See also this blog post related to this topic: The Long Scandal.
For more about translation matters in the New Testament, see Chapter 8 in Toward Decentering the New Testament.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
A brief analysis of Gal 2:20 translations
Monday, July 24, 2023
Resurrecting Jesus: Mock Interview
I was quoted in someone's blog post. Below is an excerpt from it.
Today, as Christianity stagnates in Europe and North America, the most vibrant expressions of faith are to be found in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Korean New Testament scholar Yung Suk Kim was asked what he thought was the primary work of Jesus. Here is how he replied. I love how he translates the two verses from Mark. Below is Kim's reply:I believe that Jesus’ primary message is well summarized in Mark 1:14-15: “After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and God’s rule has come near; change your heart and believe in the good news.” As we see here, Jesus proclaims the good news of God; it is God’s good news. Good news is about God. God’s time and God’s rule has come in the here and now (perfect tense). For God’s time and rule to be effective, people have to accept it by changing their minds, which is what metanoia means.Note the differences between his translation of Mark 1:14-15 from the more conventional translation in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Note how Kim renders the words in the RSV which I have italicized.
*Note: My reply quoted above is not in a book. It is part of a book promotion mock interview.
For more about that idea of mine, see Resurrecting Jesus: The Renewal of New Testament Theology.
FULL CONTENTS OF THE MOCK INTERVIEW
I wrote this book to emphasize the importance of bringing the historical Jesus back into our discussions of New Testament theology. Traditional New Testament theology needs to take the work of the historical Jesus seriously. For example, people often overlook the question of what led to his death. His crucifixion was the result of his actions. We need to understand what he preached and why he was willing to die. After all, he was not born just to die. Jesus is a historical figure who should not be confined or misrepresented by anyone.
2. What do you think is the primary work of Jesus?
I believe that Jesus' primary message or teaching is well summarized in Mark 1:14-15: "After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and God's rule has come near; change your heart and believe in the good news." As we see here, Jesus proclaims the good news of God; it is God's good news. The good news is about God: God's time and God's rule have come in the here and now (perfect tense). For this God's radical time and rule to be effective, people have to accept it by changing their minds, which is what metanoia means. So it is impossible to talk about Jesus without God-talk in first-century Judaism. New Testament theology would be misleading if we do not look at God to whom Jesus points his finger. Jesus does the works of God, not his own.
3. As you know, there is a big divide between history and theology, or between the historical Jesus and New Testament theology. For example, some historians say that the New Testament is not based on the historical Jesus. How is it possible for you to do theology by drawing attention to both of these seemingly irreconcilable areas of study?
I believe that it is possible by redefining New Testament theology in which we can engage the historical Jesus. I broadly redefine New Testament theology as our explorations about God, the Messiah, and the world. New Testament theology is not constructed deductively (from heavenly revelation, for example), but can be constructed by readers who critically reevaluate not only the work of the historical Jesus but also various writings in the New Testament. So in my book, I define New Testament theology as follows:
New Testament theology involves both what the New Testament says about God, the Messiah, and the world, and how the reader evaluates, engages, or interprets diverse yet divergent texts of the New Testament, including difficult, sexist, and oppressive texts. The reader's task is not merely to discern what is good and acceptable in the New Testament, but also to surface its limitations by examining early Christians' disparate positions about God, the Messiah, and the world. Consequently, New Testament theology is constructed by the reader who deals with both the divergent texts of the New Testament and the historical Jesus to whom they refer. By carefully sifting through the layers of NewTestament witnesses while acknowledging unbridgeable gaps between them and the historical Jesus, the reader, in view of all aspects of life in the first century CE and today, has to explore relevant relationships among God, the Messiah, and the world.
4. Once again, why is the historical Jesus important to your New Testament theology?
Let me use a body analogy. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, New Testament theology without the historical Jesus is dead because the former is built on the work of the latter. No matter how many gaps exist between the historical Jesus and the New Testament, New Testament theology needs a solid understanding of the historical Jesus.
