RBC Student Spotlight: Timothy Baggenstos

Posted On August 30, 2023

After Timothy Baggenstos came to faith in Jesus Christ while in high school, his parents gifted him a copy of the Reformation Study Bible. As he began to study Scripture, the study Bible’s Greek translation notes sparked an interest in biblical languages, prompting Timothy to take two years of classical Greek courses as a teenager.

Eager to grow in his knowledge of God, Timothy heard about RBC through Ligonier Ministries’ Renewing Your Mind podcast. After learning more about RBC, he became eager to further his study of biblical languages as a part of our Bachelor of Arts in Theology program.

“I realized that there are a lot of ways I can use my love of Greek and other languages in service of the church, so RBC was the best fit for me.”

After beginning his studies at RBC in 2021, Timothy discovered the many ways that he could use his love for languages to serve the church. He also developed strong Christian friendships and a community that supported these pursuits, including professors who made an intentional effort to disciple him.

“I tend to be very individualistic and private, but I have been challenged at RBC to share my faith and how God is working in my life with my classmates and professors.”

During his sophomore year at RBC, Timothy knew he wanted to apply everything he’d learned about language learning and Bible translation. He got accepted into an internship program with Wycliffe Bible Translators and spent this past summer serving an indigenous people group in South America alongside four other college-age interns.

Together, Timothy’s intern group took part in Wycliffe’s Scripture Engagement program, where they worked alongside translation teams to help local churches learn how to engage, use, and integrate God’s Word into their lives and culture.

“This summer, God grew my love for his Word. The internship helped me become more appreciative of the complexities of Bible translation and the ways language and culture interact with one another.”

Spurred on by the knowledge he’s gained at RBC and his experience in South America this summer, Timothy hopes to pursue a career in Bible translation, reaching people around the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“My time at RBC prepared me for this work in several ways,” he shared. “Having to meet deadlines for schoolwork and interacting with my classmates prepared me to work with a team and adapt to changing plans in the field. In addition, my biblical language classes at RBC provided useful background for approaching formal and informal language learning during the internship.”

Are you interested in pursuing your calling at RBC? Join us for an upcoming on-campus or online preview day or start your application today.