February 20 Today in OPC History

On February 20, 2012, the Presbytery of Philadelphia of the OPC received Gregory K. Beale as a ministerial member. Two years earlier, Beale joined the New Testament faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary, and in 2013 he was appointed the first occupant of the J. Gresham Machen Chair of New Testament. His inaugural address was “The Cognitive Peripheral Vision of Biblical Writers.”

Born in Dallas, Beale attended Southern Methodist University (BA and MA) and Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM). From there he went to Cambridge University where he earned his PhD in 1981. His previous academic appointments included Grove City College (1980-1984). Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (1984-2000), and the Wheaton Graduate School (2000-2010). The many books he has written include commentaries on Revelation and 1-2 Thessalonians, We Become what We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism, and A New Testament Biblical Theology. In 2004 Beale served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Beale and his wife Dorinda have three children. Among the pastimes they enjoy are antique hunting and gardening.