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Unknown Author wrote Marks Ending
The Book of Mark was
the first gospel written—
some three decades
after Jesus’ death and
resurrection, around 55-65
A.D. Not only is Mark the
shortest of the four gospels
(only 16 chapters), it is
the least used by ministers
because it contains no
Christmas story of Jesus’
birth and provides a shaky
Easter—being devoid
of Jesus’ resurrection
appearances recorded by
Matthew, Luke, and John.
Mark 16:1-7 describes Mary
and her companions arriving
at Jesus’ tomb where they
meet a young man (not an
angel). He tells the women
that Jesus has arisen from
the dead and is going before
them to Galilee, where they
will see Him. Then verse 8
abruptly ends Mark’s gospel
with these unfulfilling
words: “The women fled
from the tomb for trembling
and astonishment had
come upon them; and they
said nothing to anyone,
for they were afraid.” This
strange ending leaves
the reader dangling and
desiring a continuation of
the story. Bible scholars
have wondered if Mark died
before finishing the gospel
or if the original ending was
inadvertently tom from the
parchment.
Although the earliest
copies of Mark’s gospel
end at verse 8, verses 9-20
were appended later in
the second century by an
unknown author who fixed
the problem of its abrupt
ending. Since the language
and syntax of the appended
passages (16: 9-20) are
different from the rest of the
gospel, it is generally agreed
that they were penned by a
writer other than Mark. A
medieval source ascribes
authorship to the elder
Ariston, perhaps the man
whom Papias (c. A.D. 135)
called a disciple of the Lord.
A verse-by-verse
examination of Mark 16:
9-20 reveals they were
extracted from other gospel
accounts:
Verses: 16:9-11 -
Description: Jesus appears
to Mary Magdalene. Taken
from: Luke24: 10-11; John
20-11-18;
Verses: 16:12-13 -
Description: Jesus appears
to two men - Taken from:
Luke 24:13-35;
Verses 16:14 -
Description: Jesus’
appearance to discipiles
- Taken from: Luke 24: 36-
49; John 20: 19-29;
Verses 16:15-16 -
Description: Jesus issues
Great Commission - Taken
from: Matthew 28: 18-20;
Versus: 16:17-18 -
Description: Signs that
accompany believers -
Taken from: Mathew 10:1;
Luke 10:19;
Versus 16:19 - 20 -
Description: Ascension of
Jesus - Taken from: Luke
24: 50-53.
Should Mark 16:9-20 be
disqualified as scripture
because it was written
by someone other than
Mark? Absolutely not,
because there is biblical
precedence for including
passages not written by the
book’s principal author. For
example, Moses did not
write Deuteronomy 34:5-12
which describes his death
and burial. Also, Jeremiah
did not compose Jeremiah
52, which was excerpted
Billy Powell
Columnist
www.billypowellbooks.com
from II Kings, chapters 24
and 25.
In 1546, the Roman
Catholic Council of Trent
addressed this problem by
confirming the canonicity
of all 27 New Testament
books. This included the
ending of Mark’s gospel.
In 1611, the passages
from Mark 16:9-20 were
included in the King James
Version of the Bible. Other
later modem translations
followed suit; however,
the appended passages
are annotated by brackets
and explanatory notes. In
essence, Mark’s ending is
a montage of resurrection
passages extracted from
Matthew, Luke, and John,
and as such should be
accepted as Holy Scripture.
PAGE 6 - THURSDAY,
MAY 30, 2013
Prayer Is
The Key
As we look at prayer, as
long as you and I believe
God will not answer our
prayers. He probably
won’t but not because He
is unwilling to do what
we’re asking Him to do.
The problem is often times
we move out ahead of Him.
We may pray and then we
jump up and think we need
to help God fix the situ
ation. We do not wait on
God to move for us. We
don’t realize. He is behind
the scene working on our
behalf.
He wants us to wait
while He’s putting all the
pieces together. You could
be dealing with a problem
that has been going on for
weeks, months and even
years. You may wonder
or say to yourself, “Does
God really know what I’m
facing or does he care?”
Yes, God knows and He
cares. ”His word tells us,”
He will never leave us; nor
forsake us.” We must pray
and believe.
