KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) — Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary launched the Center for Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary (CBS) Thursday (Oct. 3), offering another significant resource for academic advancement in service to the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and beyond.
Midwestern research professor of New Testament and biblical theology Andreas Köstenberger will lead the Center to focus on scholarly excellence and biblical fidelity in ways that are hermeneutically sound and in keeping with historic Christianity and Baptist confessions of faith.
Of the CBS, Köstenberger said, “Regrettably, there is often a divide between the academic world and the church, between biblical scholars and people in our churches. Rightly understood, however, biblical scholarship exists for the church. At the Center for Biblical Studies at Midwestern Seminary, we will attempt to recapture the true purpose of biblical scholarship: to serve the church and to help God’s people grow in their knowledge of God and live for his glory.”
Highlights of the CBS’s contributions will include facilitating academic discussions in the fields of biblical studies via the podcast “Biblical Foundations,” featuring blog posts, articles, and other resources that are helpful to students, pastors, and ministry leaders; and sponsoring events that exhibit both scholarly excellence and fidelity to Scripture.
“The vision of the Center for Biblical Studies,” said Midwestern President Jason Allen, “is to engage in biblical scholarship for the church — for pastors and serious students of Scripture committed to the authority of God’s Word. We are an institution that is serious about serving the local church. To do that, we must be serious about biblical studies as well, and that’s why I’m thrilled for the opportunities ahead for current and potential students to engage with the Center for Biblical Studies.
“I can’t think of anyone more qualified to lead our Center for Biblical Studies than Dr. Andreas Köstenberger, who is among the most accomplished New Testament scholars in the greater evangelical world today. I am confident that he will impactfully lead and mentor our students to make significant scholarly contributions to the field of biblical studies for years to come.”
Köstenberger has been at the school since 2018 and also oversees his personal ministry website, Biblical Foundations (www.biblicalfoundations.org), which he’s developed over the last 15 years.
As for goals in assisting pastors and ministry leaders, Köstenberger said, “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. We also desire to serve the church and God’s people by disseminating trustworthy resources that are grounded in a high view of Scripture and accessible to the non-scholar.”
These materials will include Köstenberger’s work on various subjects including biblical interpretation, biblical theology, John’s Gospel, Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, marriage and family, mission, and much more.
Köstenberger added that one of the most exciting facets of the new Center is that it’s more than a mere website, internet blog, or discussion forum. Rather, the Center will be grounded in the work of MBTS and actively engage students, faculty, alumni, local-area pastors, and others both locally and globally. In pursuit of this mission, the CBS will sponsor events such as the Sizemore Lectures and For the Church Workshops as well as hosting the “Biblical Foundations” podcast.
“My team and I, through the CBS, desire to meet the genuine need for faithful, Bible-centered resources, especially for those in Christian ministry,” Köstenberger said. “We want to be responsive to any gaps in available resources and felt needs among those whom we hope to serve.”
To learn more about or become involved with the Center for Biblical Studies, visit https://cbs.mbts.edu/.
