The Plymouth Brethren adopt a nuanced stance on Mark 16:9-20 (the Longer Ending), recognizing its absence from the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts while acknowledging its presence in many later manuscripts and in the lived tradition of the church. Rather than treating it as Scripture or outright rejecting it, many Brethren assemblies include these verses in public reading and preaching, valuing their doctrinal content about resurrection appearances and the Great Commission, even while noting the textual-critical uncertainty.

This approach reflects the Brethren conviction that the substance of Christian faith does not depend on any single passage and that healthy biblical discernment distinguishes between canonical status and pastoral value. Some Brethren, following stricter textual criticism, exclude Mark 16:9-20 from their preaching to avoid giving false authority to a disputed text. Others include it with a note acknowledging the manuscript evidence. The Brethren generally trust the testimony of their biblical scholars regarding textual matters and permit both positions in conscience, emphasizing that the core gospel truths (Christ's resurrection, the apostolic mission, faith in the risen Christ) are secure in the unanimous testimony of all Scripture.