Moisés Silva
Encyclopedia
Moisés Silva is a Cuban-born American biblical scholar and translator.
, Cuba
, and has lived in the US since 1960. He has taught biblical studies
at Westmont College
(1972–1981), Westminster Theological Seminary
(1981–1996), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
(1996–2000), where he was the Mary French Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament until his retirement. A past president of the Evangelical Theological Society
(1997), Silva for many years had been an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
. He served as a translator of the New American Standard Bible
, the New Living Translation
(Ephesians - Philemon), the English Standard Version
and the Nueva Versión Internacional, and as a New Testament consultant for Eugene Peterson's The Message
. He has also authored or coauthored several books and articles, including a highly acclaimed commentary on Philippians; Invitation to the Septuagint (with Karen Jobes); God, Language, and Scripture; Has the Church Misread the Bible?; and An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics (with Walter Kaiser, Jr.
). He currently resides in Litchfield, Michigan
, where he continues his work as an author and editor.
Silva holds degrees from Bob Jones University
(BA, 1966), Westminster Theological Seminary
(BD, 1969; ThM, 1971), and the University of Manchester
(PhD, 1972). At Manchester he studied under F. F. Bruce
and James Barr
. The latter's The Semantics of Biblical Language (1961) was a strong influence on Silva's Biblical Words and Their Meaning (1983, 2nd ed. 1994), which challenged many common linguistic
fallacies in biblical interpretation.
Biography
Silva was born in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and has lived in the US since 1960. He has taught biblical studies
Biblical studies
Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...
at Westmont College
Westmont College
Westmont offers 26 majors, including: alternative major, art, biology, chemistry, communication studies, computer science, economics and business, education program, engineering physics, English, history, European studies, kinesiology, liberal studies, mathematics, modern languages , music,...
(1972–1981), Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
(1981–1996), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
(1996–2000), where he was the Mary French Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament until his retirement. A past president of the Evangelical Theological Society
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students with the stated purpose of serving Jesus and his church by advancing evangelical scholarship. It was established in 1949 in Cincinnati. The number of members in 2005 was over 4,200...
(1997), Silva for many years had been an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a conservative Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America who strongly objected to the pervasive Modernist theology during the 1930s . Led...
. He served as a translator of the New American Standard Bible
New American Standard Bible
The New American Standard Bible , also informally called New American Standard Version , is an English translation of the Bible....
, the New Living Translation
New Living Translation
The New Living Translation is a translation of the Bible into modern English. Originally starting out as an effort to revise The Living Bible, the project evolved into a new English translation from Hebrew and Greek texts...
(Ephesians - Philemon), the English Standard Version
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
and the Nueva Versión Internacional, and as a New Testament consultant for Eugene Peterson's The Message
The Message (Bible)
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language was created by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. It is an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible.-History:...
. He has also authored or coauthored several books and articles, including a highly acclaimed commentary on Philippians; Invitation to the Septuagint (with Karen Jobes); God, Language, and Scripture; Has the Church Misread the Bible?; and An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics (with Walter Kaiser, Jr.
Walter Kaiser, Jr.
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. is an American evangelical Old Testament scholar, writer, public speaker, and educator. Kaiser is the Colman M. Mockler distinguished Professor of Old Testament and former President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, retired June 30, 2006...
). He currently resides in Litchfield, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, where he continues his work as an author and editor.
Silva holds degrees from Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
(BA, 1966), Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
(BD, 1969; ThM, 1971), and the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
(PhD, 1972). At Manchester he studied under F. F. Bruce
F. F. Bruce
Frederick Fyvie Bruce was a Biblical scholar and one of the founders of the modern evangelical understanding of the Bible...
and James Barr
James Barr (biblical scholar)
James Barr FBA was a Scottish Old Testament scholar.Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Barr was ordained to the ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1951. He held professorships in New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh, Manchester, and at Vanderbilt University in the United States of...
. The latter's The Semantics of Biblical Language (1961) was a strong influence on Silva's Biblical Words and Their Meaning (1983, 2nd ed. 1994), which challenged many common linguistic
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
fallacies in biblical interpretation.