In recent years, we witness unprecedented leadership changes in governments, state institutions and big corporations. With such changes, new teams with their new heads will somehow aim to outdo or even eradicate the legacy of their predecessors. Instead of building on the good work of the previous team, the new team seems bent on proving that they are better.

Perhaps Singapore is an exception. To date, we have always enjoyed smooth transition from each Prime Minister to the next, with each building on the legacy of the previous good administration, public institutions and excellent international reputation. Most of the time, our ruling government attempts to improve the system as well as keeps up with the times with the aim of meeting the aspirations of her citizens … this is a very commendable effort despite the generation gaps in Singapore.

The Question?

This leads to the question concerning the passing of legacy among Christians of every generation in this island.

What is Jesus’ legacy for us? What did Jesus leave behind for us, the so-called modern 21^st century Christians of generations X, Y and Z to fulfil?

Many Singapore’s pioneer generation Christians would remember the Great Commission charged to them namely, Matthew 28:18–20: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

How do we fulfil Jesus’ legacy, especially after more than 2000 years or several generation gaps ?

To fulfil Jesus’ legacy, we need a Bechor. For the family, legacy is defined as something that is passed on to someone from a family, be it money or property, including reputation. However, parents who wish to pass their good values down to their children are often confronted by the challenges presented by what is termed today as the generation gap. While children often look up to parents as role models and emulate their behavior (positive or negative), the differences in the two generations often present some issues. For instance, a daughter may wish (perhaps unknowingly) to marry someone who has the traits of her father but the men that she encounters often may miss the mark as the latter are probably young and have yet to assume family responsibilities. In contrast, parents live in a different adult world with obligations such as bringing home the bacon so to speak, attending meetings, and bringing their ageing parents for medical appointments etc. So how does a child learn and assume any of the adult roles?

Who is the Bechor ?

In earlier Bible days, there is a Bechor in each family, which is the firstborn. This child serves as an intermediary between the two generations as he or she is both closest to the parents and the siblings. The firstborn is usually the first to be taught the values of the parents. When this child-leader imbibes and lives out the parents’ values successfully, he or she takes the noble attributes and breathes life into it, thereby transforming it into behaviour that makes sense in a child’s world. This kind of behaviour then becomes a real and living possibility for the other children in the family of that generation to emulate.

Just like earthly children naturally wanting to emulate their parents’ values, we humans somehow likewise would like to emulate their Heavenly Father and Creator as we are created in the image of God. God is indeed looking for a Bechor to bridge the gap between Him and other humans on earth.

Why is the Bechor so important ?

It is interesting to note that after God has revealed to Moses and the Egyptians who God (YHVH : was, is and will be) through the 10 plagues, the last of which involved the firstborn. Exodus 4:22-23. Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”

Looking at the scriptures again, we would have notice something unique about the tenth plague. For the first nine plagues, Israel’s children were automatically shielded from the effects of each of them. For instance, in the fifth plague, Egyptian livestock were struck but Israel’s animals were not affected. During the ninth plague, darkness covered the land of Egypt but not the Israelites. One may wonder why God did not instruct the Israelites to walk out of Egypt since the Egyptian were shrouded in darkness.

Strange as it seems, the children of Israel were no more granted “immunity” in the tenth plague.  Somehow, in the last plague the Israeli firstborns would have perished along with the firstborns of the Egyptians unless the Israelites did two things God commanded … they were to bring a Passover offering and place blood at their doorposts.

On the one hand God is teaching the Egyptians a final tragic lesson where all firstborn had to die. On the other hand, He was also teaching the Israelites that they needed to make a commitment to serve Him, failing which their firstborns would suffer the same fate as the Egyptians. God was asking the Israelites if they would be His Bechor.

We may ask why God struck the firstborns of the Egyptians. Perhaps this is so because the Egyptians would not be able to transmit their pagan values from generation to generation without the benefit of the Egyptians Bechor child-leader. What about the Israelites after the Passover? A new nation was born after the Lord passed by their houses with doors smeared with blood. Effectively Israel has become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” for God (Exodus 19:6).

Why is the Bechor still important for the 21st Christian generation ?

