14And later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at a meal, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him raised. [16:15] And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation. [16:16] The one who has believed and been baptized will be saved, but the one who has not believed will be condemned. [16:17] And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; [16:18] they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly it will certainly not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover."
MRK 16:14-18
The Great Commission
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, reclining at a meal was a customary practice, signaling intimacy and fellowship. The eleven disciples, gathered in this posture, would have understood Jesus’ appearance as a moment of communal restoration, despite their earlier unbelief. The term 'hardness of heart' evoked Israel’s historical resistance to God’s purposes, as seen in the Exodus narrative, and here it underscores their failure to trust in Jesus’ resurrection. The command to proclaim the gospel to 'all creation' would have resonated with Jewish apocalyptic expectations of God’s renewal of the entire cosmos, not just humanity. The mention of casting out demons aligns with widespread 1st-century beliefs in malevolent spiritual forces, and Jesus’ authority over them would have affirmed His divine power. The signs accompanying believers—speaking in tongues, handling serpents, and healing the sick—mirrored the miraculous acts of Jesus and signaled the inbreaking of God’s kingdom.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
MRK 16:14
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
- Koinōnos
- And later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at a meal, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen him raised.
MRK 16:15
- KJV
- And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
- BSB
- And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
- Koinōnos
- And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation.
MRK 16:16
- KJV
- He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
- BSB
- Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
- Koinōnos
- The one who has believed and been baptized will be saved, but the one who has not believed will be condemned.
MRK 16:17
- KJV
- And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
- BSB
- And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
- Koinōnos
- And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
MRK 16:18
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.”
- Koinōnos
- they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly it will certainly not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.”
Cited to ground: Jesus’ authority over them would have affirmed His divine power.
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.”
Cited to ground: The signs accompanying believers—speaking in tongues, handling serpents, and healing the sick—mirrored the miraculous acts of Jesus
Translator's notes
MRK 16:14
- when were reclining:The word translated 'were reclining' refers to the common practice of dining while reclining on couches, rather than sitting upright at a table, which was typical for formal meals in the ancient world.
- hardness of heart:The term 'hardness of heart' describes a spiritual insensitivity or stubbornness, a refusal to believe or respond to divine truth, rather than merely a lack of understanding.
MRK 16:15
- creation.:The word translated 'creation' can refer to the act of creating, or to everything that has been created, encompassing all of humanity and the entire created order.
MRK 16:17
- demons:The word translated 'demons' in ancient Greek thought often referred to lesser divine beings, spirits, or even the fates, not exclusively evil entities as the English term might imply.