Discovering how the Bible is a magnificent work of literature that invites us into the story of Jesus—this is what Tim is all about.
For many years Tim Mackie served as a pastor and part-time professor at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. These days, he spends most of his time researching, writing, and offering creative direction at BibleProject.
Tim’s spiritual journey began with loving parents, who waited patiently for him to discover Jesus in his late teens. He started following Jesus because of an outreach ministry called Skatechurch.
Tim was introduced to the wonderful world of biblical studies and languages during his education at Multnomah University. He fell in love with biblical literature and developed a passion for understanding Jesus in his historical and cultural context.
Tim was so fascinated with Jesus’ Jewish heritage that he went on to pursue a degree in theology from Western Seminary and then gained a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His early research and writing interests focused on the manuscript history of the Bible and the formation of the biblical canon. All along, Tim was fascinated with the literary artistry and design of biblical narrative and poetry. But most of all, he loved helping people understand how the overall biblical story works together and leads us to Jesus.
Tim's early research and writing interests focused on the manuscript history of the Bible and the formation of the biblical canon. All along, Tim was fascinated with the literary artistry and design of biblical narrative and poetry. Here are some of the authors that have influenced Tim over the years. These are highly recommended books if you are interested in taking a deeper dive into biblical studies.
Ray Lubeck
• Read the Bible for a Change
John Sailhamer
• NIV Compact Bible Commentary
• The Pentateuch as Narrative
• Old Testament Theology
Adele Berlin
• Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative
• The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism
Brevard Childs
• Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture
Morna D. Hooker
• From Adam to Christ: Essays on Paul
• Not Ashamed of the Gospel: New Testament Interpretations of the Death of Christ
Karl Barth
• Dogmatics in Outline
Michael Fishbane
• Biblical Text and Texture: Literary Readings of Selected Texts
• Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel
Abraham Heschel
• The Prophets
• God in Search of Man
Ellen F. Davis
• Opening Israel’s Scriptures
Richard Bauckham
• Everything - Just read everything he's written. Seriously.
Robert Alter
• The Art of Biblical Poetry
• The Art of Biblical Narrative
• The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary
J. Richard Middleton
• The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1
Christopher J.H. Wright
• The Mission of God: Unlocking the Grand Narrative of the Bible
• Old Testament Ethics for the People of God
• Knowing God through the Old Testament Volumes 1-3
Richard B. Hayes
• The Moral Vision of the New Testament
• Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels
• Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul
N.T. Wright
• The New Testament and the People of God (Vol 1)
• Jesus and the Victory of God (vol 2)
• The Resurrection of the Son of God (vol 3)
• Paul and the Faithfulness of God: Two Book Set (vol 4)
Currently, Tim resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Jessica, and two rambunctious and amazing little boys. In all of his work, whether as a pastor or as a co-founder of BibleProject, he loves helping people understand how the overall biblical story works together and leads us to Jesus.