New Testament Scholar Bruce Metzger Dies at 93
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.
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. In 1939, he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church.
At the time of his death, he was the George L. Collord professor emeritus of New Testament language and literature at Princeton Theological Seminary. Metzger taught in the New Testament department at Princeton for 46 years, beginning in 1938.
Metzger was well known for his work in New Testament textual criticism. He served on the committee that produced the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament and wrote several books on textual criticism, including The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (1964, 1968, 1991) and Manuscripts of the Greek Bible: An Introduction to Palaeography (1981). The British Academy made him a corresponding fellow in 1978, an honor that few American scholars receive.
Metzger did extensive work in Bible translation, serving on the committees of both the Revised Standard Version and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. He took over as chair of the NRSV committee in 1975, serving in that position for the fourteen years it took to complete the revision process.
Many scholars respected Metzger for his definitive writings on the text of the New Testament, the apocryphal literature of the Old Testament, and Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature. In 1986, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society, and in 1994, the British Academy awarded him the F.C. Burkitt Medal for his work in biblical studies.
Some evangelicals criticized him for saying that many biblical books, like the book of Genesis, were "composites of several sources" rather than the work of individual authors. Metzger's contention that certain extra-biblical books were inspired but not canonical was also critiqued by some evangelicals, who said such beliefs undermined Scripture's inerrancy.
Nevertheless, Metzger's legacy will not soon be forgotten. Darrell Bock, research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary, called Metzger "one of the great Christian statesmen and New Testament scholars of the last century." Bock praised Metzger's "balanced, irenic approach to debated questions" and noted that Metzger stayed connected to the church during his teaching years at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Metzger is survived by his wife of 62 years, Isobel Mackay Metzger, two sons, and a sister. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 20, in Princeton.
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Related Elsewhere:
See also today's tribute to Metzger from Ben Witherington III.
Other obituaries have appeared in Newsday and The Trentonian.
Brandon Watson's Novum Testamentum Blog is linking to other blogs discussing Metzger's passing. The Evangelical Textual Criticism blog is soliciting memories.
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Eugene Salazar
I am an evangelical since high school. I was very much in love with the intellectual aspects of studying the faith and its personal implications for life and worldview. Dr. Bruce Metzger was one of the few respected biblical scholars whomk I trusted to give me an accurate understanding of biblical faith. Although I never met him nor have I seen him, his name was some sort of help to budding Christians like me at that time. I am currently a high school literature teacher in Muntinlupa, Philippines. It is saddening to hear of his passing and I wish to send my condolences to his family. Eugene Salazar Muntinlupa City, Philippines
E.M. Wallis
Neat story: I was studying greek while in prison and wrote to Mr. Metzger asking for a copy of The Greek New Testament. To show him I had been studying, I wrote a sentence in Greek within my letter. Looking back, my sentence was mangled with at least one made-up word. Mr. Metzger sent me the desired New Testament--signed and dedicated--with a note, reading, "Erik, What lexicon or dictionary of the New Testament in Greek do you usually consult in the study of Greek? -B.M. Metzger." At first read I thought I had hit the jackpot and that he was offering to SEND me a lexicon or dictionary. But as a friend and I inspected the sentence I had written in Greek (I had made myself a copy), we found my interesting mistakes. Turns out Mr. Metzger's note was not an offer, but a very kind and gentle rebuke.
Former Student
In 1968 part of my curiculum at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was a course in New Testament. The prof chose Dr. Metzger's book The New Testament: Its background, growth, and content. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. His writing was clear, knowledgable, and helpful. I often referred to his book in my profession as a university prof myself.