We live in a world that is saturated with names, celebrity names, brand names, political names, yet one name still stands above them all: Jesus.

In his latest installment of The Prophet’s Teaching Series, Mike Thompson dives deep into what makes the name of Jesus not just important, but powerful beyond measure.

“The power, the majesty, the glory, the wonder of that holy and blessed name,” Thompson explains. “We give adoration to the name of the person who not only died for our sins, but who was raised on the third day and then He ascended to the right hand of the Father in order to send the Holy Spirit and birth us.”

For believers, the name of Jesus is not just a label—it’s a gateway to salvation, authority and divine inheritance. Thompson pointed to 1 John 3:23, which commands us to “believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another.” But he emphasized the structure of the Greek text, explaining that there’s a difference between believing on and believing in His name.

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“Believing on the name of Jesus is salvation,” he says. “Believing in the name of Jesus is what taps you into the authority and the power of that particular name.”

Throughout his teaching, Thompson highlights how the name of Jesus embodies everything about who He is: “all the authority, character, rank, majesty, power and excellence that the name implies.”

Citing Philippians 2, he reminds listeners that “God has exalted Him and given Him a name above every name… every name in existence, in the spiritual realm, in the natural realm, in history past, in all of the future—there is no name that can measure up.”

One of the most powerful insights Thompson shares is that the authority of Jesus’ name isn’t arbitrary. According to Scripture, the name of Jesus carries power for three specific reasons:

1. By inheritance – “The DNA of God was in Him,” Thompson explains, referencing Hebrews 1, where Jesus is shown to have received His name as the Son of God.
2. By conferral – “God gave Him the name that was reserved in heaven,” Thompson says, citing Philippians 2 and Ephesians 1.
3. By conquest – “By kicking the devil’s butt,” he says plainly. Jesus “destroyed sin, spiritual death, [and] the hold of Satan.”

This triple crown of authority makes the name of Jesus uniquely equipped to carry divine power. Thompson points out, “Everything that the blood of Jesus has purchased for us is released by the name of Jesus. The authority of release is in the name of Jesus.”

He offered seven vital facts that every believer should know about the name of Jesus:

1. Acts 4:7–10 – The name of Jesus holds the same power and authority as Jesus Himself.
2. Acts 4:12; Romans 10:13 – We are saved and can only be saved by the name of Jesus.
3. Acts 2:38 – We are baptized in the name of Jesus.
4. Ephesians 3:14–15 – When born into the family of God, the name of Jesus belongs to us.
5. 2 Corinthians 5:20; Mark 16:15–18 – We are ambassadors with the power of attorney to use Jesus’ name.
6. John 16:23–24 – We pray to the Father in the name of Jesus.
7. Colossians 3:17 – We are to be totally controlled by the name of Jesus.

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“It’s in us, it’s among us, it’s over us, we use it, it comes out of our lips, it’s in our thoughts—all because of the power of the name,” Thompson says.

In a time where everything is being challenged—faith, identity, truth—the one constant believers can trust in is the name of Jesus. As Thompson so clearly states, “You can bank on the name of Jesus. You can trust in the name of Jesus. You can use the name of Jesus with victory.”

And that’s a name worth remembering.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

What does it take to actually grow your faith in Christ?

In the journey of faith, it’s easy to be distracted by life’s challenges. But Todd Mullins reminds us that if we have Jesus, “then you’ve got everything that you need.”

In a stunning message, Mullins shared powerful insights from Mark 4, where Jesus teaches the parable of the sower—a story that reveals how the condition of our hearts impacts our spiritual growth.

In this parable, Jesus compares the Word of God to a seed that is sown by a farmer. “The seed is the word of God,” Mullins explains, and the soil represents the condition of our hearts. “This is really the parable of the soil more than it’s the parable of the sewer because the sewer can’t make anything grow,” Mullins says. “The sewer doesn’t do anything about the soil. The sewer just sows seed.”

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Mullins explains that our hearts must be prepared to receive God’s word. He identifies several obstacles that hinder spiritual growth.