5. Can you give us a few examples of your critically reconstructed contents of New Testament theology?
Yes. For example, the"righteousness of God" will be redefined as God's righteousness rather than as an individual justification. "Faith of Christ Jesus" will be also redefined as his faithfulness through which he proclaims and embodies God's rule in the here and now. Accordingly, "the kingdom of God" will be redefined as God's rule in the here and now that challenges Rome's rule or any obstacles that occlude the flow of God's justice. In the end, Christians will be redefined as Christ-followers who do the works of God.
6. What do you want to say to your readers if they ask why this book should be a must-read?
I like to list three important benefits for readers:
-Getting a better, clearer understanding of the historical Jesus and the New Testament writings that refer to him.
-Exploring the significance of Jesus' life, teaching, and death, based not on doctrine but on his work of God in first-century Judaism and Palestine.
-Redefining New Testament theology as a process of discerning and engaging the historical Jesus and the New Testament writings.
7. Do you believe your newly defined New Testament theology can help improve human conditions?
Yes, very much so. We can learn from Jesus and follow his footsteps that embody God's presence in the here and now. Jesus' death is the result of his costly proclamation of God's rule in the here and now. It is not somewhere else than here. However, there are lots of people who see Jesus' death merely as salvific, vicarious atonement that does not look into the evil hands responsible for his crucifixion. By the way, Jesus' death is the form of crucifixion, capital punishment by Rome. So when we see Jesus' crucifixion, we have to see both God's love that he embodies at the risk of his life and God's judgment that brings evil people and power to justice. Condoning evil is not the point of Jesus' crucifixion.
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Un-reading the New Testament
According to Marcus Borg, “A parable is a story cast alongside life to encourage the audience to see things differently” (Marcus Borg, Jesus: The Life, Teaching, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, New York: HarperCollins, 2008, p. 259).
Similarly, C.H. Dodd describes the parable as “a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, which captivates the hearer through its vividness or strangeness, leaving enough ambiguity about its precise meaning to stimulate active thought” (C.H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom, New York: Scribner, 1961, p. 5).
As modern readers, we must critically examine and sometimes "unread" certain New Testament texts. Among these, some post-Pauline texts may exemplify repressive social relations, particularly through the so-called household codes. These codes regulate various household relationships, including those between masters and slaves, husbands and wives, and parents and children. A notable example is the subordinate position of women described in 1 Timothy 2:11-15. In analyzing these household codes and texts that degrade women, we must read, reread, and reconsider their meanings, because their ultimate significance is not dictated by historical context or current authority.
Interpretation is inherently a politically conscious act, requiring us to take a clear stance. Texts that are abusive or sexist need to be identified and rejected. During the stages of reading and rereading, we should ask why these seemingly outdated texts existed within the early church. This reflective process enables us to understand past events and engage critically with the contexts of both then and now.
Another important text to consider is 1 Corinthians 14:33b-36, which is often viewed as an “interpolation.” This term refers to a passage that may have been inserted later by an editor, possibly long after Paul’s death. Similar interpolations can be found in 1 Timothy 2:11-15. In fact, when examining Paul’s undisputed letters—seven in total—there are no instances of degrading remarks about women. On the contrary, Paul even refers to a woman as an apostle in Romans 16:7, and Galatians 3:28 presents a radical view of gender relations. Therefore, it may be necessary for readers to 'unread' 1 Corinthians 14:33b-36, as it does not reflect Paul’s true voice or theology.
Regarding the Gospels, one specific passage that comes to mind is Mark 9:1. This verse presents a different challenge; readers must engage with it, reflect on it, and reconsider their interpretations. While some believe it to be a saying of Jesus, others argue that it is a Markan addition or creation. In either case, understanding what this apocalyptic statement meant in the first century CE, as well as its relevance today, requires effort. Ultimately, readers need to make a decision about this text and interpret it for contemporary society, which may involve setting aside previous interpretations.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Teaching the Bible in a Different Culture
I am teaching in the area of biblical studies, and New Testament in particular, at the school of theology, Virginia Union University where I am the only faculty member of Asian (Korean) heritage and my students are predominantly African-American.
