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Winter/Spring 2007 |
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Here is what I wrote a friend when I heard of Dr. Metzger’s death—which I first heard about today (2/26/07):
“Dr. Metzger is/was the reason I use the NRSV almost exclusively...to me, he was the very heart of good biblical translation and scholarship. He was a man to be trusted.”
Vicki L. Evans (M.Div., 1980)
Monett, Missouri
It was a blessing to have Dr. Metzger as a teacher, as he always made the class exciting and interesting. I knew that I was in the presence of greatness. I’ll never forget the time he invited us to his home and gave us the opportunity to meet him personally. He was gifted not only as a dynamic speaker and a warm and caring person, but he was talented as well; he proudly showed us the many unique clocks he had made. I was fortunate to have him as my professor, and his love for study and reflection have been a part of my ministry for the past twenty-eight years.
Mary Roberts (M.Div., 1980)
Baltimore, Maryland
Among the most inspiring experiences at Princeton was the opportunity to be in Dr. Metzger’s classes and do Greek reading in the Apocalypse with him and the few other students who took advantage of his offer. While I have always been impressed with his New Testament scholarship, the most lasting spiritual impact he made on me was in his prayers before class. Each time I had the feeling that I was being taken by the hand and led into a very private audience with an intimate Friend. His deep devotion, humility, and gentle spirit eclipsed his renowned scholarship. I shall ever cherish the copy of the NRSV he graciously autographed, knowing the editor who knew the Author.
Charles W. Marvin (Th.M., 1980)
San Diego, California
Dr. Metzger had a profound influence on me inside and outside the classroom. I was working on my M.Div. at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary when he came to teach The Book of Revelation. I was so impressed by his scholarship and gentle accessibility that following my graduation I came to Princeton for my Th.M., and took The Life of Jesus. That particular course always ended with a question-and-answer period. We could ask Dr. Metzger any question about Jesus, and he not only responded with his own detailed answers but from memory could offer a number of journal articles that would also be helpful.
Rande Wayne Smith (Th.M., 1980)
Bartlett, Illinois
The RSV, and subsequent to its publication the NRSV, have been constant and stable sources, as accurate and trustworthy translations for personal reflection and devotion, exegetical work, and teaching throughout my career. But the association with both translations is not what commends the late Dr. Metzger to memory. It is rather the profound sense of his evident love of both Christ and the church, his irenic spirit of good will and genuine care for his students, and his unwavering commitment to excellence in his chosen field of academic research and his expectation that those students who “sat at his feet” demonstrate a similar seriousness and devotion to the pursuit of excellence in the study of the Scripture and the proclamation of the gospel. I will always remember with fondest affection the warmth of his smile as he greeted me on campus, and his willingness to take time from his overwhelming responsibilities as a scholar to engage in an informal conversation regarding some immediate point of interest or frustration with an exegetical exercise.
Albert J.D. Walsh (M.Div., 1981)
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
During my middler year, I wanted to take a Greek exegesis course. Dr. Metzger was teaching Hebrews, but I was intimidated about studying the challenges of that book with the renowned Bruce Metzger. I signed up for the course anyway. What a blessing. Dr. Metzger was a supreme instructor, and his scholarship was always excellent. Hebrews is now my favorite book. But the thing I most appreciate about him is his humility. My favorite memory of him is probably sitting at the breakfast table with him and his wife and my ten-year-old son at a continuing education event and having this world-renowned scholar ask my son about his interests. I told my son this was the greatest man he would ever meet.
Deena Candler (M.Div., 1981)
Omaha, Nebraska
Dr. Metzger was a fellow student with my Dad (William G. Silbert Jr., M.Div., 1942), who had a long-term correspondence with Dr. Metzger on the profundities, proclamations, and grace notes of the enigmatic Book of Revelation. Until his death in December 2003, Dad was in active study preparing a “pastoral meditation” of the whole of John’s prophecy! Dr. Metzger proved to be a good ear and refiner’s fire for Dad’s diligence. Dad often remarked to me in the years before I matriculated at PTS of Dr. Metzger’s sweet spirit and immense scholarship. When I came to Princeton, I made sure that one of my electives was a course on Revelation taught by this tower of the Reformation. I can say with all candor that the enormity of his scholarship never got in the way, nor dampened his sweet spirit. Would that all faculty everywhere could embrace this simple courtesy. To God be the glory for both of these men in my life!
P.S. I remember that often whenever a group of us passed by Dr. Metzger, one of us would whisper, “Pssst, there goes the guy who wrote the New Testament!”