First, a hardened heart blocks God’s word from taking root. “The more that you and I ignore God… every time we resist God… my heart gets hardened in that area and I can no longer receive,” Mullins states. Just as a rocky path prevents seeds from sprouting, our hearts can become resistant to God’s influence when we turn away from His voice.

Mullins also highlights the danger of distractions, comparing them to thorns that choke the growth of plants. “The worries of this life… the deceitfulness of wealth… and the desires for other things come in and choke the word,” he warns. These distractions can take many forms—fear, anxiety and misplaced priorities—but they all prevent us from fully embracing God’s word and growing in our faith.

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To see growth, we must cultivate good soil. How do we do that? We live our lives according to the Word of God. If we do not live out what the Word of God says, it will be impossible for us to cultivate strong, good soil for the kingdom of God.

“Good soil is going to not only receive the word but is actually going to do what the Word says to do,” Mullins emphasizes. True spiritual growth is not just about hearing God’s word, but about living it out. As James 1:22 reminds us, “Do not merely listen to the word… but do what it says.”

Spiritual growth is a continual process of sowing, cultivating and tending to our hearts. When we decide to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, eliminate distractions and live out what Scripture says, then we can truly have victory and freedom in Christ.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

For many believers, Passover is a powerful reminder of the Exodus—the night the blood of the lamb saved Israel’s firstborn and delivered them from Egypt. But what if this ancient feast is more than just a historical event? What if it’s a prophetic blueprint for what’s to come?

In a recent off-the-cuff teaching, Steve Moutria from Torah Family suggests that Passover may play a central role in the end times and the return of Jesus. While many look to the fall feasts—especially the Feast of Trumpets—as the likely time for Jesus’ return, Moutria says, “Passover is a legitimate time for things to begin just the same. It might actually be the most plausible time.”

The argument is rooted in the idea that biblical history is cyclical. Isaiah 46:10 says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” That, according to Moutria, means what happened at Passover in the past may very well repeat on a greater scale in the future.

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Passover, he explains, is uniquely marked by both judgment and deliverance. “We see the same with Egypt… judgment would come resulting in the deliverance of Israel… and then we have Sodom,” Moutria says, linking that judgment-and-deliverance theme through multiple biblical accounts.

And the pattern doesn’t stop there. In Revelation 11, the two witnesses are killed in “the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” Moutria connects this to Jesus’ crucifixion during Passover, adding, “Passover could even be considered the appointed time of redemption and judgment on Yahweh’s calendar.”

He also highlights the strong “door” symbolism found in Scripture, specifically around Passover. “The blood was put on the door frames, his instructions are put on the doorframes to be the reminder of Passover at all times,” he says. Verses in Revelation, Luke and James also mention a door that separates the saved from the judged—imagery that, in Moutria’s view, all points back to the first Passover.

Perhaps the most compelling clue comes from Matthew 26:2, when Jesus, after delivering His longest discourse on the end times, tells His disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away.” Moutria notes, “Surely this wasn’t a coincidence. Is it a clue we’ve just overlooked?”

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He doesn’t claim to know the day or hour, but says it’s worth paying attention. “You can say I’m stretching things here, and maybe so. But we all know He doesn’t waste words. Everything is said with the purpose and intention.”

Whether you agree with the timing or not, Moutria’s words are a strong reminder that God’s appointed times may be more prophetically significant than many think. “The first deliverance happened at a Passover… could the same be applied to Passover at Jesus’ return, that being the last day of our bondage under Babylon?”

We have a clear call before us. Watch. Be ready. And as Steve Moutria says, “Be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Each spring, Jewish and Christian believers alike gather to remember the night when the blood of a lamb turned away death. For best-selling author and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Passover isn’t just a remembrance—it’s the very heartbeat of salvation.

“It is celebrated by two peoples on Earth,” Cahn says. “One are the children of Israel by flesh and blood… the other are the children of Israel by adoption, by the Spirit, who are born again and grafted in.”

