CSU Christian Studies faculty shine at Evangelical Theology Conference

Three Charleston Southern University Christian studies professors were selected to present papers at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in San Diego in November.

Dr. Peter Link, chair of the department of Christian studies, made the case that Moses was communicating the gospel of the Messiah throughout the whole of the Torah. Affirming Mosaic authorship of the first five books of the Bible, Link sees them as one unified work. In particular, Link argued that Moses compared Abraham’s ascent of Mt. Moriah with Isaac in Genesis 22 to Moses’ own ascent of Mt. Sinai without Israel in Exodus 19-24. That connection links the sacrificial lamb of Genesis 22 to the heavenly pattern for the tabernacle given to Moses in Exodus 19-24. Together, these passages point to the true Lamb of God who would be able to take all of God’s people into God’s presence: Jesus the Messiah. 

Dr. Jonathan Watson presented a paper titled, “What Hath Jesus’ Baptism to Do with Christian Baptism,” responding to assertion by British Baptist George Beasley-Murray that “no writer of the New Testament brings the baptism of Jesus into relation with Christian baptism.” Rejecting this claim, Watson instead argued that the Apostles make the connection by presenting Christ’s baptism and the call for believers to be baptized as “book-ends” to New Testament Gospel presentations (e.g., Acts 10:34-48). Though there are differences between Christ’s baptism and ours, Jesus’ baptism is the paradigm for Christian baptism. Just as He identified with us in His baptism, so now we identify with Him in ours. Because we are united to Christ, what the Father said of Jesus is now true (in a different way) of us, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He is the Son eternally by nature; we are now sons by adoption. 

Dr. Ryan Gimple’s impact began with his paper on the contribution of theologians outside of the English-speaking world to the study of God’s Word today. From there, however, he was sought out by evangelical professors who had traveled from Asia to attend the conference. Their discussions with Gimple were wide-ranging and put CSU’s College of Christian Studies in position to be an encouraging voice in the conversations of Bible-believing Christians from the other side of the globe. 

“The work of these excellent professors represents the heartbeat of the whole College of Christian Studies at CSU,” said Dr. Ben Phillips, dean of the College of Christian Studies. “By God’s grace, our commitment is to be on mission to the nations, in order to baptize and disciple believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom Moses and all the prophets spoke. We do this by modeling before our students our unshakable commitment to God’s inspired, inerrant Word in our scholarship, teaching, character and ministry on campus, throughout South Carolina, and around the world.”

The Evangelical Theological Society is the premier academic conference for evangelical faculty across North America and around the world.  Each year, professors who affirm the Gospel, the doctrine of the Trinity and the inerrancy of the Bible gather to refine and deepen their understanding of Scripture through an “iron sharpening iron” interaction of paper presentations, lectures from leading scholars and informal discussions.  

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