Changes

There is extensive scholarly commentary demonstrating that verses 16:9–20 are not authentic: they are not in the earliest manuscripts (absent from both [[Codex Vaticanus]] and [[Codex Sinaiticus]]) and consist of doubtful doctrine.<ref>Renowned scholar Bruce Metzger explained that Clement of Alexandria and Origen in the early third century show no knowledge of the existence of these verses 9-20; Eusebius and Jerome confirm that the passage was absent from almost all Greek copies of Mark known to them.  ''See'' Bruce Metzger, ''A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament'' (2d ed. Hendrickson Publishers, 2005).  Also, the style of Greek is not Mark's, and the doubtful addition appears to copy closing sections of the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John. [https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/the-strange-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-and-why-it-makes-all-the-difference/] <br>"What we have in Mark 16:9-20 is a long textual variant that we know, through manuscript comparison, does not belong to the original text of Mark. Scholars uniformly agree that it does not belong in the book." [https://www.masters.edu/thinking_blog/the-false-ending-of-mark/#:~:text=What%20we%20have%20in%20Mark,not%20belong%20in%20the%20book.]</ref>  But equally important is to recognize and remove the [[liberal claptrap]] inserted as the last clause of verse 16:8.  '''''The second half of 16:8 is not authentic, and obscures the powerful original ending by [[Mark]] in a pure translation'''''.  

There is extensive scholarly commentary demonstrating that verses 16:9–20 are not authentic: they are not in the earliest manuscripts (absent from both [[Codex Vaticanus]] and [[Codex Sinaiticus]]) and consist of doubtful doctrine.<ref>Renowned scholar Bruce Metzger explained that Clement of Alexandria and Origen in the early third century show no knowledge of the existence of these verses 9-20; Eusebius and Jerome confirm that the passage was absent from almost all Greek copies of Mark known to them.  ''See'' Bruce Metzger, ''A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament'' (2d ed. Hendrickson Publishers, 2005).  Also, the style of Greek is not Mark's, and the doubtful addition appears to copy closing sections of the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John. [https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/the-strange-ending-of-the-gospel-of-mark-and-why-it-makes-all-the-difference/] <br>"What we have in Mark 16:9-20 is a long textual variant that we know, through manuscript comparison, does not belong to the original text of Mark. Scholars uniformly agree that it does not belong in the book." [https://www.masters.edu/thinking_blog/the-false-ending-of-mark/#:~:text=What%20we%20have%20in%20Mark,not%20belong%20in%20the%20book.]</ref>  But equally important is to recognize and remove the [[liberal claptrap]] inserted as the last clause of verse 16:8.  '''''The second half of 16:8 is not authentic, and obscures the powerful original ending by [[Mark]] in a pure translation'''''.  

== Authentic ending ==

== Authentic ending - without contradicting the preceding verse ==

The authentic ending of Mark is an unexpected encounter by three women looking for [[Jesus]] at the tomb, and an [[angel]] taking the form of a young man.  It is best translated as follows (Mark 16:2-8a):

The authentic ending of Mark is an unexpected encounter by three women looking for [[Jesus]] at the tomb, and an [[angel]] taking the form of a young man.  It is best translated as follows (Mark 16:2-8a):

{{cquote|And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, ''and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid''.}}

{{cquote|And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, ''and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid''.}}

This tacked-on phrase "and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" is contradictory with the instruction by the [[angel]] in the immediately preceding verse, and contradictory with [[Mark]] recording what the women saw.  The angel said at {{bibleref|Mark|16|7}}:

This tacked-on phrase "and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" '''''is contradictory with the instruction by the [[angel]] in the immediately preceding verse''''', and contradictory with [[Mark]] recording what the women saw.  The angel said at {{bibleref|Mark|16|7}}:

{{cquote|But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.}}

{{cquote|But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.}}