At its core, Passover is about a divine rescue mission, Cahn explains. Drawing from Exodus and the Gospels, he connected the dots between the first Passover in Egypt and its fulfillment in Jesus, the Messiah.

“If you are born again… this Feast is created by God, not by man,” he says. “Messiah our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the Feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

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During the traditional Seder, each element tells part of the redemption story. Cahn held up the z’roa—a shank bone—and revealed its biblical mystery. “The z’roa can be translated as the arm of God,” he says. “Isaiah says, ‘To whom has the z’roa, the arm of God, been revealed?’ What’s it saying? The greatest revelation of the power of God is not that He could create the universe—it’s that He could give His life for you.”

One of the most striking moments comes when Cahn draws a powerful visual connection between Exodus and Calvary.

“They put the blood of the lamb on one doorpost, the other doorpost, and the top—forming a triangle,” he said. “Over a thousand years later, God would answer that. He would take His Lamb on beams of wood and put one blood here, one blood there, and one blood there—forming a triangle from heaven to earth. You put it together, and you have the Star of David, the covenant of God.”

The cup of judgment, Cahn reminds us, symbolizes the wrath Jesus took upon Himself.

“When the Lord said, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me,’ that was the cup,” he says. “This is the judgment that you will never know, because someone else took it for you forever.”

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But perhaps the most soul-searching moment of the evening arrives in a challenge.

“When you see the blood, you have to pass over it,” Cahn says. “There are people who sinned against you, who hurt you… but when you see the blood, you have to lift the judgment. You have to let go. You have to forgive.”

The Passover, he explains, is more than a meal or a moment in history. It’s an invitation to freedom.

“You are saved by the blood of the Lamb. You are set free by the blood of the Lamb. You are new by the blood of the Lamb,” Cahn says. “If you have the love of God, you are rich in this world.”

And just like the Israelites walking out of Egypt, Cahn says, “Once that Passover came, they were free… The past has no claim on your life because the blood of the Passover Lamb sets you free from everything that has ever been.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

In a recent livestream, Isaiah Saldivar tackled one of the most overlooked but important topics in Christian circles today: the misuse of Scripture.

“This is not to water down the Gospel,” Saldivar said early in his teaching. “This is not to water down those Scriptures and be a religious guy and be like, ‘You can’t use these verses.’” His goal, he explained, was not to shame believers but to help them rightly understand the verses they often quote without considering the full context.

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“Misusing verses is not a mistake. It’s a tactic of the enemy,” Saldivar warned, referencing how even Satan quoted Scripture out of context when tempting Jesus in Matthew 4.

Here are seven of the most misused Bible verses according to Saldivar, along with his direct quotes and contextual explanations:

1. Jeremiah 29:11
Misuse: Used as a personal prosperity promise.
Context: A message to Jewish exiles in Babylon, promising restoration after 70 years.

“This was written to a specific group — the exile Jews. We could apply God’s character from it, but we shouldn’t… make it our personal fortune cookie.”

2. Philippians 4:13
Misuse: A motivational quote for success in sports or business.
Context: Paul is speaking about being content during suffering and hardship.

“This verse has difficulty baked into it… This is not about striving. The context is suffering. And the supernatural strength that comes when your identity is in Christ.”

3. Matthew 7:1
Misuse: Used to argue against any form of judgment.
Context: Jesus is addressing hypocritical judgment, not judgment as a whole.

“Jesus says actually, here’s the thing, I do want you to judge your friend… but first make sure there’s no plank in your eye.”

4. Romans 8:28
Misuse: Quoted as a blanket assurance that everything will work out positively.
Context: God uses all things for spiritual growth in those who love Him, not necessarily for comfort or worldly success.

“It doesn’t mean everything is good. It means God will use everything for His good.”

5. 1 Timothy 6:10
Misuse: “Money is the root of all evil.”
Context: The Bible says the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

“Money is not the problem. Love of money is evil. That’s the misquote.”

