The apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians is a battlefield of theology and emotion. It is a text marked by soaring spiritual heights and raw human vulnerability, where the “treasure in jars of clay” meets the painful “thorn in the flesh.” This commentary offers a clear and accessible guide to navigating this complex epistle, structuring its analysis through the dialectic of "Treasures" (theological riches and apostolic authority) and "Thorns" (suffering, rhetorical complexity, and historical conflict). Designed for scholars, pastors, and students alike, this volume ● clarifies Paul's Theology, exploring the evolving nature of Paul’s leadership and the composite nature of the letters. ● embraces paradox, refusing to sanitize the text, grappling with the “hard sayings” and historical messiness alongside the comforting theological truths. ● connects to today, bridging the gap between the fragile Corinthian community and the contemporary challenges facing the modern church. By engaging with both the beauty and the brokenness of 2 Corinthians, readers will encounter the gospel in its full, paradoxical power.
Who are you, really? Is your identity just a collection of labels—your job, your ethnicity, or your citizenship—or is it something deeper?
In this video, Dr. Yung Suk Kim explores the "Illusion of Identity." Drawing from his unique life journey—from a businessman representing a Korean company in Panama and Miami to becoming a U.S. citizen and a Professor of New Testament—Dr. Kim challenges the way we categorize ourselves and others.
In this video, we discuss:
The Limit of Labels: Why terms like "Korean American" only explain a small fraction of who a person is.
Identity as Construction: Why you must be the architect of your own identity rather than letting society "label" you.
The "Second Career" Perspective: How moving from the business world to biblical scholarship reshaped Dr. Kim’s understanding of the self.
Beyond Identity Politics: Acknowledging the commonalities we share while honoring the vast differences in how we view justice, life, and purpose.
"I often tell my students: 'Don't judge me based on what you know about me. I am more than what you describe.' This applies to all of us. We are all more than the boxes the world tries to put us in."
About Dr. Yung Suk Kim: Dr. Yung Suk Kim is a biblical scholar, author, and professor. Born in Korea and educated in the United States, he brings a multicultural, multi-professional perspective to his work, focusing on how ancient texts and modern identity intersect in a complex, globalized world.
Suggested Tags for SEO: Identity, Self-Construction, Dr. Yung Suk Kim, Korean American experience, Biblical Scholar, Second career, Multicultural identity, Philosophy of self, Identity politics, Personal growth, Immigration stories, Panama business, Miami business.
"살고 싶고 죽고 싶은 마음은 늘 같이 있어. 그러나 사나 죽으나 그냥 욕심을 버리고 몸을 낮추어 하루하루 감사하며 살 뿐, 무슨 욕심을 더 내랴. 이것을 아는 것이 지혜이다." —김영석
"The desire to live and the desire to die always coexist. However, whether living or dying, I simply let go of greed, humble myself, and live each day with gratitude; what more could I greedily crave? Knowing this is wisdom." —Yung Suk Kim
Do we exist to serve the system, or does the system exist to serve us? In a modern world filled with rigid rules and faceless institutions, it’s easy to feel like a cog in a machine. This video dives into a revolutionary "Human-Centered" philosophy shared by Jesus and Confucius.
We examine Jesus’s radical claim that the Sabbath—a sacred divine institution—was made for the benefit of humankind, not the other way around. We then look at Confucius’s empowering insight that "The Way" (the Dao) only becomes great through the people who walk it. This video is a reminder that you are the subject of your life, not an object of the rules.
What you’ll learn:
Why Jesus prioritized human well-being over religious technicalities.
Confucius’s secret to unfolding "The Way" through personal action.
How to apply "Human-Centered Thought" to your work, faith, and daily life.
Is there a single truth that transcends time, geography, and culture? In this video, we explore the "Golden Thread" of human ethics—a principle discovered independently by the greatest minds of the East and West. From the teachings of Jesus on the Mount to Rabbi Hillel’s famous challenge while standing on one leg, and Confucius’s profound concept of reciprocity (Shù), we discover a shared moral compass.
Join us as we break down these ancient texts to see how empathy and the "Golden Rule" serve as the foundation for human civilization. It turns out that despite our differences, we have always been guided by the same simple truth.
What you’ll learn:
The difference between the "Positive" and "Negative" Golden Rule.
How Jesus, Hillel, and Confucius defined our responsibility to others.
Why "Reciprocity" is the single most important word for a moral life.
What does it truly mean to live a life of transformation? After two decades of research, teaching, and writing, I’ve come to realize that the core of meaningful change lies in a single, complex concept: Justice.
In this video, I share my personal journey as a scholar and a follower of Jesus, exploring how the "Good News" is inextricably linked to God’s righteousness. We will dive deep into the ten different facets of justice—from distributive and social to environmental and restorative—and look at how the subversive parables of Jesus challenge our normative thinking about fairness, work, and even the "weeds" within ourselves.
If you have ever asked "What is God?", "What am I?", or "What is the right thing to do?", I invite you to join me in this reflection on the value of today and the ongoing process of transformation.
In this video, we discuss:
The intersection of Biblical studies, cognitive science, and mental health.
The 10 types of justice and their Hebrew/Greek roots.
A radical re-reading of the Parables of the Laborers, the Talents, and the Wheat and the Weeds.
Why "believing in yourself" is a prerequisite for sensing God.
Hello. I am Yung Suk Kim. Today, I want to share a unique perspective on a well-known biblical narrative: the story of Hannah from the first book of Samuel.
The ideas I am sharing today are based on my research published in 2008 in the journal The Bible and Critical Theory, titled "The Story of Hannah (1 Sam 1:1–2:11) from a Perspective of Han: The Three-Phase Transformative Process."
In biblical scholarship, we often read Hannah’s story through spiritual, feminist, or liberation lenses. While these are valuable, they can sometimes fall into the trap of "identity politics"—a rigid "us versus them" mentality that can inadvertently exclude others. In my work, I propose an 'intercultural' reading. By using the Korean concept of Han, we can see Hannah’s experience not just as a personal struggle for a child, but as a three-phase process of holistic transformation that involves the self, the community, and society at large.
