Two theologians whom I hold in high regard are John Owen and Geerhardus Vos. I think of these two theologians together, not only because they are highly revered scholars from the Reformed Orthodox tradition, but more so because they are challenging to read. I would much rather wrestle through a book that requires me to re-read sections in order to keep up with a multifaceted argument than one that can merely be skimmed and understood. Yeah, that sounds strange. And, No, this doesn't mean I know these theologians as well as I would like. It simply means that I know that I am going to chew on some good meat when I turn to Owen and Vos.Geerhadus Vos was born in the Netherlands. His father moved the family to the United States when he accepted the pastorate of a Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, MI. Vos studied theology in Grand Rapids (now Calvin College), at Princeton Seminary, at the University Berlin, and at the University of Strasburg. Upon receiving his doctorate, Vos returned to Grand Rapids to teach at Calvin College. He later accepted an offer to fill the newly created chair of Biblical Theology at Princeton Seminary. It is noted that he taught other notable pastor/theologians such as J. Gresham Machen, John Murray, and Cornelius Van Til.
Of interest to me was to learn that Vos chose to remain at Princeton when the fundamentalists, Machen, Van Til, and others, pulled out. He also chose to remain in the PCUSA after the breakup and formation of the PCA. Even still, Vos was not considered to be a moderate. He vigorously fought against liberalism, and he was well equipped to do so.
Vos passed away 59 years ago on August 13, 1949.
Two of Vos's most influential and enduring works are the following:
- Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, ed. by Johannes G. Vos. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1948; reprint, Banner of Truth, 1975; reprint, Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2003.
- Eerdmans edition: WTS ($, pb) | Amazon
- BOT edition: WTS | Amazon (13.60, pb) | WTS ($12.00, pb)
- Wipf & Stock reprint: Amazon ($38.60, pb)
- The Pauline Eschatology. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University, 1938; reprint, P & R Publishing, 1979.
- The Self-Disclosure of Jesus: The Modern Debate about the Messianic Consciousness. New York: George H. Doran Co. 1926; Rewritten and corrected by Johannes G. Vos, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1954; reprint, Nutley, New Jersey: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1976.
- The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church. P & R Publishing, 1972; reprint, Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1999.
- The Eschatology of the Old Testament. P & R Publishing, 2001.
- A Geerhardus Vos Anthology: Biblical and Theological Insights Alphabetically Arranged, ed. by Danny E. Olinger. P & R Publishing, 2005.
- Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation: The Shorter Writings of Geerhardus Vos, ed. by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. P & R. Publishing, 2001.
- Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached in the Chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary. 1922; reprint, Banner of Truth, 1994; Solid Ground Christian Books, 2007.
- Letters of Geerhardus Vos, ed. by James T. Dennison, Jr. P & R Publishing, 2006.
- The Teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews. reprint, Wipf & Stock, 1998.
Online Biographical Sketches -
- James T. Dennison, Jr. "Geerhardus Vos: Life Between Two Worlds," Kerux V14 N2 A3 September, 1999.
- Richard H. Harms. "Flashback * Geerhardus Vos, Calvin's First PhD: Alum returned to teach at alma mater." The Calvin Spark, 2003.
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