6. Matthew 18:20
Misuse: Used to validate small prayer groups or gatherings.
Context: Jesus was discussing church discipline, not corporate worship.

“This was about disputing. This was about unity in the church among believers. This was about agreement.”

7. John 3:16
Misuse: Implies salvation is only about intellectual belief, with no repentance or life change.
Context: Belief is tied to obedience and coming into the light.

“Belief that doesn’t transform behavior is not saving faith.”

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Saldivar’s plea is simple: don’t stop quoting Scripture, just quote it right.

“There’s even more power in these verses when we know them in the right context than before when we’re quoting them wrong,” he said.

“We need to be careful that we’re wielding the sword of the Spirit carefully because the Bible is sharp. The Bible can be dangerous if we misuse it.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

When was the last time you saw a miracle, or heard someone speak a prophetic word that truly resonated with your soul?

For many believers, the gifts of the Holy Spirit seem distant, like something out of a Bible story or a fairy tale. But according to Bible teacher Rick Renner, that mindset is not only outdated—it’s unbiblical.

“I grew up in a context where we were told we didn’t need them, and they didn’t even exist anymore,” Renner said in a recent teaching on spiritual gifts. But his tone changes quickly when he begins comparing Scripture: “There are only 23 references in the whole New Testament about water baptism … and not one word of instruction about how to do it.”

On communion, he continues, “There are only 28 references … yet we believe in communion, we practice it with heartfelt faith and commitment.”

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Then comes the clincher: “If you count the verses in the New Testament that address the subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you find that there are 103 verses—four times more than anything about water baptism or communion.”

So why have spiritual gifts been so easily dismissed in modern church circles?

For Renner, it’s a mix of poor theology, tradition and a lack of personal experience. But that personal experience, he says, is where everything changes.

In one service, he shared a word of knowledge about someone’s leg being healed. Later, a woman approached him to say, “I’m the one. I couldn’t move my leg. When you prayed, the power of God hit my leg and I could just move my leg just perfectly.”

These moments are more than emotion—they’re evidence.

Renner points to 1 Corinthians 14:26 where Paul writes, “Let all things be done unto edifying.” He explains, “When all these things are in manifestation in the church, it causes the church to increase spiritually … the gifts of the Holy Spirit really enlarge us spiritually.”

According to Renner, here’s what the gifts do:

• Confirm the reality of Jesus
• Make the gospel tangible
• Bring spiritual maturity
• Enrich the church with knowledge and power
• Foster a partnership between believers and Christ

“When I saw a leg grow for the first time in a meeting, suddenly Jesus the healer stepped off the pages of the Bible and I saw Him,” he said. “It brought to me a revelation—not of a fairy tale in the Bible—but of Jesus the present-day healer.”

He contrasts this with a visit to Russia’s Hermitage Museum during the fall of the Soviet Union. Several paintings depicting Jesus’ miracles were labeled as “fairy tales.” But then he reflected, “That wasn’t really much different than the church I grew up in.”

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Renner doesn’t just defend the continuation of spiritual gifts—he connects them to Christian maturity. Quoting 1 Corinthians 1:7-8, he notes the gifts were to continue “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and goes further: “The gifts of the Holy Spirit are intended to bring us to a greater level of spiritual maturity.”

The argument is simple, yet profound: If God dedicated so much biblical space to spiritual gifts, how can we ignore them?

In Renner’s words, “Let all things be done.”

Let them be done, not for performance, but for the building up of the body of Christ—and for the undeniable revelation of a living Savior still moving among His people.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Sometimes the parables that Jesus spoke almost came off a bit harsh. So, why would a good, loving and kind God use language that would shock us?

In a recent TikTok video, Kelly K looked at the parable of the wedding feast to uncover just exactly why God would use the kind of stark warning that He did in this story.

In Matthew 22, Jesus shares a powerful parable about a king who hosts a wedding feast for his son. The king sends invitations to a select group of guests, but many decline, too busy with their own lives. Frustrated, the king opens the invitation to everyone—good, bad, Jew, Gentile—hoping that anyone willing to come will join the celebration.