John C.R. Silbert (M.Div.,1982)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dr. Metzger taught The Person and Work of Christ. I remember he answered a question by citing different Bible scholars and then responded, “but in my opinion....” A voice behind me said, “Yeah, but he’s sure well informed!” He changed the way we read the Book of Revelation.
Dr. Metzger took time to answer mail addressed to him concerning the pronoun changes in the NRSV. Once I wrote to him with a session question from my internship church in Royal Oak, Michigan.
With hosts of students and pastors, I give thanks for his quiet, outstanding biblical scholarship. His work has touched millions.
Katie Ward Stear (M.Div., 1982)
Indiana, Pennsylvania
I remember hearing Dr. Metzger give a lecture on the NRSV translation shortly after it came out. In the lecture I recall him saying that the committee making the translation had tried to go back to the original languages and recover the original meanings of words, which included changing the word “man” in the King James Version back to “humankind” or “human beings” in many verses of the Bible. Examples include Genesis 1: 26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image,” and Hebrews 2:6: “What are human beings that you are mindful of them...” This resurrecting of the more inclusive term “humankind” instead of “man” had and is continuing to have important implications in terms of the stature of women in biblical interpretation, the church, and society.
Nancy G. Ditmars (M.Div., 1982)
New Milford, New Jersey
Dr. Bruce Metzger is a monument in scholarship. I enjoyed his class very much. His meticulous studies of the Bible inspired me. May God continue to make his life a blessing for others even though he has moved his dwelling to a better place.
Jacob Tsang, (Th.M., 1982)
Manchester, United Kingdom
Dr. Metzger was a scholar and a gentleman, utterly and always. His otherworldly persona juxtaposed his clear vision of what is necessary and what is helpful for students. In his courtly, enigmatic way, he made the New Testament accessible to us all. I am grateful for his witness and see him as a wonderful example of what it means to serve Christ unto the end. In the translated words of the NRSV: “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things: enter into the joy of your master.”
Cheryl F. Dudley (M.Div., 1983)
New York, New York
First of all I would like to extend my deepest condolences on the death of the world-renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Bruce Metzger. I was lucky to take a course with him, Introduction to the New Testament. He was, without a doubt, a scholar. Going home I brought with me a copy of the NRSV and have been using it ever since in my English Sunday worship, sermons, and lectures on religion. Being a translator myself, I have found his NRSV very helpful, since it is also based on solid theory of meaning-based translation. His death is a great loss, not only for the family and Princeton Seminary but also for the world of scientific scholarship as well.
Nico A.Likumahuwa (M.A., 1983)
Central Java, Indonesia
In 1982 I had the extraordinary privilege to “sit at the feet” of Dr. Metzger as he guided me through The Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We were on a study leave after several terms of service in South America with the Mennonite Mission Board. As the course was not offered that year, Dr. Metzger invited me to engage in an independent study. After the biweekly meeting with him to discuss my papers, I told my husband that I felt like Timothy must have felt after a meeting with the Apostle Paul. I clearly remember the day we discussed the topic “Jesus and the Gospel of Liberation.” Having just returned from South America where we had met leaders like Jose Miguez Bonino and Juan Pablo Segundo, I was quite impressed with the theology of liberation as we had experienced it in Uruguay. Dr. Metzger gently reminded me: “But Helen, never forget that Jesus also offers us freedom from sin!”
Both my husband, Henry, and I are deeply grateful for the year of studies in Princeton Theological Seminary. We returned to teach in several Latin American seminaries and the Evangelical University of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, after the enriching experiences in Princeton.
A. Helen Dueck (M.A., 1983)
Manitoba, Canada
What I always will remember about Dr. Bruce Metzger was his Christian character, his humility, his love of the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus, and his great delight in teaching his students. In Greek reading class, he was careful to encourage us to “accent the accented syllable!”
I had the privilege a little more than two years ago of having coffee and cake with Dr. and Mrs. Metzger in their home in Princeton. The vigorous theological discussion we enjoyed together (I mostly listened) was outdone only by their Christian warmth and hospitality. May our Father continue to hold Mrs. Metzger in his care as she mourns her husband’s death, until the day when they and we are met by Jesus Christ our Lord coming on clouds of glory!
Steve Strickler (M.Div., 1983)
Lenoir, North Carolina
I received a copy of the RSV Bible from my home church, the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich, Connecticut, when I completed the second grade of Sunday school. I began reading it more than ten years later when I came to faith. I still read it daily, because subsequent translations somehow do not seem to match it for the majestic beauty of the language.
