Bradley J. Bitner

Associate Professor of New Testament

Dr. Bitner has taught at Westminster Seminary California since 2020. After receiving his BA from Taylor University, he earned a MAR in biblical theology and exegesis from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Dr. Bitner served as a pastor for three years before pursuing doctoral studies. In 2013 he completed a PhD in New Testament and early Christianity at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Before coming to WSC, Dr. Bitner taught New Testament, Greek, and biblical theology at Oak Hill College (London, UK) and Macquarie University. In 2015, he authored Paul’s Political Strategy in 1 Corinthians 1:1–4:6: Constitution and Covenant (Cambridge University Press, 2015). He is co-editor of the Ephesus volume in New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity, Vol. 11 (Eerdmans, forthcoming, 2022–23). He also has two other book projects in progress, one on Paul’s paradigm in 1 Corinthians for building up the church and another on the biblical theology of Geerhardus Vos. In addition to these works, Dr. Bitner has published essays in edited volumes and articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Novum Testamentum; Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies; Themelios; and in the collection The First Urban Churches (SBL). As a churchman, he has served as a ruling elder in both the PCA and the only Free Church of Scotland congregation in England and is currently involved with the ministry of Misión Vida Nueva, a PCA church plant in Escondido.

Dr. Bitner and his wife, Kathi, have seven children.


Education
BA Taylor University
MAR Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
PhD Macquarie University


What I hope to instill in my students
My hope is that my students would be formed by the Spirit of Christ into skillful gospel ministers. I pray that I might help to cultivate in them a love, a humility, and a quiet resilience that is rooted deeply in the gospel. As they study for ministry I want students to grasp their weakness afresh and thereby grow in their knowledge of the power of Christ resting upon them – divine power that is able to wonderfully manifest itself through ministerial weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).


An Interview with Bradley J. Bitner