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However, when one guest arrives without the proper wedding clothes, the king orders him to be thrown out into outer darkness. The question arises: why such a harsh response to something as seemingly trivial as attire?

Kelly K addresses this question by emphasizing that the parable isn’t about a “dress code” to heaven. The key to understanding this lies in the symbolism behind the wedding clothes. In ancient times, a king hosting such a grand feast wouldn’t expect guests to bring their own attire. The king would provide the necessary garments.

K explains that the king wasn’t asking the man why he didn’t bring clothes from his own closet, but rather, “Where’s the clothes I gave you?” The man’s failure to wear the clothes provided by the king represents rejecting the king’s offer—just as rejecting Jesus’ righteousness is akin to rejecting God’s invitation.

This truth is rooted in Isaiah 61:10, which says, “For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation, and he draped me in the robe of righteousness.” K points out that “the clothes you needed to come to this party that were bought and paid for for you” were already provided, but the man chose not to wear them.

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The righteousness offered by Jesus is not something we can earn; it’s a gift given to us through His sacrifice. Christians must quit relying on their own efforts to earn favor with God. As K explains, “You and I, who had no right standing with God, get to be in right standing with God because Jesus, who knew no sin, traded us His righteousness for our sin.”

Righteousness isn’t something we can achieve on our own. It’s a gift from God. The only thing we need to do is put it on, acknowledging that we are made right with God not by our actions, but by the righteousness of Jesus. As K puts it, “The only thing you need to get into the greatest party of all time—eternity with the creator of the universe—you just gotta put on the right clothes.”

Many are called to God’s kingdom, but only those who accept His gift of righteousness—who “put on the right clothes”—are chosen. The question is: will you choose to put on the robe of righteousness Jesus is offering you today?

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Have you ever wanted to go to a secluded place and scream at the top of your lungs, “God, why are You taking so long?” I have. Everything about my life has seemed too slow. My last name even means “gradual.”

Some people might look at my life and say, “You are blessed and successful.” But I waited a long time to see that fruit. Nothing came quickly.

My first job lasted eight difficult years, and the pay was horrible. Then, at age 31, the ministry I worked for imploded. After that, I went through lengthy seasons of dryness. I often wanted to quit.

I watched as many of my friends seemed to achieve financial success while I felt as if I were stuck in a holding pattern. God’s blessings eventually came, but not as fast as I expected. I didn’t start preaching until I was 43, and I didn’t enter full-time ministry until I was 52.

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Now, I’m mentoring younger Christians who are eager to be used by God. But they are also encountering delays, disappointments and total roadblocks. They are asking me tough questions:

** Why am I not married yet?
** Why does it seem like I can’t get ahead financially?
** Why can’t I discover God’s purpose for my life?
** Will I ever have a family? And should we even try after a miscarriage?
** Why can’t I develop a strong network of friends?
** What do I do with promises from God that seem like they have expired?

Through all my delays, I’ve learned that we must learn to drive the speed limit on the road of life. When God wants to change us into His image, He slows down the process.

British preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote: “God is in no hurry. His purposes can be accomplished without haste, and though He would have us redeem the time because our days are evil, yet in His eternity He can afford to wait, and by His wisdom He so orders His delays, that they prove to be far better than our hurries.”

God’s blessings rarely happen overnight. The Lord’s timing is different from yours. We want Him to answer our prayers instantly, but before He answers He may lead us into a wilderness of testing to shape our character. The apostle Peter wrote: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Pet. 5:6). The “proper time” is God’s time, and it rarely syncs with your schedule.

If you rush through life, anxiously pursuing your own goals, or manipulating people and circumstances to force your own desired outcomes, you will miss His best. Give God your schedule and take your hands off of it. Let Jesus reign over your hours, days, months and years. Be patient, and you will see a harvest in the end.