Most of my students, full-time employees in the private or public sectors, come to study in the evenings during the weekdays or on weekends. In this unique environment, teaching the Bible or theology is a daunting task, partly because I am a cultural stranger to the students and partly because my students are divergent even within their African culture.
Some are more marginalized than others. There are also issues regarding gender and class. More importantly, their theological spectrum is broader than I had assumed, ranging from liberationist to fundamentalist positions. However, one thing I have discovered again and again is that I could share my own marginalized experience with them.
I also found that the students are very open to new learning and challenges in biblical studies. Over the years, I have come up with the following teaching philosophy that tells who I am or what I am doing in this vocation of theological education:
I teach to engage in the knowledge of who we are in this world where we see one another as diverse. Diversity is not taken for granted but utilized as a source of critical engagement with others. I value both a critical and self-critical stance toward any claim of knowledge, truth, and reality and emphasize the following as pedagogical goals: learning from others, challenging one another, affirming who we are, and working for common humanity through differences. All in all, the goal of my teaching is to foster critical diversity and imagination in their learning process.
Most recently, I taught Introduction to Biblical Studies to first-year students. The contents and design of the course focused on helping students to become critical contextual biblical theologians. I explained the processes and complexities of biblical interpretation in which the reader takes the center stage. I also emphasized three elements of critical contextual interpretation: how to read (the text), what to read (textual focus or theology), and why to read (contextuality of the reader), which will be the topics of my future book.
In my teaching, I reiterate the importance of the role of the reader, who has to engage not only the text but also his or her life in a particular life context. At the same time, I help students to be critical of all readings because not all are equally valid or helpful. The oft-cited verse in my classroom is: “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
We not only unpack the texts from many perspectives but also deconstruct our familiar readings and reconstruct them in new life contexts. Students are refreshed because of their new learning experience in biblical studies. They also find themselves loving the scripture not simply because of what has been written there but also because they can engage it critically and faithfully in their lives. Oppressive theologies are rejected and the students are reaffirmed as the people of God. In this way, the Bible is deconstructed and reconstructed through their lives, because God is the God of all. God is not the God of the past alone, but of the present amidst their turmoil.
In one of my classes, I asked each group (made up of six or seven people) to discuss and answer this question: “Who is Jesus to you and your community? Portray him, using all kinds of methods or approaches that you have learned so far.”
Each group worked hard, and all were genuinely engaged. They used pencils, colored pens, and a poster board. Afterward, members of each group stood alongside each other and presented their works creatively and faithfully. I was very impressed by their comprehensive understanding of Jesus in context and by their skills in portraying him from their particular life contexts.
One group said Jesus is water because he is the source of life for Africans and others. After the presentation, I added one thing: Water is a great metaphor since I could relate to my experience of water in my culture. I briefly talked about the image and metaphor of water in Daoism and my cultural experience. The experience here is cross-cultural, spiritual, and contextual.
The other group said Jesus is the sun, because he shines upon all people, showing God’s love to all in the world. The idea here is that Africans need the light and that they become a light for others. I added one more thing: Jesus as the sun is like the power plant, which runs with nuclear fusion, giving energy and light to others (centrifugal). In contrast, the Empires gather power for themselves at the expense of others (centripetal). There are three more groups that presented nicely. I could see all of my students were engaged in the exercise and they were excited by what they had done. Finally, all said amen.
Most of my students, full-time employees in the private or public sectors, come to study in the evenings during the weekdays or on weekends. In this unique environment, teaching the Bible or theology is a daunting task, partly because I am a cultural stranger to the students and partly because my students are divergent even within their African culture.
