Word has just reached me through Facebook that Gordon Fee has just passed away. Faithful readers of the blog will need no introduction to Fee’s work. He was a rare biblical scholar who made significant contributions in both textual criticism and in Pauline studies. It’s probably fair to say that he is more widely known for his commentary writing, but his text-critical work helped define the field.
I only met him once in person and it was a few years ago at a tribute session at SBL. The room was full of those who knew and admired him. I was glad I could be there. I will try to post tributes as they come, but for now, here is a summary from Regent College where he taught for many years.
Gordon Fee is Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Regent College, where he taught for sixteen years. His teaching experience also includes serving schools in Washington, California, Kentucky, as well as Wheaton College in Illinois (five years) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts (twelve years).
Gordon Fee is a noted New Testament scholar, having published several books and articles in his field of specialization, New Testament textual criticism. He also published a textbook on New Testament interpretation, co-authored two books for lay people on biblical interpretation, as well as scholarly-popular commentaries on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and on Galatians, and major commentaries on 1 Corinthians and Philippians. He is also the author of a major work on the Holy Spirit and the Person of Christ in the letters of Paul.
Gordon Fee served as the general editor of the New International Commentary series until 2012, and was on the NIV revision committee that produced the TNIV. Besides his ability as a biblical scholar, he is a noted teacher and conference speaker. He has given the Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar lectures on fifteen college campuses as well as the annual NT lectures at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, North Park Seminary, the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, the Canadian Theological Seminary, Duke Divinity School, Golden Gate Baptist, Anderson School of Theology, Asbury Seminary, and Chrichton College. An ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Gordon Fee is well known for his manifest concern for the renewal of the church.
Gordon Fee was married to Maudine, who passed away in 2014. Together they have four married children.
Please do share any personal reminiscences in the comments.
Tributes
- A lovely one from Regent College. Interesting that Fee attended Tim Keller’s church in retirement (assuming it’s the same Redeemer Presbyterian Church).
- Nijay Gupta
- Christianity Today
- Douglas Stuart (his coauthor to Reading the Bible for All Its Worth)
Here’s one anecdote that’s always stuck with me. I don’t know the ultimate source, but it’s said to be from one of his lectures.
ReplyDelete“I remember the morning when I came to this passage: ‘Love is patient, love is kind.’ It’s actually a verb: ‘Love does patience.’ Or better yet, the KJV: ‘love suffers long.’ Patience is what you show when your computer doesn’t work. Long-suffering is what you show when people don’t work, and you’ve been around them a long, long time. That’s what it means to suffer long. And I looked at those words and then realized that Paul was here describing God’s character. Those are exactly the words he uses of God back in Romans 2. Then it dawned on me, the first (long-suffering) is the passive side of His love; the other (kindness) is the active side of His love. And then I started to cry for a long time. It took me a long time to return to my computer. What if God was not like this toward us?”
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
DeletePeter:
DeleteThat’s from his lectures on 1 Corinthians @ Regent. I was just listening to them last month.
Thank you
DeleteGordon Fee was my MCS thesis supervisor at Regent College. I am heavily indebted to him for his NT expertise in exegesis and for referring me to significant works including that of a Ph. D dissertation from Yale on Judaism. A first rate Pauline scholar that is thoroughgoing and clear in his writings. Currently benefitting from his exegetical Commentary on: Revelation. The Lord's peace, joy and rest be yours in His unhindered presence and His just reward be yours at the final judgement of believers. 2 Cor. 5: 10, Rom. 14: 10., Ps. 116 :15. 🙏🙏🙏❤️
DeleteDr. Ooi Chin Aik
Sad news, his impact on the pentecostal church was fairly widespread, and one of the few pentecostals to make inroads in textual matters.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace man of God. "Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart: How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth" is the best book I ever read on the topic.
ReplyDeleteMay Gordon rest in peace and rise in glory.
ReplyDeleteGordon had a huge impact on my life. I call him my hero. A Pentecostal who is an outstanding scholar of NT and TC and a great preacher to boot. I first encountered him as the main speaker for Chi Alpha events, then in his books and his correspondence course on Corinthians, from which I am even teaching right now. Then I was privileged to have NT Theology with him at Continental Theological Seminary in a class of only 8 students where I argued with him about the significance of the list of manifestation gifts. :-) Gordon's understanding of the historical situation behind the letters to Corinth and to Timothy and Titus is brilliant. I could go on and on.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I'll bet it was at the same North Central Chi Alpha conference. He preached on the Lord's Prayer. Craig Krueger
DeleteRIP Gordon Fee. I have a collection of his work on my book shelf, "How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth."
