Upon earning his master's degree from Mansfield College, Oxford, Twelftree went on to study under New Testament scholar James D. G. Dunn at the University of Nottingham where he completing his doctoral dissertation Jesus, the Exorcist: A Contribution to the Study of the Historical Jesus.
[citation needed] Twelftree authored several books and journal articles including Jesus the Miracle Worker: A Historical & Theological Study (Grand Rapids: IVP, 1999).
Through his writings Twelftree has made a significant contribution to what has been erroneously called the third quest for the historical Jesus.
He also serves on the editorial board of The Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus (Sheffield Academic Press).
[citation needed] Twelftree has written or edited several books, journal articles, and reviews.