Overview of Why would God tell Israel to kill its enemies? The Book of Acts and the missing end of Mark's Gospel — Premier Unbelievable
This episode of Ask NT Wright Anything tackles three major New Testament and Old Testament questions: the missing ending of Mark’s Gospel, the purpose of the Book of Acts, and how Christians should understand the violent conquest and judgment language in the Old Testament. Tom Wright argues that the textual issues in Mark are best understood as the loss of an original beginning and ending, that Acts simultaneously presents Paul’s innocence and Jesus’ universal lordship, and that the violence in the Old Testament must be read within the larger biblical story that culminates in the cross.
Mark’s Gospel: Did It Really End at 16:8?
The main issue
The discussion centers on the well-known textual problem that the earliest reliable manuscripts of Mark end at 16:8, with the women fleeing the tomb in fear and telling no one.
Tom Wright’s view
Wright argues that:
- The longer endings are secondary additions by later scribes.
- Mark’s original ending was likely lost, and possibly even his beginning too.
- The opening of Mark may also have been altered, since it appears to begin awkwardly with a quotation attributed to Isaiah that includes material from Malachi.
Why Wright thinks this
He connects Mark’s missing ending to the physical history of ancient scrolls and manuscripts:
- Ancient texts often lost their beginnings or endings due to damage.
- Mark may have been copied less often than Matthew or Luke, which could explain why its original ending did not survive.
- Since Mark repeatedly predicts Jesus’ death and resurrection, Wright believes a resurrection narrative almost certainly belonged in the original Gospel.
Big takeaway
Wright does not see the abrupt ending at 16:8 as Mark’s final literary intention, but he thinks the surviving ending still works as a powerful invitation to faith: readers are left to decide what to do with the risen Jesus.
The Book of Acts: Paul’s Defense or Jesus’ Mission?
The question
The episode explores whether Acts is mainly:
- a defense of Paul in the face of Roman legal scrutiny, or
- a proclamation that Jesus is the true Lord of the world.
Wright’s answer
He says it is both.
1. Paul’s innocence is repeatedly emphasized
Luke shows Roman officials again and again finding no real guilt in Paul:
- He is protected by Roman authorities.
- Officials often conclude he deserves release.
- Even when chaos erupts, Luke highlights that Paul is not a political rebel or criminal.
2. Jesus is the true cosmic Lord
At the same time, Acts presents the gospel as the real hero of the story:
- The gospel advances from Jerusalem to Rome, fulfilling Acts 1:8.
- Paul is not the central hero; the gospel itself is.
- Rome is not ultimately in charge—Jesus is.
Relationship to Romans and early Christianity
Wright connects Acts to Paul’s letter to the Romans:
- Jesus is Lord over the world.
- Christians are not called to violent revolution.
- Early believers can be loyal citizens while refusing idolatry and imperial worship.
Big takeaway
Acts is not just a history of early mission or a courtroom defense. It is a story of the gospel advancing under the lordship of Jesus, even as the Roman legal system repeatedly clears Paul.
Violence in the Old Testament: Why Would God Command It?
The hardest question in the episode
The final section addresses one of the most difficult biblical topics: why God would command Israel to destroy or displace peoples in texts like Joshua and other conquest narratives.
Wright’s framework
He refuses to offer a simplistic answer and instead gives several theological anchors.
1. Judgment comes after long corruption
He points to Genesis 15, where God says Israel will return to the land only after “the iniquity of the Amorites” is complete.
This suggests:
- God’s judgment is not arbitrary.
- Divine action comes after prolonged evil.
- Some societies become so corrupt that judgment becomes the only remaining response.
2. Israel is not morally superior
Wright stresses that Israel itself is part of the problem:
- Abraham and his descendants are flawed and ambiguous.
- Israel repeatedly fails to live as a blessing to the nations.
- Even David is told he cannot build the temple because he has blood on his hands.
3. The whole biblical story points to the cross
The larger arc of Scripture shows:
- God working through a broken people.
- God taking human wickedness seriously.
- God ultimately bearing violence himself in Jesus.
Wright’s key claim is that the conquest narratives only make sense when seen within the larger story that ends at the cross, where God absorbs the world’s violence rather than merely condemning it from a distance.
Big takeaway
Wright does not minimize the violence, but he argues that the Bible presents a long redemptive story in which God’s justice and mercy are both finally revealed in Jesus.
Key Themes and Insights
1. Textual criticism matters
The discussion of Mark shows how manuscript evidence shapes what we think the New Testament originally said.
2. Scripture is a unified story
Wright repeatedly insists that individual difficult passages must be read within the whole biblical narrative.
3. Jesus is the interpretive center
Whether discussing Mark, Acts, or Joshua, the final lens is Jesus:
- his resurrection,
- his lordship,
- and his crucifixion as the climax of God’s response to evil.
4. The Bible is not a simple moral handbook
Wright rejects the idea that Scripture should only contain tidy ethical examples. Instead, it tells the story of God working through history, judgment, suffering, and redemption.
Follow-Up Resources Mentioned
- A bonus episode will continue the discussion on violence in the Old Testament.
- Viewers are invited to submit questions at askantright.com.
- The hosts also mention related Premier content on:
- C.S. Lewis,
- church history,
- and other theology podcasts.
Bottom Line
This episode offers a thoughtful, non-simplistic treatment of three major biblical questions:
- Mark’s Gospel likely lost its original ending, though the surviving text still powerfully challenges readers.
- Acts is both a defense of Paul and a proclamation that Jesus rules the world.
- Old Testament violence must be understood within the sweeping biblical story that leads ultimately to God’s self-giving in Christ.