the point that is being made in the context of that gospel (the “vertical” reading). Only after we have done this can we set about comparing the way the story is handled in different gospels (the “horizontal” reading). To sum up: The third leg of the hermeneutical stool is to ensure that the literary context is identified and analysed. In uncovering the meaning of any text, it is crucial that the genre, literary techniques, language and flow of the text guide the process and begin to confirm the