these signs, which we see exercised and performed and observed throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles. That's the context. the redemptive historical context of these signs. So many read the Book of Acts as if it were only intended to give us a quaint sight into life in the early church, like, oh, look how simple it was, how great it would be to go back to those days. When, in fact, the Book of Acts It's no picture, it's more like a blueprint and a building plan for the apostolic church. First, the cornerstone is laid, and that of course is Christ, the person of Christ and his finished work. Then the foundation is laid, which foundation we call apostolic because it was laid once by these men who went forth as we read and preached everywhere. But as they went again, here's the question, why should anyone listen to them? Because they spoke in new tongues, just as Jesus promised, and just as we see in Acts chapter two. Why should anyone listen to them? Because they cast out devils, just as Jesus promised, and just as we read in Acts chapter five. Why should anyone listen to them? Because they healed the multitudes, just as Jesus promised, just as we read in Acts chapter 3, 5, 9, 14, 19, chapter 20. Paul also laid hands on the sick and they recovered again, just as Jesus promised. And just as we therefore read in Acts chapter 28, and all this healing, by the way, was not like the charismatic charlatans of our own day, the dead were raised to life again. These were true apostolic signs of power and might. And having just mentioned Paul, these signs were particularly important for the establishment of his authority because he wasn't even one of the original 11. But his authority was established. You'll remember that the barbarians thought he was a god because he was bitten by this poisonous serpent and not harmed. Again, just as Jesus promised and just as we read in Acts 28. The only sign mentioned here that we don't find fulfilled in the book of Acts is drinking deadly poison and not being harmed. But you know what? I believe it probably happened. And even if it didn't, there is no contradiction because again, pay attention to the words, Jesus did not say it had to happen. He said, if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. These are the signs. These are the signs that the world witnessed in the apostolic era that all might know this church has power. This church has received power. It was established by Christ himself as the chief cornerstone, and it has been built, founded upon a firm foundation of the apostles and prophets. The church has received power. And it continues to this very day to possess that same power, though not exhibited through the exact same signs, it has the same power. It has the same power today because Christ is not only risen, he is also ascended and seated at the right hand of God in glory. So again, to close, I say this, be persuaded, Christ is ascended. Christ is ascended. Verse 19, so then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. This is an account of Christ's ascension into heaven and an announcement of his mediatorial reign over all. He sits today, Christian, enthroned above in glory as the governor of nations. He sits today, enthroned, reigning, ruling over all. and that should comfort us as his children, but it should also embolden us as the church as we continue the work that has been given to us. So believe it, I say, believe it, Christ is ascended. He is ascended into heaven where he ever lives today as our prophet, making known the will of God through his inspired word and through the work of his spirit, illuminating our minds and softening our hearts. He is ascended, Christ is ascended into heaven where he ever lives today as our priest. He has passed into the heavens and entered the holiest of all that we might also enter with him, even with boldness, by his blood. Believe it, Christ is ascended. He is ascended today also as our advocate. He ever lives today as our advocate, the only mediator between God and men, who today faithfully pleads the merits of his blood for all the elect and adopted children of God, Christ is ascended. Christ is ascended today also as our hope, where he ever lives today as our hope, remembering how that he said, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Know this, Christian, and be persuaded. In the day of his coming, All will know, we already know it, but all will know that Jesus was and is and ever shall remain the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And if these things be true, I assure you this evening that they are. If these things be true, what then is our only reasonable response? It is to believe. to be fully persuaded that these things which we read are yes and amen. Are you thus persuaded, Christian? I do hope so, because if perhaps you aren't, I need to say there's probably only three possibilities as to why. The first possibility is this, as some would suggest, there might be something wrong with these verses. But that cannot be the case because as we have seen they bear all the marks of divine inspiration. self-attesting authority, the testimony of the church, the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of their doctrine, the majesty of their style, the consent of the parts, the scope of the whole, the full discovery they make concerning our salvation. There is nothing wrong with these verses. They have manifestly evidenced themselves this evening to be the very word of God. There's nothing wrong with these verses. The second possibility then for any continued lack of persuasion is this, that there might be some deficiency or some defect in the work of the Spirit. But we can't say that and I hesitate even to mention it as a possibility because it borders on blasphemy. The Spirit which inspired these words is faithful faithful to bear witness by and with the word in your hearts that you might know Christ and the power of his resurrection, there is nothing wrong with the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Well, that then leaves us with one another possibility, only one other possibility for any continued lack of persuasion, There is nothing wrong with these words. There is most certainly nothing wrong with the work of the Holy Ghost. So maybe there is just something wrong with our hearts. Can we admit that this evening? Maybe the fault is ours. It shouldn't be hard to admit and it shouldn't be an offense to anyone here because we saw it. Even the apostles themselves were not immune to unbelief or hardness of heart. So do consider the possibility, oh doubter, and also take comfort in this. Such doubt, however much may remain, is easily overcome. Easily overcome. And it's not even a matter of understanding all these things or examining the evidence or apologetic engagements. It's simply, simply always a matter of this. Believe God. Believe his word. And bow before Christ. Bow before his authority. Bow before his lordship. And for those who understand, bow even before his epistemic lordship as the risen and reigning king, the king of kings and lord of lords. Amen.