ReplyDeleteI forget who, but someone else observed to me that there wasn't another scholar of our age who had contributed as much to both the specialized field of New Testament textual criticism and the broader field of New Testament exegesis as a whole as Fee had. I have spent a while pondering that and concluded that I couldn't think of any either.
ReplyDeleteDr Fee is one big hero of mine in the field of Biblical Hermeneutics. He taught me how to read Bible for all its worth. I was privileged to sit under his NT exegesis and Pastoral Epistles classes in the Philippines back in late 80s and early 90s. Glad to have played basketball with him. He’s ushered me into the disciplines of NT Exegesis and TC. I have some of his monumental books in my library and digital copy of his P66 Dissertation. RIP, Dr Gordon Fee.
ReplyDeleteI praise GOD for your life Dr. Gordon Fee. Thank you for sharing your life and your GOD-given knowledge to all of us. See you in the morning.🙏🙏🙏
ReplyDeleteHe did the best of his calling and finish the race in influence. Today , Bible colleges and Seminaries are the living testimonies of his thoughts, infact with their book shelves. I could say like this, Fee had physically joined now the ultimate revelation of the New Testament, Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of being Doc's Byington at GCTS in 1985. I sat in this class during the time he was preparing his Corinthians commentary. A two hour class that always ended with Gordon preaching what we had worked on. As a result we often missed chapel. To this day, while studying a passage I go to my notes from decades ago only to find that what I believed that I had discovered was actually something that Doc shared with us. Perhaps the most important thing he taught us was how to avoid eisegesis. I can still hear him saying, with is arms stretched out "it's just not in the text."
ReplyDeleteBishop Alfred Cooper (Chile). A very powerful testimony for Pentecostal/Reformed biblical exegesis that is breaking new ground the more he is read. One of my main references in my PhD on Chilean Pentecostalism. So many thanks, Lord!
ReplyDeleteI got the chance to hear him speak at SPS when his Commentary on Galatians came out. It was such a joy to hear him interact with everyone. His book Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God was foundational for my formation.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention my seminary, Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines. He was also an adjunct professor there.
ReplyDeleteGordon was like an older brother, a fellow textual critic whom I could, as a young academic finding my way in the discipline, consult with confidence and trust; he was a co-author who was an inspiration and joy to work with; an speaker who delivered academic papers with such passion and energy that you just couldn't help but wonder if he was going to end his presentation with an altar call; a deep and dear friend, who with Maudine was generous and gracious with their hospitality; a fellow believer who was a constant reminder that the study of the text was always a means to the end of proclaiming and living out the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for his gracious gift of Gordon’s faithful life.
ReplyDeleteWithout his commentary on I Corinthians my Master's thesis on I Corinthians 1:17-25 never would have gotten off the ground! Not to mention his other works. He will be missed, but he is full of joy now!
ReplyDeleteI had Dr. Fee for a New Testament Survey course at Wheaton College. I got to enjoy his brilliance and his personality for a whole semester. I loved the class and still, 40 years later, refer to my notes from that class.
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ReplyDeleteDr. Fee will be remembered for his contributions to the New Testament exegesis and literature.
ReplyDeleteRev Gordon Fee's teaching and books have directed me to the wonders and gems of God’s living and eternal Word.
Delete*2 Timothy 3:16-17*
His teaching has led us to love and worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Jason Chong
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
RIP. May his memory be eternal.
ReplyDeleteI believe Gordon Fee was the inaugural person nominated for the ETC blog Hall of Fame.
ReplyDeleteI remember in the early nineties asking Gordon to come speak to my class of Youth Ministry majors. He presented to them part of his Kingdom of God study. Powerful. Then years later, at SBL in San Antonio, Amy Anderson and I ran into him in the halls on our way to a GNT session involving computers. He was headed toward a Septuagint session. when I inquired why he was not joining us, he demurred that he would leave the computers to us “younger people”. I was amazed that even as an established scholar and leader of his field of study, he was still investigating other, related fields, while still setting limits on what he would subject himself to. I was also shocked he seemed to remember my name.
ReplyDeleteHis book, "Listening to the Spirit in the Text" means a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteI remember him as a great character.
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