Skip to main content
MBTS logo link to homepage

John J. R. Lee

Associate Professor of New Testament
faculty image

Dr. John J. R. Lee has taught at MBTS since the fall of 2010 and currently serves as Associate Professor of New Testament, teaching various biblical studies and Greek courses and supervising a number of Ph.D. dissertations. He was the recipient of the seminary’s 2014 Professor of the Year award.

Professor Lee’s research interests include: the Gospels, Ephesians, New Testament Christology, early Jewish and Christian monotheism, messianic language and theology, and Biblical Greek. Lee has authored and coauthored a number of books, including Christological Rereading of the Shema in Mark’s Gospel (2020), published in Mohr Siebeck’s prestigious WUNT II series, and A Ransom for Many (Lexham, 2023), which explores the meaning and significance of Mark 10:45, a so-called “key verse” of the Second Gospel. Two of his co-authored books are expected to be released in the subsequent years: The Divine Christology of the Apostle Paul (IVP Academic, 2024), and an intermediate Greek workbook (title: TBD; B&H Academic, 2025). Lee is also co-editing a volume on the biblical theme of “justice” (Kregel Academic) and preparing a monograph on the Christology of Mark’s Gospel, along with several other writing projects. Since 2008, Lee has presented numerous conference papers at ETS and SBL, among other academic meetings.

Lee has graduated from Seoul National University, South Korea (B.M.); The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY (M. Div.) where he studied under Tom Schreiner and Robert Stein; and the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Ph.D. in New Testament), where his mentors were Paul Foster and the late Larry Hurtado. His doctoral study at Edinburgh was combined with teaching at the King’s Evangelical Divinity School/the University of Chester, United Kingdom, and research at Das Institut für antikes Judentum und hellenistische Religionsgeschichte, Tübingen University, Germany, under the guidance of Hermann Lichtenberger.

Dr. Lee has pastored in various English and Korean speaking settings since 2001 and is currently serving as associate pastor at Kansas City Korean Baptist Church. He is also frequently invited to speak at local churches in the States and in South Korea. He adores his wife, Sunny, and is incredibly proud of their son, Josh.

Professor Lee welcomes inquiry on Ph.D. supervision; feel free to send him your potential dissertation ideas at jlee@mbts.edu.


Local Church:

Kansas City Korean Baptist Church


Publications: