Ever since I first laid eyes on a "Jonathan Edwards Is My Homeboy" t-shirt, I knew I wanted to wear one that honored A. T. Robertson (1863-1934). Therefore, I wish to announce that I have created just such an "A. T. Robertson Is My Homeboy" design which is immediately available on apparel and gift items at my Café Press Store.

However, you may immediately notice that my design is somewhat different than merely being a knockoff of the Edwards shirt. Since A. T. Roberts is so closely associated with New Testament Greek studies, I thought it would be fitting to offer an equivalent Greek rendering of "is my homeboy." At first, I came up with some awkward phrasing that literally said "A. T. Robertson is the boy of my house." This didn't work, so after some thought and consultation, I cracked open the Louw & Nida lexicon which groups words around semantic domains. I began working my way through the section on "kinship terms." Finally, I came across the word, οἰκεῖος, a derivative of the Greek word for home/house [οἶκος] and which means kinsman, relative or member of a household. The word only occurs three times in the New Testament (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:19; 1 Tim 5:8), and I admit it was not part of my working vocabulary. But after looking at it and getting the opinion of a couple of other folks, I decided that in contemporary terms, in a very, very dynamic rendering, οἰκεῖος could be translated as "homeboy." Thus we have "A. T. Robertson ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς οἰκεῖος."

A bit of a stretch? Perhaps, but still valid I believe. Plus, like the "Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy" shirt, this is done somewhat tongue in cheek. I imagine such a shirt would draw quite a few stares, as well as being quite the conversation starter for those who get it and for those to whom you have to explain it.

A. T. Robertson was not only one of the greatest Southern Baptist theologians to have ever lived, but he would still probably rank as one of the most significant scholars in the area of modern New Testament Greek studies. After graduating from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, Robertson was invited to teach at the school where he remained until his death in 1934. During his lifetime, he wrote over 45 books including four Greek grammars. Many of his works are still in print, and some are now thankfully in the public domain and can be accessed as easily as performing an internet search on his name. Robertson is probably best known for his six volume Word Pictures of the New Testament, a work that he wrote with both the reader in mind who knew Greek and the reader who did not. And of course, Robertson's 1500+ page magnum opus, Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research has more than stood the test of time. Although dated in some places, it is still a valuable resource and must for any serious student of NT Greek.

There's such a rich legacy of works left behind A. T. Robertson, that I've often thought of creating a podcast simply based on the reading of selections from his writing. In the meantime, if you want to show your appreciation to this great figure Greek studies, be sure to drop by my Café Press store and pick up a shirt, mug, journal or other item and let the world know, "A. T. Robertson ἐστιν ὁ ἐμὸς οἰκεῖος."

Tags: Café Press, Apparel