Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tim Keller Dies at Age 72: 'I'm Ready to See Jesus,' He Said in Final Hours
Christian Headlines ^ | 5/19/2023 | Michael Foust

Posted on 05/19/2023 12:14:49 PM PDT by Gamecock

Author and pastor Tim Keller, who planted a church in New York City that grew to 5,000 attendees and who pioneered work in urban ministry, died Friday after a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.

Keller and his wife Kathy launched Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in 1989 and watched as it grew to a weekly attendance of thousands. Keller was known for his staunch yet winsome defense of orthodoxy in the liberal bastion of New York City. He defended the exclusivity of the gospel and the biblical definition of marriage and even engaged with critics on social media who disagreed.

He stepped down in 2017 in order to lead another ministry, Redeemer City to City, which plants new churches. His sermons can be heard on the popular Gospel in Life podcast.

He was the author of more than 30 books, including The Reason for God and The Prodigal God. All total, his books sold more than 2 million copies and were translated into 25 languages.

Keller believed ministry within cities was essential to fulfilling the Great Commission.

"We need churches everywhere there are people – but the people of the world are moving into cities much faster than the church is," Keller wrote in 2017. "Jesus told us to go into the world to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20). If we fail to go where the world is going, then we aren't heeding our Lord's command."

His son, Michael Keller, shared some of his father's final words.

"Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar died this morning at home," Michael Keller wrote. "Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She kissed him on the forehead and he breathed his last breath. We take comfort in some of his last words. 'There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.' See you soon Dad."

Keller had been in and out of the hospital in recent days before entering hospice Thursday. Michael Keller said his father had prayed during his final hours, "I'm thankful for all the people who've prayed for me over the years. I'm thankful for my family, that loves me. I'm thankful for the time God has given me, but I'm ready to see Jesus. I can't wait to see Jesus. Send me home."

Just four months ago, he appeared on Premier's Unbelievable podcast, telling them the diagnosis had drawn him closer to God.

"My wife and I would never want to go to the kind of prayer life and spiritual life we had before the cancer," he said.

"Everyone knows they're going to die," Keller added. People, though, "suppress that" knowledge and "live as if they're never going to die."

Pancreatic cancer, he said, had few treatments. He said his doctor told him, "You're going to die of this, sooner or later, because we don't have a cure for it."

"The way you look at God, the way you look at your spouse, the way you look at everything just changes when you actually realize time is limited and I'm mortal," he told Unbelievable.

Although battling cancer, Keller proclaimed the gospel on social media until the final weeks before his death.

"If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead," Keller tweeted in April.


TOPICS: Current Events; Mainline Protestant
KEYWORDS: timkeller
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

1 posted on 05/19/2023 12:14:49 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

RIP


2 posted on 05/19/2023 12:21:11 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; CynicalBear; daniel1212; Dutchboy88; ealgeone; ..
Bittersweet, my heart is breaking.

If you only read one book the rest of this year, make it this one:


3 posted on 05/19/2023 12:21:28 PM PDT by Gamecock ("The prosperity gospel is exactly like marrying someone for their money." -Sean Demars)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

He’s seeing him face-to-face, what a reunion!


4 posted on 05/19/2023 12:24:18 PM PDT by Calm_Cool_and_Elected (" Undecided Voter: someone who parades their stupidity as proof of their morality." ~David Burge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

another pilgrim gone Home. may God comfort your family and loved ones. thank you for being a good and faithful servant to the end.

also prayers up for Heidi and her family, a dear college friend who just passed too soon for us. may God rest her soul.


5 posted on 05/19/2023 12:37:01 PM PDT by dadfly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

Harry Reeder and Stephen Smallman also passed into Glory this week.


6 posted on 05/19/2023 12:38:32 PM PDT by Calm_Cool_and_Elected (" Undecided Voter: someone who parades their stupidity as proof of their morality." ~David Burge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
Snip:

""My wife and I would never want to go to the kind of prayer life and spiritual life we had before the cancer," he said.

"Everyone knows they're going to die," Keller added. People, though, "suppress that" knowledge and "live as if they're never going to die."

Pancreatic cancer, he said, had few treatments. He said his doctor told him, "You're going to die of this, sooner or later, because we don't have a cure for it."

