Charles Ryrie, editor of The Ryrie Study Bible, has died

by Joni B. Hannigan, Editorial Staff |

DALLAS (Christian Examiner) –Charles Caldwell Ryrie, editor of The Ryrie Study Bible, has died.

The communications office at Dallas Theological Seminary has confirmed a message posted to Facebook Tuesday morning, Feb. 16, announcing his death.

"Dr. Charles C. Ryrie (1925-2016), a great teacher of Scripture and Gospel. May he enjoy the presence of his Savior," the post reads.

Ryrie was a Christian writer and theologian who served as professor of systematic theological and dean of doctoral studies at DTS. He retired in 1983.

The Ryrie Study Bible, first published in 1978, contained more than 10,000 of Ryrie's explanatory notes. It has sold more than 2 million copies.

Charles C. Ryrie

Shared over 400 times in an hour, the simple one line message about his death had been "liked" by nearly a thousand Facebook followers, many of whom had left messages.

Keith Mosebrook, a pastor at Easter Berlin Community Church in New Jersey, commented on the social media site that one of the reasons he attended Dallas Theological Seminary was to study under Ryrie.

"First year, first day of classes, I was walking from my apartment on Swiss Avenue to the Seminary. Dr. Ryrie stopped and offered me a ride. What a humble man and great teacher. He had the ability to take complex theological issues and reduce them to language we could understand. He certainly marked my life," Mosebrook said.

Ryan Henschen, who describes himself as a student studying homiletics at Liberty University School of Divinity, wrote a final tribute to Ryrie via Facebook.

When I first became a Christian I was constantly looking for answers to all of my difficult questions. I needed someone who was intelligent but also understandable.

"My first serious study Bible was a Ryrie Bible and I still use it. I am beyond happy that is now in the presence of our Lord and Savior and I can't wait to meet him on the other side," Henschen wrote. "Thank You Dr. Ryrie. I never met you but I feel like I know you!! Thank You!"

For more about Ryrie, go to "Ryrie shunned the classroom yet became a beloved scholar."

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