In the 21^st century, the Christian (who functions as the Bechor) serves as a bridge between the generations. This carefully nurtured Bechor will have internalised the legacy of Jesus which is the Great Commission and live it out in the modern world. With God’s help through the Holy Spirit, when this Bechor-leader does that successfully, he or she takes Jesus’ teachings and breathes life into them together with the Holy Spirit, transforming them into behaviour that make sense in this modern world. This kind of behaviour then becomes a real and practical, living possibility for other non-Christians to witness.

One thing which stands out about a priest or a Bechor (Exodus 19:6) is that his or her life is essentially selfless; theirs is a mission, one great act of service. The minute we accept Christ as our Saviour, we are likened to have passed through the “blood-smeared door” i.e. through Jesus. Blood is often associated with birthing; likewise, through the blood of Jesus, we non-Jews have become the children of our Almighty God and He has become our Parent. A good parent, heavenly or earthly, loves all his children and a Bechor is meant to perpetuate the purposes of that love, helping God and children connect more effectively. A Bechor who ignores the existence of other Christians or non-Christians, and chooses to bask in his own perceived exclusive relationship with the parent subverts his mission and becomes a failure.

The mission of Israel only makes sense because God is intensely interested in having a relationship with all humanity. It is up to Christians never to betray or lose sight of their mission of the Great Commission. By constantly reviewing and focusing on the Great Commission, one will be guided in Christian conduct, worship and methods of evangelism and not straying too far from the Hebrew teachings of Jesus.

Our Lord Jesus is indeed the Bechor… The First Born

Romans 8:29 – For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. The Supremacy of Christ : Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Indeed the ancient role of firstborn sons carries great significance and they were allocated double portion of the inheritance.

The Mirror Method to train the Bechor disciple

Perhaps, every Pastor, worship leader or Sunday school teacher could be mindful of training a Bechor disciple in order to carry on the Legacy of a good ministry laid down by a previous Minister. First the Bechor disciple to be needs to be Christ-Like as Christ is the reflection of the Father God. The right-hand man of D. L. Moody, Drummond once remarked that the best way is through “reflecting Christ” through relationship. All other method such as copy the virtues of others, making new-year resolutions (one at a time) or some formulaic sanctification are not wrong but somehow success will be poor. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says we all, with unveiled face reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

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Concluding Thoughts

The question remains i.e. where are the 21^st century Bechor Disciples who are willing to carry the legacy of the Great Commission to the next generation. A tragedy happens when a child relates to his parents as a mere authority. What good is a family if the children do not know they are a part of it? And when they know they are a part of the family, the Bechor will need to perform his duty so that Jesus’ legacy of the Great Commission can continue.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4.

I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. Psalm 89:27 .

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Dr Phil Chan is a theoretical high energy particle physics professor at the National University of Singapore. He was a student at the Disciples’ Leadership Development Institute (DLDI) hosted by the Methodist Church of Singapore in the 1980s.  Since then, he continues to share God’s love and make disciples as Jesus leads. 

While Christianity continues to be seen in much of Asia as a Western religion, the Christian faith and Jewish faith which birthed it are actually from Asia. The Old Testament in particular originated in the Near East, a region that has many cultural connections to the modern Far East where we live.

With concepts such as retribution/karma, honour/shame, and animism that were common in the Old Testament—the message crosses naturally from its ancient Asian setting into our modern Asian setting.

SPEAKER PROFILE: Rev Dr Jerry Hwang Jerry Hwang (PhD, Wheaton College) currently serves as Academic Dean of Singapore Bible College’s School of Theology (English), where he has also taught Old Testament and Hebrew courses since 2010. His research interests lie at the intersection of the Old Testament and mission studies. He is currently writing his third book, a commentary on Jeremiah to be published on Crossway. He has also written books on Hosea (forthcoming from Zondervan) and Deuteronomy.

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ETHOS is a tripartite collaboration of:
– National Council of Churches of Singapore
– Trinity Theological College
– The Bible Society of Singapore

While Christianity continues to be seen in much of Asia as a Western religion, the Christian faith and Jewish faith which birthed it are actually from Asia. The Old Testament in particular originated in the Near East, a region that has many cultural connections to the modern Far East where we live.

With concepts such as retribution/karma, honour/shame, and animism that were common in the Old Testament—the message crosses naturally from its ancient Asian setting into our modern Asian setting.

SPEAKER PROFILE: Rev Dr Jerry Hwang Jerry Hwang (PhD, Wheaton College) currently serves as Academic Dean of Singapore Bible College’s School of Theology (English), where he has also taught Old Testament and Hebrew courses since 2010. His research interests lie at the intersection of the Old Testament and mission studies. He is currently writing his third book, a commentary on Jeremiah to be published on Crossway. He has also written books on Hosea (forthcoming from Zondervan) and Deuteronomy.

ETHOS is a tripartite collaboration of:
– National Council of Churches of Singapore
– Trinity Theological College
– The Bible Society of Singapore

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Speakers: Dr Lee Chee Chiew (SBC), Dr Lai Pak Wah (BGST), Dr Scott Callaham (BTS) and Dr Lewis Winkler (EAST)
Venue: Bible House
Time: 9am – 5pm

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Singapore has relied on the labour contributions of guest workers since its early years. Although these workers are very much part of our nation – having played significant roles through building our infrastructure and contributing to industries with labour shortages – their struggles may often remain invisible to us. 

To bring light to their contributions and stories, the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO) partnered with SowCare and the Alliance of Indian Ministries – both ministries of the Bible Society of Singapore – to organise the Walking in Your Shoes exhibition at Far East Plaza from 20-29 September 2019. The exhibition was launched with an opening ceremony on 19 September, which was graced by the Guest of Honour, Mr. Zaqy Mohamad, then-Minister of State in the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of National Development. The exhibition, which had drawn hundreds of visitors over nine days, showcased replicas of the living spaces of guest workers in Singapore. Through these installations, the visitors were able to experience the routines of guest workers at work and in their dormitories. The untold stories and lesser-known trivia about the guest worker community were also featured – inviting Singaporeans to understand them beyond their occupational role. 

Visitors could also learn words of appreciation in the native languages of guest workers – to engage them in conversation and breach social divides. Key phrases such as “how are you?” and “thank you!” were available in Bengali, Burmese, Hindi, Mandarin, Sinhala, Tamil, and Thai. 

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The exhibition was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Far East Organisation and Far East Plaza. 

PARTNERS

• SowCare 
• Alliance of Indian Ministries 
• Far East Organisation 
• Far East Plaza 

In June 2018, I was praying for God’s instructions and direction for this Bible Mission Trip to Cambodia, which was originally scheduled to take place in September 2018. However, in July 2018, my father-in-law was called home to be with the Lord, and my mother was diagnosed with cancer and bleeding in the brain. Even though the trip had to be postponed to March 2019, I am still grateful for God’s faithfulness in bringing the team together. 

While we were in the midst of preparing for the trip, God remained faithful by leading us every step of the way—through the planning of the programme, the rehearsals for reenacting the Bible stories and the planning of the teaching sessions. We had planned to teach the locals about the grace of God, with some reflections from Gideon’s life (Judges 6–7). As I was going through these passages with the intention of reaching out to the locals, never would I have thought that I, too, would experience the grace of God firsthand. 

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A few weeks before the Bible Mission Trip, I found out that my mother—who had been given six months to live and was already receiving palliative care—had been completely healed from cancer! What a joy it was to receive God’s grace! 

During the mission trip, I saw how God was working through each of us, bringing our individual talents together to serve His people as one body. As my team and I were ministering to the children in Tuolpongror with the Word, we were delighted and encouraged at how eager they were to receive Jesus into their hearts. 

At the end of the programme, one of the teachers at the local school made the decision to re-commit her life to Christ. It was here our team realised that we had to continue to pray fervently for the rest of the teachers who had not received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour—so that they too could make a difference in the lives of the children whom they teach. 

To conclude, my team and I are very thankful that we were able to accomplish the work in Cambodia by the immense grace of God. All of us have been blessed in more ways than one—it is indeed more blessed to give than to receive!

In the third volume of his Systematic Theology, Methodist theologian Thomas Oden maintains that despite the diversity of its members, the Church remains united in Christ: “in its own forms in specific times and places, living in particular cultures, the [C]hurch always appears sociologically diverse, yet remains in its essential unity (unita essentialis) when viewed theologically—united in Christ its head, unified in one spirit (Eph 4:4), in the unity of one faith (Eph 4:5), which expresses itself in the unity of love.”

Oden warns, however, of an “idolatrous overvaluation of unity”, which brings about a “uniformity, a tyrannising excess superficially imposed unity”. The Church would do well to heed this warning and prevent its dynamic unity from degenerating into a suffocating demand for sameness.

But the Church must be wary of the danger of admitting all manners of diversity for the sake of unity, i.e., of allowing the demands of political correctness to dictate the practice of inclusion. The Church should never think that Christian unity, which welcomes diversity, should preclude exclusion.

Paul gave this warning to the elders of the Ephesian church: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock… I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28–30, NASB).

Paul did not say that these false teachers should be countenanced in the name of diversity or for the sake of unity. Rather “they must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach…” (Titus 1:11, NIV).

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In the third century, Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, condemned modalism as heresy because it taught that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the godhead were not distinct persons but different modes of God’s revelation. In the same way, the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) condemned Arianism—which taught that the Son is only a creature, and therefore not co-equal and co-eternal with the Father—as a heresy.

The Church does not countenance some forms of behaviour in the name of diversity and inclusion. Paul repeatedly exhorted Christians to shun the sinful passions of their carnal nature and to yield to the Holy Spirit who resides in them (Colossians 3:1–15).

Excommunication is a form of church discipline that has become extinct in many evangelical churches today. Paul had no difficulties with the excommunication of an unrepentant and defiant sinner, as in the case of the member of the Corinthian church who had committed incest (1 Cor 5). Neither did he have any qualms about excluding from Christian fellowship the schismatic who refused to heed repeated warnings by church leaders (Titus 3:10).

Tertullian, the third century Latin theologian, describes the gravity of excommunication: “For judgment is passed, and it carries great weight, as it must among men certain that God sees them; and it is a notable foretaste of judgment to come, if any man has so sinned to be banished from all share of our prayer, our assembly, and all holy intercourse.”

The practice of exclusion is required in the Church because Christian unity is not premised on the modern politics of inclusion, but on Christ and the Church’s faith in Him.

Genuine Christian unity can grow only in the soil of the truth of the Gospel.

References

Oden, Thomas. Spirit of Life. Vol. 3, Systematic Theology. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.

Tertullian. Apology. Edited by Gerald Henry Randall and Walter Charles Allan Kerr. Translated by T. R. Glover. Loeb Classical Library 250. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1966.

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Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College and Theological and Research Advisor for the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity.

Creation Reclaimed

Modern philosophy, which began with Descartes, is premised on the idea that objective knowledge is possible only if the cognitive agent first separates himself mentally from the external world around him.

Kant reinforced the separation when he postulated a dichotomy between the phenomenal order (things as empirically observed) and the noumenal order (things-in-themselves) in order to give room for human freedom in a world determined by fundamental laws of nature.

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That is to say, both human knowledge and human freedom entail a flight from nature. The resulting loss of vital connection between man as knowing subject and the world of nature is one of the causes of human disregard of the environment today.

In contrast, the Bible upholds nature, or creation, as the theatre where knowledge of God is revealed. It acknowledges that God is transcendent but he reveals himself through his mighty works of creation, providence and redemption.

T.F. Torrance emphasises that our knowledge of God is mediated to us in and through this world as the sphere of his activity toward us. Torrance writes,

“We know God, then, in such a way that our knowledge (theologia nostra) is correlated with the world as his creation and the appointed medium of his self-revelation and self-communication to mankind. Everything would go wrong if the creaturely reality of this world were confused with or mistaken for the uncreated Reality of God, or if knowledge of God were cut off from the fact that it is our knowledge, that is, knowledge of God by us in this world.”

Unlike modern thought that sees creation as a means to an end, a resource simply to be exploited, the Christian tradition does not regard creation as a temporary expedient. Early Christian theologians, beginning with Irenaeus have taught that creation and humanity will grow together to their final destination intended by God.

Irenaeus emphasised that creation was created with the capacity to ‘mature’ to perfection and that the Incarnation was to further this development and not merely to save man from sin. That is to say, creation is the vessel that man may use to navigate to his final destination.

The significance of creation is seen only in the full light of its consummation. In this regard, the final destiny of creation goes beyond restoration to its pristine beauty, it will eventually enjoy an ontological uplift.

The Bible vividly describes how creation eagerly waits to share in the eschatological glory awaiting mankind (Romans 8:19-21). The eschatological expectation is described as the new creation where all will be perfect (Isaiah 11:6-10, 65:17-25 and 66:22-23). Isaiah 65:17-25 begins with a declaration that God will create (bara) new heavens and a new earth.

Note that the Hebrew word bara does not always mean creating something out of nothing but frequently denotes a divine activity by which God brings forth something new from the old (Isaiah 41:20; 43:7; 54:16; 57:18).

Likewise, the Greek word used to emphasise the newness of the new world found both in 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1 is kainos, which means new in nature and quality in contrast with the word neos, which means new in time or origin. There will be both continuity and discontinuity between the new world and the present world.

Although there is the idea of a complete re-doing of Genesis 1:1, this new world will be so radically transformed that even the more loftiest aspects of the former world will probably fade in comparison to the new glory.

Moving from Environmentalism to Creation Care

The contemporary debates over the environment largely takes place within a secular world-view.  The basic argument is that we are part of a fragile eco-system and must make concerted efforts to protect the larger system for the sake of all living things on the planet.

It is not that we fundamentally disagree with this argument.  Our point is that this argument is reductionistic and sets the whole issue in too small a frame.   Thus, it is important that we help to re-frame this issue for the larger church and remind the people of God what “added value” we bring to this discussion.

We will, of course, have many “technical” shared outcomes with the environmental movement.  However, we bring a much larger frame to the broader discussion.

We understand that the universe cannot be reduced to mere mechanistic naturalism.  We see the whole of creation infused with God’s presence and, indeed, the creation itself is sometimes understood as the “temple of God” in the broadest sense of that expression.

We care for the creation precisely because God’s presence fills it and he has made it the dwelling place of those created in his image.  By caring for the “house” we honor the “builder of the house.”

The Bible emphasises that God has appointed us to be stewards of His creation. Creation care becomes a part of what it means to love and honor God.

New Initiatives in Creation Care

There should be no idealisation of creation. Nature is experienced both as a foe (e.g., by primitive dwellers in the tropical jungle) and as a source of inspiration for poets (e.g., beautiful Lake District, England). Economic development is inevitable but it must be carried out with respect for the environment and the careful preservation of traditional cultures and societies.

Since a major root cause of the neglect of ecological stewardship is theological, there must be added emphasis on the doctrine of creation in Christian teaching today. Calvin DeWitt offers us some helpful biblical principles concerning care of creation:

1) Principle of stewardship – As God keeps and sustains humanity, so humanity keeps and sustains creation. Creation is given to man out of God’s overflowing goodness.

2) Sabbath principle – Creation must be able to recover from human use of its resources.

3) Moderation and enjoyment – The abundant gifts and fruitfulness of God’s creation must be enjoyed and not destroyed. Creation is to be enjoyed with gratitude as a sign our appreciation of God’s overflowing goodness.

Creation Renewed

The final destiny of the people of God is the New Creation (Rev. 21).  However, the New Creation is not merely something tacked onto the end of human history after the present created order collapses.  Rather, in the incarnation, resurrection and ascension of Christ, the New Creation is already breaking in to the present order.

The future kingdom has been inaugurated, but is not yet consummated.  We therefore understand the creation as the theatre where signs of the future reign and rule of God are already breaking in to the present order.  This provides significant theological space for the church to celebrate the cosmic dimensions of God’s saving work.

Creation is not rendered secondary in God’s salvation. Creation retains its integrity as the sphere of human stewardship; it is the sacramental reminder of the hope for glory. The book of Isaiah portrays life in restored creation (the new city of God) as one of excellent cultural achievement. It is a place where the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and nothing unclean shall enter it, but only the glory and honour of the nations (Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21:24-27).

Anthony Hoekema aptly captures the glorious vision of human destiny with renewed creation:

“The Bible assures us that God will create a new earth on which we shall live to God’s praise in glorified, resurrected bodies. On the new earth, therefore, we hope to spend eternity, enjoying its beauties, exploring its resources, and using its treasures to the glory of God.”

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Dr Ng Kam Weng is Research Director of Kairos Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Previously, he had been a fellow at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies and a member of the Center for Theological Inquiry at Princeton University. From 1989 to 1992 he taught at the Malaysia Bible Seminary Graduate School. He has a PhD from Cambridge University.

“That Your way may be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations.”—Psalm 67:2

Since 2017, The Bible Society of Singapore (BSS) has been honouring the selfless service of individuals who have helped further the Bible Mission in their own unique way, through The Sower Awards. One of the categories of awards is The Sower Award for Bible Missionary of the Year, which honours a dedicated individual who has persevered in fulfilling the Bible Mission, in spite of facing challenges and possible persecution in the mission field.  

The Bible Missionary of the Year for 2019 is Mr Eui Hyun Kwon, President and CEO of the Korean Bible Society (KBS), whose determination has driven efforts to increase the availability and accessibility of Bibles throughout the nations. 

While the Bible has been translated into 692 languages, Bible Mission work is far from finished. Nearly 1.5 billion people still lack access to the Word as it has yet to be translated into their native language. Working towards fulfilling the Bible Mission of making the Word known to every tribe, nation, language and people, Mr Kwon has led the KBS to aid the production and distribution of over 6 million Bibles in 217 languages, in 2018 alone. 

Under his leadership, the KBS has also donated more than 700,000 copies of the Bible to 77 countries—36 countries in Africa, 20 countries in the Americas, 15 countries in the Middle East and Europe, and 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Reaching the Minority Tribes

Mr Kwon has played a vital part in ensuring the completion of these projects, especially where there are heavy restrictions on Bible distribution efforts and missionary outreach activities—such as in Myanmar, where Christians constitute only four percent of the population. While Christianity is growing among the tribes living around the borders of the country that has over 200 spoken tribal languages, projects to translate the Bible into their native languages have been limited. In the midst of these difficulties, Mr Kwon’s perseverance through the years led to the successful completion of the Cho Chin Bible and the Remy New Testament text in 2018. 

Similarly, Mr Kwon also paved the way for the completion of the first-ever Bible translation project for the nomadic Blin tribe in Eritrea, Africa. One of the local church leaders had recalled how he had experienced great difficulty and resistance in sharing the Word with the Blin people without having a Bible in their mother tongue. The native language of the tribe is also especially close to the hearts of the people as they have continuously fought to protect and preserve the dialect and their culture.

Through Mr Kwon and the KBS’ determination, the pioneering translation project was completed and the first copies of the Blin New Testament Bible were distributed in September 2018. Through the availability of the New Testament to the Eritrean people in their native tongue, a reverence and love for the Word was unlocked—even among the older generation. 82-year-old Kudusan, who had waited 30 years to receive Scripture in her own language, shared, “I can’t read but my granddaughters and sons will read to me from this golden, newly-translated New Testament!” 

Empowering the Vulnerable

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Apart from bringing the Word of Hope to minority tribes, Mr Kwon has led the KBS to partner with sister Bible Societies to reach marginalised communities facing discrimination. One such project was with widows in India—to strengthen them with the knowledge that God is close to the brokenhearted. 

Esther, one of the Indian women who received a Bible through the KBS, faced discrimination from her own family and local community amidst the pain of losing her husband. As she pored over the Word, she found her identity—one that could never be shaken or taken away—in Christ. Emboldened with a renewed sense of self-worth and value, she now preaches and shares the Gospel in the very same village. 

The Word Among All Nations

This year, Mr Kwon and the KBS have successfully met their Bible distribution plans in 23 countries. Let us keep them in our prayers as they continue to work to fulfill the Bible Mission. 

Deeply encouraged by the dedicated missionary service of Mr Kwon and the life-transforming impact the Word has had in these communities, we are reminded of our call to bring God’s Word to the nations. As it is written, ”how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:15). It is our prayer that we too will work to send forth His Word, so every nation will come to know His glory and salvation!

“We must say that the strongest motivation driving our support for minority groups is our own experience as a relatively young church. Our churches may be known for their explosive growth and size, but the situation 130 years ago will give you a completely different impression of our country. 

The Korean people were Bible-less, living under total darkness of poverty, corruption, and heightened inter-country tension to which the existing systems could not offer any answers. It was only when the Bible in the Korean language was finally translated and distributed to the Korean people that our fate took a turn. During the hardships brought about by the Japanese occupation and the Korean War, God’s Word enabled the Korean people to preserve our cultural identity, while instilling hope and helping us persevere for a better future.”

—Mr Eui Hyun Kwon