Shortly after his 93rd birthday, Metzger died in Princeton, New Jersey, on February 13, 2007. Everywhere he went, he was recognized. Advent reminds us that Christian hope is shaped by what has happened and what’s going to happen again. Two years later, I went to Princeton and spent some time with him in his office at the seminary. CTWeekly delivers the best content from ChristianityToday.com to your inbox each week. [14] He concludes that, “In the most basic sense neither individuals nor councils created the canon; instead they came to recognize and acknowledge the self-authenticating quality of these writings, which imposed themselves as canonical upon the church.”[15], Selected Interview and Writings about Bruce M. Metzger, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (, James A. Brooks, "Bruce Metzger as Textual Critic,". [7] That year, he was promoted to Assistant Professor. [4] Metzger had strong academic training in Greek before enrolling in Princeton Seminary, and in the summer prior to entering the Seminary, he completed reading through the entire Bible consecutively for the twelfth time. Frankly, I thought their question was a bit uncharitable since they already knew the answer (he does not). Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. I am never prepared for any friend’s death, regardless of how old he or she is. A daily newsletter featuring the most important and significant events on each day in Christian History. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Mackay. He was my reason for wanting to go to Princeton Seminary; without him there, I decided to earn my doctorate elsewhere. He was adamant about the deity of Christ and his bodily resurrection. It hit me hard when I heard the news on Valentine’s Day that he had passed from this life to the next the day before. Major newspapers picked up the tribute and published it. And for good reason. Almost immediately, eulogies came from many quarters. His scholarship has proved to be almost impeccable. A search on Google will reveal a lot of venom directed against Dr. Metzger. One can only imagine what he was thinking about when he got distracted in mid-brush. But I wish to begin with some general comments, so that the reader can know a bit more about this gentleman-scholar. He said, “This urn contains the ashes of a Revised Standard Version Bible.” Metzger had been on the translation committee for the RSV, and a zealous fundamentalist preacher torched the Bible from the pulpit one Sunday, declaring it the work of the devil. Bruce Metzger, an expert on Greek biblical manuscripts, died Tuesday at the age of 93.The professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary died of natural causes. [dubious – discuss] Metzger says that the early church saw it as very important that a work describing Jesus' life be written by a follower of or an eyewitness to Jesus, and considered other works such as The Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistles of Clement to be inspired but not canonical. At the age of seventy, after teaching at Princeton Theological Seminary for a period of forty-six years, he retired as Professor Emeritus. In 1994, Bruce Metzger was honoured with the Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies by the British Academy. Although it is an overused word of effervescence—to the point of being a cliché—I mean it sincerely when I say that Dr. Metzger is an inspiration to me. The professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary died of natural causes. The school had been a bastion of conservatism until, The Net Pastor’s Journal, Eng Ed, Issue 37, Fall 2020. Bruce Metzger was professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a board member of the American Bible Society. "The Fathers … did not consider inspiration to be a unique characteristic of canonical writings." Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. He mastered several ancient and modern languages and ended up teaching at Princeton for 46 years. In 1939, he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church. I learned at that time that he was not allowed to take any more doctoral students; he had turned 65 almost three years earlier, and the seminary had a mandated retirement age in place. I noticed that a comb was still in his hair! As I opened the passenger side-door, he took his hat off and sat down. I had to speak up now. Jump to navigation Jump to search. In 1938, he joined the faculty at Princeton Seminary. Yet in spite of his productivity, he was always very careful. The hip preacher, friends with celebrities like Justin Bieber, had led Hillsong’s first US church since its launch a decade ago. Metzger edited and provided commentary for many Bible translations and wrote dozens of books. Metzger was well known for his work in New Testament textual criticism. He was a scholar of Greek, New Testament, and New Testament textual criticism, and wrote prolifically on these subjects. He had turned 93 just four days