The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark by John William Burgon

(11 User reviews)   4222
Burgon, John William, 1813-1888 Burgon, John William, 1813-1888
English
Okay, so you know how the Gospel of Mark in the Bible ends kind of abruptly? Most modern Bibles have a note saying the last twelve verses might not be original. This book is one man's fiery, all-consuming mission to prove those notes are wrong. It's not a dry theological debate; it's a Victorian scholar, John Burgon, on a detective hunt through ancient manuscripts, armed with logic and a lot of passion. He's trying to save what he sees as a crucial part of scripture from being quietly deleted. Whether you agree with him or not, watching someone fight this hard for a few sentences of text is completely fascinating. It's a book about faith, evidence, and the lengths we go to defend what we believe is true.
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Chapter I. THE CASE OF THE LAST TWELVE VERSES OF S. MARK’S GOSPEL, STATED. Chapter II. THE HOSTILE VERDICT OF BIBLICAL CRITICS SHEWN TO BE QUITE OF RECENT DATE. Chapter III. THE EARLY FATHERS APPEALED TO, AND OBSERVED TO BEAR FAVOURABLE WITNESS. Chapter IV. THE EARLY VERSIONS EXAMINED, AND FOUND TO YIELD UNFALTERING TESTIMONY TO THE GENUINENESS OF THESE VERSES. Chapter V. THE ALLEGED HOSTILE WITNESS OF CERTAIN OF THE EARLY FATHERS PROVED TO BE AN IMAGINATION OF THE CRITICS. Chapter VI. MANUSCRIPT TESTIMONY SHEWN TO BE OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOUR OF THESE VERSES.—PART I. Chapter VII. MANUSCRIPT TESTIMONY SHEWN TO BE OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOUR OF THESE VERSES.—PART II. Chapter VIII. THE PURPORT OF ANCIENT SCHOLIA, AND NOTES IN MSS. ON THE SUBJECT OF THESE VERSES, SHEWN TO BE THE REVERSE OF WHAT IS COMMONLY SUPPOSED. Chapter IX. INTERNAL EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATED TO BE THE VERY REVERSE OF UNFAVOURABLE TO THESE VERSES. Chapter X. THE TESTIMONY OF THE LECTIONARIES SHEWN TO BE ABSOLUTELY DECISIVE AS TO THE GENUINENESS OF THESE VERSES. Chapter XI. THE OMISSION OF THESE TWELVE VERSES IN CERTAIN ANCIENT COPIES OF THE GOSPELS, EXPLAINED AND ACCOUNTED FOR. Chapter XII. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE QUESTION: SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE; AND CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE SUBJECT. APPENDIX (A). APPENDIX (B). APPENDIX (C). APPENDIX (D). APPENDIX (E). APPENDIX (F). APPENDIX (G). APPENDIX (H). POSTSCRIPT. L’ENVOY GENERAL INDEX. Footnotes THE CODEX [Transcriber’s Note: This e-book contains much Greek text which is central to the point of the book. In the ASCII versions of the e-book, the Greek is transliterated into Roman letters, which do not perfectly represent the Greek original; especially, accent and breathing marks do not transliterate. The HTML and PDF versions contain the true Greek text of the original book.] On the next page is exhibited an _exact Fac-simile_, obtained by Photography, of fol. 28 _b_ of the CODEX SINAITICUS at S. Petersburg, (Tischendorf’s א): shewing the abrupt termination of S. Mark’s Gospel at the words ΕΦΟΒΟΥΝΤΟ ΓΑΡ (chap. xvi. 8), as explained at p. 70, and pp. 86-8. The original Photograph, which is here reproduced on a diminished scale, measures in height full fourteen inches and one-eighth; in breadth, full thirteen inches. It was procured for me through the friendly and zealous offices of the English Chaplain at S. Petersburg, the Rev. A. S. Thompson, B.D.; by favour of the Keeper of the Imperial Library, who has my hearty thanks for his liberality and consideration. It will be perceived that the text begins at S. Mark xvi. 2, and ends with the first words of S. Luke i. 18. Up to this hour, every endeavour to obtain a Photograph of the corresponding page of the CODEX VATICANUS, B, (No. 1209, in the Vatican,) has proved unavailing. If the present Vindication of the genuineness of Twelve Verses of the everlasting Gospel should have the good fortune to approve itself to his Holiness, POPE PIUS IX., let me be permitted in this unadorned and unusual manner,—(to which I would fain add some circumstance of respectful ceremony if I knew how,)—very humbly to entreat his Holiness to allow me to possess a Photograph, corresponding in size with the original, of the page of CODEX B (it is numbered fol. 1303,) which exhibits the abrupt termination of the Gospel according to S. Mark. J. W. B. ORIEL COLLEGE, OXFORD, _June 14, 1871_. [[Illustration: Codex Sinaiticus facsimile page.]] [[Illustration: Codex Sinaiticus facsimile page.]] "MY WORD WILL NOT PASS AWAY" ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἕως ἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, ἕως ἂν πάντα...

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Let's be clear: this isn't a novel. There's no plot in the traditional sense. Instead, the 'story' is the argument itself. John William Burgon, a 19th-century clergyman and scholar, wrote this book as a direct, point-by-point counterattack against biblical critics of his day. These critics were starting to say that the famous ending of Mark's Gospel—the part with Jesus's post-resurrection appearances and the Great Commission—was a later addition and not written by the original author.

The Story

Burgon treats this claim like a personal insult to the integrity of the Bible. He gathers his evidence like a lawyer building a case. The book is his courtroom. He marches through ancient Greek and Latin manuscripts, quotes early church fathers, and dissects the writing style, all to prove that these twelve verses belong. He's not just presenting data; he's on a crusade. The conflict is between modern scholarly doubt and traditional belief, and Burgon is its most passionate defender.

Why You Should Read It

You should read it to feel the heat of a 150-year-old academic battle. Burgon's writing isn't cold or detached. He's convinced, zealous, and sometimes wonderfully sarcastic towards his opponents. Even if you have no stake in the biblical debate, it's gripping to watch a brilliant mind so completely devoted to a single, precise goal. It makes you think about how we decide what's 'original' in any ancient text and what gets lost along the way.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for history buffs curious about 19th-century thought, Christians interested in the backstory of their Bible, or anyone who loves a good, old-fashioned intellectual duel. It's not an easy, breezy read—Burgon expects you to keep up—but it's rewarding. You won't find a balanced, modern analysis here. What you get is one man's powerful, unfiltered, and utterly committed voice in a debate that still echoes today.



📜 Open Access

This publication is available for unrestricted use. Feel free to use it for personal or commercial purposes.

Edward Hill
1 year ago

To be perfectly clear, the depth of research presented here is truly commendable. Worth every second.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (11 User reviews )

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