Andreas J. Köstenberger


Andreas Johannes Köstenberger is Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and founding director of the Center for Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an evangelical scholar, author, and founder of Biblical Foundations, an organization devoted to encouraging a return to the biblical foundations in the home, the church, and society. His primary research interests are the Gospel of John, Biblical Theology, and Hermeneutics.

Background and Education

Köstenberger was born on November 2, 1957, in Vienna, Austria. He received a masters and doctorate in social and economic sciences from the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien. Subsequently, at the age of twenty-seven, he traveled to the United States to complete a Masters of Divinity at Columbia International University and doctorate at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School under the direction of D. A. Carson. While studying with Dr. Carson, he completed his dissertation on the mission motif in John which was published in 1998 under the title, The Missions of Jesus and the Disciples in the Fourth Gospel. In 2011, Köstenberger edited a Festschrift for his former mentor and doctoral advisor D. A. Carson entitled, Understanding the Times: New Testament Studies in the 21st Century.

Career

Upon completion of his doctorate, Köstenberger was Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at Briercrest College and Seminary from 1993-1995. In 1996, he took a teaching position at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he was Senior Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology. At SEBTS he served as director of Ph.D. studies for 12 years. In 2007, he was elected by the Governing Body to a 5-year term as Visiting Fellow at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge in Cambridge, England. In April 2018, the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary board of trustees elected Dr. Köstenberger to the faculty as Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology.
Köstenberger has authored, edited, or translated close to fifty books. He has 93 works in 310 publications translated into 5 languages such as German, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. His works have been reviewed by many, including Albert Mohler and George H. Guthrie. In 1997 and 1999, he translated the two-volume New Testament theology by Swiss-German scholar Adolf Schlatter, bringing this specific work to the English-speaking world for the first time, along with another of his books, Do We Know Jesus?
Köstenberger currently serves as editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, a position he has held for over 21 years. From 1996-1997 he was the editor of CBMW News. He served as the Director of Acquisitions for B&H Academic from 2010–2014. He also is editor of multiple series such as The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series, Biblical Theology of the New Testament, Evangelical Biblical Theological Commentary, and the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament.
Köstenberger serves as the founding director of the Center for Biblical Studies at MBTS. The Center engages in biblical scholarship for the church and produces resources such as articles, podcasts, book reviews, and more.
In 2006, he and his wife Margaret founded Biblical Foundations. According to their website, "The mission of Biblical Foundations is to help restore the biblical foundations for the family, the church, and society."
In 2006, Köstenberger participated in a roundtable discussion on Dan Brown's popular book, The Da Vinci Code in Wake Forest, N.C. Other panelists included Richard B. Hays, Norman Geisler, and Bart D. Ehrman. The roundtable took place in front of an audience of more than 1,000 people and addressed historical issues in the popular fiction book along with discussions on the inerrancy of Scripture, the historical reliability of Scripture, and the roles of women in the church. Subsequently, along with Darrell L. Bock and Josh Chatraw, Köstenberger wrote two books largely in response to Bart D. Ehrman, Truth Matters and Truth in a Culture of Doubt.
In 2010, Köstenberger lectured in multiple countries throughout Europe presenting scholarly papers on various themes concerning Johannine theology. He presented at the University of Cambridge, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and the Freie Theologische Hochschule Gießen. The same year, he presented a paper on “John’s Transposition of the Synoptic Pattern: Retelling the Story of Jesus in Another Key” at the Tyndale House which was subsequently published in the Festschrift, Earliest Christian History: History, Literature, and Theology: Essays from the Tyndale Fellowship in Honor of Martin Hengel. He has also taught a number of online courses for organizations such as The Gospel Coalition and the Charles Simeon Trust, appearing alongside other biblical scholars such as J. I. Packer, Albert Mohler, and Michael J. Kruger.
Dr. Kostenberger has appeared on numerous radio programs and podcasts, including the B.A.R. Podcast, the Biblical Foundations Podcast, For the Church Podcast with Jared Wilson, the Preaching & Preachers Podcast with , The Table Podcast with Darrell L. Bock, The Mind Renewed Podcast with Julian Charles, and the White Horse Inn.
Köstenberger has mentored a number of students over the years, many of whom are scholars and pastors around the world and in multiple denominations. Notable students include Scott Kellum, Joshua Chatraw, R. Alan Fuhr, Alexander Stewart, Keith Campbell, and more.
He has worked as a consultant on John’s Gospel for four English Bible translations including: the English Standard Version, Holman Christian Standard Bible, and Today’s English Version. In addition to the Gospel of John, he worked as a consultant for 1–3 John and Revelation for the TEV.
Köstenberger holds memberships with the Evangelical Theological Society, Institute for Biblical Research, and Society of Biblical Literature. He has delivered plenary addresses at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society and at regional ETS meetings.

Honors

During the last year of his Masters of Divinity, Köstenberger met his wife, Margaret. They married in December 1989. Margaret holds a Doctor of Theology degree from the University of South Africa and is Associate Professor of Theology and Women's Ministry and Faculty Coordinator of Women's Ministry Programs at MBTS.
Köstenberger's sister, Dorice Köstenberger, is a first violinist in the Vienna Symphony, a position she has held since 1986. She was the first female violinist to ever be admitted entrance to the symphony.
Andreas and Margaret have four children and currently live in Kansas City, MO.

Selected Works

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