Today  we bring you a sermon preached by Dr. John Byron at our Seminary chapel service on Wednesday April 13, 2015.

Dr. Byron has a desire to serve both the church and the academy, and, for him, Ashland Theological Seminary has been a wonderful joining of those two institutions. ATS is a place where freedom of thought and expression are grounded in commitment to God, and Dr. Byron’s teaching reflects that same emphasis. This stems from his own Ph.D. studies, when he began to realize that easy answers don’t exist, and the Bible, like life, is more complex than most of us will admit.

Though he is now a sought-after teacher and enjoys using that gift at churches and seminars outside of his seminary position, Dr. Byron didn’t always aspire to become a teacher. In fact, if you had told him as a high schooler that he would become a professor, he would have run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. He considers it a blessing that God doesn’t let us see our future too early in the game!

Dr. Byron is an experienced traveler, counting Europe and the Middle East among his favorite destinations. By their 10th wedding anniversary, he and his wife, Lori, had already lived in three states and three countries. Adding to his travels, Dr. Byron participates in Ashland Theological Seminary’s Tel-Gezer project, through which groups from ATS tour Israel and excavate ancient sites.

Dr. Byron is also a home-brewer, and friends in Ashland consider it a privilege if they’ve had the chance to taste his beer! Beyond brewing, he enjoys an eclectic mix of books and music. And if given the choice, he will eat Italian food most days of the week.

John Byron, PhD is Professor of New Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary. He will be teaching BSG 5501 AS Engaging Texts and Contexts this fall.