The Korean Bible Society held a dedication service and academic symposium on April 8th at the main sanctuary of Younggugu Church in Seoul, Korea to commemorate the completion and publication of the new Korean Bible, released on December 10th, 2023.
According to the Association, the new Korean Bible is a newly approved translation aimed at the next generation of Korean churches. It aims to faithfully reflect the original meaning and structure of biblical texts, while incorporating modern Korean expressions and grammar suitable for the multimedia era of the 21st century. The translation project began in 2011 following a decision by the board and continued for 13 years. A total of 36 Biblical scholars from various denominations and three linguists participated in the translation and review process.
Preaching the theme of “reading, listening and maintaining” (Revelation 1:1–3), Woonsung Kim, Senior Pastor at Young Nak Church, states:
“Before missionaries came to this land, God first gave them the special grace of translating the Bible in Manchuria and Japan, so missionaries have already come into their hands. This is a unique grace rarely seen in other countries,” he continued.
“God wants to give us a gift. The greatest gift is Jesus Christ, the God’s gift he has prepared for a long time,” he said. “The other gift is the Bible. Through God’s great works and declarations, the inspired servants translated them into the languages of many nations and placed them in our hands.
He says, “This passage says that those who read, hear, and keep the word are blessed. Our first responsibility lies with the church. That is the mission of making the word known to the world.”
Referring to the new translation, he said, “The new Korean Bible is clearly translated. The reader is idiosyncratic, but there are multiple people who listen to and maintain the words. Not everyone had the Bible at the time.
Pastor Kim said, “The church is primarily responsible for reading the words out loud. The church must carry out this mission with passion. Sadly, today’s Korean Church has hesitated to declare its words. We hope that the Korean Church’s position and its words will be restored through the new Korean Bible.”
“People also have a role to play: they open their ears and listen carefully to the words. They need to abandon human thoughts, accept the words in that way, say ‘Amen’, go out into the world and receive God’s blessings, the church must listen faithfully, listen and live.”
“I believe that the new Korean Bible needs to be translated again. Those who listen to it are living in their own life, that is another form of translation. The world learns about words when we see it embody it. We hope that the Bible can be translated again through our everyday lives.
“Those who see us should be able to see God. Jesus is the word that God sent us through us. Through Jesus we will come to know God’s love. Jesus came to this earth as the word of God that the world can understand. He concluded.
The dedication service was followed by an academic symposium. Presentations include:
Professor Donghyuk Kim (Yunsei University, Graduate School of Theology): “New Wines Skins’ New Wine – Characteristics and Practice of Translation of the Old Testament of the New Korean Bible” Professor Hyundae Park (Jungshin University, Sekai) Study): “Reading the New Korean Bible and the revised new Korean Standard Edition” Professor Sun Moon Lee (Myongji College, Chaplainy Director): “Using the New Korean Bible for the Next Generation of the Korean Church” Professor Suin Lee (Asia United Theology University, Reading University of Christian Education and Media Studies, Department of Korean Language Education): “Study on the Differences in the Understanding of the New Korean Bible and the revised New Korean Standard Edition”
Originally published by Christian Daily Korea and translated and edited by Christian Daily International Staff.
