In the Korean church, women’s status and leadership are still under debate. Biblical verses such as “Women should be silent in the churches” (1 Corinthians 14:34) and “Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22) are still used as the grounds for distorted female-male relationships.
Following the recent publication of his book “Women Saved by the Christ” (Duranno), Prof. Seyoon Kim of Fuller Theological Seminary led a book talk in Korea on April 22. In an interview with Kukmin Daily prior to the event, he pointed out, “The problem is rooted in a legalistic interpretation missing the real-life issues to be illuminated by the larger Bible theme, that is, the Gospel.”
Prof. Kim, an expert on Pauline theology, picks Galatians 3:28 as the core verse defining human relations in the Gospel. He said, “Female-male and wife-husband relations in the church must be explained in the context of this liberating Gospel: There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
Reporter Narae Kim (narae@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok
Click here for full story in Korean
Fuller Prof. Kim Seyoon: “The Bible teaches equality, not belittlement of women”
2016-04-26 16:12
