Respected New Testament scholar Ian Howard Marshall died Dec. 12 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. The author and editor of at least 38 books and more than 120 essays and articles, Marshall had a significant influence on both biblical scholarship and the church.

Marshall was an evangelical Methodist who was born and lived most of his life in Scotland. He taught New Testament at the University of Aberdeen for 35 years and was a professor emeritus for 16 years.

Dan Reid, Intervarsity Press (IVP) Academic’s editorial director, commented on the company’s relationship with Marshall.

“Marshall was a great friend of IVP,” Reid said. “IVP Academic was privileged to publish several of I. Howard Marshall’s works. Some of these, such as his commentary on Acts and Luke: Historian & Theologian, were through U.K. publishers. Others were through our direct association with him. These include his editorial work on the first edition of the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (1992), his commentary on 1 Peter (1991), his New Testament Theology (2004) and A Concise New Testament Theology (2008).” Marshall is also the co-author of Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters & Revelation and co-editor of the New International Greek Testament Commentary series, as well as the author of the series’ volume on Luke.

Ray Van Neste, associate professor of biblical studies at Union University, wrote a tribute to Marshall on The Gospel Coalition.

“Because of Marshall, Aberdeen was for decades a primary destination for postgraduate study for evangelical students from around the world,” Neste said. “Among Marshall’s students are many of the leading evangelical New Testament scholars today as well as many lesser-known people who play key roles in majority world churches and schools. As postgrads in Aberdeen, we used to joke that only the oil companies rivaled Marshall for bringing the most internationals to Aberdeen.”

“One of the remarkable features of Marshall’s ministry of scholarship is the number of his PhD students who have gone on to productive scholarly careers,” Reid said. “Just among IVP Academic’s authors we can easily name Grant Osborne, Joel Green, Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Philip Towner, Clinton Arnold, Mark Strauss, Dean Flemming, Gary Burge ... and still have a strong sense that we have omitted a number of others. He played an important role in the flourishing of a generation of evangelical New Testament scholarship.”

Reid said that many have remarked on Marshall’s humility: “When he received word that his New Testament Theology had won a 2005 ECPA Gold Medallion award, and learned there would be an award plaque coming his way, Marshall replied, ‘My immediate reaction is to say: But I don’t want a plaque! What on earth would I do with it? No, I wouldn’t put it out for display.’ Those of us at IVP who knew him just smiled, knowing Marshall would respond just so. He was first of all a Christian. And a scholar who wore his learning lightly.”

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