If God has imposed a speed limit in your life right now, slow down and enjoy the journey. Revving your engine or spinning your tires won’t help. God’s delays burn out the spoiled attitudes in our hearts. Adjusting your speed limit will crucify your flesh.

We see this painful process in David’s life. During his long journey to become king, David ended up in an obscure town called Ziklag. Scholars aren’t sure where this place was, only that it was in the remote Judean wilderness. Ziklag means “pressure,” and it refers to the process of shaping molten metal. While David was in this dark place, he wrote, “My soul thirsts for you…in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1).

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David didn’t lose faith while he was in the Lord’s lonely school of testing. He stayed thirsty for God. He prayed constantly—knowing that he was in the fire of preparation. God was applying heat and pressure to shape him for greater responsibility. In the end, David got out of Ziklag and sat on the throne in Jerusalem. The pain of delay shaped him for the promise.

What was David’s secret to enduring trials? Just as the apostle Paul and Silas sang hymns of praise in the Philippian jail, David wrote most of his psalms in the bleak wilderness, and he sang them there. He worshipped while he waited. He trusted God when there was no visible sign of a breakthrough.

Paul told the Corinthians: “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). God uses our delays to shape our character and spiritual fruitfulness. If we understand this deep truth, we will respond differently when He imposes a speed limit in our lives.

If you are in a holding pattern right now, don’t despair. A breakthrough is coming. God is preparing you to handle the promise when it comes.

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Is prosperity actually a bad thing? What if financial thriving really is something we are meant to do?

The concept of prosperity, especially in regards to financial success, is something that has become controversial within the church. However, what if we’re missing the entire point of prosperity? In a new livestream, Kap Chatfield exposes the five lies that are blocking the church from true biblical prosperity.

Lie 1: Prosperity is a curse word.

Chatfield immediately shuts down this misconception that prosperity is something Christians should avoid like the plague.

“Jesus Himself said that the thief, the devil came to steal kill and destroy,” Chatfield says. “He steals the things of God that are the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness and he perverts them. Because if he can trick the church into believing that these promises are all of a sudden we have to block out a lot of areas of Scripture.”

Lie 2: Prosperity is an American construct.

Chatfield next refutes the belief that prosperity is solely an American construct, and therefore it is pointless. He shows how biblically inaccurate this view really is.

“Prosperity did not begin with America. Prosperity began with the Bible,” Chatfield says. “Prosperity began with the Israelites.”

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He points out that the first promise to be prosperous and blessed was given to Abraham by God, not thousands of years later in the United States.

Lie 3: Money is evil.

For years, money has been inaccurately described as the root of evil. However, biblically speaking, it is being caught up in the love of money that can lead us to destruction. Money in and of itself is simply a necessary tool to help provide us with the goods and resources we need to live. As Chatfield points out, all of us use money, and this cannot be avoided. It is when we chase after money itself that we see other areas of life falter and fail.

“If money were evil, why would a good man leave it for his children’s children?” Chatfield points out the verse that says, “Money actually solves a lot of problems” (Eccl. 10:19).

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Lie 4: Poverty makes us holy.

Another lie that the church believes is that we are somehow made holy by being poor. However, Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. Instead of seeing ourselves and our lives as nothing more than to be belittled, Jesus came to give us fullness of life.

“Don’t believe the lie that poverty equals holiness,” Chatfield says. “Poverty is a strategy from the devil.”

Lie 5: Ministry is a pathway to poverty.

Many Christians are caught up in the life that doing ministry will guarantee them to live impoverished lives. However, this does not have to be the case.

“If God has called you to minister and God has called you to advance the kingdom is actually interested in you as a preacher and you as a ‘s interested in you prospering,” Chatfield says.

The lies that have infiltrated the church—such as equating prosperity with greed, misinterpreting poverty as holiness and assuming that ministry leads to financial ruin—are distractions that prevent believers from stepping into the fullness of God’s provision. By embracing the truth that prosperity is a tool for advancing God’s kingdom, Christians can break free from these misconceptions and align themselves with God’s purpose for thriving in all areas of life, including financial abundance.

