The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price: Meaning & Historical Context

  

In this video, The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price: Meaning & Historical Context, Dr. Kim explores the unique Matthew 13 parable of the pearl, contrasting it with the parable of the hidden treasure. The teaching focuses on the intentionality of the merchant and the subjective, radical value found in discovering "one pearl of great value." Key Topics Covered:

-The Intentional Search: Analyzing the merchant’s active pursuit of fine pearls compared to the accidental discovery in the parable of the treasure. 

-A Radical Decision: Why the merchant chooses to sell everything for a single pearl, and the personal, subjective nature of that value. 

-Business vs. The Kingdom: How the merchant moves beyond "business as usual" profit-seeking to pursue something truly precious. 

-The Single Call: Relating the "one pearl" to a singular vocation, ministry, or the love of God.

-Comparison of Parables: Identifying the similarities and differences between the parables of the treasure and the pearl. Discussion Questions: 

How does the merchant’s intentional search change your understanding of seeking the kingdom of heaven? What is your "one pearl of great value" for which you would invest everything? How do you discern between "many fine pearls" (good things) and the one pearl you cannot live without? 00:00 – Introduction to the Parable of the Pearl

00:36 – Who is the Merchant?

01:06 – The Search for Fine Pearls 

01:31 – Finding the "One Pearl of Great Value" 

02:54 – Reading Matthew 13:45-46 

03:48 – Unusual Business Practices: Plural vs. Singular 

06:30 – Subjective Value and Personal Judgment 

07:46 – Moving Beyond "Business as Usual" 

08:45 – Theological Application: The One Call of God 

09:51 – Pearl vs. Treasure: Comparing Two Parables 

10:48 – Intentionality and Radical Action

11:34 – Final Reflection and Discussion Questions

Remote teaching

The power of remote teaching is that I get students from all over the country—from the West to the East Coast, California to Maryland, and from the South to the North, Florida to New Jersey. I have students from Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, and beyond. I wish I could meet them in class face-to-face, but the reality of our environment makes it impossible. I teach in a new normal, and I enjoy it very much.

Informed Faith: Bridging Belief, Fact, and Epistemic Limits

-Faith, Science, and Historical Reality

Belief vs. Historical Reality
-Belief is a cognitive and existential posture, not a tool for ontological construction. A deeply held conviction can reshape a person’s inner landscape, moral trajectory, and interpretation of events, but it possesses no backward-acting force over material history. 

-Confusing the intensity of a belief with historical proof risks collapsing reality into subjective desire. History demands empirical evidence, textual integrity, and external verification; faith cannot fabricate a past that never occurred.

The Distinction and Relation of Faith and Facts
-The Distinction: Facts describe what is—the objective, verifiable data of the physical and historical world. Faith concerns what matters—meaning, purpose, ultimate concern, and human commitment.

-The Relation: While distinct, they are not entirely disconnected. Faith is always mediated through human beings who exist within physical bodies, specific historical moments, and material environments. When faith ignores facts, it drifts into delusion; when facts ignore the human search for meaning, they remain sterile metrics.

Science and Faith as Different Modes of Discourse
-Science operates on empirical observation, falsifiable hypotheses, and natural laws. It speaks the language of mechanism (how things work). Traditional faith, by contrast, speaks the language of symbol, metaphor, value, and ultimate value (why things exist and how we ought to live). Expecting ancient religious texts or traditional dogmas to function as scientific manuals creates an immediate category error.

The Necessity of Informed Faith
Uncritical faith—one that demands the denial of established scientific or historical realities to survive—is fundamentally fragile. An informed faith accepts reality as it is, integrating critical inquiry, scientific discovery, and historical truth into its framework. Rather than fearing facts, an informed faith uses them as a grounding wire, ensuring that spiritual or moral convictions remain anchored in the real world rather than floating in unexamined dogma.

Johannine Dualism?

John’s Gospel, full of dualistic images, does not support Gnostic dualism. It seeks the embodiment of God’s love for the world. Johannine dualsim is a creative space for transformation.

 

John's Gospel is dualistic?

The answer is definitive no. John's Gospel is unlike Gnostic dualism. It appears to be full of dualistic images or concepts. But Johannine dualism is a creative, narrative space for transformation. 

Article:
The Johannine Realism about the Kingdom of God: "Born from Above, Born of Water and Spirit" (John 3:1-21)

Book:
Truth, Testimony, and Transformation: A New Reading of the "I am" Sayings of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel

Believe yourself

 Why is it so hard to believe oneself?

"Test Everything"

Paul's testing spirit is relentless: "Test everything" (1 Thess 5:21). Nothing or no one is exempted from this test. After that, one may hold fast to what is good. 

"Racial Identity Hermeneutics"

My students enjoy this chapter I wrote very much: “Racial Identity Hermeneutics,” in Handbook on Postconservative Theological Interpretation, edited by Ronald T. Michener and Mark A. Lamport (pp. 365–380; Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2024). I talk about scriptures such as the Tower of Babel, the book of Ruth, and the Canaanite woman's story in Matthew 15:21–28. In this chapter, I problematize a monolithic, European reading and complicate readers' perspectives by asking provocative questions about contextual interpretation.

Infographics about my lecture ideas

As a scholar and professor for more than 20 years, I have worked hard to seek truth, teach students with all my heart, write books and articles for real people, and foster critical theological scholarship. Now, I feel more than ever that I am full of distinctive ideas I want to share, opening another avenue to communicate with the public. I am still learning and evolving. My vocation remains helping real people grow and find meaning and joy in their lives.

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Infographics about my scholarly work

With more than two decades in academia after an international corporate career, I work at the intersection of biblical interpretation, cognitive science, and global philosophy to challenge systemic inequality and champion holistic well-being. My scholarship focuses on decentering traditional frameworks, while my creative work as a poet balances academic rigor with contemplative depth. Ultimately, my vocation as an educator and public intellectual is to help individuals read critically, examine themselves honestly, and build communities of radical solidarity.

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