Chris Keith, The Gospel as Manuscript: An Early History of the Jesus Tradition as Material Artifact (Oxford University Press, 2020), 235.
The Gospel book, and what one did with it, became a physical space on which Christian standing with the rest of the world was negotiated. The line between Mark’s introduction of the written medium to the transmission of the Jesus tradition and these receptions of that tradition centuries later is a winding one. There is nevertheless a continuous thread running through these various extended situations – the Gospel as manuscript. The transmission of the Jesus tradition was not confined to the written medium, but without the Gospel as manuscript, we would not have the reception history of the Jesus tradition that we have.
The Amateur Exegete 
MARY MAGDALENE: Hey, we need to talk.
JESUS: Is this about the stupid fig tree?
MARY MAGDALENE: Okay, that *was* weird, but no. It’s about you needing to take a break from sermons and wonders and whatnot to actually write the Gospel down.
JESUS: Oy vey. This again?
MARY MAGDALENE: Look, you’re preaching the single most important message humanity can possibly hear. The salvation of millions, maybe billions of souls is on the line. Just take a few days to put everything on papyrus so future generations won’t have any doubts about your words and teachings.
JESUS: Ugh. Sounds super boring. Plus, I’m like 99.9% sure this is the last generation.
MARY MAGDALENE: Well, that strikes me as a bit–
JESUS: But regardless, I think we can count on the guys to remember exactly what I’m saying and doing, and to pass along an accurate, consistent, coherent, unified account about which no-one could possibly have historical, doctrinal, or other disagreements.
MARY MAGDALENE: . . . . Seriously?
JESUS: Can I get an amen?
MARY MAGDALENE: No, you cannot.
–Lex Lata
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