by Doug Kutilek
“There is nothing like the Greek New Testament to rejuvenate the world, which came out of the Dark Ages with the Greek Testament in its hands.”
– A. T. Robertson
One thousand, four hundred, and fifty-four pages. That is how massive A. T. Robertson’s A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research is. Of course, that is the fourth edition, completed in 1923. The first edition in 1914 was a “mere” 1,376 pages. No other individual has produced anything like it. Robertson spent 26 years of an extraordinarily diligent and efficient life on the grammar, and had devoted the majority of his energy and attention for the last dozen of those years on this work, all the while carrying a full teaching load as a seminary professor, and frequently preaching in churches and conferences.
Who was A. T. Robertson, and how — and why — did he labor so long and arduously to produce what many would find to be at least as tedious to read as it must have been to write? Archibald Thomas Robertson was born November 6, 1863, on a 1,500-acre plantation in far southern Virginia, the fourth son and seventh child in the family of Dr. John (a country physician) and Ella Martin Robertson. The physical devastation of the Civil War never reached this part of Virginia, but the severe economic hardship that followed led to bankruptcy, the sale of the estate, and a move to a run-down farm near Statesville, NC, when Archer (as his mother called him) was 11. Life was hard and was filled with work, work, work every day but Sunday. Fields to clear and plow and plant, crops to tend, wood to chop, cows to milk, all just to survive. There was very little time for education and virtually no money for books. Becoming accustomed in his youth to unremitting toil day after day served Archie well in later years.
The Robertsons were Baptists in largely Presbyterian Statesville. A Baptist church was soon founded, an evangelistic meeting conducted, and 12-year-old Archie was converted to Christ. His pastor took a particular interest in him, and began to tutor him in Biblical studies. Sensing a call to preach, Archie was sent off at age 16 with just $2.50 in his pocket (but with the promise from the local preachers’ association of monetary support) to Wake Forest College to prepare for the ministry.
His grammar school education was incomplete, he had a bit of a stutter, and he was two months late in starting his first term, but by dint of devotion to task, he was caught up by the end of the school year. For the rest of his academic career, he excelled. In all, he spent six years at Wake Forest (1879-1885), earning both A.B. and A.M. degrees (by age 22), and earned the prizes as the best student in Latin and French, and missed by a hair’s breadth taking the medal in Greek as well.
From Wake Forest, he went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, where he completed a three-year course of study (1885-1888). His extensive and accurate knowledge of Greek decidedly impressed Professor John Broadus. On graduation, Robertson was invited to join the seminary faculty, beginning a 46-year career there, which only ended at his death in 1934. In all, he taught some 6,000 students Greek and New Testament interpretation. At Broadus’s suggestion, young Professor Robertson began work on his grammar, researching and accumulating materials. Twenty-six years later, the first edition was completed.
One might suppose that one so focused on the minutiae of Greek grammar for more than a quarter of a century must surely have been a recluse, an eccentric, and, frankly, a bore. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Robertson was also a fervent Bible teacher and preacher and writer, who had a fine sense of humor. Robertson’s mastery of the Greek New Testament was directed toward Bible exposition, and he was perhaps the greatest Bible expositor of his day. He was for decades a favorite speaker at the annual Northfield and Winona Lake Bible conferences, drawing thousands to hear him. He was continually in demand as a preacher. And everything he wrote immediately found eager publishers.
In all, Robertson wrote 44 books besides “the Big Grammar.” His Word Pictures in the New Testament in six volumes is regularly the first commentary I consult. He also penned separate commentaries or studies on Mark, John, part of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, and James. He revised Broadus’s Harmony of the Gospels, and wrote books on Jesus, Paul (2), Peter, John, John the Baptist, Luke, John Mark, and Mary, two books of sermons, several volumes compiled from articles published in periodic literature, and more!
Having read more than half of Robertson’s literary productions, I would characterize them as having a full head and a warm heart, and displaying his exacting thoroughness in research and meticulous attention to detail. Were I limited to the New Testament related writings of only one man, I would immediately choose those of Robertson over anyone else.
Robertson’s biography was written by Everett Gill (A.T. Robertson, Macmillan, 1943; 250 pp.). Though long out-of-print, used copies can easily be found via the internet.