RIP Bruce Metzger: New Testament Scholar Dies

As posted on a number of sites, New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger died at 93 this past tuesday.  Metzger is one of the main people responsible for assembling the New Testament Greek Manuscript as we have today, he also headed up the translation of the widely popular and most academic translation of the bible available today – the New Revised Standard Version.

Metzger began his teaching career at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1938, where he stayed in the New Testament department for 46 years. During his time at the seminary, Metzger developed 25 courses on the English and Greek texts of books in the New Testament.

He was also involved with committees in the production of three new editions of the Scriptures: the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (1966), the Reader’s Digest condensed Bible (1982) and the New Revised Standard Version (1990).

See full news reports: Here, here and here.

My main interaction with Metzger was my two years of Greek class under professor Duane Watson, at Malone College.  Not only did Watson highly respect Metzger, but he also told us that he was one of the “five guys.”  This wasn’t some late seventies rock band our parents listened to (or were in), no they are the very elite, academic, brilliant minds that have cared for the Greek New Testament for us in the later part of this century.  My college buddies and I used to dream of someday being one of the “five guys.”

The only thing left to wonder is, “who will be the next ‘five guy?'”

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