Be on the lookout for Kap Chatfield’s new book, Prosperity Is Not a Curse Word.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

If you’ve ever read the Gospel of Mark all the way to the end in a modern Bible, you may have noticed something a little strange. Right after verse 8 in chapter 16, there’s often a note—and a lot of white space.

The New International Version, for example, includes this disclaimer: “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.”

This strange note is more than just a textual footnote. It opens the door to one of the most fascinating and debated topics in New Testament scholarship: Did the Gospel of Mark originally end at verse 8? Or was something lost—and later reconstructed?

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Christian apologist and textual researcher Wes Huff dives into this issue in a recent video, offering both clarity and caution.

“Mark 16:9-20 is found in nearly every New Testament manuscript and is the single longest textual variant in the New Testament,” Huff said. “However, it is missing from two very significant manuscripts: Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus.”

So what exactly is going on at the end of Mark’s Gospel?

1. What’s so special about these ancient manuscripts?

Huff walks viewers through the three major ancient manuscripts used to analyze Mark’s ending: Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus.

Here’s what makes them significant:

• Codex Vaticanus omits verses 9–20 but leaves an entire blank column at the end of Mark—a unique feature nowhere else in the manuscript. “Nowhere in the entirety of Vaticanus’s New Testament do we ever see anything other than when the book is finished, the next book immediately starts in the following column,” Huff said. “The only place… where an entire blank column is left is at the end of Mark.”
• Codex Sinaiticus also omits the longer ending but features unusual scribal behavior: a change in handwriting, expanded lettering, and a highly decorative marker. “Mark’s [decorative scribal marker] is not only more decorative in style but measures 6 cm in length. It’s more than twice the size of the other decorative markers we find.”
• Codex Alexandrinus, the earliest to include the longer ending, also has a standout decorative flourish. “That particular manuscript, though it does include Mark 16:9-20… differs significantly from the ending of the other gospels and is larger.”

These paratextual details—the spacing, styles and visual cues—are not random. They’re intentional.

“Scribes and copyists tend to do things on purpose when it comes to these features,” Huff said.

2. How many endings of Mark are there?

Believe it or not, there isn’t just one disputed ending—there are five different endings found in the manuscript tradition.

According to Huff, these include:

• An abrupt ending at verse 8 (as in Vaticanus and Sinaiticus)
• A shorter alternative ending
• The longer ending (verses 9–20, most commonly printed today)
• A version in Codex Washingtonianus with an extra paragraph between verses 14 and 15
• A hybrid version combining elements of more than one ending

Of all these, only two are seriously considered by scholars:

“What we’re looking at are either the complete longer ending or the shorter ending simply stopping at verse 8,” Huff explained.

3. So, is it Scripture or not?

Huff makes his position clear. He doesn’t believe verses 9–20 are original to Mark’s Gospel—and, therefore, he doesn’t view them as inspired Scripture.

“I do not think Mark 16:9–20 is original. I don’t think Mark wrote it and therefore I don’t think it’s inspired Scripture.”

Still, he believes the ancient scribes were doing their best to preserve what they had and alert future readers to the discrepancies. In his words:

• “I think the internal evidence for its exclusion is strong.”
• “The scribes… are themselves aware of idiosyncrasies going on in the manuscripts that they are copying from.”
• “They are noting in the margins or in somewhere around the text to indicate to the reader and to subsequent copyists that something’s going on here. You need to take notice.”

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Huff also points out the abrupt ending in verse 8 isn’t as grammatically odd as it seems. While it ends in the Greek word ‘gar’ (“for”), that’s not without precedent.

“Plato actually ends his work The Republic with gar as the last word,” he noted.

So what does this all mean for the everyday reader?

At the very least, it shows that early Christians and scribes cared deeply about accuracy—enough to leave markers, spacing and clues for future generations to investigate.

Whether you accept the longer ending or not, the textual tradition reminds us that Scripture transmission was taken seriously, even in the uncertain moments.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.