Some are more marginalized than others. There are also issues regarding gender and class. More importantly, their theological spectrum is broader than I had assumed, ranging from liberationist to fundamentalist positions. However, one thing I have discovered again and again is that I could share my own marginalized experience with them.
I also found that the students are very open to new learning and challenges in biblical studies. Over the years, I have come up with the following teaching philosophy that tells who I am or what I am doing in this vocation of theological education:
I teach to engage in the knowledge of who we are in this world where we see one another as diverse. Diversity is not taken for granted but utilized as a source of critical engagement with others. I value both a critical and self-critical stance toward any claim of knowledge, truth, and reality and emphasize the following as pedagogical goals: learning from others, challenging one another, affirming who we are, and working for common humanity through differences. All in all, the goal of my teaching is to foster critical diversity and imagination in their learning process.
Most recently, I taught Introduction to Biblical Studies to first-year students. The contents and design of the course focused on helping students to become critical contextual biblical theologians. I explained the processes and complexities of biblical interpretation in which the reader takes the center stage. I also emphasized three elements of critical contextual interpretation: how to read (the text), what to read (textual focus or theology), and why to read (contextuality of the reader), which will be the topics of my future book.
In my teaching, I reiterate the importance of the role of the reader, who has to engage not only the text but also his or her life in a particular life context. At the same time, I help students to be critical of all readings because not all are equally valid or helpful. The oft-cited verse in my classroom is: “Test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).
We not only unpack the texts from many perspectives but also deconstruct our familiar readings and reconstruct them in new life contexts. Students are refreshed because of their new learning experience in biblical studies. They also find themselves loving the scripture not simply because of what has been written there but also because they can engage it critically and faithfully in their lives. Oppressive theologies are rejected and the students are reaffirmed as the people of God. In this way, the Bible is deconstructed and reconstructed through their lives, because God is the God of all. God is not the God of the past alone, but of the present amidst their turmoil.
In one of my classes, I asked each group (made up of six or seven people) to discuss and answer this question: “Who is Jesus to you and your community? Portray him, using all kinds of methods or approaches that you have learned so far.”
Each group worked hard, and all were genuinely engaged. They used pencils, colored pens, and a poster board. Afterward, members of each group stood alongside each other and presented their works creatively and faithfully. I was very impressed by their comprehensive understanding of Jesus in context and by their skills in portraying him from their particular life contexts.
One group said Jesus is water because he is the source of life for Africans and others. After the presentation, I added one thing: Water is a great metaphor since I could relate to my experience of water in my culture. I briefly talked about the image and metaphor of water in Daoism and my cultural experience. The experience here is cross-cultural, spiritual, and contextual.
The other group said Jesus is the sun, because he shines upon all people, showing God’s love to all in the world. The idea here is that Africans need the light and that they become a light for others. I added one more thing: Jesus as the sun is like the power plant, which runs with nuclear fusion, giving energy and light to others (centrifugal). In contrast, the Empires gather power for themselves at the expense of others (centripetal). There are three more groups that presented nicely. I could see all of my students were engaged in the exercise and they were excited by what they had done. Finally, all said amen.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Poem
Grass Flowers
by Na Taeju
trans. Yung Suk Kim
See things closely
to see pretties.
See things long
to feel love.
It is with you too.
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Letter to President Trump (2017)
Yung Suk Kim
Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity
Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology
Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia
March 14, 2017
Dear President Trump, Vice President Pence, Members of the Trump Administration, and the 115th
Congress,
As a biblical scholar, author, and professor teaching at a graduate theological school, in Richmond, Virginia, my vocation is to communicate the love of God to all, advocating diversity in our lives. Diversity is the way that the world exists and prospers. Differences, whether personal or cultural, are not wrong by themselves but can be a moment of engagement with one another through the love of God. In God’s creation, there are many colors, many races, many cultures, many stories, and many histories. One cannot represent all. It is the imperial culture that does not embrace diversity.
