1 and 2 Thessalonians, Volume 45 Case of 36

F.F. (Frederick Fyvie)Bruce was born in October the 12^th, 1910, in Elgin (Scotland), to a Brethren Assemblies family. His father was an itinerant preacher for the Assemblies. F.F. was baptized and accepted as a member of his local congregation in September 1928. He remained loyal to his denomination for the rest of his life. “Through my own experience with the Brethren, I can say they are the ideal place where a lay theologian can serve the Church with his gifts” (Restrospect, p. 285).

As a lover of the Biblie and of the classical languages, when he was only 10 years old, he started simultaneous studies in Greek and Latin. F.F. was admitted to Aberdeen University in October 1928. He studied also in University of Cambridge (England, 1932-34) and in the University of Vienna (Austria, 1934-35), studying in preparation for his Graduation and Doctoral degree, excelling in both.

Bruce taught Greek in the Universities of Edinburgh (1935-38) and Leeds (1938-47). Afterwards, he taught Bible History and Literature in the University of Sheffield (1947-59) followed by Bible Criticism and Exegesis in the University of Manchester (1959-78).

He lectured in prestigious universities all around the world: Marburg (Germany), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Auckland (New Zealand), and Makerere (Uganda). He also lectured in numerous Theological Seminaries, among them the Calvin Seminary, in Grand Rapids (U.S.A.) and the Union Seminary, in New York City (U.S.A.).

He was voted President by the prestigious Societies of Old Testament Studies and New Testament Studies.

F.F. Bruce wrote some 50 books, plus several thousand articles, essays and reviews. His masterpiece The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary (1951) marked for the evangelical world the beginning of a new era in Bible study, being seriously considered by the Academia. In spite of never having made formal studies in Theology, he was an extraordinary reader of the subject and the Aberdeen University granted him in 1957 a Doctor Honoris Causa degree in Divinities.

Bruce M. Metzger (1914 – 2007) was a biblical scholar, textual critic, and a longtime professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. Metzger is widely considered one of the most influential New Testament scholars of the 20th century. He was a general editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1997 - 2007).

David Allan Hubbard (1928 – 1996), former president and professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, was a recognized biblical scholar. In addition to over 30 books, he has written numerous articles for journals, periodicals, reference works. He was a general editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1977 - 1996).

Glenn W. Barker (d. 1984) was a general editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1977 - 1984). 

John D. W. Watts (1921 – 2013) was President of the Baptist Theological Seminary, Ruschlikon, Switzerland, and served as Professor of Old Testament at that institution, at Fuller Theological Seminary, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His numerous publications include commentaries on Isaiah (2 volumes), Amos, and Obadiah. He was Old Testament editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1977 - 2011).

James W. Watts is a professor and chair of the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. His teaching and research interests include biblical studies, especially the Torah/Pentateuch, ritual theories, rhetorical analysis, and comparative scriptures studies. He is a co-founder of the Iconic Books Project. He had served as the associate Old Testament editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1997 - 2011).

Ralph P. Martin (1925-2013) was Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Fuller Theological Seminary and a New Testament Editor for the Word Biblical Commentary series. He earned the BA and MA from the University of Manchester, England, and the PhD from King's College, University of London. He was the author of numerous studies and commentaries on the New Testament, including Worship in the Early Church, the volume on Philippians in The Tyndale New Testament Commentary series. He also wrote 2 Corinthians and James in the WBC series.

Lynn Allan Losie is Associate Professor of New Testament at Azusa Pacific University. A generalist in New Testament studies, Dr. Losie teaches courses in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Pauline Epistles, as well as in the background areas of Greek, early Judaism, and the greater Hellenistic World. He has published articles on the New Testament and had served as the associate New Testament editor of the Word Biblical Commentary (1997 - 2013). Ordained as a Baptist minister, he has also served in pastoral ministry in Southern California and Oregon.