"Dr. Ralph P. Martin, interim pastor at ABC (1971-1972) and renowned biblical scholar, passed away last weekend at the age of 87. Funeral services will be held Monday in the UK. He is survived by his wife, daughters, grandchildren, and several great- Read more...
"Dr. Ralph P. Martin, interim pastor at ABC (1971-1972) and renowned biblical scholar, passed away last weekend at the age of 87. Funeral services will be held Monday in the UK. He is survived by his wife, daughters, grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. Dr. Martin served as a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific Graduate School of Theology, and the University of Sheffield, England, and was the author and/or editor of numerous books and commentaries on the New Testament."
Fuller Theological Seminary Mourns the Passing of Former Professor, Ralph Martin
Pasadena -- Ralph Martin, former professor of New Testament and director of the Graduate Studies Program at Fuller Theological Seminary, passed away on February 25, 2013 after a two year battle with lymphoma. He was 87-years-old.
Martin was highly regarded in the United States and Europe for his academic work and writings on the New Testament. He blessed Fuller Seminary for decades with his teaching and mentoring of doctoral students.
"We are so sad to learn of Ralph Martin's passing," said Fuller President Richard J. Mouw. "He was an outstanding New Testament scholar and author, and he significantly impacted the lives of so many students and others in the Fuller community and beyond. He will be greatly missed."
Martin produced numerous scholarly works throughout his life and brought to Fuller a passion for both teaching and New Testament scholarship. Some of the classes he taught at Fuller Seminary included: "Paul in Prison," "Pauline Theology," and "Worship in the New Testament"—a study, no doubt, that was based in part on his Ph.D. thesis titled "Philippians 2:5-11 in recent interpretation and in the setting of early Christian worship."
As director of the Graduate Studies Program responsible for Ph.D. programs at Fuller, he also mentored a countless number of students, who are doing important work both at Fuller and around the world today.
"There is so much good to say about my friend Dr. Ralph Martin, with whom I served at Fuller during my time as Dean of the School of Theology," said Dean Emeritus Robert Meye. "Ralph's attributes ranged all the way from being a most learned and prolific scholar to being the epitome of Christian gentlemen—and points in between and beyond!"
Meye remembers Martin as a widely learned scholar of biblical and theological studies, who contributed significantly to the formation of ministers through a lifetime of service, and a mentor to many current teachers in the field of New Testament studies. He also recalled that Martin was a "devoted servant of Christ and minister to the body of Christ worldwide."
A native of the United Kingdom, Martin earned both his BA and MA at the University of Manchester. He was awarded his Ph.D. at the University of London, Kings College. He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1949 and spent 10 years in ministry in the U.K.
In addition to his Ph.D. thesis, which was published by the Cambridge University Press, he wrote a number of commentaries and study books, and contributed to numerous periodicals, reference books, and symposia over the course of his career.
His works include, An Early Christian Confession (1960), Worship in the Early Church (1964), Mark: Evangelist and Theologian (1972), Reconciliation: A Study of Paul's Theology (1981), The Worship of God (1982), and The Spirit and the Congregation: Studies in 1 Corinthians 12-15 (1984). His two-volume textbook, New Testament Foundations (1975, 1978), was the fruit of his teaching at Fuller Seminary.
Martin also served as editor of InterVarsity Press' Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (1993) and Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (1997). Most importantly, he served on the founding editorial team of the Word Biblical Commentary as New Testament Editor, a project that began at Fuller, and contributed volumes on 2 Corinthians and James.
Martin arrived at Fuller in 1969 after serving as a lecturer in New Testament at the University of Manchester for four years. Throughout his life, he also taught at London Bible College, Bethel College and Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, The Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem, Israel, Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, Logos Evangelical Seminary in El Monte, California, and Azusa Pacific University.
Martin continued to lend his expertise to Fuller for nearly a decade as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence for Fuller's Center for Advanced Theological Studies beginning in 1996.
Professor Leslie C. Allen, Fuller's senior professor of Old Testament, was a colleague of Martin's at London Bible College from 1960 to 1965. They were reunited as co-workers again, when Allen joined Fuller's staff in the 1980s.
"Ralph was a good friend," Allen recalled. "He and his first wife Lily warmly welcomed me and my family to Fuller in 1982 and initiated us into the strange new world of California. He will be remembered with respect and appreciation."
Allen noted that while Martin taught systematic theology at London Bible College, he also worked as librarian, "turning the library into a valuable academic resource." Martin also regularly preached and taught adult Sunday School classes in the Los Angeles area, Allen recalled.
Martin is survived by his wife Doreen, his daughters Patricia Losie and Elizabeth Knode, seven grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.