I first met Dr. Metzger when I interviewed at Princeton Seminary around 1978. I saw him in a chance meeting as I was entering one of the dormitories. I was struck by the reverent alertness with which he regarded me and by the joy that seemed to radiate from him. That reverent alertness and joy toward both people and the word of God always characterized Dr. Metzger whenever I saw him during my three years at Princeton. He had an encyclopedic mind regarding the Scriptures and a catholic love for God’s people and God’s world.
Donald Marsden (M.Div., 1984)
Richmond, Virginia
Dr. Metzger was the epitome of the Christian gentleman, teacher, and scholar. His incessant learning was matched by his constant kindness. My favorite memory was when he invited me to eat lunch with him in his office. Our hour together was gone in an instant. We walked out together, passed a conference room, and Dr. Metzger looked in. He then paused, remarked to me that it was a faculty meeting that he just remembered he should have attended, and kept walking and talking with me. His focus on students endeared him to all of us.
Daniel Paavola (Th.M., 1984)
Cedargrove, Wisconsin
In May 1984, I attended the banquet held for graduating seniors and departing faculty. Dr. Metzger was technically retiring after 1984. Bruce Gillette and I sat at a table far from the dais. Dr. Metzger came by, asking if a seat was taken; he joined us. We chatted amiably; he’d been my senior advisor. Soon someone saw him and told him he was to be up on the dais among the honored. So he left. But I thought of how he was living out Jesus’ words about not taking the places of honor, but taking a place among the lowly. (Luke 14:8ff)
Richard Lanford (M. Div., 1984)
Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Bruce Metzger taught me what it truly means to be a “gentleman and a scholar.” He was my mentor and advisor for two of my four years at PTS. His brilliance was extraordinary, but even more influential was the graciousness, openness, humility, thoughtfulness, generosity, and kindness he exuded. In addition to all I gained from him intellectually, I am deeply grateful for what I learned from him as a person of exceptional character, a devout Christian, and a man who sincerely lived for and served Christ out of deep faith, hope, and love.
Timothy C. Geoffrion (M.Div., 1984)
Deephaven, Minnesota
Dr. Metzger was one of the main reasons that I came to Princeton. I came to visit PTS during the senior seminar, attended classes, and met a few professors. Before coming, I had not known him, nor about his reputation. I just saw a man who was gentle and humble. Later, I was fortunate enough to take some classes with him, and I was even more blessed. I learned much about biblical studies, but I learned more about being a man of God. Dr. Metzger was a great scholar to the world, but he was a great mentor of life to me. His gentle and soft-spoken words were so influential in raising leaders for Christ through God’s Word, and will always be remembered. Thank you, Dr Metzger!
Ronald Chu (M.Div., 1985)
Fullerton, California
I talk about Dr. Bruce Metzger all the time, as I teach New Testament using his textbook, The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content, and of course, the NRSV. I’ve been teaching online and face-to-face for five years now on the college level at three different small colleges as an adjunct professor, and I continue to spread the news of the derivation of the RSV and NRSV, primarily telling the story of Dr. Metzger.
I remember watching in 1986 (after my M.Div. and during my Th.M. year) as the NRSV editorial team met in Speer Library; they sat in that back room to the far left as you enter, around a huge table—a very unusual and diverse group back then. One could sense the importance and intensity of their work, and knowing who they were, I was obviously very curious about the outcome. When the NRSV finally came out, the inclusive language and precise translation were so impressive and gratifying to me, my congregations, and now after some twenty years, my very own Bible students. I continue to tell students that yes, Dr. Metzger was my professor at Princeton Seminary (it seems to make an impression), and I always remind them how personable he was, that Dr. Metzger even remembered my name when he stopped to speak to me in the quad sometimes, and that he was interested in my ministry and my personal story, not just as a professor, but as a fellow traveler on “the way” with Jesus.
Terry H. Johnson (M.Div., 1985; Th.M., 1986)
Shalotte, North Carolina
In 1981 I put a question to my Greek professor at Taylor University, Dr. Dale Heath. “If you could study the New Testament manuscripts with anyone in the world, with whom would you chose to study?” Without a moment’s hesitation Dr. Heath said that he would work with Dr. Bruce Metzger. I came to PTS in 1981 and graduated in 1985. I had lunch once with Dr. Metzger while I was in the Master of Divinity program and took several courses with him, including Paleography. A consummate scholar, a truly humble and pious man—I will never forget him.