Sincerely,
Yung Suk Kim
Associate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity
Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology
Virginia Union University, in Richmond, Virginia
March 14, 2017
Dear President Trump, Vice President Pence, Members of the Trump Administration, and the 115th
Congress,
I love this country, my new home, and about a year ago all my family members became US citizens. That was our glad choice to join millions of immigrants who already become citizens of this great country—a place of opportunities, cultural diversity, and high moral values embodying more justice and freedom for all people. But recently, I and others have felt uncertain about this joyful expectation about our country’s ideals and achievements. I hear that diversity and otherness are seen as suspicious and checked at many corners of this country. Though there is a long way to go, our country has made conscious efforts to embrace more diversity, free thought, and human dignity. There are many colors on earth, named or unnamed; but all of them are beautiful. There are many flowers in the world, named or unnamed; no question that all are splendid. All of them are flowers, small or big, short or tall. The flower is the flower. There are many people of color on our globe, documented or undocumented; all of them are God’s masterpieces. Yellow is color, black is color, and white is also color. All races are colored and cultured. Some are more distinctive than others. Yet all represent a colorful representation of God’s world where different thoughts and lifestyles coexist.
As a biblical scholar, author, and professor teaching at a graduate theological school, in Richmond, Virginia, my vocation is to communicate the love of God to all, advocating diversity in our lives. Diversity is the way that the world exists and prospers. Differences, whether personal or cultural, are not wrong by themselves but can be a moment of engagement with one another through the love of God. In God’s creation, there are many colors, many races, many cultures, many stories, and many histories. One cannot represent all. It is the imperial culture that does not embrace diversity.
Sincerely,
Yung Suk Kim
Saturday, July 1, 2023
No Longer Bound
A Short Book Review by Yung Suk Kim
James Henry Harris is Professor and Chair of Preaching and Pastoral Theology at Virginia Union University and Senior Minister at the Second Baptist Church, both in Richmond, Virginia. His earlier works include The Forbidden Word (2012), The Word Made Plain (2004), and Preaching Liberation (1996).
In this book No Longer Bound, as the title implies, Harris freely engages the word of God in a still race-divided society where freedom is shackled, love is superficial, faith is idolatrous, and hope is groundless. He deftly combines the art of preaching with interpretation theory, ethics, and theology. Harris claims that preaching involves an act of love based on the love of God and the love of self and community.
This book asks what preaching is, why it matters, and how it can be holy and holistic in the preacher's community and beyond. I have never seen a book like this in the field of homiletics; this book has souls of preaching that engage everything. As Paul has a spirit of test, the preacher must test everything (1 Thess 5:21). The preacher is not bound to anything because of this responsibility; in fact, there is no boundary for the preacher because everything is a topic. Harris argues that everything must be tested and interpreted for the real people today in various communities. This book asks readers who they are as preachers, and it is a must-read for all who preach and teach scriptures.
James Henry Harris is Professor and Chair of Preaching and Pastoral Theology at Virginia Union University and Senior Minister at the Second Baptist Church, both in Richmond, Virginia. His earlier works include The Forbidden Word (2012), The Word Made Plain (2004), and Preaching Liberation (1996).
In this book No Longer Bound, as the title implies, Harris freely engages the word of God in a still race-divided society where freedom is shackled, love is superficial, faith is idolatrous, and hope is groundless. He deftly combines the art of preaching with interpretation theory, ethics, and theology. Harris claims that preaching involves an act of love based on the love of God and the love of self and community.
This book asks what preaching is, why it matters, and how it can be holy and holistic in the preacher's community and beyond. I have never seen a book like this in the field of homiletics; this book has souls of preaching that engage everything. As Paul has a spirit of test, the preacher must test everything (1 Thess 5:21). The preacher is not bound to anything because of this responsibility; in fact, there is no boundary for the preacher because everything is a topic. Harris argues that everything must be tested and interpreted for the real people today in various communities. This book asks readers who they are as preachers, and it is a must-read for all who preach and teach scriptures.
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