Did the Gospel of Mark originally end at Mark 16:8, or do Mark 16:9–20 belong in Scripture? For nearly two centuries, modern textual critics have questioned the authenticity of the final twelve verses of Mark, leading many modern Bible translations to bracket the passage or include editorial notes suggesting it may not have been part of the original text.

In this episode, Brandon Briscoe is joined by Dr. Jim Alter, pastor of Grace Baptist Church and founder of Purified Seven Times, to examine one of the most debated passages in the New Testament.

Rather than focusing solely on competing manuscripts, this episode explores what is ultimately at stake in the debate over Mark 16:9–20. Brandon Briscoe and Dr. Jim Alter discuss how the doctrine of preservation shapes a believer's approach to Scripture, examine the historical testimony of the Church Fathers, and evaluate the claims surrounding Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. They also consider the doctrinal significance of the longer ending of Mark—including Christ's post-resurrection appearances, the Great Commission, the apostolic sign gifts, the Ascension, and the confidence Christians can have that God has faithfully preserved His Word.

Whether you're interested in biblical preservation, textual criticism, church history, or the reliability of Scripture, this conversation offers a detailed look at one of Christianity's most significant textual debates.


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In this episode of the Ps+ we look at the results of using textual critical methods to reconstruct the text of the Bible.

In this episode, we begin a three-part series on why the King James is God’s preserved word. Dr. Alan Shelby, Dean of Living Faith Bible Institute, discusses with us the doctrine of inspiration and preservation in order to better understand God’s character and purposes as it concerns scripture. In part 1 of our series, we address when inspiration occurred, why scripture goes beyond the original autographs, the problems with textual criticism, why we can trust God oversaw the process of transcription and translation, and much more.