Highlight of this month's essays (Nov 2019)

Strong disagreements with traditional theological thinkers
I have strong disagreements with those who think that Jesus's death resolved sin's problem, Paul's gospel is only about Jesus's redemptive death, and John's Jesus is divine.

Why are there differences in the gospels? 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 don't know who wrote them. The title of the gospel was added in the second century CE to make distinctions among the different gospels. We believe that they were written down at least 40-60 years after Jesus died. All of them were written in Greek. This is odd given the fact that Jesus and his disciples spoke Aramaic. Jesus's disciples were Galileans and illiterate; therefore, they could not write in Greek. Until the gospels were written down by Greek-speaking persons, a variety of oral traditions about Jesus had been circulating in different regions beyond Palestine, including Greek-speaking regions.

Key Concepts in the Tanakh
חֶסֶד (hesed): mercy, kindness, love
God is hesed. Therefore, people should be also kind and loving with one another. 
*For example: Book of Ruth

How much do we know about Mary Magdalene?
In order to understand who Mary Magdalene was, we need to find the closest or earliest sources about her. Scholars believe that the four canonical Gospels are the best sources about Jesus we can rely on although they are not accurate 100 % historically speaking. These gospels were written down about 40-60 years after Jesus died. Mary is recorded very briefly in several places of the four canonical Gospels (Matt 27:56, 61; 28:1; Mk 15:40, 47; 16:1, 9; Lk 24:10; Jn 19:25; 20:1, 18). In these Gospels, she appears to be a strong follower of Jesus, a witness to his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Jesus drove the seven demons from her (Lk 8:1-3; Mk 16:9). Other than the above, we don't have information about her.

Do the Ends Justify the Means?
What do you think about Naomi's plan to seduce Boaz through Ruth? Is it her faith that God provides security and the future through Ruth and Boaz?

1 Cor 14:33b-36 as interpolation

1 Cor 14:33b-36 is considered an interpolation by many scholars. I told my students that this passage is out of the blue. It is not connected with all previous chapters and all the following. This passage is abrupt. It is said that women should not speak in the church and if they have questions they must ask their husbands at home. 

Key concepts in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

חֶסֶד (hesed): mercy, kindness, love
God is hesed. Therefore, people should be also kind and loving with one another. 
*For example: Book of Ruth

שׁוּב (shuv): to turn back
Because God is the way, people should turn back to him. That is what "repentance" means. The equivalent word in Greek is metanoia (μετάνοια). 
*For example: Prophetic books

צְדָקָה (tsedaqah): righteousness
God is the one who is righteous, the basis of human existence and action. 
*See Note on Amos 5:21-24

מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): justice
Because God is righteous, people should seek justice in all spheres of life. 
*See Note on Amos 5:21-24

TaNaKh: Torah (תּוֹרָה), Neviim (נְבִיאִים), Ketuvim (כְּתוּבִים‎) 

Words of wisdom to new seminary students

 

What does it mean to be in a graduate school of theology? So to speak, seminary is not an easy-going place in Hallelujah. It is not a place where students can simply strengthen their faith, but a place where they can examine anything in a critical yet faithful manner. Often the problem is that they know too much.

Nothing is taken for granted. Graduate school is a rare, invaluable space where they can engage with texts, other readers, and the world. It is a safe space where they can raise any questions that they have not dared to ask. Paul reminds us of the importance of a critical spirit: "Test everything; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thess 5:21). Students don't have to believe someone simply because of his or her reputation. They have to test everything and tell others what they think is true. Eventually, after the test, they have to bear witness without fear or doubt. That is, "hold fast to what is good."

Through critical theological education, they will put on clearer lenses through which they will see the world and themselves differently. For this goal, they need to unlearn what they have known and embrace challenges and new insights. So, I would like to say: "Be open-minded toward the other ways of reading the scriptures. Engage with the Spirit of truth unabashedly. Use your new imagination."

Let me reiterate my point. I think graduate theological education is aimed not merely at renewing students' faith as such, but at recreating or reinventing the self through awakening, critical, integrating consciousness. My conviction is that one's spiritual birth is not complete once and for all, as Jesus says to Nicodemus in John 3.

