WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--The last 12 verses of the Gospel of Mark are an ongoing source of debate and fascination among serious students of Scripture, including a recent New Testament symposium at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
The panel brought a diversity of views to the subject: Robinson and Black argued for the authenticity of the ending of Mark, while Elliott and Wallace argued that it is not original to the Gospel. Bock responded to both views with a final presentation on the state of current research.
David Beck, associate dean of biblical studies at Southeastern and the session moderator, noted at the beginning of the symposium that the question of the authenticity of the ending of Mark is not even debated in some quarters. Liberal scholars take it for granted that the ending was contrived later....