Theologian J.I. Packer dies

He had one of the tersest definitions of Christian belief—“God saves sinners.”—and was best known for one of the most readable books on that subject, Knowing God. J.I. Packer, who died on Friday just five days short of his 94th birthday, was a lifelong Anglican and a Puritan scholar who was highly regarded in Reformed circles. He started his ministry in his native England and later moved to Canada but had his greatest influence in the United States.

What did Packer see as his most notable achievement? Although he wrote countless articles and books during his more than seven decades of ministry, Packer believed his role as general editor of The English Standard Version of the Bible likely was his most significant work: “I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom.”

Dig deeper: Read Joel Belz’s “lost interview” with Packer from 2008.