earlier (February 9). The above can be found in almost any tribute. He laughed gently, and said, “Oh! There was profound respect in their tone. He was an editor of the United Bible Societies' standard Greek New Testament, the starting point for nearly all recent New Testament translations. Already a subscriber? Dr. Metzger was the epitome of grace; everywhere he went, he touched lives deeply for the Lord. He was survived by his wife Isobel and their two sons, John Mackay Metzger and James Bruce Metzger. In 1948, he became Associate Professor, and full Professor in 1954. Theology Today 10/1 ... Obviously the self-sacrificing zeal in propagating their beliefs is a challenge to many nominal church members. He was one of the editors of the standard Greek New Testament used today, and was the senior editor of the NRSV. He had turned 93 just four days earlier (February 9). The Associated Press published an obituary notice, as did Christianity Today. By Bruce M. Metzger. During the week he was at Dallas Seminary, I sensed that the students’ love for Jesus Christ rose significantly. And one measure of his impact is the legacy he has left behind. . In 1978 he was elected corresponding fellow of the British Academy, the Academy's highest distinction for persons who are not residents in the United Kingdom. I was interested in studying under him for my doctoral work. [12] The first volume of a series that he founded and edited, New Testament Tools and Studies, appeared in 1960. Bruce Metzger graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1935 with a B.A. Dr. Bruce Metzger was unquestionably one of the greatest New Testament scholars of the 20th century. To be sure, there are things over which many Christians will disagree with him. From there, he went to Princeton Seminary for his bachelor of theology degree (the equivalent of a master’s degree today), earning it in 1938. . To continue reading, subscribe now. Metzger then enrolled in the classics department at Princeton University and earned his Ph.D. in 1942. Subscribers have full digital access. Jehovah’s Witnesses are, so to speak, “in good and regular standing” as long as they seek opportunity to witness. The lectures are then published in the seminary’s journal, Bibliotheca Sacra. There are, of course, hate-mongers who are quick to condemn any biblical scholarship that doesn’t agree to a T with their ultra-conservative views. I am never prepared for any friend’s death, regardless of how old he or she is. John Piper wrote a tribute to this great man. Talk:Bruce M. Metzger. I had the privilege of being his liaison for that week. In 1969, he was elected to membership in the Catholic Biblical Association. He commented sadly, “Isn’t it a tragedy what people sometimes do to the Word of God!” Then, with keen wit (something I would learn over the years was vintage Metzger) he quipped, “I’m so glad to be a translator in the 20th century. get one year free. I will miss him dearly. So did the Los Angeles Times and Newsday. How do you deal with a sinning professed believer who is not a church member? I came to campus to pick him up. In 1952, he became a contributor to the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible, and was general editor of the Reader's Digest Bible (a condensed version of the RSV) in 1982. Christianity Today strengthens the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. They only burn Bibles now, not the translators!” I left his office in awe of this great man who obviously loved the Lord and loved the Bible. Only a few personal reminiscences. He was also a friend. His Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament ... More, the faculty at Princeton Seminary. Log in to continue reading. From 1977 to 1990, he chaired the Committee on Translators for the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible and was "largely responsible for ... seeing [the NRSV] through the press. 303)"), also from Princeton University. Born in 1914 in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Metzger was educated at Lebanon Valley College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Princeton University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Greek and Latin classics in 1942. Two years later, he earned his PhD ("Studies in a Greek Gospel Lectionary (Greg. Judge: Her belief in the sanctity of marriage put her at a disadvantage. But then I thought, if I don’t, I will know what those snickers are in the pew behind us at church. Personally I think his personal beliefs are outside the scope of a biographical blurb anyway. It hit me hard when I heard the news on Valentine’s Day that he had passed from this life to the next the day before. During our conversation, he showed me an urn in his office. [8] Metzger was visiting fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge in 1974 and Wolfson College, Oxford in 1979. Metzger became the chairman of the committee for the NRSV (published in 1990) and was bequeathed the urn and ashes.