² In the word ‘theology’ I include all Christian reflection on the tradition, and do not intend to restrict it to ‘academic’ activity.

³ In fact, it should be stressed that I am only discussing the Gospels, not the whole New Testament, or the Bible. For each collection of writings was transmitted under its own set of circumstances.

⁴ Parker, D. C., Codex Bezae. An Early Christian manuscript and its Text (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), p. 2, pp. 2fCrossRefGoogle Scholar.

⁵ Parker, D. C., The Living Text of the Gospels (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), p. 184CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

⁶ Ibid., p. 188.

⁷ First stated by Lachmann in 1835.

⁸ Wrede, W., The Messianic Secret, 1901Google Scholar.

⁹ Weeden, T. H., ‘The Heresy that necessitated Mark's Gospel’, ZNW 59 (1968), 145–158CrossRefGoogle Scholar. Reprinted in Telford, W. R. (ed), The Interpretation of Mark (London, 1983), also 2nd edn.Google Scholar Of course, there is plenty of room for debate about many of the details of the story, and here I have only sketched in the merest outlines some of the elements which I consider significant. But, however one looks at it, there is plenty of material for theology to work with.

¹⁰ (‘Christological Interpretation of Texts and Trinitarian Claims to Truth: An Engagement with Francis Watson's Text and Truth’ (SJT 52 (1999), 209–226.)CrossRefGoogle Scholar

¹¹ (‘The Old Testament as Christian Scripture: A Response to Professor Seitz’ (idem, 227–32)).

¹² ‘Christian Morality?’ (idem, 106–16).

¹³ Ibid., p. 106.

¹⁴ SJT 46 (1993), 497–505CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

¹⁵ pp. 499f.

¹⁶ p. 503.

¹⁷ p. 505.

¹⁸ To illustrate the point almost at random, I happened at the same time as writing this across a quatrain found at the end of the four Gospels in a group of thirteenth-century Greek manuscripts, which accords the texts status in a particular way by drawing on John 7:37–38:

These Four Gospels by the disciples of the Word Pour out the stream of ever-flowing words.

Therefore, thirsty one, do not hesitate to drink, But water your soul, and give your mind refreshment.

See Colwell, E. C., The Four Gospels of Karahissar. Vol. 1, History and Text (Chicago, 1936), p. 29Google Scholar.

¹⁹ An Open Letter to Francis Watson on Text, Church and World, from Professor Christopher Rowland and a Response by DrWatson, Francis, SJT 48 (1995), 507–522CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

²⁰ Ibid., p. 519.

²¹ This is an approximation. I am still in the process of gathering information.

²² ‘Hermeneutics in Modern Theology: Some Doctrinal Reflections’, SJT 51 (1998), 307–341CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

²³ Ibid., p. 307.

²⁴ This is true in the literary sense for Matthew and Luke. Even if John is independent (as he is in my view), there is still a fascinatingly Johannine character to the Markan theology—or is it just that we have not yet fully liberated him from what we already knew?