Have you ever heard
anyone say, “I have told
God about my problems,
but nothing has happened.
I have prayed and prayed
and He hasn’t given me a
solution.” Once again God
see’s your pain. “Then
what must I do?” What
you must do is pray and
keep on praying even when
nothing is happening. We
then must mix prayer with
faith.
Prayer is the key, faith
unlocks the door.
Be Blessed!
Prov 3:6: in all your ways acknowledge
him, and he will make your paths
straight.
The Many Excuses
Of A Man In Mid-Life Crisis
Sometimes it is best to err
on the side of caution. This,
however, has not always
been my modus operandi
down through the years.
In fact, I am not very good
when it comes to practicing
anything, just ask the Gra
cious Mistress of the Parson
age.
As of late, though, I have
been practicing caution like I
was going to Carnegie Hall.
I am not very good at it yet,
but my goal is to come to
the point of perfection in the
area of caution as it touches
my person, particularly
my health and well-being.
This may be because I have
reached that age when most
men go through a midlife
crisis.
Prayer Line, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, Christ Abundant
Life Ministries, S. Dugger
Ave., Roberta. Call 478- 836-
3912.
Word of God Tabernacle
invites you to j oin them for the
following weekly services:
Sunday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.,
Sunday School at 10:00 a.m.,
Sunday Service at 11:00 a.m.;
Monday Prayer at 9:00 a.m.;
Wednesday Prayer at 9:00
a.m., Wednesday Bible Study
at 7:00 p.m.; Friday Prayer at
9:00 a.m. Everyone is invited.
Pastor Frank Martin, Sr.
Open Bible Tabernacle
Baptist Church:
Homecoming will be held
June 2,2013. Special music at
10:30 a.m. by ’’The Jordan’s
from Griffin, GA followed
You can always tell when
a man is going through his
midlife crisis. He usually
wants to prove he is as good
at 60-something as he was
when he was 20-something.
Carelessly throwing caution
to the wind, he attempts to
do something beyond the
energy of his existing body.
One sure way to tell if a man
is having a midlife crisis is
to notice his recent injuries.
Personally, when I was 20
I was not good at anything,
which has enabled me to
skip my midlife crisis. I am
glad to be 60 (okay, maybe
I am a tad over 60) because
now when I get tired I can
say I am tired and sit down.
At 60-something I have
absolutely nothing to prove.
by preaching service and
lunch everyone welcome, for
more information call 478-
935-8163.
Thomaston Road Baptist
Church invites everyone to
a benefit singing with ’’One
Voice.” the date and time
is May 18th at 6:00 p.m. A
love offering will be taken
and used to repair the church.
For additional information
contact Pastor Jim Evans
478-550-7365.
The Marshall Family will
hold their 15 th family reunion
on Saturday, June 29, 2013,
at Lizella United Methodist
Church Family Life Center,
2920 South Lizella Road,
Lizella, beginning at 10 a.m.
with covered dish lunch at
noon. Bring photos and other
memorabilia that you would
I am no better or worse than
I was when I was 20. It is, as
my wife notes, the ageless
wonder of incompetency.
The difficulty with grow
ing older is that the old
memory juices do not flow
as swiftly as they once did.
Of course, some of us never
had a real gusher in that de
partment anyway. The more
memories I have, the less I
am able to recall them in the
innocency of their reality.
Like the fisherman who tells
the size of the one that got
away. Memory seems to add
or subtract according to the
benefit of the person conjur
ing up the memory.
A big problem a man in
mid-life crisis has is that
he does not remember how
like to share.Descendants and
friends of Joseph and Nancy
Layfield Marshall’s children
and spouses: James Franklin
(Adaline Kitchens), Rebecca
Frances (William Edwards),
Sarah Ann (Anderson
Arnold), John Loudy ( Sarah
Walker & Martha Tharp),
Mary Elizabeth (Columbus
Madison Newberry), Cicero
Harrison (Mary Ann Eubanks
& Susie A. Hamlin),Martha
Ann (Thomas Calvin Arnold),
Henry Doss (Rosannah
Hunnicutt), Amelia (Jones
Washington Arnold), Joseph,
Jr. (Sarah Hunnicutt) are
invited. Everyone is also
invited to join the family
Friday, June 28, at 6 p.m. at
S&S Cafeteria, Eisenhower
Parkway, Macon, for dinner.
