Originally published in the Midwestern Magazine, Issue 38
Midwestern Seminary has become a powerplant of original content.
There is an avalanche of material coming from For the Church, Credo Magazine, Preaching and Preachers, The Spurgeon Library, and The Center for Public Theology. This wave of theological output is all aimed in one direction: the good of the local church.
We are excited to announce that this fall, Midwestern is introducing the Center for Biblical Studies (CBS) to this burgeoning arsenal. The Center, led by director Andreas J. Köstenberger, exists to engage in biblical scholarship for the church—for pastors and serious students of Scripture committed to the authority of God’s Word. To that end, the CBS will aim to exhibit scholarly excellence and biblical fidelity in ways that are hermeneutically sound and in keeping with historic Christianity and Baptist confessions of faith. The CBS will also seek to serve the Midwestern Seminary community and beyond by facilitating academic discussions, producing quality resources, and sponsoring biblically-focused events. We were glad to interview Dr. Köstenberger about this exciting new endeavor.
Ronni Kurtz: Dr. Köstenberger, first of all, thank you for taking the time to participate in this interview. The news regarding the launch of the Center for Biblical Studies is exciting. Could you tell us a little about the purpose of the Center and your aspirations for it?
AK: Nowadays, Centers proliferate, as do blogs, podcasts, and websites. The last thing we want to do is crowd people’s plates with yet another resource! In many ways, the Center aims to continue the mission of my ministry, Biblical Foundations: putting faithful biblical resources at the disposal of committed Christians who are serious about learning what the Bible teaches on any given subject. While other websites and ministries are more broad in orientation, or in some cases focus on a narrow area other than the teaching of Scripture, the CBS at MBTS will focus primarily on biblical studies and biblical theology. Because we believe the Bible is profoundly relevant for believers facing various issues in the culture today, there will be a strong relevance angle pervading our site, but for the most part, we’ll leave applied theology, whether in preaching, missions, or ethics, to others.
RK: What types of resources can readers expect from the Center?
AK: Well, that’s still a work in progress. My team and I are not doing this for ourselves, to enhance our own reputation or increase our workload, but hopefully to meet the genuine need for faithful Bible-centered material, especially for those in Christian ministry. So, we want to be responsive to any gaps in available resources and felt needs among those whom we hope to serve.
That said, we will feature conversations on biblical topics in the form of monthly podcasts as well as articles that in many ways flow from my own scholarly work on various subjects: John’s Gospel, Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, mission, marriage and family, biblical interpretation, biblical theology, and so forth. I think what sets the CBS at MBTS apart from other sites is that it is grounded in a robust community and a constituency in the surrounding area here in the Midwest. We have a strong local and regional interest and, at the same, remain committed to the church’s mission globally. On a local level, we’ll sponsor an annual biblical studies lecture series with a noted Old or New Testament scholar—the Sizemore Lectures. We’ll also co-sponsor a For the Church workshop on biblical topics. As I said, the Center is still evolving, and we want to be modest in our expectations, but we are looking to the Lord to work in and through us as he sees fit.
RK: The vision of being For the Church undergirds everything that Midwestern does, and I know the Center for Biblical Studies will be no exception. How do you anticipate the Center serving pastors and local churches?
AK: Pastors and those in Christian ministry are busy people and face many demands on their time and energy. It’s hard to be fully conversant with all 66 books of the Bible in both Testaments. Along with others, we hope to equip them to preach and teach God’s word more knowledgeably and competently. We hope to strengthen their grasp of hermeneutics and biblical theology so they can preach God’s word contextually and theologically. Whether through short pieces on relevant biblical topics posted on our website, occasional podcast conversations, or in-person events on the MBTS campus, we hope to serve the church and God’s people by disseminating faithful material that is grounded in a high view of Scripture and accessible to the non-scholar.
I should add that we don’t see ourselves at all in competition with other similar efforts. To the contrary, one of the things I’m most excited about is that we take our place among a number of already existing Centers and efforts at MBTS, such as the Center for Public Theology, Credo Magazine, Dr. Allen’s blog on Preaching and Preachers, and the For the Church website. In this regard, I believe we’ll fill an important niche that will make the ministry of MBTS even more effective and hopefully will even attract some to consider pursuing studies at MBTS as a result of perusing our materials.
RK: Thanks again for participating in this interview, I’ll leave the final word to you—anything else you’d like our readers to know about the Center for Biblical Studies?
AK: Anyone with an interest in the work of the Center or with suggestions for content is welcome to contact Jimmy Roh, my research assistant, at jroh@mbts.edu. I’d love for this Center to be genuinely helpful for the church and for those who preach the gospel to their local congregations and take it to the nations. That said, please be patient with us, as we’re just getting started, and it may be a while until we hit our stride. Know that we genuinely want to serve you and partner with you in ministry, especially in the area of faithful biblical study and exposition.
