Ezra Palmer Gould

Ezra Palmer Gould (February 27, 1841 – August 22, 1900) was a Baptist and later, Episcopal, minister, He graduated Harvard University in 1861 and subsequently served in the Civil War. He entered the ministry in 1868. His commentary on the Gospel of Mark continued to be reprinted in the International Critical Commentary series.

Early Life, Family, and Education

Ezra Palmer Gould was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Feb. 27, 1841 to S.L. Gould and Frances Ann Shelton Gould.^[1] He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1861, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was married Sept. 1, 1868 to Jenny M. Stone, and had two children, Herbert Shelton and Edith Parker.

Military service

Shortly after his graduation, he enlisted as a private in the 24th Massachusetts Volunteers. He was promoted to corporal shortly thereafter. His regiment participated in the Battle of New Bern, and was stationed there for nine months. During this time, he received news of his brothers death at Antietam.^[2] He was commissioned to Second Lieutenant of the 55th Massachusetts Volunteers on Oct. 15, 1863, then to Captain of the 59th Massachusetts Volunteers.^[3] Commanding the 55th, he was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness when he was wounded in the left hand and arm, losing his little finger.^[2]

Seminary Education and Work

Upon leaving his military service in 1865, he entered Newton Theological Institution, a Baptist seminary, graduating three years later, and immediately becoming professor of New Testament Literature and Interpretation, a position which he held until 1882.^[2] In 1889, he assumed a similar position at the Protestant Episcopal Divinity School in Philadelphia, which he held for nine years, and was ordained into the Episcopal priesthood on Feb. 18, 1891.^[1]

Pastorates

• Old Cambridge Baptist Church - 1868-?
• Berean Baptist Church (Burlington, Virginia) - 1884-1888
• St. George's Episcopal Church, New York - 1898-1900^[4]

Publications

Articles

• "Notes on John 17," Baptist Quarterly, July, 1874
• "New Testament Use of σάρξ, Flesh," Bibliotheca Sacra, January, 1875
• "Doctrinal Contents of Christ's Teachings in the Synoptical Gospels," Baptist Quarterly, June, 1877
• "Doctrine of the Epistle of James," Bibliotheca Sacra, October, 1878
• "Paul's Doctrine of Sin," Baptist Review, July, 1880
• "Note on I Corinthians 7:15," Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1881
• "Christianity in Business," Proceedings of Baptist Autumnal Conference, 1883
• "Romans 9-11," Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1883
• "Matthew 12:43-45," Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, 1883
• "The True Church," Andover Review, Jan, 1888
• "Defects of the Congregational Polity," Andover Review, 1889
• "Literary Character of St. Paul's Letters," Old and New Testament Student, Aug.-Sept., 1890
• "Positive Gains of the Higher Criticism," Church Congress Papers, 1890
• "The Evils of Division," Church Unity Society, 1891
• "Anomalies of the New Testament literature," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1892
• "St. Paul and the Twelve," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1899
• "The New Testament Alexandrians," Methodist Review, Sep.-Oct, 1899
• "The Alexandrian Gospel," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1900

Books

• Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians (1887)
• A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to St. Mark (1896)
• The Biblical Theology of the New Testament (1900)

References

1. 1 2 Harvard College Class of 1861, Sixth Report. New York. 1902. pp. 23–24. 
2. 1 2 3 Harvard College Class of 1861, Fifth Report. New York. 1892. pp. 52–53. 
3. ↑ Brown, Francis H. (1886). Harvard University in the War of 1861-1865. Boston: Cupples, Upham, and Co. p. 166. 
4. ↑ Anstice, Henry (1911). History of St. George's Church. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 468.