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Writing as Ministry

My writing, at least on this blog, will always involve some Bible study as I believe the Bible is the primary form of revelation from God to us although I do accept that it is not the only form. The written revelation, however, should be the highest in priority.

English is not my first language. I am not sure if I even have a “first” language. I grew up in a country where 2 or 3 languages intermingled and came to me since I was very small. So unlike some authors who seem to be able to express beautifully and easily, writing is not particularly easy for me.

But I see writing as a ministry, at least part of my serving the Lord. While I do not foresee that many non-Christians, if at all, will come to Christ through many writing, I do hope and pray that some Christians will come or come back to the Bible through my writing.

I am reminded by how Paul described himself when he arrived in the city of Corinth: “I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”1

Therefore I firmly believe that ultimately it is not our wisdom or eloquence that matter. It is the pointing to God and His Word that is the most important thing in Christian writing.

Being a Bridge

Once ranked by Time magazine to be among 100 most influencial people in the world, the late Rev. John Stott, said that “a true sermon bridges the gulf between the biblical and the modern worlds, and must be equally earthed in both.”2 I believe that such precious statement should be true for any kind of ministry of the Word, be it a sermon, an article in a Christian publication (except perhaps those in technical journals), a book, a Sunday School class, or a bible study session.

As mentioned in the “Bible Interpreting” page, I believe we need to understand what was said then; then under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can also apply the same principle now. To know the “then”, we need to study the historical context and literary context, but not many people can do it on their own, for technical reason or for the simple reason of lack of time.

Perhaps with the formal training in Biblical Studies that I have, I can be a bridge too. That is why I am writing.

So help me God!

 

  1. 1 Cor 2:1-2 NIV
  2. John Stott, Between Two Worlds : the Challenge of Preaching Today, 1st American Edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 10.