Kenneth Wuest

Kenneth Wuest

5 Sermons
Kenneth Samuel Wuest (1893–1961) was an American preacher, New Testament scholar, and professor whose ministry focused on teaching and translating biblical Greek to deepen evangelical understanding of Scripture. Born in 1893 on Chicago’s north side, he grew up in a context that led him to Northwestern University, where he earned an A.B. in History and Greek in 1922, followed by studies at Moody Bible Institute, graduating in 1924. Converted in his youth, Wuest preached his first sermon at age 17 and later married Jeannette Irene Scholl in 1924, a fellow Moody student, though they had no children. His career began with brief teaching stints at Freewill Baptist Seminary in Ayden, North Carolina (1924–1925) and Brookes Bible Institute in St. Louis (1925–1929), before joining Moody Bible Institute in 1929 as Professor of New Testament Greek, a role he held until 1958. Wuest’s preaching ministry was distinctive for its scholarly bent, emphasizing the nuances of Koine Greek to illuminate Scripture for laypeople and students alike. He preached at evangelical gatherings and churches, often drawing from his extensive writings, which included over a dozen books like Bypaths in the Greek New Testament (1940) and The New Testament: An Expanded Translation (1961), the latter reflecting his goal to make Greek accessible through detailed, expanded renderings. A key contributor to the original New American Standard Bible, he joined the Evangelical Theological Society in 1957 and was awarded an honorary D.D. from Wheaton College in 1955. Wuest died on December 27, 1961, in Chicago, leaving a legacy as a preacher whose rigorous yet practical approach bridged academia and faith, influencing mid-20th-century evangelicalism through his teaching and translations.
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