"The way you look at God, the way you look at your spouse, the way you look at everything just changes when you actually realize time is limited and I'm mortal," he told Unbelievable.

Although battling cancer, Keller proclaimed the gospel on social media until the final weeks before his death.

"If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead," Keller tweeted in April."

Yes, death certainly has a way of putting eternity in perspective when you know you are going to stand before the Holy and Just God to give account of your life.

I first heard about Tim Keller about 8 years ago when I heard about the protestant catechism he had done: New City Catechism Also available as an app for your iPhone, etc.

However, I was very disappointed to hear that he had gone woke, along with a number of other prominent pastors, including Andy Stanley, etc. - Tim Keller, per Disntr.com

I'm so happy to hear that he returned to the fold prior to his death. I look forward to seeing him one day, and maybe not that far in the future.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

7 posted on 05/19/2023 12:44:00 PM PDT by Perseverando (Antifa, BLM, LGBTQs, RINOs, Islamonazis, Marxists, Commucrats: It's a Godlessness disorder!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Calm_Cool_and_Elected

Amen 🙏🏻!!!!


8 posted on 05/19/2023 12:48:35 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

I can’t wait to get to Heaven!

Who’s going with me?


9 posted on 05/19/2023 12:55:24 PM PDT by MMusson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

There are worse ways to go than this. Peacefully, surrounded by family, mindful of the judgment of Heaven to come. Not bad.


10 posted on 05/19/2023 12:55:36 PM PDT by montag813
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

There is no cure for any cancer, period. Science can only slowdown progress of cancer, by surgery, or chemo, or other meds, or radiation. But can not cure cancer permanently.

We all have cancer cells forming by the millions every day. It is when normal DNA breaks down for whatever reason. Luckily most of us have the ability to recognize the cancer cells and kill them before they form a tumor or mass. When that ability is lost for whatever reason (genetics, weak immune system, etc) then cancer takes hold in the body. Cancer is simply our own cells with defective DNA.

So treatments can put us into remission temporarily, but if we live long enough, the cancer will come back.


11 posted on 05/19/2023 1:29:36 PM PDT by entropy12 (Food is most popular anxiety drug, exercise is the least popular.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MMusson

I am not going to a place crowded with Nuns.


12 posted on 05/19/2023 1:30:55 PM PDT by entropy12 (Food is most popular anxiety drug, exercise is the least popular.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

Only the good die young and the evil ones like Soros, Pelosi and the rest of the old evil cabal are still kicking. Father God in heaven it’s so unfair. I miss Rush so much.


13 posted on 05/19/2023 1:33:31 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

That is real. We will all be there.


14 posted on 05/19/2023 1:43:40 PM PDT by eyedigress (Trump is my President!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: entropy12

Well there may be nuns in Heaven as well as Hell. In which case you have to make a choice between the two.


15 posted on 05/19/2023 2:30:31 PM PDT by BipolarBob (I was going to start procrastinating this year, I just haven't got around to it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

Blessed is the Righteous Judge. May Tim rest in peace until the resurrection of his dead body unto life.


16 posted on 05/19/2023 2:49:20 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RoseofTexas

Only the good die young and the evil ones like Soros, Pelosi and the rest of the old evil cabal are still kicking. Father God in heaven it’s so unfair. I miss Rush so much.

That was my first thought too. So many evil ones living long, prosperous lives. I guess they better enjoy it because after...


17 posted on 05/19/2023 3:07:47 PM PDT by dandiegirl (BOBBY m)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

The only questions about our deaths are when and how.

And that is God’s decision.


18 posted on 05/19/2023 3:10:23 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: entropy12

“So treatments can put us into remission temporarily, but if we live long enough, the cancer will come back.”

We have 2 female friends with recurring breast cancer.

Also, we have 2 male friends with recurring neck/shoulder cancer.


19 posted on 05/19/2023 3:30:16 PM PDT by Grampa Dave (We have no shortage of experts, who state things as fact, but really have no idea!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: entropy12

You really need to read your Bible more.

A lot more.


20 posted on 05/19/2023 4:17:30 PM PDT by fishtank (The denial of original sin is the root of liberalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-33 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson