Mark 16:9-20 inspired or Not? part 2

Saturday, 04 October 2008

Mark 16:9-20 inspired or Not? part 2

In the first part it was demonstrated that none of the scriptures in Mark 16:9-20 where out of the ordinary and aligned with the scriptures. Fact is the Great Saint Paul demonstrated them both in Acts and his Epistles, and he was a prophet to the Gentiles. God used Paul in special ways to vindicate his message to His people.

Now as to a historical approach.

First the origin of the questioning by learned scholars of the Bible comes from Westcott and Hort. This upon supposedly the oldest Greek Manuscripts. However note no original texts survived, and all the Greek manuscripts which total around 5000, are copies. As copies than the accuracy of how well they reproduced the original must be challenged? Is there evidence of a lot corrections? How accurate are those corrections?

Finally the admonishment of the bible in whosoever adds to or take away from these words must be emphasized. And the copier must be trembling to do his utmost best to produce and exact copy. All the manuscripts date back 300 - 450 AD, along with fragments of Parchment manuscripts going back to ca 200 AD. All throughout that period there was various heresies, and groups just as today. So the agenda of the copier also must be challenged too.

Unfortunately most of this is unknowns and only God knows what is what.

With that said, other means of validating are avail to us via other works of mighty men of God at that time.

First consider what Ireneaus (177 AD [that is older than Westcott and Horts Greek texts]said

IRENAEUS AGAINST HERESIES
BOOK III.
Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 426
For varied and rich in attribute is the Father, as I have already shown in the book preceding(2) this; and I shall show [the same truth] from the prophets themselves in the further course of this work. Also, towards the conclusion of his Gospel, Mark says: "So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God; "(3) confirming what had been spoken by the prophet: "The LORD said to my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thy foes Thy footstool."(4) Thus God and the Father are truly one and the same; He who was announced by the prophets, and handed down by the true Gospel; whom we Christians worship and love with the whole heart, as the Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things therein.

Tatian around 150-160 AD put together a gospel harmony called the Diatssaron which had all four gospels of our current bible combined. Mark's verses are used in it.

Then Justin Martyr around 160 AD:
JUSTIN MARTYR: THE FIRST APOLOGY OF JUSTIN
CHAP. XLV.--CHRIST'S SESSION IN HEAVEN FORETOLD.
Vol. I Ante-Nicene Fathers 178
. These are his words: "The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. The Lord shall send to Thee the rod of power out of Jerusalem; and rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. With Thee is the government in the day of Thy power, in the beauties of Thy saints: from the womb of morning(3) hare I begotten Thee."(4) That which he says, "He shall send to Thee the rod of power out of Jerusalem," is predictive of the mighty, word, which His apostles, going forth from Jerusalem, preached everywhere; and though death is decreed against those who teach or at all confess the name of Christ, we everywhere both embrace and teach it. And if you also read these words in a hostile spirit, ye can do no more, as I said before, than kill us; which indeed does no harm to us, but to you and all who unjustly hate us, and do not repent, brings eternal punishment by tire

Now another indirect approach is from the Aramnic texts. The churches using these texts where in the east isolated from the Western Europe by the Turks. It's claimed by them that the original tongues spoken at the time was Aramnic. Well I will let the scholars debate that amongst themselves.

Anyways comparing the Lamsa translation from Peshitta to English with the KJV we have the following chart:

	KJV Mark 16:9-20	Lamsa Mark 16:9-20
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.	Now he rose early on the first day of the week, and appeared first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast seven demons.
10	And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.	And she went and brought glad tidings to those who were with him, who now were mourning and weeping.
11	And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.	And when they heard them saying that he was alive, and had appeared to them, they did not believe them. *
12	After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.	After these things he appeared to two of them in another manner, as they were walking and going to a village.
13	.And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.	And they went and told the rest; but they did not believe them also.
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 them which had seen him after he was risen.	At last he appeared to the eleven while they were reclining, and he upbraided them for their little faith and the dulness of their hearts, because they had not believed those who saw him risen. .
15	And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.	And he said to them, Go to all the world, and preach my gospel to the whole creation.
16	He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.	He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; and he who does not believe shall be condemned.
17	And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;	And wonders will follow those who believe these things. In my name they will cast out demons; and they will speak with new tongues;
18	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.	And they will pick up snakes; and if they should drink any poison of death, it will not harm them; and they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.
19	So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.	Then our Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, ascended to heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20	And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.	And they went out, and preached in every place; and our Lord helped them, and he strengthened their words by the miracles which they performed.

Coming from a totally separate Language, and one cut off from the mainstream we find both the same. Thus agreeing.

Considering the remarkable life of Irenaeus a student of Polycarp and Polycarp was under John the Divine. His quotation would firmly authentic Marks gospel and the last verses.

Now we end part 2 with a couple of quotes.

SMYRNAEAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.4
He was also clear on his understanding of the Godhead. And since he was the disciple of Polycarp, who in turn was the disciple of Saint John, we can know for sure he had as perfect teaching as is possible on this subject. In Volume 1, page 412 of the Ante Nicene Fathers we have this statement by him on the Godhead. "All the other expressions, likewise, bring out the title of one, and the same being, the Lord of Power, the Lord, the Father of All, God Almighty, Most High, Creator, Maker, and such like, these are not the names and the titles of a succession of different beings, but of one and the same." He pointed out clearly that these are but titles as is Rose of Sharon, Bright and Morning Star, Fairest of Ten Thousand, etc. Neither is there but ONE God. His Name is Lord Jesus Christ.

THE.REVELATION.OF.JESUS.CHRIST - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.1
However, before we get too concerned about this, let us read both the King James version and the translation by Dr. Lamsa. To our gratification we find the words in both amazingly the same so that there is no difference actually in content or doctrine. We may even conclude that God has allowed these newly discovered manuscripts and recent publications of already known scripts to come before us to prove the authenticity of what we already had. And we find that though translators may fight each other, scripts do not.

Scripture does not fight scripture. It's our understanding that causes confusion.