We did all of Mark and Jim liked my answers so much that he used 'em in his summary. That made me happy. Jesus' self-understanding in Mark's gospel: he was sent by God to God's people, to do God's will and to speak for God. That's it: the Marcan mission of Jesus in a nutshell.

And Jim came with that suggestion you hear that Mark didn't know of Jesus' divinity. Fr. Murphy-O'Connor says it of Paul. But tonight I'd heard it enough actually to listen to it ... and I balked at it.

And I said, "Look, you're saying God saved these guys - Saint Peter, Saint Mark - even though they possessed inadequate faith." How do I get in on this cut-rate deal?!

He's a Johannine guy, so I cut 'im to the quick. It's all about faith for him, adequate, sufficient, saving faith. He lives personally by faith alone. But the inspired authors were somehow lacking?

He mumbled something back about "faith seeking understanding" and faith being a gift from God and an actual grace, but he's really saying, he can't deny that he's saying, that until Nicaea, orthodox christology was in the minority.

And who can be saved with a less-than-orthodox christology? God grades on a curve?! I mean, I'd like to know, 'cuz the matter likely affects me personally. And I'm not thinking in nominal terms here. Really, I'm not - I'm resisting that temptation.