The Rev. Dr. John H. Skilton, emeritus professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, went to be with the Lord on July 22 in Ocean City, New Jersey, where he had a summer home and was active in the summer ministry of Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Church. This spring, he taught the final six weeks of one section of Greek, as he had been doing ever since his retirement. Since his retirement he had founded Skilton House, a multiracial ministry of mercy to city residents, based in his home in the Olney section of Philadelphia.

Skilton was born in Philadelphia on August 17, 1906, and was educated at the University of Pennsylvania (AB ‘27, MA ‘28, phD ‘61) and Westminster (MDiv ‘331) and pursued graduate studies at the University of Basel and Cambridge University. He was honored with the D.D. by Philadelphia Theological Seminary in 1992.

He was pastor of Second Parish Presbyterian Church, Portland, Maine from 1933–39 (at that time, the only Presbyterian church in Maine). Ordained in the Presbyterian Church, USA, Skilton. and also Second Parish, joined the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1936. He was moderator of the 20th General Assembly of the OPC in 1953. He taught New Testament at Westminster from 1939–73, and was professor of New Testament, emeritus and adjunct professor of New Testament since ‘74. During his career at Westminster he also was assistant academic dean, dean of students and editor of the Westminster Theological Journal.

His writings include:

Contributor: The Infallible Word

Author: Think on These Things; Jack the Cat and His Friends; Listening to God’s Voice; Special Gifts for a Special Age

Editor and contributor: Scripture and Confession; The Law and the Prophets (festschrift for O.T. Allis); The New Testament Student series, the seventh of which is Historic Christianity: Selections from the Writings on Gresham Machen; Scripture and Reformed Apologetics; Machen’s Notes on Galatians

Skilton was also dean of the Reformed Bible Institute of Delaware Valley since 1976; minister-in-residence at Skilton House (named for his parents) since 1977; faculty member at Manna Bible Institute since 1983; and visiting professor, International Graduate School of Theology, Korea, 1986–87. He was planning extensive travel overseas in 1999.