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TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE UPON THE PASSING OF DR. WILLIAM JOHN LARKIN, JR., OF RICHLAND COUNTY AND TO EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS LARGE AND LOVING FAMILY AND HIS MANY FRIENDS.
Whereas, the South Carolina Senate was saddened to learn of the death of Dr. William John "Bill" Larkin, Jr., at the age of sixty-eight on February 18, 2014; and
Whereas, born in Donora, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1945, Bill Larkin was the oldest of five children born to Dr. William J. Larkin, Sr., and Margaret C. Morgan Larkin and spent his formative years in western Pennsylvania and Chicago; and
Whereas, when he was just a lad in high school, he received his call from the Lord to full-time Christian service, and in preparation to fulfill this calling, he earned a bachelor's in history from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1967 and a bachelor's of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1970; and
Whereas, after completing seminary, Bill married his beloved wife, fellow Wheaton graduate Edna Ruth Dennis, and together they reared two outstanding children, Thomas Larkin and Priscilla Larkin Harris, and he was blessed with two adoring grandsons, Benjamin and Daniel Larkin; and
Whereas, he was ordained in the United Presbyterian Church, the denomination in which his father served for almost sixty years, and
he served as the assistant pastor in the Olney Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia before pursuing doctoral studies abroad; and
Whereas, from 1971 to 1975, the young couple lived in Durham, England, where Bill studied under distinguished New Testament professor C. K. Barrett; and
Whereas, in his doctoral dissertation, he argued that Luke's use of the Old Testament, especially the Servant song of Isaiah 53, demonstrated that Jesus' death was for the atonement of the sins of His people. This marked the beginning of Bill's lifelong work with the Gospel of Luke and Luke's second volume, Acts; and
Whereas, for the next thirty-eight years, he served with distinction as professor of New Testament and Greek at Columbia Biblical Seminary and Graduate School of Missions in Columbia, investing joyfully in thousands of lives by teaching them to read, understand, and live out the Scriptures; and
Whereas, Dr. Larkin authored five books, three of which were commentaries on Acts, one was the exegetical method he had crafted and refined over the years, and the other dealt with culture and biblical hermeneutics; and
Whereas, he participated in three scholarly societies: the Evangelical Theological Society, Society of Biblical Literature, and the Institute for Biblical Research; and
Whereas, Dr. Larkin not only trained others to serve Christ all over the world, but he also traveled himself to teach in Europe, Asia, and Africa; and
Whereas, deeply committed to the ministry of the local church, he served as a teaching elder with the Palmetto Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America, in several Columbia churches, and as an adult Christian education teacher with First Presbyterian Church of Columbia for many years; and
Whereas, following his retirement in June 2013, Dr. Larkin was named Emeritus Professor of New Testament and Greek with Columbia International University and Visiting Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Missions for Erskine Theological Seminary of Columbia; and
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina Senate are grateful for Dr. Bill Larkin's life, characterized by disciplined study, careful research, and depth of humility and kindness, and for the exemplary legacy he left for all who knew him. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, express their profound sorrow upon the passing of Dr. William John Larkin, Jr., of Richland County and extend their deepest sympathy to his large and loving family and his many friends and colleagues.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. William John Larkin.
This web page was last updated on March 13, 2014 at 1:39 PM