In this turbulent time, I ask myself

The year 2020 is going away. But COVID-19 continues, and the New Year 2021 is unlikely new. The unprecedented global pandemic has put us in the most precarious situations in our lives. Its dreadful effect is ineffable, immeasurable, and rampant in every corner of our world. Our life is in crisis, and we are likely to face more pandemics in the future unless we change our culture and politics. In this turbulent time, I ask myself: Is my scholarship or teaching helpful in addressing the perpetual problems of human arrogance, selfishness, and ecological demise?

Why are the Gospels different? Are they historically reliable?

First of all, the gospels we have in the New Testament are not eyewitness accounts. They are all anonymous, and we do not know who wrote them. The titles of the gospels were most likely added in the second century CE to help differentiate between the various texts. It is believed that they were written down at least 40 to 60 years after the death of Jesus. All of the gospels were written in Greek, which is peculiar since Jesus and his disciples spoke Aramaic. Additionally, Jesus's disciples were Galileans and likely illiterate, meaning they could not write in Greek. Before the gospels were recorded by Greek-speaking individuals, a variety of oral traditions about Jesus circulated in different regions, including Greek-speaking areas beyond Palestine.

The content of the gospels varies depending on the evangelist and the community in which they worked. As a result, we can expect differences among the gospels. The evangelists—Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John—often tell the same stories about Jesus in distinct ways. For instance, the accounts of Jesus's water baptism in the synoptic gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—exhibit both similarities and differences. 

A significant disparity exists between Mark's and Matthew's accounts of Jesus's crucifixion. In Mark, Jesus is portrayed as troubled by his impending death. At the last moment, he expresses his anguish by crying out, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" which translates to "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This depiction aligns with Markan theology, emphasizing Jesus's suffering.

In contrast, Luke presents a calmer and more resolute Jesus. Aware of his fate as a prophet, he prays for those who are killing him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." He dies heroically, declaring, "Into your hands, I commit my spirit."

These variations illustrate that the evangelists edited their sources and infused their writings with interpretations that reflected the beliefs of their communities. Many events in the gospels are recounted differently, highlighting the theological perspectives of the individual evangelists.

But there are also irreconcilable accounts between the Gospels. In this case, one account may be right or both of them may be incorrect.
1) Where is Jesus's hometown? (Nazareth in Luke; Bethlehem in Matthew);
2) Which chronology of Jesus is correct? (In Matthew: Jesus's parents flee to Egypt from Bethlehem because of Herod's threat; In Luke, they return to Nazareth after Jesus's birth in Bethlehem);
3) Where do Jesus's disciples have to gather after the resurrection? (In Mark/Matthew: Galilee; but in Luke, they should stay in Jerusalem);
4) When does Jesus die? In John, he was crucified on the day of preparation for Passover (Thursday); in Mark, he was crucified after the Passover meal was eaten, which is the last supper (Friday).
5) There are also a lot of differences in Jesus's resurrection account.

Are the gospels historically reliable? When studying the historical Jesus, it's important to approach the gospels with care. Some materials can be helpful, while others may not be as trustworthy. Certain criteria can assist us in identifying which texts may closely preserve the essence of Jesus's teaching. This field of study is known as the historical Jesus.

From a religious standpoint, each gospel must be studied individually to understand the context of the evangelist's community and their theological agenda. For instance, we can recognize four distinct portrayals of Jesus in the four gospels. Jesus in Mark emphasizes service, as he states, "came not to be served, but to serve and give his life" (Mark 10:45). In Matthew, Jesus shows that he came "not to destroy the law and prophets but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17). In Luke, Jesus is depicted as one who "came to seek out and save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Finally, in John, Jesus is presented as a king who came to "testify to the truth of God" (John 18:37).

Ultimately, there exists a significant gap between the gospels and the historical Jesus. However, we can find clues that help us understand him better. Our task is to seek meaning both in the context of Jesus's time and in the era of the gospel communities that followed. 

Among my works, the following books deal with the above issues:

(1) How to Read the Gospels

(1) Resurrecting Jesus: The Renewal of New Testament Theology

(2) Messiah in Weakness: A Portrait of Jesus from the Perspective of the Dispossessed.

 

De(re)constructing New Testament Theology

In the gospels, Jesus's death is not for the forgiveness of sins. In Mark, forgiveness is possible through water baptism and repentance. Jesus was put to death by Rome because he challenged the status quo. His radical teaching of the kingdom of God, which embraces the most marginalized, brought him to death. He came to serve, not to be served (Mk 10:45). In Luke, Jesus's death is prophetic death, seeking out and saving the lost. In Matthew, Jesus's death is the result of his radical teaching of the law and his fearless proclamation of the kingdom of God. In John, Jesus's death is the result of his truth-speaking and living. CONTINUE TO READ 

Rereading the Canaanite Woman's Story (Matt 15:21-28)

In the common interpretation of Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus is thought to test the Canaanite woman. Readers often use this notion to explain away the more challenging statements made by Jesus, aiming to protect him from any blame. They primarily focus on the woman's submissive faith. However, the idea of Jesus testing her is questionable because, earlier in Matthew 10:5, he instructed his disciples not to go among the Gentiles, indicating that his mission did not include them. Therefore, when Jesus encounters the Canaanite woman, he is not genuinely interested in her.

