BIOGRAPHY
E. W. BULLINGER (1837-1913)
Ethelbert William Bullinger (December 15, 1837 - June 6,
1913) was a Vicar of the Church of England and Biblical scholar.
Born
in Canterbury, England, his family traced its lineage back to the noted Swiss
reformer Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1557).
He was educated at King's
College, London, and gained recognition in the field of Biblical languages.
This recognition was world-wide in spite of some sniping from the so-called
"Plymouth Brethren" due to his having a different interpretation of the
Dispensations to many of them.
He became Secretary to the (British)
Trinitarian Bible Society
and rescued it from bankruptcy by his untiring money-raising efforts and
extensive travels to promote their aims, including writing the music for some
hymns known among the Bretons only by memory! The Bible in the Breton language
was also due largely to his efforts and friendship with Pastor LeCoat.
His
efforts were appreciated and noted in the Society's History "The Word of God
Among All Nations". See chapter six.
E.W.
Bullinger was noted broadly for three works: A Critical Lexicon and Concordance
to the English and Greek New Testament (1877); for his ground-breaking and
exhaustive work on Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (1898); and as the
primary editor of The Companion Bible (published in 6 parts, beginning in 1909;
the entire annotated Bible was published posthumously in 1922). He was also
responsible almost single-handed for the magazine "Things To Come" from which
many of the articles we have are reproduced.
All three of these works,
along with numerous of his books and pamphlets, remain in print (2003). In
1881, four years after the publication of the Lexicon and Concordance,
Archibald Campbell Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury conferred upon Bullinger a
Doctor of Divinity degree, citing Bullinger's "eminent service in the Church in
the department of Biblical criticism." and "in recognition of his biblical
scholarship".
He became a great friend of Sir Robert
Anderson C.B. and was often at
his home for a weekend or longer, being known to the household as "Bully" Read
a letter from Sir Robert to Bullinger, here. The
letter demonstrates and testifies to the grace with which Bullinger could
disagree with other interpretations of Holy Scripture. This grace could
usefully be copied by some brethren in the faith!
Educated at King's
College, London, he was a recognized scholar in the field of biblical
languages. The Archbishop of Canterbury granted him an honorary Doctor of
Divinity degree in 1881. Bullinger died on June 6, 1913, in London, England,
aged Seventy-five. The Companion Bible was completed, post-humously by some
devoted friends and followers.
MEET E. W.
BULLINGER
A Tribute
Ethelbert W. Bullinger was born
before the Civil War... 1837 to be exact. He died just before World War One, in
1913. E.W. Bullinger was a true scholar, a "rare bird" especially in our day,
and scholars sometimes have a way of making lasting contributions for
generations to come. He was a direct descendant of Johann H. Bullinger, the
great Swiss Reformer. His ardent Biblical scholarship was matched by his
intense devotion to Christ. Like the rest of us, he wasn’t always right
and he got plenty of flak in his lifetime and even more since his homegoing. We
are not "Bullingerites" neither do we "throw out baby with the bath-water."
Those who are miss a great deal, for Bullinger’s love of the Word produced
a wealth of material for which any true student of Scripture can be eternally
grateful. His study Bible, The COMPANION BIBLE is unequalled as a wealth
of helps to Bible understanding. If I could only own one study Bible, it would
be this one.
HOW TO ENJOY THE BIBLE is chock-full of keys to Bible
understanding; every Believer should have it. His COMMENTARY ON
REVELATION is written from a dispensational viewpoint and makes more sense
than 50 other commentaries that are not. NUMBER IN SCRIPTURE and THE
WITNESS OF THE STARS are intriguing, and the student will appreciate such
works as his Word Studies on the Holy Spirit - AKA (THE GIVER AND HIS
GIFTS) and GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES In Hebrews 11.
Back in
print but hard to get, THE CHURCH EPISTLES should be in every
pastor’s library and in every Christian home. If you haven’t met E.W.
Bullinger, meet him! Your life will be richer for it.
A biography by
JUANITA S.CARY called EW BULLINGER - A
BIOGRAPHY has to be mentioned. According to my wife, whose book it
is, it's the best biography she's ever read - meaning the subject is so Godly
and interesting.
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