Unlike their very tangible, of-this-world interactions with Jesus before His crucifixion (which, like those they had with any other person they never doubted but accepted at face value) the interactions His disciples had with Him after His resurrection were decidedly of a more spiritual nature. To be sure, they came to absolutely believe that what they had experienced was real, that it was really Him, that He could be handled and touched, and could eat and commune with them. But there was still an element of doubt because of the spiritual nature of His resurrection body that required many convincing proofs (Act 1:3), and so a certain measure of faith, that He was really alive and it was really Him, whereas before they needed no such convincing. Nevertheless, it is clear that they were so completely convinced that He had been raised to immortal life as to turn the world upside down with their understanding of the gospel message of which they were now heralds: that through His suffering unto death and resurrection from the dead Jesus had abolished death (in the sense of rendering it powerless) and brought to light life and immortality; 2Ti 1:10. To this they were witnesses, after the manner of Jesus Himself who was the faithful and true witness (Rev 3:14), even unto death as martyrs as they took up their own crosses to follow Him. For they knew from His example as our forerunner through death into that which is within the veil that death need no longer be feared; Heb 2:14-15, 6:19-20. It was this deliverance from the fear of death that also rendered powerless the devil, stripping him of his armor, so that Christ might plunder his house and establish His own kingdom on earth as it is in heaven; Mat 12:29, Luk 11:21-22.
In this regard, Mark notes that Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel not just to men, but to all creation. For as the Scriptures make clear, the nations of men in this physical realm are but one part of a much larger creation that was subjected to futility and longs to be set free from its slavery to corruption; Rom 8:19-22. This larger creation includes an invisible realm in the heavenlies with thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities, whose spiritual powers are able to greatly influence their counterparts in our physical realm. Hence, the gospel message is not just about reconciling men to God, but all creation to Him. “For it was the Father’sgood pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col 1:16,19-20).
What does Mark now say about the crux of the matter in regard to the gospel Christ’s followers were to herald? See Mark 16:16. Does believe in the Biblical context mean to just accept on some intellectual level the basic facts of the gospel, or is believing unto salvation something more? See Jam 2:19; cf. Joh 3:36 NAS, Heb 3:18-19 NAS. What does Mark inseparably connect with the sort of belief that results in true salvation? See again Mark 16:16. What is the significance of baptism that expresses the real belief that results in salvation? See Rom 6:1-7 and recall the three-part gospel that Jesus, the faithful and true witness, had just shared with them, of which those baptized into His name are also called as witnesses by taking up their own cross. As opposed to those who believe unto salvation the witness of Jesus’ followers, what does He say is the end of those who will not believe? See Mar 16:16. What does it mean to be condemned? Note that the word means literally to be judged down or to judge against, often to condemn to death; cf. Mat 20:18, 1Co 11:32, 2Pe 2:6. Significantly, in the present context, who is given as an example of those who were at first unbelieving? See Mar 16:11; cf. Luk 24:11. What should this remind us about too quickly judging others for their unbelief? Cf. Joh 20:24-29. Might we perhaps also too quickly judge another’s supposed belief? Cf. 1Ti 5:22,24, and note the early church practice of not baptizing new believers apart from demonstrated repentance and sufficient catechetical instruction. While it is clear that true belief is predicated upon one’s obedience to the faith, what do the words believe, or disbelieve, indicate is the fundamental, watershed issue within man that leads ultimately either to salvation or condemnation? Cf. Joh 8:24. Although disbelieving results in condemnation rather than salvation, is it the case that God condemns people because they won’t believe, or are they condemned for other reasons from which true belief would otherwise have saved them? See Joh 3:16-21, 12:46-48.
Consider that in a world of conflicting ideas it can be difficult to discern which, if any, are true, especially by those who are poor and uneducated. How did Jesus say that people would know the truth of the gospel, especially as the kingdom of God was breaking forth in the world and wresting dominion from Satan’s strongholds? See Mar 16:17-18. Did such things actually happen? See Mar 16:20, Act 2:4,43, 3:6,12,16, 4:10,16,30, 5:15-16, 6:8, 8:6-7,13-15, 9:34,40, 10:46, 14:3, 15:12, 16:18, 19:6,12, 28:3-6,8-9; cf. 2Ki 4:39-41. Is there any indication that such signs were only for the first-century church, or might we expect such things to happen in similar circumstances even today? Cf. 1Co 13:8-10. Should we necessarily presume such things must happen, as some have suggested, as a test of true belief? See Mat 4:5-7.