The jovial smile you see when you watch Bob Deffinbaugh’s teachings on BiblicalEldership.com is the mark of a man who takes the Bible seriously but never himself. Joy and hope have undergirded him in life’s hardest and happiest times: witnessing the hit-and-run accident that left his mom disabled, losing his infant son to SIDS, being taught by legendary theologians at Dallas Theological Seminary, raising five daughters, and devoting his life to studying and teaching the Bible.
Today Bob is a member of the BER core team, an elder and Bible teacher, the ministry coordinator for Bible.org*, and the grandpa of 13. He shares about his godly heritage, the trials that shaped his life, and his predictions about the future of Christianity in the USA.
How did you come to Christ?
Raised in a Christian home by godly parents, I heard the gospel many times, in various ways. I was troubled by a fear of death and turned to Christ for my salvation (pretty much on my own, but prompted by the Spirit and the prayers of my parents).
My wife Jeanette’s conversion was much more dramatic, as she was raised in a family that resisted and opposed the gospel. God placed her between two believing girls in an English class, and they lived out and shared the gospel with her.
What were you like as a kid?
Let me give you a story that sort of tells it all. My older sister and I got into a water fight at home, which began with glasses of water. Not wanting to be outdone, I brought the hose into the house and did the job right.
Tell us about your family.
Jeannette and I met at our college and career class at church. She loaned me her car to take a girlfriend out. That produced a friendship that became much stronger, and we married while I was 20 and still in college.
We lost our first child, Timothy, to crib death. Virtually nine months later, we had our second child, Beth, followed every two years by another girl (Joanna, Rachel, Amy, and Jenny). God also gave us other children to care for from time to time, including a boy who turned one while he was with us. That boy spent most of the summer on my shoulders.
All five of our girls came to faith as children and are walking with the Lord. Jeannette and I now have 13 grandchildren.
What are the most important things you taught your children?
We tried to make ministry a family matter—much of our ministry was in our home and at our dinner table, where all the family participated and benefitted. We tried not to make our children behave a certain way because of my ministry, but because it was right. Our girls knew that their opinions mattered, and that we would listen to what they had to say.
What events in your life have most shaped you?
When I was 16, my mother’s leg was severed above the knee by a hit-and-run driver while I was standing next to her on the other side of the guardrail. My father’s godly response to her handicap has shaped my life. I cannot recall an argument or harsh word spoken between them. I watched my dad patiently get up in the night to help her get about, and gently care for her needs. My mom and dad did not harbor the bitterness I felt toward those four men in the car who hit her and were never caught. Eventually, their forgiveness and acceptance of God’s will became mine as well. My mom’s handicap made me more alert to people with handicaps; thus, God put several people with handicaps in my life that I could serve.
When our first son, Timmy, died, God gave Jeannette and me a deep sense of peace and assurance that God knew what He was doing.
When we moved to Dallas to attend Dallas Seminary, we were exposed to Believers Chapel and to godly teachers and professors like S. Lewis Johnson, Bill McRae, Stan Toussaint, Bruce Waltke, Haddon Robinson, Charles Ryrie, and others.
What is your favorite book of the Bible, and why?
That’s a good one. I think that I’m a bit like J. Vernon McGee, going through the Bible on the “Bible Bus.” Every book seems like the “greatest book in the Bible.”
At this point my favorite would probably be a contest between Genesis, John, and Romans. I love the way Genesis paints the patriarchs as flawed people and shows how God uses them to His glory. I love John’s portrayal of our Lord (I love the other gospels too). And I love the logical way Paul plays out the gospel in Romans.
After 37 years as an elder and Bible teacher at your church, how is your ministry evolving?
I feel strongly about getting out of the way so younger men can step up to the plate. I have transitioned out of my role as the primary teacher at Community Bible Chapel, and I am seeking to “fade” a bit in my leadership role so others will feel free to step up.
I find real joy in watching leaders emerge and thrive.
Of all the places you have preached (such as China, India, Indonesia, and Africa), which stands out to you the most?
Strangely, perhaps, it hasn’t been a matter of geography. I found the most joy where the need was greatest, and where the gospel took root: teaching in-prison seminars around the United States with Prison Fellowship.
What cultural themes are you seeing in the writing and responses you’ve been doing for Bible.org? What advice do you have for walking wisely in our era?
I’m not shocked by the growing opposition to Christianity. Americans have lived in a bubble when it comes to persecution. Many Christians around the world find persecution normal, and I believe that will soon be our experience in America.
What troubles me is the way the Bible has been marginalized so it is no longer viewed as authoritative and sufficient for life and godliness. I see churches engaging in lengthy “studies” which conclude (unsurprisingly) that what the Bible plainly says it does not plainly mean (or if it does, it applies only to that day and time and that circumstance).
Sometimes higher scholarship gravitates people to view themselves as being “above” the Scriptures, so that they pass judgment on what they teach. The safer stance is to view oneself as “below” the Scriptures. The Scriptures must continually judge us.
What is something that makes you laugh?
Looking in the mirror is always good for a laugh: “Who is that old guy?” Truthfully, we can’t take ourselves too seriously. I think we need to laugh at some of the blunders we make, and how God may use us in spite of ourselves.
I was loaned a picture of Jesus, with a smile on His face and a twinkle in His eye. I think Jesus snatched moments of humor, even in a sin-sick world. After all, why would little children gravitate to grumpy Jesus?
*Bible.org is a nondenominational Bible-based site with 20,000 articles and free Bible study resources. The ministry is the producer of the robust (and free!) study tool, NETBible.org, which allows you to view your favorite English translation alongside the Hebrew or Greek, a library of 58,000+ commentary notes, and linked Strong’s Concordance numbers.