I often check who I am and what I am doing here in theological education. The fundamental truth is this. I am here because of the students. I am not perfect, but my passion for teaching and student success has never swayed. I care for my students and care about their learning and unlearning. I believe critical study can reshape their understanding of scriptures, society, church, and humanity. I will do everything I can to help them prosper in the end. I will continue to support them, teaching them what they need. I will also learn from them.

Trust God.
Trust yourself.
Trust your instructor.
Trust each other.
Trust the process.

We are in this together.

When you feel there is no hope within you, trust God. When you think you hit the bottom of yourself, that is not the end of the story. Don't beat yourself up. Look up to heaven. Remember that you are precious because of the God whom you can trust. Trust yourself. When you honor your instructor, you may learn more than you expect. When you meet your peers in group discussions, treat them as your learning partners. When things go rough, while going through the hump, ups, and downs, stay the course and do what you can. Ask for help. There is always a way to go over it and to excel. So trust the process. We are all in this together.

In conclusion, think critically. Ask as many questions as possible. Express yourself clearly. Test everything, including yourself. Walk humbly with God. I would like to echo what Dean John Guns says: "Reinvent yourself and embrace challenges. Trust God and have confidence in yourself."

1. Trust God
-God is bigger than you. Don't try to resolve everything by yourself.
-God is the ultimate source of hope and life. When you feel weary, in good or bad times, trust God.
-Trusting God means you don't give up. Walk your faith patiently.

2. Have confidence in yourself
-You are a gift of God. You are unique and precious.
-You have much potential. See the value of it and live it out in your study.
-Otherwise, don't compare it with others. Your comparison won't increase or reduce what you have.

3. Be open-minded toward others
-Open your mind and heart and engage with others freely.
-No learning is possible if you close your mind.
-Your fellows are not competitors but learning partners.

4. Ask a lot of critical, self-critical questions
-Nothing is more important than asking critical questions in graduate school.
-Ask about God, Jesus, the Bible, and yourself. There is no limit to the pursuit of the quest.

-Test everything and then hold fast to what is good and acceptable (1 Thess 5:21).  

A new commentary on Galatians

Presskit



Buy at Amazon

"Galatians has often been read from a rhetorical perspective with an emphasis on an individual justification by faith from a forensic perspective, Paul’s autobiographical experience, proofs of the gospel, and exhortations to the Galatians. However, it can be read as a “letter” in which the main theme is the gospel or good news—an umbrella term that covers all other topics such as faith, righteousness, freedom, and new creation. Paul writes Galatians not to argue for an individual justification by faith from a forensic salvation perspective, but to make explicit his gospel that all can become children of God through faith. In Paul’s logic, what comes first is God’s promise, faith is a response to it through Christ, and the law can be fulfilled through faith. The gospel that Paul proclaimed to the Galatians is based on God who called them in the grace of Christ (1:6). Kim challenges the traditional reading of Galatians, exploring different dimensions of the gospel: (1) God as the origin and root of the gospel; (2) Christ as the exemplifier of God’s gospel through faithfulness; (3) the followers of Jesus as the children of God who participate in Christ’s faithfulness and continue to proclaim the good news of God through Jesus."

Wrestle with God first

My wrestling partner is God, not humans. I must deal with God first, as Jacob wrestled with a mysterious figure at the Jabbok River. We often feel good or bad by comparing ourselves with others. We get stuck in a small world of competition and survival. However, we must overcome a competitive mindset. From God's perspective, we are all dust and need mercy. Fellow humans are not the object of a fight.

If there are issues with others, we must fight God first and ask why we are here in the world. We can ask lots of questions, dealing with ourselves and others. Like Hannah, we need the time of prayer and discernment, which is a process of our transformation. Like Jacob, we first need to wrestle with God.

