Bible Truth Vs. False Doctrine
Examining Mark 16:14-16

Roelf L. Ruffner
The New Testament of Jesus Christ is a marvelous document intended to instill faith and to save our souls. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (Jn. 20:30-31).

But God knew that Satan would hate the Bible and attempt to stop its influence. Satan does this, first of all, by emphasizing the commandments of men over the word of God (Matt. 15:9). Second, by causing the untaught and unstable to "wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3:16). Third, by producing an outright lie that men believe rather than the Bible (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

Satan's minions are false teachers who either ignorantly or with full knowledge pervert the word of God (cf. Matt. 7:15; Jude 4). Yet if a false doctrine were formulated this very hour the Bible would already have an answer for it (2 Tim. 3:16-17). What a blessed thought that is! "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil... And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6: 11, 17).

Let us examine Mark 16:14-16 and see how it refutes many false doctrines with Bible truth.


Unbelief Is Mental Blindness (Verse 14)

The Lord appeared to the eleven in late afternoon/early evening on the Sunday He was resurrected from the dead. He ensured earlier that day that there was ample evidence for His disciples to believe. Notice this evidence:
  1. The testimony of the women who had seen the empty tomb in the Garden of Gethsemane (including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the apostle James (Mk. 16:1).

  2. The appearance of Jesus to Simon Peter (Lk. 24:34; 1 Cor. 15: 5).

  3. The appearance of Jesus to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24).

  4. The empty tomb of Jesus witnessed by John and Peter (John 20).

  5. The testimony of the bribed guards of Jesus tomb (Matt. 28).
In spite of the evidence the apostles did not believe. Jesus strongly rebuked (upbraided) them for their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mark 16:14). There is nothing wrong with sincere doubt and honest skepticism when it comes to religion. Jesus welcomes it. At this same meeting with the apostles Jesus proclaims, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" (Lk. 24:39). The apostles and early evangelists encouraged evaluation of their message (Acts 17:11). Unbelief in Jesus or any other doctrine of the New Testament is not the result of a lack of evidence. Rather, unbelief is the result of mental blindness. For some it is their wish to maintain a sinful lifestyle. Others build a wall of pride and religious prejudice between themselves and God's truth. Yet I believe that, for many, intellectual laziness is the barrier. They do not want take the time and effort to find out the Truth. "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty (2 Pet. 1:16).


There Is Only One Gospel (Verse 15)

Fifty days after the Lord arose He ascended to the Father. Before He ascended, He gave to His disciples what is called the Great Commission. The Gospel (good news) would no longer be limited to the Jews but would be for all creatures. It offers the greatest hope for mankind (Rom. 1:16). Yet other religious groups claim a counterfeit gospel which challenges the Gospel of Jesus and the apostles.

Islam claims Mohammed received the Koran revealed to him by an angel during the 7th Century A.D. The Latter Day Saints teach that an angel gave golden plates to a teenager name Joseph Smith, Jr. of Palmyra, New York, who translated them into the Book of Mormon in 1823, their so-called "another testament of Jesus Christ." But we are in deep trouble with God if we try to dilute or even add to the Gospel. "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another gospel; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:6-9).

As one drop of mud contaminates the whole glass of water so man-made doctrines and "revelations" pervert the Gospel of Christ (Gal. 5:9). We have the pure Gospel today found in the pages of the New Testament (Gal. 1:11).


In Salvation, Belief Does Not Preclude Obedience (Verse 16)

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). A grammatical diagram of this factual statement of Jesus Christ reveals that He is the simple subject modified by the limiting restrictive clause — "that believeth and is baptized." The simple, unmodified predicate, "shall be saved" refers to this same clause — "that believeth and is baptized."

Who is the he who will be saved? Not just anyone will be saved. According to this verse it is the person who believes and is baptized. Much of the religious world wants to delete the word "baptized" from Mark 16:16. For them, obedience to Christ's plan of salvation comes after salvation. They say one is baptized after the fact, as testimony of their salvation. That is adulterating the words of Jesus.

The apostles and evangelists of the New Testament taught that baptism is essential for salvation (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21). Other folks opine that the lack of the word baptized in the second half of this verse annuls its effect in the first half. In the Day of Judgment the unbaptized believer will be just as damned as the unbaptized nonbeliever.

To be baptized is as linked to God's pardon as belief. For example, consider this illustration: He who eats and digests his food will live. He who does not eat his food will die. Does the failure to mention digestion of food in the second half of the statement mean that is not necessary to being alive? Of course not! False doctrine always falls before the truth of God's word.

Speaking of such unbelief the apostle Paul wrote, "...yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). Each of us will stand before Christ and be called to account for what we believe or disbelieve, what we obey or disobey. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (Jn. 12:48).



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