Background: The account of Jesus' life that is normally attributed to Markus appears in the most reliable Greek manuscripts as it does in the NET -- ending with the discovery of the empty tomb by Jesus' female students. Due to the existence of two "endings" for the account, some have suggested that the original ending was lost. Another group of Christian scholars accepts the ending as it appears in the NET, with 16:8 as the last verse. Still other Christians believe one of the existing endings to have been the original conclusion.
The fact is that we do not know whether the account originally ended with 16:8. It is quite possible that there was an ending after that point which was lost before the middle of the II century. On the other hand, it may be the case that the author indended to finish writing at 16:8 and that any attempts to (re)construct an ending for Markus are unnecessary. At any rate, some time during the II century, two endings began to be constructed for the existing work that appeared to be lacking. By the IV century, both endings were circulating well enough to be known by various commentators, but the United Bible Societies text denotes them in double brackets, indicating that the endings were "clearly not a part of the original text" (Aland and Aland, p. 232). These conclusions have come to be known as the "Short Ending" and "Long Ending," respectively. In some manuscripts (L, Y, 099, 0112, etc.), the two endings occur together, sometimes with marginal notes indicating that the endings are additions. Also, a few manuscripts contain an extended "long ending," called the Freer Logion. In the present translation, support for the two endings are given together with their renderings into English and a theory of composition.
Date of Composition: the middle of the II century, possibly 130-150 CE.
Earliest Support: Latin manuscript k (Codex Bobiensis), dating from the end of the IV century, is the oldest testimony to the short ending.
Scholars generally agree that this particular manuscript represents a textual style of the II century (Aland and Aland, p. 187). It is
the only extant manuscript to contain only the short ending to Markus. In addition to k, the variant is supported by certain
Sahidic and Bohairic (Coptic) manuscripts.
The purpose for the short ending was simply to bring the account to a more adequate conclusion than the seemingly abrupt ending at 16:8. This ending, though, appears to have been judged inadequate; over time it was rejected in favor of the more elaborate long ending.
But they related briefly to Peter all the things that had been charged to them.
Now after these things, Jesus himself also sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and incorruptible
heralding of eternal salvation.
Date of Composition: likely the third quarter of the II century, 150-175 CE.
Earliest Support: The earliest textual manuscripts to contain the long ending are A, C, and D -- all dating to roughly the same
time in the V century. Codex W, also from this period, contains the long ending with the extended Freer Logion. However,
portions of the ending are cited by two church commentators prior to this time.
In the currently-possessed text of Irenaeus (Against Heresies III, 10: 5), he clearly identifies the next to last verse of the
long ending as being part of Markus. The citation dates most likely to c. 180. Tertullian (II century) also comments on a portion of the
long ending. On the other hand, Clement of Alexandria (c. 210) and Origen (c. 250) deny its authenticity, as do several later
Christian apologists.
Theory of Composition: Near the end of the II century, the followers of various schools of thought (e.g., Markion's)
had concocted various means of supposedly proving that their way of thinking was the right one. One of those means of establishing
one's identity was the occurrence of the "spiritual gifts", which some early writers claimed to have disappeared in the First
Century. If a group could demonstrate somehow that they possessed the gifts, then they could attempt to prove that their teachings
were the correct interpretations of what Jesus had taught. Tertullian himself claimed that his group, not Markion's, practiced the
genuine gifts -- Markion's "gifts" were regarded as fraudulent.
It is in this atmosphere that the long ending was born. The author had in his possession a copy of Markus -- possibly containing the
short ending -- as well as one of Lukas (the account relied upon by Markion) and a portion of the apocryphal Gospel of
Nicodemus known as the Acts of Pilatus.
Structure: The long ending starts a bridge where Markus left off, then immediately begins summarizing the ending
found in Lukas. After following Lukas through 24:44, the Freer Logion -- clearly a still later addition -- occurs. The original author
resumes, paraphrazing Lukas' account of the Great Commission in Lk 24:45-7. The Gospel of Nicodemus indicates (10:20) after the
Great Commission that Jesus said something about baptism. The author of the long ending includes that statement. NOTE: that the
Acts of Pilate were written earlier (at least in some form) is evidenced by references to it and by the fact that the Acts nowhere
else refer to Markus. Consequently, the ending of Markus quotes from it, and not vice versa.
Following his citation from the apocryphal work (which he clarifies), the author inserts the passage which was the purpose for the
ending: the manifesto for identifying believers by the spiritual gifts. The author believes that his group and not any of the opposing
groups will be found to possess the genuine gifts.
After the new portion, the author returns to Lukas (24:50-1), mentioning the ascension. Finally, the short ending of Markus occurs --
but in an altered state. The reference to the "heralding" of the Eleven is made, along with the assertion that they went out
everywhere, but the author paraphrases the short ending so as to include a mention of the accompanying signs that Jesus is
alleged to have just mentioned. The long ending gave fuel to support the groups that claimed to possess the spiritual gifts. Becoming
more popular than the short ending, it eventually came to dominate the Greek tradition, occurring in nearly all later manuscripts.
In the translation, the Freer Logion (from Codex W) occurs in double brackets.
Now after rising, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Miriam the Magdalene, from whom he had cast out
seven spirit beings.
She went and announced to those who had been with him, as it happened that they were mourning and crying. But when they
heard that he was alive and had been observed by her, they did not trust.
Now after these things, he appeared to two of them in open country, in another form. Now they went back and announced to the rest, but they did not trust.
Later he appeared to the Eleven as they were reclining, and he reproved their distrust and hardheartedness, because they
had not trusted those who had observed him after he had risen. [[And they defended themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness
and distrust is under the Enemy, who (through unclean spirits) does not permit people to understand God's truth and
power. On account of this, reveal your justification already."
They spoke this way to the Anointed One, and the Anointed One replied to them, "The limit of the years of the
Enemy's authority has been fulfilled, but other horrors are nearing. And I was handed over to the point of death on behalf
of those who sinned, so that they would return to the truth and sin no longer -- so that they would inherit what is in heaven:
the spiritual and incorruptible glory of what is right."]]
And he told them, "Go into all creation and herald the good message to all the creation.
"The one who trusts and is baptized will be saved; the one who does not trust will be condemned."
"Now these signs will follow those who do trust: in my name they will cast out spirit beings; they will speak with new tongues; [and with their hands] they will pick up serpents; and if they should drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick, and they will have power to be well."
Therefore indeed, after saying these things, Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat at God's right side.
Now they went out and heralded everywhere, with the Lord working with them, and they confirmed the message through the accompanying signs.
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