(From Reformed Theological Seminary) With sadness in our hearts, but with great praise and thanks to God for his life and ministry in our lives, we want to inform you that Dr. J. Knox Chamblin, 76, passed away on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, from leukemia, and entered into the presence of our Lord. Chamblin leaves behind his wife Ginger, daughters Beverly and Claire and extended family.

Chamblin taught at Reformed Theological Seminary from 1980 to 2001. He was professor of New Testament emeritus, at RTS/Jackson. He has done extensive study of and teaching about C. S. Lewis, the man and his works. 

He wrote in a journal in CaringBridge in December, “When the time of death does come, I shall find great consolation in Psalm 116:15 and in such texts as Romans 8:38-39, ‘For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”

Chamblin wrote Paul and the Self, a highly regarded volume on Pauline theology, and the commentary on Matthew for the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible. He was a contributor to the New Geneva Study Bible and wrote various articles and contributions to volumes such as Continuity and Discontinuity.

“He was a kind, gentle and humble man who was captured by the beauty of his King, said Brian Gault, director of admissions at RTS/Jackson. “He loved C.S. Lewis and made Aslan come alive for generations of students. Oh and he could laugh–there was a jolliness about him. He was a saint that made everyone want to know, the Jesus that he knew, better.”

He will be greatly missed by not only his family but the staff, faculty, students and alumni of RTS.

“Now Knox is in the presence of Jesus in whose name we presented our petitions to God the Father,” said Dr. Simon Kistemaker, who taught with Chamblin at RTS/Jackson from 1980-1996. “I am sure that when Knox entered heaven he heard the words spoken by Jesus and recorded in the gospel of Matthew: ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant.’ Although we grieve, we nevertheless rejoice that he is now with his Savior whom he faithfully served during his ministry at Belhaven, RTS and in the church.”

The funeral service for Knox Chamblin will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 11 at Trinity Presbyterian Church (5301 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS., 39211) with a graveside service to follow at Lakewood Memorial Park. Visitation will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church on Friday, February 10 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Saturday before the funeral service from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.

An online guestbook from CaringBridge is available to sign here.