▁of ▁the ▁g ospel ▁per ic op ae ▁and ▁fol kl ore ▁needed ▁re cons ider ation ▁because ▁of ▁develop ments ▁in ▁fol kl ore ▁studies ; ▁it ▁was ▁less ▁easy ▁to ▁assume ▁the ▁steady ▁growth ▁of ▁an ▁or al ▁tradition ▁in ▁stages ... ▁the ▁length ▁of ▁time ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁" la ws " ▁of ▁or al ▁transmission ▁to ▁operate ▁was ▁greater ▁than ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁g osp els ; ▁even ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁such ▁laws ▁was ▁question ed . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁to ▁mid ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁B ult mann ▁and ▁other ▁form ▁critics ▁said ▁they ▁had ▁found ▁or al ▁" la ws ▁of ▁development " ▁within ▁the ▁New ▁Testament . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁New ▁Testament ▁scholar ▁E . ▁P . ▁Sand ers ▁argued ▁against ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁such ▁laws . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁observations ▁from ▁field ▁studies ▁of ▁cult ures ▁with ▁existing ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁l ent ▁support ▁to ▁Sand ers ' ▁view . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁lingu ists ▁Mil man ▁Par ry ▁and ▁Albert ▁B ates ▁Lord ▁observed ▁that ▁or al ▁tradition ▁does ▁not ▁develop ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁as ▁written ▁texts . ▁Writing ▁tends ▁to ▁develop ▁in ▁a ▁linear ▁manner , ▁beginning ▁with ▁a ▁cru de ▁first ▁draft ▁which ▁is ▁then ▁edited ▁bit ▁by ▁bit ▁to ▁become ▁more ▁pol ished . ▁ ▁Or al ▁tradition ▁is ▁more ▁complex ▁and ▁mult id irection al