Ellis was known throughout the world as an “evangelical scholar” who trusted God’s Word without yielding “his faith commitment to anyone, even to the most eminent of scholars or to the most vocal of power-groups.”

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s E. Earle Ellis, a New Testament professor who 25 years ago held conservative views on the Bible when many of his colleagues didn’t, died March 2. He was 83.

Ellis, research professor of theology emeritus, served at the seminar from 1985 until his death, which came only two weeks before his 84th birthday. Flags around the seminary campus have been lowered to half-staff in Ellis’ honor.

Ellis’ conservative views stood out at a time when the Southern Baptist Convention’s conservative resurgence — which returned the denomination to its orthodox roots — had just begun.

“Dr. Earle Ellis distinguished himself as a classroom teacher, scholar, author and true friend to thousands,” Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Seminary, said. “Until the last 30 days of his life, he worked diligently to complete a commentary on First Corinthians. He drove his chariot like Jehu and did everything that he did with a flourish. He is more a part of Southwestern than Fort Worth Hall — the venerable, original building on campus. We will all miss him profoundly.”

“Dr. Ellis was also a courageous man,” Patterson said. “stood with conservative students who were attempting to have a pro-life group on a campus when, before 1979, such was not popular. Dr. Ellis demonstrated his courage by volunteering to be the faculty sponsor for the group contrary to the will of the administration.”