The Enigmatic Nature of Mark's Gospel: Vincent Taylor and the Quote of the Day

Vincent Taylor (1887-1968)

Vincent Taylor, the great British Methodist biblical scholar, was perhaps best known for his work on Mark's Gospel as his magisterial commentary, The Gospel According to St. Mark is still a standard bearer for engagement with the Greek text to this day.

I was beginning to read  David Garland's A Theology of Mark's Gospel: Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God last evening when I came upon a quote from Taylor's in Garland's Author's Preface (25-26), which discusses the enigmatic nature of Mark's Gospel.

In an article, "Unsolved New Testament Problems: The Messianic Secret in Mark," ExpTim 59 (1948): 151; Taylor writes:

We ask who He is and He gives us no answer. Enigmatic as in the days of His flesh, He is enigmatic still to the questing mind. But He so works in history and life that, after He has left us "in suspense," we come to know of a surety who He is. He makes Himself known in His deeds, in the breaking of bread, in the Cross, in prayer and worship. He is what He does. His secret cannot be read; it must be found. (Cited in Garland; 25; emphasis mine)