Biblica_1:Layout 1 21-11-2011 12:59 Pagina 398 398 SIMON J. JOSEPH P. Oxy. 655 and Codex Sinaiticus at Matt 6:28 25. Robinson and Heil argue that a number of conjectured redactional “insertions” in Q pro- posed by scholars (independently of any consideration of P. Oxy. 655 and also omitted in P. Oxy. 655) indicate that the Thomas tradi- tion preserved an earlier, simpler version of the saying found in Q. Robinson and Heil argue that the “original” climax was that your Father will provide the basic necessities of food, drink and clothing (Q 12,29, 30b). P. Oxy 655 does, however, declare God’s providence (“That one will give you your clothing!”), which is strikingly remi- niscent of the meaning of Q 12,31. The problem pivots on whether Skeat, Robinson, and Heil’s re- construction of [ο]ὐ ξα[ί]νει (“they do not card”) in P.Oxy. 655 is to be preferred to [α]ὐξάνει (“they grow”). The literary-critical ar- guments deployed to establish P.Oxy. 655 as preserving an early tradition earlier than Q are contested and inconclusive 26. P. Oxy. 655 may be a secondary, redacted version of the Q saying. Jens Schröter affirms that “P.Oxy. biete eine interessante, nachsynoptis- che Fassung der Sorgensprüche”, but argues that Robinson and Heil’s thesis is “in jeder Hinsicht unhaltbare Konstruktion” 27. This matter is not settled and requires further analysis. Yet the problem in adjudicating between rival positions extends far beyond text- critical matters towards questions of authenticity, wisdom, escha- tology, and the meaning of the “kingdom”. 25 T.C. SKEAT, “The Lilies of the Field”, ZNW 37 (1938) 211-214; J.M. ROBINSON, “The Pre-Q Text of the (Ravens and) Lilies: Q 12:22-31 and P.Oxy. 655 (Gos. Thom. 36)”, Text und Geschichte. Facetten theologischen Arbeitens aus dem Freundes- und Schülerkreis. Dieter Lührmann zum 60. Geburtstag (eds. S. MASER – E. SCHLARB) (MThSt 50; Marburg 1999) 143- 180; J.M. ROBINSON – C. HEIL, “A Pre-Canonical Greek Reading in Saying 36 of the Gospel of Thomas”, The Sayings Gospel Q. Collected Essays (eds. J.VERHEYDEN – C. HEIL) (BETL 189; Leuven 2005) 845-883. 26 R.H. GUNDRY, “Spinning the Lilies and Unraveling the Ravens: An Alternative Reading of Q 12:22b-31 and P. Oxy. 655”, ID.,The Old is Better. New Testament Essays in Support of Traditional Interpretations (WUNT 178; Tübingen 2005) 149-170; J. SCHRÖTER, “Vorsynoptische Überlieferung auf P.Oxy. 655? Kritische Bemerkungen zu einer erneuerten These”, ZNW 90 (1999) 265-272; ID. “Verschreiben? Klärende Bemerkungen zu einem vermeintlichen Schreibfehler in Q und tatsächlichen Irrtümern”, ZNW 92 (2001) 283-289; S.E. PORTER, “P.Oxy.655 and James Robinson’s Proposals for Q: Brief Points of Clarification”, JTS 52 (2001) 84-92, esp. 92. 27 SCHRÖTER, “Verschreiben?”, 289.