The Appendices to the Gospel according to Mark. 437 



perhaps employed in other epistles (Zeitschrift fiir Kirch. Wissen- 

 schaft, 1889, I, p. 25 f.), but form and vocabulary indicate a later 

 rather than earlier date than the canonical writings. 



The Longer Conclusion seems to have belonged originally to an 

 apocryphal writing, possibly a gospel, perhaps a kerygma like the 

 Kerygma Petri. The Freer Logion did not belong to this source, 

 as has been argued. To criticize the various theories of the origin of 

 this section offered by Resch, Rohrbach, von Dobschiitz and others 

 is not possible in this discussion, but none of these theories have been 

 generally adopted as satisfactory or conclusive. Many of the most 

 eminent textual critics of today accept the Aristion authorship or 

 source of this fragment, but reasons have been given in the previous 

 discussion for not adopting this view. 



The Longer Conclusion probably originated in Asia Minor. Its 

 form, coloring, and purpose, especially its emphasis upon faith and 

 unbelief, all lead us to associate it with the Johannine school. Ex- 

 ternal testimony confirms this conclusion drawn from internal evi- 

 dence, for our first undisputed reference to it among the fathers is 

 found in Irenaeus of Lyons in Celtic Gaul, who, in his work against 

 Heresies (IIL 10. 6) says: "In fine autem evangelii ait Marcus, Et 

 quidem dominus Jesus," going on to quote Mark 16 : 19. We know 

 that in his early life Irenaeus was associated with Asia Minor, and that 

 he remembered seeing Polycarp when he was a lad. Though he had 

 visited Rome, most probably he would follow the tradition of Asia 

 Minor. Since his work was written 182—188 A.D. we infer that by 

 this date the Longer Conclusion was recognized by the great churches 

 of Asia Minor as the authoritative, authentic, and sole conclusion of 

 the Gospel, since, in spite of his wide knowledge, Irenaeus reveals no 

 suspicion of its genuineness. 



But at a still earlier date, that is about 172 A.D., Tatian incorpo- 

 rated the Longer Conclusion into his Diatessaron. Tatian seems to 

 have reached Rome about 150 AD, As pupil and associate of Justin 

 Martyr he would naturally follow the tradition and the text of the 

 church at Rome. We infer, therefore, that very soon after C had been 

 appended to the Gospel it was carried from Asia Minor to Rome. 

 The close association and frequent communication between the 

 churches of these two sections render this antecedently probable. 

 If we could believe that Justin Martyr, when he writes ol aTToairoTvOi 

 auTotj £^s>v96vTS? xavTa/^oD sxYiptj^av (Apol. i. 45) refers to sxsTvoi Bs 

 e&XGovTs? £K-^pu2av Tzccvzccyoo in IG : 20 this supposition would receive 

 strong confirmation, but though many scholars find here an early 

 testimony to the Longer Conclusion, literary dependence seems by 



