How do reports, responses and annotation alternatives remain distinct?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The tomb, appearances, commission and ascent preserve explicit fear, disbelief, sunrise alternatives and conditional signs without imported geography or generalized guarantees.

Chapter breakdown

# Mark 16

After the sabbath Mary Magdalen, Mary mother of James, and Salome buy sweet spices to anoint Jesus. Very early on the first weekday they reach the sepulchre with sun now risen. The separate annotation offers two readings: setting out before light and arriving after sunrise, or figuratively Christ, sun of justice, risen before their coming. Neither reading is suppressed or turned into an exact horizon scene. They ask who will roll back the very great stone, then see it rolled back. Entering, they see a young man on the right in a white robe and are astonished. He tells them not to fear: crucified Jesus of Nazareth is risen, absent from the place where laid; they must tell disciples and Peter of his preceding them to Galilee, where they will see him as told. They flee trembling and afraid, saying nothing to any man because of fear. The verse’s silence is retained rather than replaced by reverent awe alone.

Rising early on the first weekday, Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalen, from whom he had cast seven devils. She tells those who had been with him, mourning and weeping. They do not believe her report of seeing him alive. He then appears in another shape to two walking into the country; they tell the rest, who likewise do not believe. Emmaus is not named. At length he appears to the eleven at table and upbraids their incredulity and hardness of heart for disbelieving those who had seen him risen. No gentle tone, joyous transport or ensuing unshakeable conviction is added.

He commands going into the whole world to preach the gospel to every creature. One believing and baptized shall be saved; one not believing condemned. He says signs follow believers: in his name casting out devils, speaking new tongues, taking up serpents, and, if drinking a deadly thing, not being hurt, laying hands on sick people who recover. The conditional drinking is retained as a recorded saying, not supplied advice to take risks or an unrestricted clinical immunity claim. After speaking he is taken into heaven and sits at God’s right hand. They go forth preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with following signs. This reported cooperation is not expanded into a universal future institutional guarantee or additional doctrine about living charity.

The story inside

Spices and tomb; Mary’s report; two country travellers; eleven; command and ascent; preaching.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The annotation offers literal and figurative sunrise readings.
2
Women’s initial silence and later Mary report both remain.
3
Deadly drinking is conditional speech, not a prescription.

Test your recall

Three women; sunrise alternatives; nothing to any man; seven devils; another shape; eleven; if; confirming signs.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 116534–116583
16:1. And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus. 16:2. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen. The sun being now risen.... They set out before it was light, to go to the sepulchre; but the sun was risen when they arrived there. Or, figuratively, the sun here spoken of is the sun of justice, Christ Jesus our Lord, who was risen before their coming. 16:3. And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 16:4. And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great. 16:5. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished. 16:6. Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen: he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. 16:7. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee. There you shall see him, as he told you. 16:8. But they going out, fled from the sepulchre: for a trembling and fear had seized them. And they said nothing to any man: for they were afraid. 16:9. But he rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen; out of whom he had cast seven devils. 16:10. She went and told them that had been with him, who were mourning and weeping. 16:11. And they hearing that he was alive and had been seen by her, did not believe. 16:12. And after that he appeared in another shape to two of them walking, as they were going into the country. 16:13. And they going told it to the rest: neither did they believe them. 16:14. At length he appeared to the eleven as they were at table: and he upbraided them with their incredulity and hardness of heart, because they did not believe them who had seen him after he was risen again.
Lines 116585–116602
16:15. And he said to them: Go ye into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16:16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned. 16:17. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. 16:18. They shall take up serpents: and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay their hand upon the sick: and they shall recover. 16:19. And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God. 16:20. But they going forth preached every where: the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed.