+ Dr. Sebastian Kim introduces Jude, talking about how our faith in God is deeply integrated with holy living and ethical conduct.
Sebastian Chang Hwan Kim is assistant provost for Fuller’s Korean Studies Center and professor of theology and public life in the School of Theology. His scholarship interests include public theology, world Christianity, Asian theologies, and theology and peace building. He has authored four books.
“Jude’s message is that the faith commitment and our practice are not separate.” – Sebastian Chang Hwan Kim
Transcript
Dr. Sebastian Kim introduces Jude, talking about how our faith in God is deeply integrated with holy living and ethical conduct.
My name is Dr. Sebastian Kim, assistant provost for the Korean Studies Center and professor of theology and public life. I’m going to look at the Letter of Jude from the Korean Christianity perspective.
The letter of Jude is one of the shortest books in the Bible. It has 25 verses. And there is very little known about the author and also background. Probably, it was written between 50 and 70 AD to a particular community.
Jude, starts in verse four and five and continues in the first half of the letter, talks about some people, individuals, came from outside, and they brought a false teaching, and they deliberately came to the Christian community to distract and to provide these false doctrines. And also they were very much practicing the unholy life conduct. And then, verse 17 onwards, the author talks about the encouragement, the kind of call to steadfast, call to hold on to their faith. Here, Jude talks about several points, which is quite relevant for us and important for our faith.
First, Jude talks about building ourselves up in living faith, a holy faith. That is quite an important phrase, the holy faith. And secondly, Jude also talks about praying in the Holy Spirit. And thirdly, Jude talks about keeping ourself in God’s love. And then fourthly, waiting for the mercy of God. And finally, being merciful to those who are struggling, and providing and supporting those people.
Jude’s message is that the faith commitment and our practice is not a separate thing. And he’s talking about a holy faith and also talking about a kind of living conduct. Waiting for the mercy of God and also showing mercy to others. So he’s talking about the integration of the faith dimensions and also our practice and ethical dimensions. So what we do, for example, reading the Bible, praying, and also digging into the deeper meaning of the scriptures, are not separate from our ethical conduct with other people around us and also our holy living. These are all related and all integrated.
So, in conclusion, I would like to read this doxology in the end of the letter in Korean and in English.
“능히 너희를 보호하사 거침이 없게 하시고 너희로 그 영광 앞에 흠이 없이 기쁨으로 서게 하실 이 곧 우리 구주 홀로 하나이신 하나님께 우리 주 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 영광과 위엄과 권력과 권세가 영원 전부터 이제와 영원토록 있을지어다 아멘”
“Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, and now, and forever. Amen.”