The minister announced that he would preach on the subject of liars¹ next Sunday. He said, "To make preparation for my discourse（论述，演讲）, I hope you all read the seventeenth chapter of Mark."

On the following Sunday, when the minister began to preach, he said: "Now, if you have read the seventeenth chapter of Mark as I requested, please raise your hand." Almost everybody's hand went up.

Then the minister said: "I want to tell you that there is no seventeenth chapter of Mark."

牧师宣布下个礼拜天他布道时要讲说谎者的问题。他说：“为了给这次布道做好准备，我希望大家都去看看《马可福音》的第十七章。”

到了下个礼拜天，牧师开始布道时说：“如果你们按照我的要求看过《马可福音》的第十七章，现在举手。”几乎每个人都举了手。

牧师就说：“我要告诉你们，《马可福音》并没有第17章。”