The funeral will be held in Southport, England on March 4.
Announcements
See the latest announcements by the Memorial Curator
Latest Announcements:
February 28th 2013
Memorial Service will be held on
Monday, March 4, 2013 11:15am
Grace Baptist Church Southport, UK
Cards may be sent to:
Doreen Martin and Family
The Stables 1a Blundell Lane Church Town Southport. PR 9 7ND United Kingdom
Patricia Losie and Family
924 Bradish Avenue Glendora, CA 91740
Elizabeth Knode and Family
27459 Sky Harbor Road Friant, CA 93626
Please feel welcome to leave a condolence or note to the family on the Memorial Wall. Thank you.
Memorial Wall
Write your condolences or share a memory with your friends and family on Ralph Martin's memorial wall.
Dear Lynn and Pat, I was sorry to hear of Professor Martin's homegoing. He meant a lot to me. I enjoyed so much staying at his house in South Port in 1991. It was one of the highlights of my life. He taught me how to be clear, how to be memorable, how to be entertaining, and how to be humble when I write. I owe him much of my success in academics and in life in general. I miss him and look forward to seeing him again some day, God willing. As ever, Isaac (Canales)
Ritha Brubaker Canales ,
March 06, 2013
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Ralph Martin's memory and many scholarly publications will live on. He was one of the primary reasons why I wanted to become APU faculty. We are going to miss you, Ralph!
Bj Oropeza ,
March 04, 2013
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Dr. Martin was in inspiration to me. His wise and always kind words as a professor will long be remembered by me and so many others. ~ Sheila L. Reeder
Sheila L. Reeder ,
March 04, 2013
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Grandpa
Our grandfather was a well-known theologian, and yet to us, he was simply our Grandpa.
The grandpa who played “hide the thimble” with us as children, and seemed to have the hardest, yet most obvious hiding places! The Grandpa who loved soccer, enjoyed kicking the ball in the backyard, and encouraged us from the sidelines of our games. The grandpa who walked us to the local drug store to buy ice cream, and loved to stop for tea and refreshments. We remembered how he loved to vacation and generously took our families with him on many trips. Grandpa always had the latest and greatest in electronics and gadgets, yet he rarely could figure out how to use them! We loved to hear him laugh and always knew that he enjoyed our company.
But above all of these memories, we are thankful to have had a grandpa who had a strong faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ. By exemplifying his love of Christ to his family, we have had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home where we have experienced Christ’s love. We will miss our grandpa and we will hold onto the fond memories we have until we meet again, in Heaven.
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5
We love you Grandpa!
Sarah, Michelle, Philip, Mark, Allison, Kristin, and Nathan
Sarah Fiala ,
March 01, 2013
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DAD
Some people knew him as their pastor, some as a teacher and preacher. Many knew him as a world-renowned biblical scholar, but we knew him as Dad.
Over the days that we visited Dad for the last time, so many memories flooded our minds. Our lives have been full, and there were so many family events to look back on. But most of the reminiscing was about the Dad of our childhood. The Dad who devised treasure hunts for us on Sunday evenings, who played badminton and bowls with us in the garden. The Dad who loved Perry Mason and Top Cat, and the Dad whose study we rarely entered but often wondered what could be so interesting in all those books! The Dad who wrote his papers and manuscripts hunting and pecking with two fingers on an old black typewriter, and who never learned to type. The Dad who always called us by our full names, Patricia and Elizabeth, never using the shortened versions. And then there was Dad's annoying habit of taking an apple to eat at the movies, which often made us wish we weren't sitting next to him.
But our most important memory is being raised in a godly home where Christ was loved. Contrary to what some of our friends thought, Dad did not constantly quote scripture to us; he gave us a quiet, clear example of living a God-centered life. We have a clear memory of the prominently placed wall plaque in our home that read:
Christ is the Head of this house, The unseen guest at every meal, The silent listener to every conversation.
This was the way Dad lived his life and led his family. To us this is Dad's greatest accomplishment. Many memories continue as we grew older and began our own families, but somehow these early memories seem so special and poignant. Dad laid the foundation of a family that loved God, and this has continued on through us, through his grandchildren, and on to his great-grandchildren.
Thank you Dad for this legacy, and thank you for giving us these memories. Thank you for all the wonderful things you accomplished in your life, but thank you most of all for being our Dad.
We love you and miss you.
Patricia and Elizabeth
Sarah Fiala ,
March 01, 2013
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In honor of a great man and a scholar who helped reshape the world of New Testament Scholarship.~from Kay Higuera Smith
Kay Smith ,
March 01, 2013
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