October 14, 2018_Love Is Eternal

Coming Soon

49 years have passed by for Sungrak Church, and the next year completes an entire half century of its history. Sungrak Church was born from the heart of Semuon, starting from the year 1964. From that time on, I was inspired from the depth of my heart to raise and nurture 10,000 lay leaders, and have prayed continuously ever since then for this very purpose. At last in November 1969, I established this church. Of course, I borrowed another person’s property and prepared worship arrangements there. I started very small. But like a mustard seed that is sown, I waited expectantly for growth, looking forward even 20 years ahead of time. Thus, I conducted my ministry.  And even now, if you compare this present time with the things that are ahead twenty years from now, my heart is full of hope.

‘Berea’ was taken from the Book of Acts found in the Bible. The simple object of this was to follow the idea and practices of the people of Berea. And the spiritual mission of Berea is ‘the Picture of God’s Will’. Thus, the name of Berea was given in 1976, but the name of ‘The Picture of God’s Will’ was given in 1962. The ‘tradition of Berea’ was to receive Biblical teaching solely from the Bible itself, and to receive faith through the Bible (John 14:26). It is also about advocating that the Holy Spirit is the teacher of the truth (John 16:13-15), and that the Bible is not to be interpreted or researched, but that it is to be regarded as the word of God that is to be believed exactly as it is written. The idea to ‘believe it exactly as it is written’ means that God and Jesus Christ are eternally equal, whether it is yesterday or today, and that the descending of the Holy Spirit, His teaching, and his powerful working, is eternally the same from the historical start of the day of Pentecost, until the modern time.

Therefore, this is not the denial of theology. Theology is not faith, but is an academic study, and it is the scientific search for Jesus Christ with the intellectual methods of man. It is never at all to be excluded. But firstly, there needs to be the pursuit of ‘the freedom of theology’. Secondly, there needs to be ‘the freedom of the interpretation of the Bible’. And thirdly, there needs to ‘the freedom of faith’, that is, the freedom of experiencing faith. You can say that the function of Berea is these three things. However, even if the freedom of theology, the freedom of the interpretation of the Bible, and the freedom of experiencing faith is all permitted, one must know that the foundation of the truth is ‘The Picture of God’s Will’. Therefore, one must never depart from the centrality of ‘The Picture of God’s Will’.

The core idea behind the Picture of God’s Will is ‘Theocentricism’ (God-centeredness). Therefore, the freedom of theology must never depart from the principle of Theocentricism. The freedom of the interpretation of the Bible must never depart from the principle of Theocentricism, and the freedom of experiencing faith must never part of mindset of Theocentricism. We must constantly consider how the Bible is talking solely of Jesus Christ. The spiritual lenses by which we must look at the Bible must be centered on the question of why and never the question of how. This is the Return to the Word Berea Movement.

Recently, the dissenting group that is currently attacking this church, is conducting a series of crusades that is washing away the faith and truth that the believers had until now been thoroughly nourished on. This is a truly disappointing thing to witness (Hebrews 10:26-27). We all must come back to our senses immediately.

Coming Soon

Outline translated by Daniel Hong and John Kim
Letter translated by John Kim
Interpretations by Daniel Hong
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee