What Does Mark 16:15-16 Teach?

by Dan Richardson

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

Man’s salvation in Christ is the greatest subject that can be considered. In this scripture, Jesus tells us how we can be saved. Jesus died on the cross, was buried in a cold, dark tomb, but was raised from death in victory over Satan and has paid the ransom for sinful man. Jesus’ words are so plain that one would have to have help to misunderstand them. For him who yearns for God’s forgiveness in Christ, who approaches this scripture with honesty and simple trust, the way to salvation is clear. Please consider what it says.

The Importance Of Gospel Preaching (Verse 15). What makes the message to be preached important is neither man’s eloquence nor education, but that the authority of Christ is behind it. Jesus has all authority (Matthew 28:18), and those sent forth to preach were to so speak, “as though God were entreating by us” (II Corinthians 5:20). The apostles initially received this commission and were to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:8).

That preached is called the “gospel” - good news that salvation has been brought down by God’s grace in Christ (Titus 2:11-12). Its contents comprise the historical facts of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, corroborated by many eyewitnesses (I Corinthians 15:1-8), the precious promises of God’s blessings (in time and eternity) offered to mankind, and the instruction given for mankind to obey if they would receive such blessings (like the text above). The gospel is God’s power to save. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17; see also Acts 11:14; I Corinthians 1:21; James 1:18, 21). He who looks for an “unconditional” salvation can find such in the teachings of John Calvin and protestant denominations in general, but he will not find it in the words of Christ. The reader must decide whom he would entrust his soul to.

The gospel is for the “whole creation” because God “so loved the world” (John 3:16). The apostle Paul preached the gospel out of indebtedness to all mankind - “to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish” (Romans 1:14-15). No longer would the Jewish race be counted exclusively as God’s covenant people as in Old Testament days, nether would there be any other distinction, as men are prone to make: “There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:18). The gospel is for all.

The Necessity Of Gospel Obedience (Verse 16a). The phrase “he that …” is important. This refers to a different category of people than in verse 15. The reason this is true is seen in the fact that not all will choose to be saved. The gospel is for all, but not all will obey. Those who do obey are they who received the gospel with an “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15) and “all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11), who were “pricked in their heart” by the power of the gospel which exposed their sins (Acts 2:37), and who received the gospel “not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13).

Those desiring to be saved are commanded to believe and be baptized. One would almost count it insulting to the average intelligence of adulthood to present an English lesson on the significance of the conjunction “and.” However, there are those who need to be reminded that “and” joins with equal significance belief and baptism to bring about the desired result of salvation. This is language children can understand. To acknowledge the place of baptism here doesn’t diminish the importance of belief, but rather helps define saving faith. Many scriptures can be found that teach the necessity of belief (faith) in God and Christ for salvation (John 3:16; 8:24; Romans 5:1, etc.). The question that must be answered is, “What constitutes saving faith?” Because I can read in scripture of some having faith in God/Christ who were certainly not pleasing to God (see John 12:42-43; James 2:19, 24), I can conclude that a mere mental consent to God’s existence or Jesus’ deity isn’t enough. But this is exactly the idea held by many religions today. Saving faith responds to the commands of Jesus with trusting obedience: “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth …” (I Peter 1:22-23). When one submits to and obeys the command to be baptized, he likewise is responding in faith: “having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:11-12). Baptism is the “circumcision of Christ,” whereby there is the “putting off of the body of the flesh” - SIN! (verse 11; see also Acts 2:38; 22:16; I Peter 3:21).

But someone will respond that I’m suggesting salvation by “works.” Well, yes - as long as we understand the Bible speaks of “good works” which are necessary to please God (Ephesians 2:10). The fact that man is called upon to respond to God’s word of his own volition does not negate His grace, nor exalt man improperly. I’m aware of other scriptures that warn of works that cannot save (Galatians 2:16; Romans 4:4), but these refer either to the works of the law of Moses or of human wisdom. Baptism falls under neither category; it is a command of the gospel of Christ! The question that remains is this: “Do you trust in Jesus enough to obey what he commands?” The consequences are bleak and eternal for those who “obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus …” (II Thessalonians 1:8).

The Tragedy Of Gospel Rejection (Verse 16b). Those who disbelieve the gospel reject Christ and his commands. Some refuse to believe the gospel because they consider themselves too wise: “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness …” (I Corinthians 1:18). Others do so merely for the love of sin, not wishing to be exposed for what they are by the light of truth: “… and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved” (John 3:19-20). And still, there are those who have involved themselves in false religions designed by man: “… not according to knowledge … being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3). Whatever the reason, none will be justified for rejecting Christ.

Jesus said the unbelieving will be “condemned.” We all will stand before Christ in the Judgment to give an accounting of how we’ve lived our lives: “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things (done) in the body, according to what he hath done, whether (it be) good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10). The determining factor of where we will spend eternity is whether or not we did the will of God (Matthew 7:21-23). Hell is described as a place for the “unbelieving” (Revelation 21:8).