Grant R. Osborne
Osborne with class after delivering final lecture before retiring
Born	(1942 -07-07)July 7, 1942 Queens, New York City, NY
Died	November 4, 2018(2018-11-04) (aged 76) Libertyville, Illinois
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Theologian and New Testament scholar
Title	Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Spouse	Nancy Osborne
Children	2
Academic background
Alma mater	Aberdeen University (PhD)
Thesis	History and Theology in the Resurrection Narratives: A Redactional Study (1974)
Doctoral advisor	I. Howard Marshall
Academic work
Discipline	Biblical hermeneutics
Sub-discipline	New Testament studies
Notable works	The Hermeneutical Spiral

Grant R. Osborne (July 7, 1942 – November 4, 2018)^[1] was an American theologian and New Testament scholar. He was Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Biography

Education

Osborne got a B.A. from the Fort Wayne Bible College, a M.A. from the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD from the University of Aberdeen.^[2] He also has done postdoctoral research at the university of Cambridge and University of Marburg.^[2]

Career

Osborne has taught at Winnipeg Theological Seminary and the university of Aberdeen and has pastored churches in Ohio and Illinois.^[2] From 1977 to 2016, he has been professor of New Testament at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.^[1][2]

He specialized in biblical hermeneutics, the Gospels and the book of Revelation.^[2] He is best known for his concept of the "hermeneutical spiral",^[3] denoting an "upward and constructive process of moving from earlier pre-, understanding to fuller understanding, and the returning back to check and to review the need for correction or change in this preliminary understanding."^[4]

He was a member of the Bible Translation Committee for the Holy Bible: New Living Translation.^[2] He served as General Translator for the Gospels and Acts.^[2]

He was a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Institute of Biblical Research.^[2]

In 2013, a Festschrift was published in his honor. On the Writing of New Testament Commentaries: Festschrift for Grant R. Osborne on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday included contributions from Craig L. Blomberg, D. A. Carson, Scot McKnight, Douglas J. Moo, Stanley E. Porter, and Kevin J. Vanhoozer.

Theology

Osborne held Arminian soteriological views.^[5][6][7] In "A classical Arminian view",^[8] he wrote in favour of a possible apostasy for the genuine believer.^[9]

Works

Books

• Osborne, Grant R.; Woodward, Stephen B. (1979). Handbook for Bible Study. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-801-06665-8. OCLC 5390376.
• ——— (1984). The Resurrection Narratives: a redactional study. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-801-02707-9. OCLC 53231282.
• ——— (1997). The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (1st ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0-830-81272-1. OCLC 24378043.
• ——— (1994). Three Crucial Questions about the Bible. 3 crucial questions. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-801-05273-6. OCLC 33407867.
• ——— (2002). Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0-801-02299-9. OCLC 49226276.
• ——— (2004). Romans. IVP New Testament Commentary. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. ISBN 9780830840069. OCLC 878132472.
• ——— (2010). Matthew. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 978-0-310-24357-1. OCLC 286514436.
• ——— (2010). The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Revised ed.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 978-0-8308-7877-2.
• ——— (2014). Mark. Teach the Text commentary series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-801-09219-0. OCLC 869268876.
• ———; Trueman, Carl R.; Hammett, John S. (2015). Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement: 3 views. Perspectives. Nashville, TN: B & H Academic. ISBN 9781433669712. OCLC 881665298.

Edited by

• ———; McKnight, Scot, eds. (2004). The Face of New Testament Studies: a survey of recent research. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801027079. OCLC 53231282.
• ———; Laansma, Jon C.; Van Neste, Ray, eds. (2011). New Testament Theology in Light of the Church's Mission: Essays in Honor of I. Howard Marshall. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books. ISBN 978-1-610-97530-8. OCLC 768487238.

Chapters

• ——— (2007). "A Classical Arminian View". In Bateman, Herbert W. (ed.). Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews (PDF). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Festschrift

• Porter, Stanley E.; Schnabel, Eckhard J., eds. (2013). On the Writing of New Testament Commentaries: festschrift for Grant R. Osborne on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Texts and editions for New Testament study. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004232921. OCLC 818786823.