In this daily Bible reading is the account of Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother, Mary, going to Jesus’ tomb Sunday morning after the Sabbath. When they arrived at the tomb, they discovered the tomb was empty. Jesus was gone, but an angel was sitting in the tomb. The angel told the women that Jesus had risen and had gone to Galilee where He would meet Peter.
The Gospel of Mark then adds several passages that are not found in the oldest manuscripts of the Bible. These additional passages say words that seem questionable to me. For example, there is a passage that says, “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name, they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them.” These passages do not harmonize with the rest of the Bible, and I do not think they are legitimate.
I believe it is essential to be firmly grounded in the entire Bible. Only then can one rightly understand any passage of the Bible. I also believe that Scripture passages that are not in the oldest manuscripts should be questioned or rejected.
