THE GREAT
COMMISSION
14Afterward he
appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he
rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not
believed those who saw him after he had risen.
15And he said to
them,
“Go into all the
world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17And these signs
will accompany those who believe:
“IN MY NAME THEY WILL
CAST OUT DEMONS;
THEY WILL SPEAK IN
NEW TONGUES;
18THEY WILL PICK UP
SERPENTS WITH THEIR HANDS;
AND IF THEY DRINK ANY
DEADLY POISON, IT WILL NOT HURT THEM;
THEY WILL LAY THEIR
HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY WILL RECOVER.”
19So then the Lord
Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at
the right hand of God.
20And they went out
and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the
message by accompanying signs.
MARK 16:14-20
COMMENTARY
The section from verses
9 to 20 do not appear in some of the older manuscripts of the gospel of Mark, and
for this reason some sceptics claim it to be a spurious addition. But that is a
product of their lack of faith. The verses are not present in the Sinaiticus
and Vatican versions, but they are in the Alexandrian and Cambridge manuscripts;
also these verses are quoted by Ireneaus, and are present in other smaller
manuscripts, with less surviving text but as old as the first ones.
Apart from that, the
whole story narrated in those verses, are also referred to in the other gospels
(Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-35; John 11:20-18) and therefore taken as
truthful, specially considering that even if they were added after the main
text, it is so old an addition, and conforming to the rest of the gospels, that
the main body of Christians has always taken it as part of the holy Scripture,
with very important theological teachings which the devil has pretended to
destroy without success.
Our Lord rebukes the initial
unbelief of his eleven apostles, even though they had spoken to the women who
saw Him resurrected, but still they doubted. This should be taken as a lesson
for our weaker brethren, considering that if even the apostles of Jesus
doubted, we must expect the same in our times, but we must over-come our weaker
nature, by the examples of the ones who truly saw Him alive and acted accordingly.
Lord Jesus
commissions the 11 to go around the world preaching the gospel and conversion,
which is a reference to accept so much Jews, as gentiles and barbarians. Jesus
commends his apostles, and in them, the whole Church, to preach Faith and Repentance,
confirming it by taking water baptism as a seal of our compromise to follow
Christ for eternity. Lord Jesus points out very clear the condition of getting
baptized, apart from belief in Him, to be saved (v.16), contrasting this requirement
with ‘not believing’ in Him, as enough condition for damnation. This makes
clear that it is faith that saves us or lack of it which condemn us, but we
need also Repentance, represented in taking the waters of baptism, as a
ceremonial pledge to Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the taking of a new life in
Jesus. That is why Jesus mentions baptism
as being a requirement for salvation.
But on the other hand,
only mentions lack of faith as reason to be condemned, making Faith the
cornerstone of our redemption. Baptism therefore, of children or by force, or
in any other manner that it is not born from a personal decision, it is not
accepted by God and does not save. Baptism without personal faith, it is
useless.
Lord Jesus proceeds
to list some of the miracles that will follow ‘those who believe’ in clear
reference to every Christian who has ever existed, even us today. This is a
sign that super natural gifts, like speaking in tongues, healing of the sick,
and strength to life threats, among other things, are as current as if it was
back then. Signs and miracles are as valid today as always, because no expiration
date was given for them; and because they serve the same cause they served 2000
years ago, a proof that God is with us.
Finally, the author,
either Mark of one of his copyists added the final statement of the ascension,
indicating in faith, which shows to be a later addition once the Christian
faith was well established, that Lord Jesus took his place in Heaven next to
his Father GOD YHWH, showing that they are two different beings, but equally
divine in Glory.
Omar Flores.
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