Benjamin Lee Merkle (born 1971) is an American

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

scholar. He is Associate Professor of New Testament and Greek at

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It was created in 1950 to meet a need i ...

. Merkle studied at

Kuyper College Kuyper College is a ministry-focused Christian leadership college in Grand Rapids, Michigan that educates and trains Christian leaders for ministry and service. Through the integration of an academic curriculum and a Reformed worldview, they prov ...

Westminster Seminary California Westminster Seminary California is a Reformed and Presbyterian Christian seminary in Escondido, California. It was initially a branch campus of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia until 1982 when it became fully independent. It curr ...

, and

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was a ...

. He served as Professor of New Testament at

Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) is a denominational seminary affiliated with the Malaysia Baptist Convention. It is located in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia.Malaysia Baptist Theological SeminaryAbout MBTS Established in 1954, MBTS ...

before coming to SEBTS. Merkle specializes in the issue of eldership, and has written ''The Elder and Overseer: One Office in the Early Church'' (2003), ''40 Questions about Elders and Deacons'' (2008), and '' Why Elders? A Biblical and Practical Guide for Church Members'' (2009). He argues that elders and bishops are the same in the New Testament and "normally function in

plurality Plurality may refer to: Voting * Plurality (voting), or relative majority, when a given candidate receives more votes than any other but still fewer than half of the total ** Plurality voting, system in which each voter votes for one candidate and ...

in a local church." Merkle also argues for gender distinctions on the basis of

1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 11 is the eleventh chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was authored by Paul the Apostle and Sosthenes in Ephesus. In this chapter, Paul writes on the conduct of Christians ...

Works

Books

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Edited by

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkle, Benjamin L. Living people 1971 births American biblical scholars New Testament scholars Westminster Seminary California alumni Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni