Attendant Circumstance Participles

Participles can function as either an adjective, adverb, or noun (depending on context [and technically a gerund in English speak]), which allows for various endings (e.g., -ing, -ed, -en,-d, -n, -t). Attendant circumstance is a special scenario where the participle contains an action that is dependent on the main verb semantically, but the two actions cannot be separated. If the participle can be categorized as another type of adverbial participle, then it cannot be attendant circumstance. For more thorough discussion, see Wallace, Greek Grammar, 640-644.

According to Dan Wallace, attendant circumstance participles usually (90% of the time) have these five characteristics:

• tense of participle is aorist
• tense of main verb is aorist
• main verb is imperative or indicative
• participle precedes main verb in word order
• usually in narrative genre

A clear example is found in Matthew 9:13: πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε τί ἐστιν· ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν, "Go and learn what it is: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." 

Another good passage to discuss would be the "Great Commission" in Matthew 28:19-20:

19  πορευθέντες οὖν μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος,  20  διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος.

All five characteristics are present in the opening participle and the main verb. It would be difficult to see a mere temporal idea in this participle. Translating as "while going," is ok, but there is certainly more force to the "Go," idea. Wallace concludes removing imperative force from "Go" turns this into more of a suggestion.

However, the final two participles "baptizing" and "teaching," would not be attendant circumstance. Not only do they follow the main verb, but "Means" would be a much more appropriate function for them. They answer how the disciples were commanded to "make disciples."

This category of participles may not be the most obvious choice, but knowing these five characteristics will help the student from mislabeling a participle and allow for more accurate understandings of debatable passages.

Mark 16:9-20

 “Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
— ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬-‭15‬‬

“These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.””
— ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬


Mark ends at 16:8

    External evidence: ℵ B 304 sys sams armmss Eus Eusmss Hiermss.

• Sinaiticus and Vaticanus testimony here are huge.
• Clement of Alexandria and Origen do not know of these verses.
• Eusebius and Jerome affirm that Mark ends at 16:8 in all manuscript that they know.

 

 Internal arguments:

Vocabulary and style not like Mark (this is a double-edged sword when it comes to determining authorship and authenticity of books/sections of books). But the data is as follows: ἀπιστέω, βλάπτω,

βεβαιόω, ἐπακολουθέω, θεάομαι, μετά ταῦτα, πορεύομαι, συνεργέω, ὕστερον are found nowhere else

in Mark. One word (θανάσιμον) and phrase referring to disciples (τοῖς μετ΄αὐτο γενομένοις) would only

occur here in the entire NT.

The connection between vv. 8 and 9 is awkward at best. Mary Magdalene is "reintroduced." Jesus is

assumed to be the new subject, when the entire chapter has been about the women.

The principles of text criticism (reasoned eclecticism, at least) would presume that it's much easier to assume the text grew over time. Scribes would see an abrupt ending and add to the text than see a nice, rounded ending to Mark and cut it out.

Either shorter or longer ending of Mark

Shorter reading: “They reported briefly to those around Peter all that they had been commanded.

After these things Jesus himself sent out through them, from the east to the west, the holy and

imperishable preaching of eternal salvation. Amen.”
 

   External evidence:

Short + Long ending: L Ψ 083 099 0112 579 al

vv 9-20 after v. 8: A C D W [which has a different shorter ending between vv. 14 and 15] Θ ƒ13 33 2427 Majority lat syc, p, h bo

  

 Internal arguments: f

So what happened to the ending of Mark?

(1) the Gospel was never finished; hmm...unlikely. I mean, Mark could have been receiving persecution

and never been able to finish. But there has to be better options.

(2) the last leaf of the gospel was lost prior to copying. Unlikely, because it would have been written on

a scroll. The last section of Mark would have been the most protected. There were no "leaves" until the

codex/book was invented centuries later.

(3) The author intentionally ended the Gospel here. Believe it or not, this fits Marks modus operandi.

Mark loves mystery in his gospel and challenging the reader. Nothing better than basically leaving the reader with sense of wonder after most amazing event and the basic question, “Will you believe, and how will you respond?”

Conclusion:
I definitely lean towards the manuscript evidence that does not include vv. 9-20 of chapter 16. There’s both internal evidence in these verses and external (stronger manuscript) support for Mark ending at v. 8, even though it leaves the gospel “open” per se.

 
Just because verses are not original does not mean events they discuss didn’t happen. E.g., I still think the woman caught in adultery (beginning of John 8) sounds like something very much like Jesus would do.

V.  14 doesn’t sound like Jesus, especially post resurrection, but it could have happened. The “accompanying signs” have inspired many church practices in various denominations but we can argue about that another time.

Some even say the “Great commission” has been fulfilled bc from Jesus and disciples’ perspective, taking gospel to “ends of earth” has happened. Was Jesus really thinking of every people group? I don’t know. It’s possible and every nation certainly needs to hear the gospel. But I don’t think anything is hindering Jesus’ return. 

What’s our responsibility now? Love others. Make disciples. Serve sacrificially. Show hope where there is none.