Dr. Michael Wilkins to speak at LCU Seminary
 Please join us, as we welcome Michael J. Wilkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Dean of the Faculty at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University to the Lincoln Christian University campus on Wednesday, February 24. Dr. Wilkins will be speaking on "Discipleship to Jesus for the Twenty-first Century" for the 2010 Annual Seminary Lectureship. The first lecture will begin at 9:30 in Restoration Hall Room 49, and is titled," Transforming, not Performing, Discipleship to Jesus." The second lecture, "The Transformation of Peter as an Example of our Transformational Discipleship to Jesus," is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. in the same location. Bring your lunch and join us for a "Question and Answer" session with Dr. Wilkins from noon until 1 p.m. in Restoration Hall. Brown bag lunches may be ordered in advance at a cost of $5 each. Michael J. Wilkins was born in Glendale, California and was raised in the Southern California area. Upon graduation from high school he spent three years in the U.S. Army, one year of which he was a squad leader in combat in Viet Nam with the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade. On December 31, 1970, not long after returning from Viet Nam, he received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Dr. Wilkins attended Cuesta College and later graduated from Biola University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and social science (magna cum laude). He graduated from Talbot Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in New Testament Language and Literature (summa cum laude). He took his Ph.D. in New Testament, with minors in 2nd Temple Judaism and Old Testament Theology, at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Wilkins helped plant an Evangelical Free Church in Carlsbad, California, and was the senior pastor for three years (1977-1980). He was senior pastor of the Cayucos Community Evangelical Free Church in Cayucos, California (1981-1983). He served part-time on the pastoral staff at San Clemente Presbyterian Church as an adult education teacher (1985-2000) and carries on an active speaking ministry in churches, camps, and conferences. In 1983 Dr. Wilkins accepted an appointment at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He served as Chairperson of the graduate department of New Testament Language and Literature from 1987-2000. In 1988 he was selected by his colleagues to receive the annual Robert B. Fisher Faculty Excellence Award of Biola University. In 1992 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty and Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Talbot. In 2003 he was awarded Biola University's Provost's Award of Excellence in Scholarship and in 2005 the Provost's Award of Excellence in Mentoring Peers. In 2008, Dr. Wilkins was honored by being promoted to the rank of Distinguished Professor New Testament Language and Literature, one of only four Distinguished Professors at Biola University. Professor Wilkins' first book The Concept of Disciple in Matthew's Gospel, Novum Testamentum Sup 59 (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1988), was published in an international venue for scholarly work in the New Testament (2nd ed., Discipleship in the Ancient World and Matthew's Gospel [Baker, 1995]). He is an invited participant in the Matthew Group of the Society of Biblical Literature and the "Historical Jesus Study Group" of the Institute for Biblical Research. His book Following the Master: A Biblical Theology of Discipleship (Zondervan, 1992) continued his research interest in discipleship. He served as primary editor for a Festschrift celebrating the career of his doctoral mentor, entitled Worship, Theology and Ministry in the Early Church: Essays in Honor of Ralph P. Martin (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1992). Dr. Wilkins co-edited with his colleague J.P. Moreland an apologetic book on Jesus' earthly life and ministry for informed laypersons, entitled Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus (Zondervan, 1995), a finalist for the 1995 Gold Medallion Award. Dr. Wilkins' book, In His Image: Reflecting Christ in Everyday Life (NavPress, 1997), develops discipleship and spiritual formation for lay audiences. He has written two recent commentaries: Matthew, NIV Application Commentary (Zondervan, 2004), a finalist for the 2005 Gold Medallion Award, and "Matthew," in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, volume one (Zondervan, 2002), which received the 2003 Gold Medallion Award. He is currently writing The Theology of Matthew (Zondervan), an exegetical commentary on First Peter (Zondervan), co-authoring with his colleague Alan Hultberg a graduate New Testament survey, Invitation to the New Testament (Kregel), and is the general editor for a new commentary series entitled Kerux: An Integrative Commentary for Proclamation-New Testament (Kregel), for which he is also writing an exegetical commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Professor Wilkins served on the executive board of the Evangelical Theological Society/Far West Region and the national executive board of the Institute for Biblical Research. He has written numerous essays for scholarly publications and practical articles for ministry publications. Dr. Wilkins married Lynne (Melia) Wilkins in 1971, and they have lived in San Clemente, California since 1983. They have two daughters, Michelle (married to Dan Lorch and mother to daughters Melia Noël and Ava Shea, and an elementary school teacher for bilingual education) and Wendy (married to Jason Benwell, both Doctors of Physical Therapy). Family activities (surfing, snow boarding/skiing, camping) are a major source of personal enjoyment. For more information on the Seminary lectureship, please contact Becky Boggs via email or by calling 217.732.7788 x2354. |