Let’s start here
Your assignment
Read Mark 16:1-20 in the KJB. Compare the ESV’s notice before verse 9, then read Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.10.5. Record the particular verse Irenaeus attributes to Mark.
Clue 1
A second-century quotation
Irenaeus explicitly attributes the wording of Mark 16:19 to Mark near the end of his Gospel. This establishes knowledge of that ending in the second century through the surviving transmission of Irenaeus. It gives the defense substantial early evidence; it is not a surviving second-century copy of Mark.
Read Irenaeus 3.10.5 →Clue 2
A real manuscript disagreement
The ESV publisher flags that some early manuscripts do not include verses 9-20. Its footnote also records other ending material. Those notices explain why the question is textual, even though the longer ending has ancient support. Read the notes instead of assuming the disputed section was simply hidden.
Inspect the publisher’s text and notes →Clue 3
The conclusion of the argument
The longer ending was known long before 1611, and the claim that the KJB invented it fails. Its antiquity does not by itself establish that Mark wrote it. Our received-text position retains it, while acknowledging that the surviving witnesses and internal questions do not produce universal agreement.
Read the preservation case →Hear the objection
Could an early ending still be secondary? Yes. A reading may be ancient without being original. Conversely, absence from some early manuscripts does not erase the positive testimony of Irenaeus. The dispute requires weighing both.
Conclusion of this investigation
Firm conclusion: early attestation is established. Original authorship is disputed. Our editorial choice is to receive Mark 16:9-20 within the KJB; that choice should be distinguished from the narrower historical finding.
The argument above reaches a stated conclusion. The notebook below is for your own response.
Take the Test Now
What does the evidence establish?
A knowledge check, not a score for your faith. Read the evidence, then answer all three questions.
Choose an answer to each question to check your work.
Your investigator’s notebook
What convinced you—and what remains unanswered?
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