My first word must be one of grateful appreciation of the honour which the Society has conferred on me – the highest honour in its gift – in inviting me to preside over this year's meeting and to follow such a distinguished succession of predecessors, including not least my immediate predecessor, Professor Béda Rigaux. As in private duty bound, I cannot but recall that among other predecessors were two eminent scholars whom I am proud to remember also as predecessors in my Manchester chair – Professors T. W. Manson and C. H. Dodd, who presided over the Society in 1949 and 1951 respectively. For any student of the New Testament there could be no more warmly cherished honour than to be called to follow such men in this presidential office.