These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;
World English Bible
This verse is examined in more than one Scripture Analysis section. Each lens is shown on its own terms, in the section's own words; GEBible reaches no verdict of its own.
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These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages;
World English Bible
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Mark 16:17 (the disputed Longer Ending) lists casting out demons as one of the signs *parakolouthēsei tois pisteusasin* — 'that will follow those who believe.' Mark 9:38 and Luke 9:49 have the disciples report a non-follower casting out demons in Jesus's name, which Jesus permits.
Critical scholarship: Usually considered reconciled.
Historical detail
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
Mark 16:17 says exorcism in Jesus' name is a sign that follows 'them that believe' — a believers-only operation. Matthew 7:21-23, Mark 9:38, and Luke 9:49 all describe people casting out demons in Jesus' name who are explicitly not part of his followers — including some whom Jesus rejects at the final judgment despite their successful exorcisms ('I never knew you').
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Historical detail
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
Luke 24:51 has Jesus ascend on the day of resurrection itself, after a single day of post-resurrection appearances. Mark 16:19 has the ascension at the close of a sequence of appearances.
Critical scholarship: Widely regarded as a genuine contradiction.
Chronology
The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.
Each section sets the viewpoints side by side; you weigh the evidence. Here, "critical scholarship" means academic study, not a value judgment. How this is built →
Within each section, grouped by shared field or question type — not a cross-section comparison.
One of these tensions involves a difference in wording across manuscripts or translations. Examine the original language on Lemma →
This citation refers to this GEBible page — the verse and the analysis gathered here. To cite the underlying scholarship, cite those sources directly.
"Mark 16:17 — Scripture Analysis" GEBible, https://gebible.app/analysis/verse/mark/16/17?version=WEB (retrieved 27 August 2026).