TRIBUTES have been paid to a revered theologian, author and historian, who has died months short of his 100th birthday.

The Reverend Professor Charles Cranfield was described by Tom Wright, a former Bishop of Durham, as one of the leading British New Testament scholars of the second half of the 20th century.

He taught at Durham University for 30 years from 1950 to 1980 and was an Emeritus Professor of Theology.

Schooled in London and at Cambridge, Rev Prof Cranfield trained as a Methodist minister before joining the Presbyterian Church of England, which would become the United Reformed Church (URC), in 1954.

He wrote many articles and books and was best known for two commentaries: on Paul’s letter to the Romans and Mark’s Gospel, both from the New Testament.

Former Bishop Wright, now Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Studies at St Andrews University and one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars, said his two-volume work on Romans was magisterial.

It is reported he would regularly go to Durham Prison early in the morning to meet criminals being released and take them for tea to see if he could help them practically.

Rev Prof Cranfield died on Friday, February 27, aged 99. His funeral will be held at Waddington Street URC, Durham, in Friday, March 13, at 1pm.