  

Interestingly, the portrayal of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel is markedly different from that in Luke's Gospel. While the Lukan Jesus emphasizes God's preferential option for the Gentiles (see Luke 4:16-30), the Matthean Jesus reflects a community grappling with the challenge of opening its doors to Gentiles. 

A significant moment occurs in the story of the Canaanite woman, where Jesus ultimately recognizes her faith—a moment that requires deeper understanding. The faith of the Canaanite woman transcends mere submissiveness. She believes God will bless her and her daughter through Jesus, whom she acknowledges as the Son of David. Initially, Jesus ignores her, and his disciples urge him to send her away. He even refers to her as a "dog" and initially denies her request for help, stating that his mission is primarily for the Jews. However, the woman remains persistent; her faith leads her to assert that she deserves God's blessing.

The woman's faith is not about enduring derogatory comments by Jesus, but rather about her unwavering hope that God would bless her daughter. Because of her faith, Jesus changes his mind. Ultimately, whether explicitly or implicitly, seriously or humorously, she challenges Jesus's narrow-minded mission. Does he undergo a transformation after encountering this Canaanite woman?

In the end, Jesus after resurrection commissions the male disciples to go to all nations (Matthew 28:16-20). Notably, women disciples are not mentioned in this commissioning. This reflects a limitation in Matthew’s account.

Matt 25:31-46?

One of my colleagues sent me a message: “Dr. Kim: Greetings. Do you have any exegetical wisdom on Matthew 25:31-46? Let me know ASAP sir. Blessings and thanks.” Then I responded in seconds: “This is part of the so-called Jesus’ eschatological sermon in which this passage plays an important role that for Matthew’s community caring for the marginalized is key to God’s kingdom now and it will affect them in the future. This story can be read together with Luke’s parable, Rich Man and Lazarus. Hope this helps."

Ethical Mandate of the Bible: Shuv and Metanonia

[Courtesy of FreeBibleImages.org]

While different people understand the Bible differently, I find its root message in these two verbs: "return (shuv) and change (metanoia)." The former is about the Hebrew Bible whose overarching theme is turning back to God although various authors mean it differently. First, it is turning back to the grace of God. That is to remember God's call of Abraham, who is nobody out of nowhere. The beginning of the good news is God's grace to which Abraham responded wholeheartedly. We cannot save ourselves because we are born weak and live in a hopeless world. As our life depends on the sun, our nefesh needs the breath of life and the wind of hope coming from God. Second, we must return to Abraham's faith, which is not a mental agreement to the word of God but trust in him. Abraham decided to live a different life with hopes in God for his future and walked the path of faith until he died. Third, we must turn to the way of God, which is the way of justice and righteousness (Amos 5:24; Mic 6:8).

The latter ("change") is about the New Testament. Especially, Jesus emphasizes the change of a mind and heart for the rule/reign of God (Mark 1:15). Even if the new time has come, it would be futile without metanoia ("change"). Paul also talks about the importance of change that imitates Christ. In Rom 12:2, he says: "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." In Galatians 6:2, Paul asks the Galatians to "fulfill the law of Christ."

Our task is not merely to recognize the importance of change or return but to fully explore it in our lives and live it out holistically. We must ask critical questions about transformation: What is the good life? How can we achieve it? How can we make our society livable in justice? Individually, what perspectives on change do we need?

We need to conduct quality research on transformation through biblical, and theological studies and disseminate transformation insights through publications. We also must provide a diversity of transformation-driven programs in relation to course teaching, special lectures, leading seminars, series lectures, and other events with a consultation. The Institute can also provide necessary consulting about the various programs to various groups and institutions.

For example, topics include the following:

• The essence of Paul's theology or gospel: based on a threefold gospel
• Jesus's parables: overview and in-depth study
• A Transformative Reading of the Bible
• What is biblical interpretation? Theory, process, and criteria
• Preaching the New Testament
• Rereading logos theology in John's Gospel
• Rereading Romans from the perspective of Paul's gospel
• Rereading Galatians from the perspective of Paul's gospel
• Historical Jesus and doing theology today
• A study of biblical characters from the perspective of transformation
• Exploring themes of human transformation through the critical study of and engagement with the Bible, CBHT fosters various aspects of holistic human transformation based on self-knowledge, self-criticism, and human solidarity. The Center seeks:
• Enhancing the importance of human transformation both in the academic and public arena
• Providing avenues of interdisciplinary studies regarding the Bible and human transformation; exploring the intersection between the Bible and human transformation
• Providing adequate information and scholarship about human transformation and the Bible through courses, in-class or online, publications, and various activities of the center
• Providing public forums, seminars, lectures, and summer school
• Providing high-quality human transformation education material to academia, the church, and the public (book, journal, and other forms of print and online material)
• Holding a major conference on the issue of human transformation and the Bible
• Raising awareness of diversity and solidarity in public discourse; exploring collaboration with other organizations that work for the well-being of humanity within theological education and across the board· Providing experiential learning opportunities through the center; for example, arranging a travel seminar to foreign countries