LIFE OF ZANE C. HODGES

Zane C Hodges was born on June 15, 1932 and went home to be with the Lord on November 23, 2008. He was 76 and a lifelong bachelor. He was predeceased by his father Z.C., mother Virginia, and his younger brother, David.

As an undergraduate student, Zane studied Greek, French, and German and received a BA in Greek from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1954.  After Wheaton, Zane moved to Dallas, Texas to attend Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) where he received a Masters of Theology degree in 1958. In 1960, he began working as a professor in the New Testament Department at DTS where he taught and served for 27 years.

While at DTS, Zane taught and served at Victor Street Bible Chapel, a small brethren church in Dallas for around 50 years. He personally ministered and touched the lives of many from all races, ages, and walks of life. In the last 5 years of his life, Zane served at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.

In 1981, Zane and a close friend founded the publishing company, Redención Viva which published and distributed Zane’s books, pamphlets, and cassette recordings. In 1988, Zane incorporated Kerugma, a tax-exempt charitable organization and began to send The Kerugma Message newsletter to his financial supporters.

Zane lived a life consistent with the undeserved grace of God. Zane was in high school, when he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the absolutely free gift of eternal life. Zane loved Jesus' simple promise that "he who believes in Me has everlasting life" (John 6:47). He remained true to that wonderful message his whole life. One of his favorite verses was from Jesus' dialogue with the woman at the well: "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

Zane’s wide ranging interests included the Cincinnati Reds, fantasy baseball, chess, boxing, wrestling, comic books, British mysteries, spending time with scholars and prisoners, and attending the Texas State Fair and Renaissance Fair.