New Testament Greek

The longer ending of Mark concludes with a beautiful note of divine validation:

τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων “confirming the word through the signs that followed.”

The prepositional phrase διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων functions to express the means by which the word was being confirmed. The participle ἐπακολουθούντων is present active genitive plural, emphasizing that these signs were not isolated miracles, but ongoing accompaniment—a continual aftermath of faithful preaching.

Let’s now focus on the final phrase of Mark 16:20:

διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων — “through the signs that followed”

This phrase uses a genitive plural present participle (ἐπακολουθούντων) modifying the genitive noun σημείων, and the entire phrase functions as a prepositional genitive of means or agency.… Learn Koine Greek

Mark 16:20 concludes with a profound description of divine activity:

Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐξελθόντες ἐκήρυξαν πανταχοῦ, τοῦ κυρίου συνεργοῦντος, καὶ τὸν λόγον βεβαιοῦντος διὰ τῶν ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων. “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the accompanying signs.”

The phrase τοῦ κυρίου συνεργοῦντος… καὶ… βεβαιοῦντος is a classic genitive absolute construction, independent from the main clause. It describes what God was doing concurrently with the apostles’ mission. This grammatical construction teaches that the spread of the gospel was not merely human effort—but divine-human synergy, empowered and authenticated by God Himself.… Learn Koine Greek