A Lifetime of Achievements

In the world it might be that a few ambitious individuals will want to live a life filled with achievements. But the vast majority of people will be content with a few highlights in their careers with few achievements to be proud of. It is called to survive in this ever challenging world. The sad fact of the matter is that most Christians will also depart this world with little fruits to show for, even among many full-time workers, pastors and the like in church. For many it will be like any other career, maybe they had the sensed of calling in their teenage years or early twenties when they entered Bible College but soon the run of the mill demands of ministry and complexity of working with people, leaders of the local church would dry up even the very persistent and only a handful can truly claim to retain its sparks and fire of God's calling in their lives and at the end of it claim to live a life filled with achievements.

I am teaching Intermediate Greek this Semester we had just finished translating John 14-16. In John 14, Jesus said greater works will you do because I go to the Father. And then in John 16, that you may bear much fruits in which you will glorify the Father. If indeed we have done great works like Jesus and bear many fruits, it would be a life filled with achievements. 

I have not thought about this, especially in terms of achievements, but when my son's friend who sent him well wishes on his wedding reception last December, his friend included in his message a word for me whom he called, "uncle Siew" and went on to say that my son was proud of his dad's many achievements. I give thanks to God that someone in a far away country recognises that and perhaps he meant by the higher qualification of a doctorate in Biblical Studies, something Luther was extremely proud of as a Professor of Holy Scripture. And possibly the few books I wrote and the many preaching tours I have made in the name of the Lord.

My friend who invited me for lunch yesterday told me that she was surprised that she did not need much Hebrew to get into a postgraduate course in the Old Testament. I gave her a 5-min story about how Asian Seminaries have generally failed to produce biblical scholars of any calibre because most Seminaries just offer token courses in biblical languages. What can you learn in one year? Can two Semesters of Hebrew and Greek equip you to exegete the biblical texts? At most one gains a little knowledge of a foreign language, like learning the ABCs or the rudiments of a language. If indeed we treasure the Bible as we claim to be, then we should spend at least two years (4 Semesters) in each of the two biblical languages, and if possible a full three or four years of an undergraduate course in theology, BTheol.