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

  

What is the original meaning and historical context of the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price in Matthew 13:45-46? In this academic lecture, we look past modern devotional interpretations to uncover how a first-century audience under the Roman Empire would have perceived this brief but powerful parable. Unlike modern pearls, ancient pearls were incredibly rare, dangerous to harvest, and stood as the ultimate symbol of elite wealth and status in Mediterranean antiquity. By examining the socio-economic realities of Roman luxury trade and pairing this text with its companion passage, the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44), we explore what it truly meant to sell "all that he had" for a single object. Whether you are a university student reviewing for a biblical studies exam, a seminary researcher, or a member of the public interested in the historical-critical method, this video provides a thorough textual and historical breakdown.

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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