Going Deeper with Richard Gaffin

In the most recent issue of Credo Magazine, “What’s the Big Story?”, Richard Gaffin contributed an article on the biblical theology of Geerdhardus Vos. The article is titled: “Going Deeper with Richard Gaffin: Gaffin introduces one of the most important biblical theologians of the past, Geerhardus Vos.” Gaffin is Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including By Faith, Not By Sight and Resurrection and Redemption. Here is the introduction to Gaffin’s article:

Who was Geerhardus Vos?

Born in the Netherlands on March 14, 1862, Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) emigrated with his family to the United States in 1881.  Following theological studies in Grand Rapids, Michigan at  the Theological School of the Christian Reformed Church (the precursor of Calvin College and Seminary) and Princeton Seminary, he studied in Germany, first in Berlin and then in Strassburg, where he received his doctor’s degree in Arabic studies in 1888.

His personal gifts and remarkable scholarly ability across the entire range of theological studies, evident already as a student, did not go unrecognized.  In the Fall of 1888 he began teaching at his alma mater in Grand Rapids, where for five years he was responsible for a wide spectrum of subjects ranging from Greek grammar to systematic theology and carried an instructional load at times as high as 25 hours per week, preaching, in addition, at least once nearly every week.  In 1893, in what proved to be the decision of a lifetime, he accepted appointment as professor to the newly created chair of biblical theology at Princeton Seminary, where he remained until retirement in 1932.

The long Princeton years appear to have been relatively quiet and untroubled, given over to teaching, research, writing and occasionally preaching, with no outside involvements or other complications interrupting this pattern in any substantial way.  Primarily through seminary courses, several books and numerous articles and book reviews, he worked at developing the discipline of biblical theology, for both Old and New Testaments, within a cordial commitment to the classical Reformed confessions and the theology they entail.  During retirement and then posthumously, with the editorial efforts of son, Johannes, some of his most important work was published.  He died in Grand Rapids on August 13, 1949.

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What’s the Big Idea Story?

Why Biblical Theology Should Matter to Every Bible-Believing Christian

When the sixteenth-century Reformation erupted, one of the alarming dangers that became blatantly obvious to reformers like Martin Luther was the pervasiveness of biblical illiteracy among the laity. It may be tempting to think that this problem has been solved almost five hundred years later. However, in our own day biblical illiteracy in the pew continues to present a challenge. Many Christians in our post-Christian context simply are not acquainted with the storyline of the Bible and God’s actions in redemptive history from Adam to the second Adam.

With this concern in mind, the current issue of Credo Magazine strives to take a step forward, in the right direction, by emphasizing the importance of “biblical theology.” Therefore, we have brought together some of the best and brightest minds to explain what biblical theology is, why it is so important, and how each and every Christian can become a biblical theologian. Our hope in doing so is that every Christian will return to the text of Scripture with an unquenchable appetite to not only read the Bible, but comprehend God’s unfolding plan of salvation.

Contributors include: Justin Taylor, Darian Lockett, Edwards Klink III, David Murray, Stephen Dempster, James Hamilton, T. Desmond Alexander, Stephen Wellum, Peter Gentry, G. K. Beale, Graham Cole, and many others.