Roman Catholic
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria
Nuanced

Textual uncertainty acknowledged; Resurrection affirmation paramount

Orthodox scholarship acknowledges the textual status while maintaining the Resurrection as central to faith. The longer ending of Mark (16:9–20) is not found in the earliest manuscripts, yet the Orthodox Church includes it in the biblical canon. The passage affirms post-resurrection appearances and Christ's commissioning of the apostles, which is consistent with Orthodox Christology. The Orthodox Tradition emphasizes the living witness of the Church and the role of patristic consensus in Scripture's reception.

The Eastern Orthodox Church preserves the Resurrection accounts across all four Gospels as core to apostolic faith. While textual scholarship may debate Mark 16:9–20's originality, the Orthodox approach privileges the Church's received text and liturgical use over manuscript chronology alone. The passage is read in Orthodox worship and its theological content—Christ's victory over death and the apostolic commission—aligns with the central mysteries of Orthodox faith. The Church's patristic consensus affirms the passage's inclusion in the canon.

Scripture References

Sources

  • Eastern Orthodox dogmatic theology
  • Eastern Orthodox dogmatic theology