Tim Keller remembered for his ‘relentless passion’ for lost

Tim Keller, co-founder for The Gospel Coalition, died May 19 at age 72 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than three years ago.

“He will be remembered among this generation’s most effective Christian pastors, apologists and evangelists,” said TGC interim president Sandy Wilson. “Tim Keller was a once-in-a-century sort of person. Tim not only made the most articulate arguments for the Christian faith; he also demonstrated our faith with his humble and gracious spirit and his relentless passion to see the lost come to know the Lord he so loved.

“He planted the most amazing church New York City may ever have seen, he planted thousands of other churches globally, he co-founded The Gospel Coalition, and he inspired an entire generation to love and serve the Lord. We all grieve for Kathy and the dear Keller family. And we all rejoice for the unmitigated delight that is now Tim’s, as he looks upon the beautiful face of his Savior, whom he has faithfully served.”

TGC co-founder Don Carson said, “Like an Old Testament prophet, Tim didn’t hesitate to address the culture and the nation and to call for justice as well as for contrition. He was jealous for the glory of God. He was quick to see how the trajectories of Scripture, the structure of biblical theology, drove thoughtful readers, again and again, back to the gospel.”

Keller often shared tidbits of John Owen’s 17th-century wisdom on Twitter, including this quote from Owen’s commentary on Hebrews: “We are never nearer Christ than when we find ourselves lost in a holy amazement at His unspeakable love.”