Day 8: Apocalyptic Time

Reflection Question:

When you let go of the idea that a future event or timeline will "fix" your current struggles, how does that change your approach to your own mental health and trauma processing today?

Day 7: Immanent Eternity

Reflection Question:

If we stop looking for the divine in miraculous interruptions and start looking for it in the ordinary laws and rhythms of life, where do you see the sacred showing up in your daily routine?

Once Again, Pistis Christou: The Case of Galatians 2:20

Yung Suk Kim, PhD

Galatians 2:20

• NA27 GREEK: ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ.
• NRSVue: "...and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
• NIV: "...and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
• My Translation: "...and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

What exactly does Paul mean when he uses the Greek genitive phrase pistis Christou?

Traditionally, this phrase has been rendered as an objective genitive, meaning the believer's faith in Jesus. However, critical Pauline scholarship has increasingly leaned toward the subjective genitive, translating it as Christ's faith or faithfulness.

The primary argument for this reading is that throughout his authentic letters, Paul establishes a consistent pattern of emphasizing Christ's own work and faithfulness. Paul's overarching view is that Jesus, as the Son of God, manifested God's righteousness through his own faithful obedience, not merely by being a passive object of our belief.

The Precedent in Romans
Take Romans 3:22 as a prime example. Here, we see a clear formula dividing the work: "the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe." This phrasing suggests that the believers' faith is modeled after and dependent upon Jesus's faith.

In this single verse, there are two distinct forms of faith at play: Jesus's and the believers'. If Paul had meant only the believer's faith, appending the phrase "for all who have faith" would be entirely redundant. Furthermore, if Paul simply wanted to describe a believer's faith in Jesus, he easily could have used the prepositional phrase en (like "in" in English) combined with the noun pistis. Instead, he uses the genitive form. Romans 3:26 further reinforces this subjective reading: God justifies the one who has "the faith of Jesus," rather than the one who has "faith in Jesus."

(I have discussed these grammatical and theological points at length in my previous works, including How to Read Paul and A Theological Introduction to Paul's Letters. See my publications)

The Decisive Case of Galatians 2:20
When we bring this framework to Galatians 2:20, the verse becomes one of the most decisive indicators of the subjective genitive.

Paul’s central point here is crystal clear: he is no longer the active agent. He has been crucified with Christ, and it is now Christ who lives in him.

Notice how Paul parallels the preposition en ("in") twice: he lives "in the flesh" (en sarki) and "in the faith" (en pistei). He continues to exist physically in the flesh, but he no longer decides or acts on his own autonomous behalf. Instead, he is sustained and animated by Christ's faith and love. This is why he declares, "I live in the faith of the Son of God."

I emphasize the preposition "in" to illustrate that Paul is enveloped by and living by means of Christ's faith. Christ is living in him, empowering his very existence. If we read this verse in the traditional objective sense ("by my faith in the Son of God"), it creates a glaring theological awkwardness. How can Paul claim that his own autonomous faith is the driving force if his ego has just died on the cross and he is "no longer living"? The faith that animates the believer must be the faith of the Son of God.

Conclusion
The more I reflect on Paul's letters, the more convinced I am of the subjective sense of pistis Christou. Frankly, it is a profound theological loss if we fail to recognize the vital importance of Jesus's own faith in bringing about God's righteousness.

It is time to reconfigure Paul's theology in its proper, original context—and by doing so, we can constructively relive the faith of Christ in our own time.

Day 6: Chronos and Kairos

Reflection Question Options:

What "season" of life are you currently in, and where might you be causing yourself unnecessary suffering by fighting against it instead of practicing radical acceptance?

Publications in one page

Day 5: Time and Mental Health

 Reflection Question: 

When you feel most stressed or overwhelmed, where does your mind tend to go—are you occupied by the past, or worrying about the future? How can you gently bring yourself back to the decisive present?

Day 4: Cognitive Time

Reflection Question:
Think of a deeply meaningful memory. How do your intellect (the facts of the event), your emotion (how it felt), and your volition (how it shapes your current choices) work together to keep that past moment alive in your present?

Jesus and Paul: Shared Visions, Divergent Paths

Long ago—perhaps ten years ago—I first envisioned a book on Jesus and Paul. Since then, I have occasionally revisited the idea and even drafted an initial proposal, but I held back because the project didn’t yet feel ripe. Recently, however, the idea has resurfaced with renewed clarity and appeal. My plan is to critically examine both figures through their theological teachings, their relationship to tradition, and their core similarities and differences. Most importantly, I want to explore their distinct personalities and leadership styles.

Day 3: The Arrow of Time (Entropy and Renewal)

Reflection Question: 

If my life is a temporary "localized rebellion" against the universe's drift toward disorder, what specific kind of order, beauty, or love am I choosing to build with my limited energy today?

A new book project on science, religion, and faith

I am slowly yet steadily developing a future book project that addresses a broader scope than my previous work: the intersection of science, religion, and faith. The tentative title is The Horizon of Trust: Science, Religion, and the Practice of Faith in an Uncertain World. The fundamental objective of this book is to explore the nature of belief and trust in an age of reason and scientific dominance coupled with existential crisis. This volume demonstrates that science and faith are not mutually exclusive; instead, it reframes the discourse on faith through an interdisciplinary lens, arguing that we can—and should—hold science and faith in creative tension. Ultimately, this book seeks to answer what it means to live meaningfully in a scientific era marked by profound uncertainty.