Joel Beeke in Korea – Part 2

JOEL BEEKE IN KOREA – PART 2

The Koreans love to sing. Some of their psalters and hymnbooks include English translations, so we could often sing along at the various lectures

Mary Beeke writes:

Joel Beeke continues:

September 12

We arose early and drove two hours south to lecture on assurance of faith at HapDong Theological Seminary, where we were greeted by Dr. Jae Sung Kim and Dr. Oh. It was good to see Dr. Oh, an old friend who studied with me at Westminster Theological Seminary, receiving his Ph.D. one year before I did. We were both called to full-time teaching positions at HapDong in 1986—he in church history and I in systematic theology—a call that he accepted but I, of course, accepted the call at that time to Grand Rapids. I had not seen or heard of him in all these years.

I thought I was going to lecture for only one class, but Dr. Kim had arranged for the entire student body to hear the lecture. It felt both humbling and a bit nostalgic to lecture, in God’s providence to 240 ministerial students in the place I was once called to serve. Dr. Kim, a graduate of Westminster Seminary and prolific author in Reformed theology, proved to be an extremely able translator. From there, we drove to Calvin University where I again met Dr. Hwan Kim, university president, who spent 20 years in the United States and is one of the best-known scholars on Calvin in Korea. In true Korean style, we talked together for a bit, then he asked professors in several classrooms to release the students to hear me lecture on Calvin. In Korea, a president has that kind of power—especially an older president! Koreans have such profound respect for age that younger ministers cannot be open or close friends with older ministers—even a year or two can make a difference. One may not argue with his senior!

I lectured to 150 ministerial students on "Calvin’s Concept of Piety." Dr. Kim proved to be a superlative translator. He has the gift of translating lengthy, complex sentences into Korean at a moment’s notice.

September 13

Early in the morning we drove to Chongshin Theological Seminary, where Rev. Shu lectures as associate professor in Puritan theology and other subjects. This semester he has 400 of the 1600 seminary students for at least one class! Again, several classes were dismissed, so that I ended up lecturing for 90 minutes on Reformed Experiential Preaching to 150 students, with Rev. Shu translating.

I then preached to 1400 seminary students on "The Essence of the Gospel" from 1 Timothy 1:15-17. I had more freedom at this chapel than anywhere else, and Rev. Shu received great help in translating as well. Truly, this was a humbling opportunity and experience.

At the end of chapel, the students united in praying aloud—1400 voices ascended to the living God at once! Later, we learned that Korean Presbyterians ordinarily conduct their prayer meetings in this manner. Most Reformed, Presbyterian churches have prayer meetings at 5:00 a.m. every morning, seven days a week. In addition, the first Friday of every month, many churches hold a four to six hour prayer meeting that often runs to 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. With God blessing such prayer habits, is it any wonder that Korea experienced more genuine revivals in the twentieth century than perhaps any other nation?

September 14

In the morning we took a long hike with Dr. Hwang up the first part of Sokni Mountain and saw a large Buddha (108′ tall) and his temples. We then fought our way through heavy traffic to visit Dr. S. K. Chung and his world-renown Institute for Calvinistic Studies. We returned to Seoul in time to rest for the Sabbath, though we got caught in a massive three-hour traffic jam. We used some of that time to share with each other how the Lord converted us. Dr. Hwang’s testimony was moving and powerful. He told us how he became a lost, weeping sinner before a holy God. On one occasion he was so broken by his sins that he could not stop crying nor arise from his seat after a sermon. He overheard one child of God say to another, "Shall we try to comfort that young man?" "No," replied the other, "leave him alone for now; the Holy Spirit will take care of him." Though that may not always be the best advice since the Holy Spirit normally works through means, shortly thereafter the Spirit of God used another sermon to lift Dr. Hwang up with the peace and joy of the gospel.

September 15

I preached twice for Dr. Young Min Pee in the morning at Kangnam Joong Baptist Church—the largest Baptist Church in Korea (membership: 3000). In God’s providence, he had come across an article I wrote years ago on William Cunningham, and, hearing that we were coming to Korea, had asked Rev. Shu to work this Sunday into our itinerary. The early morning service had 500 people, the later service, 1100. Dr. Pee proved to be an excellent translator as well. He too studied in America. He earned his doctorate from the New Orleans Baptist Seminary in Louisiana for studies in nonconformity, particularly focusing on Roger Williams. When he began his studies, he was a thoroughgoing Arminian, but in process of time, God used his doctoral studies for his conversion. "The turning point came one day," he said, "when, while reading John Gill, I came across the expression, ‘that Arminianism is damnable.’ The Lord would not let me shake off that statement until I was converted to Him and to Calvinism. Now," he went on to say, "if a book doesn’t exalt the doctrines of free grace, I call it a useless book."

Dr. Pee struck us as a humble, God-fearing man. He is newly ordained in this large congregation, in which many have no idea of what Calvinism, or for that matter, Arminianism, are. He truly has his work cut out for him and needs our prayers.

In the evening I preached on Genesis 3:20 for Rev. Kang Seomoon at the Joongshim Presbyterian Church—a small congregation of 150 members, most of whom are in their teens or twenties. Dr. Hwang translated.

Rev. Seomoon’s wife was used wonderfully by God for his conversion. He is now the translator of 70 books from English into Korean, including several Puritan volumes and many books by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Next year, he hopes to translate my Quest for Full Assurance of Faith. He spends two hours translating every morning—hours his congregation gladly gives him as they know that this work is influential throughout South Korea.

September 16

That evening we visited with Rev. Shu, his wife, and his two daughters. (Their son had recently left home to fulfil his 28-month obligation in the national service, required by all young Korean men.) The Shu family sang some beautiful hymns for us. Rev. Shu, a former conductor, has a particularly powerful and beautiful singing voice.

The Koreans love to sing. Some of their psalters and hymnbooks include English translations, so we could often sing along at the various lectures, etc.

September 17

Mary Beeke writes:

Joel Beeke’s Conclusion: Solus Christus

The Son of God is the one that Korea needs and that we need personally. He is the one to whom the entire alphabet of history points. As an old divine said, "Jesus Christ is the center of everything and the object of everything, and he who does not know Him knows nothing of the order of nature and nothing of himself." Rest not, dear friends, until you too can say, "He is mine and I am his; He is altogether lovely."