The gospel selection of Mark 16:14.15-18 is taken from what is called "The Longer Ending" of the Gospel of Mark which comes out as Mark 16:9-20 in some modern translations. It is called "The Longer Ending" in contrast to a "Shorter Ending" which appears in some manuscripts after Mark 16:8.
The Longer Ending has the following contents.
- 16:9-11 appearance to Mary Magdalene, her message to the disciples and the incredulity of these
- 16:12-13 appearance to two travellers, the message of these about the appearance and the incredulity of the others
- 16:14 appearance to the Eleven, rebuke for their unbelief
- 16:15-18 the mandate to baptize
- 16:19 the ascension and sitting at the right hand of God
- 16:20 conclusion
Scholars make the observation that 16:9-19 sets itself against the rest of Mark's gospel because it contains words that are not found in the Gospel. The section however display characterisitics in continuity with Mark's style: the compressed narrative style where "kai" connects episodes and the Marcan characteristic of a non-idealized presentation of the disciples. This last especially is clear in v. 14 where the Risen Christ rebukes the disciples for their unbelief and hardness of heart, two qualities which are presented in Gospel as characteristic of the disciples
.The Gospel Selection
The Gospel selection for the Feast of the Conversion of Paul (Sunday III, Year B 2009) covers the first part of v. 14 and the words of the commissioning, vv. 15-18. The main interest here are the words of Jesus; verse 14a gives the context of the words (a resurrection appearance to the Apostles). The rebuke is suppressed because it is of secondary importance to the remembrance of the conversion of Paul "the least of the apostles". The words of the commissioning, as we will see, is filled with allussions to events found in Paul's apostolic journeys as narrated by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles.
The Words of the Commissioning
The words of the commissioning can be divided into the following:
(a) the mandate to preach the gospel to all creation
(b) the mandate to baptize
(c) the signs that will accompany their work
To note is the cosmic dimension of preaching the Gospel. Here the Greek noun kosmos appearing in parallel with ktisis (creation) gives the scope of the proclamation. In this context, kosmos does not only mean "world" (as our planet earth) but the whole universe. In Matthew and Luke-Acts, the scope is "all nations" (Matthew) and "Jerusalem, all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts.) The formulation in Mark echoes the cosmic dimension of the effects of Christ's salvation as found in Colossians and Ephesians.
The close relationship between belief, baptism and salvation on the one hand and unbelief and condemnation on the other is nowhere strictly delineated as here and in Acts, where the required action of the last days is to repent, believe and be baptized (see for example, Acts 2:40-41) In fact, there is no name except in the name of Jesus that salvation is given (cf. Act. 4:12). And belief in the name of Jesus is expressed in one's reception of baptism (see Acts 8:12-13.16.36;9:17-19;10:48;11:16;16:15.31-33;18:8;19:3-5).
The signs that Jesus declares will accompany the work of evangelization are "wonders" that one can find in events involving the missionary activities of the disciples as narrated in Acts. Of these, only the one about drinking deadly poison is new. Picking up serpents and laying of hands on the sick are also examples of the wondrous deeds of Paul in Malta (see Acts 28)
- in my name they will cast out demons: Acts 5:16,8:7,16:18;19:12
- they will speak in new tongues; Acts 2:4; 10:46;19:6;
- they will pick up serpents with their hands; Acts. 28:3-5 (cf. Luke 10:19)
- and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;
- they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Acts 28: 7-8
The Conversion of Paul
As was already noted, the selection from the Longer Ending of Mark alludes to sections in the Acts of the Apostles where Paul is involved. It is for this reason that on the feast of the Conversion of Paul, it has been chosen as the Gospel readings. The signs that Jesus said would accompany the work of evangelization were also manifest in the work of Paul, the former persecutor of the Church but who became one of its greatest promoters.
The Gospel reading is accompanied by Paul's narrative of his conversion in Acts 22:3-16; the third person version of the narrative is found in Acts 9. The second reading in 1 Cor. 7:29-31 puts into perspective one of the consequences of one's new life in Christ: to live in view of the second coming of the Lord.
