A Tribute to Dr. Abraham Malherbe

Few days occur in life that impact us so greatly that they are emblazoned upon our mind (or heart) to such an extent that we will never forget them.  Such a day occurred in my life in early September, 1966.  There I sat, a recently-married, transferred Junior Bible major as my long-held dream began to materialize: I was a "big boy" now among the "big boys" at ACC- just the place one wanted to be in those days if he'd felt God's call upon his life into the ministry.  That specific moment in that specific day could be summed up in one word: INTIMIDATED!  I was scared to death!  The intimidation factor was increased by the fact my wife Joan had just happened to mention that the speaker for her freshmen honors colloquium had been this particular professor and, by the time he was finished speaking, she wondered if she had been invited into the wrong meeting.

His name was Dr. Abraham Malherbe.  He was a brilliant man.  A Harvard-educated theologian, honor graduate, his specialty: New Testament exegesis within the cultural context of the world of its day.  The minute he opened his mouth, I knew I was in the presence of intellectual greatness FAR superior to anything I'd experienced up to that point.  Half way through that semester, I knew beyond doubt that I was about to make my first C (if I was lucky) in college.  How shocked I was when it was all over that I was given an A.  I would have used the terminology "earned an A", but I can't force myself to employ such deceitful terminology.  I recognize grace when I see it.  I also know the New Testament in ways that I could never have known it without that semester with Dr. Abe.  It blessed me in ways that I'm only now realizing, almost half a century later.

No, I did not morph into one of those products of Dr. Malherbe's class who still carry their Greek New Testament around with them at all times.  Many of those, by the way, went on to become outstanding Bible scholars in their own right and have blessed the Kingdom in untold ways throughout the years.  I have great admiration and deepest respect for each of them.  Others of that bent simply became a pain in the side of every Bible class teacher in whose class they ever sat-critical, condescending, always offering a better word or a superior way to have said it.  I've encountered one or two of those in my ministry and I know for a fact that Dr. Abe would have never intended his classes to produce that type of "intellectual superiority" in any of his students.  As big as his intellect was, his heart was, after all was said and done, bigger still.

For SO many reasons, I love Dr. Abraham Malherbe!  A great man of the Word has transitioned into his eternity, now dwelling with the WORD forever and forever.  All of us who knew him were blessed.  Those of us who were privileged to study under him- even for a semester- were given a gift that will bear fruit for generations yet to come.  His heritage continues.  Thank you, Dr. Abe!  Your light shines brightly!