Clayton Coombs

Dissertation: Not this Rather than That: Eusebius’ Reception of Mark 16:9–20 in the Ad Marinum

Clayton CoombsRecipient of the Robert and Mary Gamble Hewitt Fellowship

Academic Dean
Planetshakers College, Melbourne, Australia 

Ministry Team Member
David McCracken Ministries

It was such a blessing to be at Wheaton College throughout the four years of my program. Indeed those four years were some of the sweetest times my family and I have known. On the academic side, I was blessed to have the opportunity to study under excellent faculty members, many of them at the top of their fields. Furthermore, since students are encouraged to develop in areas outside of their chosen topic area, I had the opportunity to take seminars in New Testament, Historical and Systematic Theology. I have been enriched (and stretched) beyond what I thought possible. The program certainly exceeded my high expectations. However, it is not just academic rigor that sets Wheaton apart as a destination for higher education, but theological fidelity, spiritual vitality and an unshakeable commitment to Christ and His Church. For all these reasons (and perhaps the generous scholarship program) Wheaton attracts students of a very high calibre. I will always treasure, though I will always miss, my interactions with my doctoral colleagues.

My dissertation entitled “Not This Rather Than That: Eusebius's Reception of Mark 16:9–20 in the Ad Marinum,” was completed under the supervision of Dr. George Kalantzis, whose guidance and friendship have proved to be both a gift and an anchor. After significant interaction with Irenaeus, Origen and other Early Church voices on the form and content of the end of Mark’s gospel, I examine Eusebius’ own testimony in its literary and historical context. I conclude that Eusebius’ treatment of the matter of the Ending is ecumenical rather than equivocal, stemming from a deep concern both for the veracity of Scripture and the health of the Church.