Call (478)935-8364 or e-mail
joyce.mosely@cox.net.
good he actually was when
he was 20, unless of course,
his wife knew him at that
time. If he could, he would
not have to try to replicate
it when he is 60. This is one
of the unique advantages of
maturing. Forgetting always
leads to exaggerating. Exag
gerating at 60-something
leads to injuries. The only
purpose of this is to impress
people who really are not
being impressed.
As we grow older things
begin to change, and some
things change for the better.
When I was 20,1 could not
admit to anybody that I was
tired. I would have been the
laughing stock in my com
munity if I would admit any
such phenomena. You know
Cerese Independent
Church will hold Pastor and
First Lady 11th Anniversary
Sunday, June 2, 2 p.m. Guest
speaker will be Rev. T. O.
Sams and the Tess Hall
Church Family from Forsyth.
The Women of the church
will host the 2nd Annual
Women’s Conference,
Saturday, September 28 and
Sunday, September 29. Save
the date.
Roberta Baptist Church will
hold Vacation Bible School
the week of June 10,6-9 p.m..
This year’s theme is ’’under
the Big Top”. Call the church
for more information.
Deadline for Church
Happenings: Friday 5 p.m.
what they say about the
unlimited energy that young
people have. Now that I
am in my 60s, I can blame
my advancing years on just
about anything.
”1 love to do that, but at
my age I don’t have the
energy.” This has covered a
multitude of sins, for which
I am so grateful. Of course,
it does have one drawback,
when someone in their 80s
invites me to go for a walk,
what in the world can you
say to that?
This next one has to be
one of my favorites. ”1
would love to do that but
I have to get home for my
afternoon nap.” The per
son will look at me, notice
my maturing features and
understand that I desperately
do need a nap, or something
resembling beauty sleep.
I found one the other
week that has proved quite
beneficial. I was invited to a
function during the evening,
which turned out to be a
rather boring affair. Once the
meal was over people were
milling around engaged in
small talk. Nothing bores
me quicker than small talk.
Not knowing what to do, I
pondered the situation for
sometime. Then, like light
ning from the heavens, I was
struck with a brilliant idea. I
went up to my host and said,
”I’m sorry, but it is getting
near my bedtime and I have
strict orders from my doctor
to go to bed early. You’ll
have to excuse me.”
It worked like a charm.
Everybody understood that
a person of my age needs
to go to bed early. I do not
Out to Pastor
Rev. James L. Snyder
jamessnyder2@att.net or
whatafellowship.com
know who thought this up,
probably Benjamin Franklin,
but whoever it was, I owe
them a steak dinner at the
restaurant of their choice. It
has now become part of my
get-out-of-boring-situations
arsenal.
I was thinking about this
the other day another good
excuse popped into my head.
Somebody invited me to
come and play softball. At
the time, they caught me off
guard and I was trying to
wiggle out of such an invita
tion. Then it dawned on me.
”1 am sorry, I would like
to but my health insurance
does not cover that kind of
activity.”
Whether my health insur
ance would cover that, I
have no idea, but neither
does anybody else, only my
doctor knows for sure.
While I was pondering
this, I was reminded of a
word from the Proverbs.
’’Whoso boasteth himself of
a false gift is like clouds and
wind without rain” (Prov
erbs 25:14 KJV).
Whoever boasts to others
about their physical prowess
is only fooling himself.
The Rev. James L. Snyder
is pastor of the Family of
God Fellowship, 1471 Pine
Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He
lives with his wife, Martha,
in Silver Springs Shores.
McLeighton Funeral Service
View Obituaries at
www.mcleightonfuneralservice.com
375 S. Dugger Avenue
Roberta, Georgia
478-836-3336
David & Donna
McLeighton - owners
’Our Family Serving
Your Family
Granite • Marble • Bronze • Coping • Monument Cleaning • Sandblasting
”Serving all Middle Georgia cemeteries 33
Kade E. Rooks
P. O. Box 1711, Fort Valley, GA 31030 *478-825-2424 or 478-951-1571 *Fax: 478-825-3794
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