A new book on Romans

Rereading ROMANS from the Perspective of Paul's Gospel

A Literary and Theological Commentary

"Yung Suk Kim’s new commentary on Paul’s letter to the Romans is powerful good news for readers who are seeking the foundation for an honest and upright life at a moment when moral values seem to be disappearing from the public square. Kim courageously challenges the traditional reading of Romans as a forensic treatise on the exoneration of guilty sinners by the vicarious death of Jesus. Kim reclaims Paul’s bold vision of the faithfulness of Jesus as the measure of a right life and the path forward to a just and reconciled world." —L. L. Welborn, Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, Fordham University

"Yung Suk Kim’s book on Romans is a helpful, gospel-oriented explanation of Romans that consistently keeps Paul’s apostolic mission in mind. Its advantages are that it takes seriously the faithfulness of Jesus, beginning with its explanation of Romans 3:22-26, its attention to Paul’s focus on Israel and its salvation, and its attention to 12:1–15:13 as integral to Paul’s argument. This book will work well to introduce undergraduate and seminary students to Paul’s letter to the Romans." —Mark Reasoner, Professor of Biblical Theology, Marian University

Bible Study Videos (Luke 5:1-11) at 2019 UMC Western PA Annual Conference

The following videos were created by the team of the WPAUMC. Thanks to them.

DAY 1 (6/6/2019)

  

DAY 2 (6/7/2019)

   

DAY 3 (6/8/2019)

  

At the 2019 UMC Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference

VIDEOS

My presentation this morning went well with almost 2000 attendees filling the house.

I talked about Luke 5:1-11 (June 6, 2019)

An honorable day

Today, at Virginia Union University commencement, I was honored to receive the Scott & Stringfellow Outstanding Professor Award. It comes with a monetary gift. This is a true blessing on my birthday. I thank my family, friends, students, colleagues, and others who have supported me tirelessly. In the last 14 years, I have tried my best and will continue to strive for excellence. Danny Glover spoke powerfully to the graduating class of 2019; he said something like this: “Resistance and sustainable activism are the ingredients of social change.” He is an award-winning actor, producer ("Color Purple" movie) and humanitarian. One other notable thing at this ceremony was one alum’s (Dr. Virginia Howerton, ‘65) donation of 2.5 million dollars to the university, the largest one-time gift from anyone in the history of Virginia Union University. Indeed, she made a lasting impact on many graduates who heard her speaking today.

New book: Reimagining the Body of Christ in Paul's Letters

This book questions all familiar readings of “the body of Christ” in Paul’s letters and helps readers rethink the context and the purpose of this phrase. Against the view that Paul’s body of Christ metaphor mainly has to do with a metaphorical organism that emphasizes unity, Kim argues that the body of Christ metaphor has more to do with the embodiment of God’s gospel through Christ. While Deutero-Pauline Letters and Pastoral Letters use this body metaphor mainly as an organism, Paul’s undisputed letters, in particular, 1 Corinthians and Romans, treat it differently with a focus on Christic embodiment. Reexamining the diverse use of “the body of Christ” in Paul’s undisputed letters, this book argues that Paul’s body of Christ metaphor has to do with the proclamation of God’s gospel.

“Concisely describing how ‘the body of Christ’ must be reimagined as ‘the Christic body,’ Kim’s argumentation has wide-reaching implications for those of us who fight for liberation and justice within church and society. Providing a launching point that will allow scholars and pastors to teach and model ‘soft-union’ in Christ while uplifting particularity in communion, Kim’s interpretation of Pauline theology and ethics will enliven conversations in the classroom and the church for years to come. —Angela Parker, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

“Yung Suk Kim offers fresh insight into the heart of Paul’s theology: the body of Christ. Interestingly, Kim challenges the reader by reconstructing Christ’s body as a union in solidarity with those on the margins, especially in the hierarchical systems prevalent in the Roman imperial society and culture. No doubt, his theological reimagination can empower today’s Christians to resist unity without diversity in the so-called post-truth era of Trump. This little but powerful book thus holds onto hope for embodying Paul’s teaching in a more responsible manner.” —Sung Uk Lim, Assistant Professor of New Testament, College of Theology & United Graduate School of Theology, Yonsei University

"With illuminating analysis of key texts, Kim offers a concise and timely understanding of the body of Christ in Paul's letters that challenges hegemonic models and reminds us that care for the poor and pursuing justice for the weak of society are at the heart of the gospel and Christian living." —Timothy Milinovich, Associate Professor & Chair of Theology, Director of Catholic Studies, Dominican University