Richard Richmond (M.Div., 1985)
Madison Heights, Michigan
I went to Princeton because of Dr. Metzger, but not to study with him, as no one would ever mistake me for a linguist or a New Testament scholar! Dr. Metzger spoke at my college a year after I’d graduated. I was working on campus, and the professor who had arranged Dr. Metzger’s visit invited me to join some students for lunch with Dr. Metzger. They asked him a range of technical questions about the text of the New Testament. I asked a more basic question: “Dr. Metzger, what advice would you give someone about where to go for graduate studies?” He said, “Go to the best school you can.” Several years later I did. And I’ve never regretted it.
James P. Shuman (M. Div., 1985)
Riverton, Wyoming
I graduated from PTS in 1986 with an M.A. in Christian education. For all the years since, I have used the NRSV as a teaching Bible for classes in churches, a college New Testament course, and now in a graduate online course. I always refer to it as the most accurate translation. Students (and I) also benefit from the extensive notes and cross-references. I have worn out several NRSVs, and the one I am currently using is looking battered. Thanks, Dr. Metzger.
Marilyn Wickel (M.A., 1986)
Oxford, New Jersey
Sometimes the greatness of a person is best seen in the little things of life. I was privileged my junior year at Princeton to audit Dr. Metzger's final class on the Book of Revelation. Each week the opening prayer would start as the final peal of the bell was fading away. The lecture would begin. At some point a hand would go up and a question was posed or an opinion given. With immense and gracious patience, Dr. Metzger would respond. Sometimes he would speak words of appreciation for a new insight. Other times he would produce from his memory a citation from another scholar, including the year of publication, the edition of the work, and the place on the page that the key sentence appeared, such as the third paragraph on page 218, second sentence of that paragraph. And the lecture would continue until it ended in a closing prayer, with “Amen” always pronounced just as the final bell began to peal.
It was his patience with new scholars and the unscholarly among us, his depth of knowledge, his heartfelt prayers, and his humility that set the model for me of the great Christian scholarly mind and person.
Nancy Lindell Sautter (M.Div., 1986)
Warrington, Pennsylvania
Dr. Bruce Manning Metzger was a great inspiration to me during and long after my experiences in his classes during my time as a Th.M. student at PTS in the mid-1980s. His encyclopedic knowledge was astounding, and his Christian piety was profound. Dr. Metzger guided me in producing a Greek term paper in his summer class, Galatians, 1 Peter, and 1 John that was published soon thereafter in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. In his scholarly writing, academic mentoring, and genuine piety, Dr. Metzger defines in my mind the ideal seminary professor.
In conversation with colleagues and students over the years, I have referred regularly to Dr. Metzger as the professor at Princeton who both prayed at the beginning of every class and also smiled when greeting a student. I also relate to friends the following encounter: One day while researching in the basement of Speer Library, I spotted Dr. Metzger, made my way to him, and quietly thanked him for his example of spiritual devotion in the classroom. He bowed his head, lowered his eyes, and said humbly to me, “We all must sit at the feet of Jesus.”
During my time of study at PTS, Dr Metzger was serving as the chair of the NRSV translation committee. When the NRSV was published some years later, I purchased a copy locally, and mailed it to Dr. Metzger for his autograph. It meant a great deal to me in my years of pastoral ministry, especially when engaged in hospital chaplaincy, to carry and use this Bible that Dr. Metzger had personally signed for me. I will miss him dearly, but celebrate the fact that he is, as he used to say, “in the nearer presence of Christ.”
David R. Bundrick (Th.M., 1987)
Springfield, Missouri
I have always loved the idea that, when I look at my Greek New Testament, I can truthfully say that I am proud that one of my seminary professors wrote the New Testament! His name is right on the cover!
Gordon Pugh (M.Div., 1988)
Birmingham, Alabama
Bruce Metzger not only meant the world to me as a scholar, but also as a person. I will never forget my first week in seminary in 1988. I was reading the RSV Bible on the lawn in front of Miller Chapel. He walked over to me and said, “Reading your Bible?” I said yes, and we started talking about the importance of translation and the way the words were put together. When I asked his name, he said Bruce Metzger, and I said, “THE Bruce Metzger,” the one who has worked so much with the Bible translations? He said, “I am a simple man who believes in Christ and wants all to see the Word with all its complexity.” I will never forget that.
Joanne Martindale (M.Div., 1988)
Voorhees, New Jersey
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