Packer’s Words Come Home: Kuyper Library Adds Newly Published 1978 Lectures
Nearly half a century after J. I. Packer stood before a packed chapel at Reformed Bible College—today’s Kuyper College—his words have returned to campus in a remarkable way.
In 1978, Packer delivered the annual Baker Mission lectures at RBC, speaking on the theme “We preach Christ crucified” from 1 Corinthians 1:23–24.
His five messages explored the gospel with clarity and urgency: the historical reality of Jesus, the meaning of His humanity and divinity, the “wonderful exchange” of the cross, and the uniqueness of Christ in a world of competing beliefs. Along the way, he confronted theological trends of the day, reaffirming that Jesus alone is the way to God.
The lectures were well-received, and plans were made for Baker Book House to publish them soon afterward. But for reasons now lost to history, that never happened—until last year.
In 2024, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age finally appeared in print, nearly fifty years after Packer first spoke the words on the RBC stage.
Jamie Tiemeyer, Director of Library Services at Kuyper, did some research and found archival materials about the lectures, including a recap of the event in the student newspaper at the time.
She noted too that the book is both available for check out at the College’s Zondervan Library and will also be on display, bringing Packer’s voice and insights back to the very place he once delivered these messages.
For today’s students, it’s both a theological resource and a tangible connection to the college’s past. For those who remember 1978, it’s a reminder that faithful proclamation endures, sometimes finding its way home in God’s good timing.
