The Korean Bible Society held a dedication service and academic symposium on April 8 at the main sanctuary of Youngnak Church in Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea, to commemorate the completion and publication of the New Korean Bible, which was released on Dec. 10, 2023.
According to the society, the New Korean Bible is a newly authorized translation intended for the next generation of the Korean church. It aims to faithfully reflect the original meaning and structure of the biblical texts, while incorporating contemporary Korean expressions and grammar suited to the 21st-century multimedia era. 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 on the theme “To Read, Hear and Keep” (Revelation 1:1–3), Youngnak Church Senior Pastor Rev. Woonsung Kim said, “Even though our nation is in turmoil, God’s love for us never ends. Among the many graces God has bestowed on us, one we cannot overlook is that He has given His Word to our people.”
“Before the missionaries came to this land, God granted the special grace of having the Bible translated in Manchuria and Japan first, so the missionaries entered with the Scriptures already in hand. This is a unique grace rarely found in other countries,” he continued.
“God desires to give us gifts. The greatest gift is Jesus Christ—God’s gift of love that He prepared over a long time,” he said. “Another gift is the Bible. Through God’s great works and proclamations, inspired servants translated them into the languages of many nations and placed them in our hands. Considering that it took thousands of years for the Bible to be distributed, the very fact that we now have access to it is an immense grace and miracle of God.”
He added, “The passage says that those who read, hear, and keep the Word are blessed. Our first responsibility lies with the church. That is the mission to make the Word known to the world.”
Referring to the new translation, he said, “The New Korean Bible translates with clarity. The reader is singular, but those who hear and keep the Word are plural. At that time, not everyone possessed a Bible. Someone would read it aloud in the synagogue, and the congregation would listen—thus, it is plural. This translation makes such subtle distinctions easy to understand.”
Rev. Kim said, “Primarily, the responsibility to read the Word aloud lies with the church. The church must carry out this mission with passion. Sadly, the Korean church today has grown hesitant in proclaiming the Word. I hope that through the New Korean Bible, the Korean church’s position and power in reading and proclaiming the Word will be restored.”
“Believers also have a role—to open their ears and listen attentively to the Word. It is to lay down human thoughts, accept the Word as it is, say ‘Amen,’ and go out into the world and live it. For us to receive God’s blessing, the church must faithfully fulfill its mission to read the Word, and believers must listen and live it out,” he said.
“I believe the New Korean Bible needs to be translated once more—when those who hear the Word live it out in their lives, that is another form of translation. The world learns about the Word when it sees us embodying it. I hope the Bible can be translated again through our daily lives.
“Those who look at us should be able to see God. Jesus is the Word sent by God. Through Jesus, we come to know God’s love. Jesus came to this earth as the Word of God that the world can understand. He came down to our level and revealed God in His entirety—Jesus is that great Word. I hope we can all live as His disciples and show that through our lives, which become another translation of the Bible. I believe the Korean church will rise again through the Word and fulfill God’s will,” he concluded.
Following the dedication service, an academic symposium was held. Presentations included:
- Prof. Donghyuk Kim (Yonsei University, United Graduate School of Theology): “New Wine in New Wineskins – Features and Practice of Old Testament Translation in the New Korean Bible”
- Prof. Hyungdae Park (Chongshin University, Theological Seminary): “Features and Practice of New Testament Translation in the New Korean Bible – Focusing on Source Texts, Grammar, and Expression”
- Prof. Sunmyung Yoo (Baekseok University, Department of Christian Studies): “Reading Together the New Korean Bible and the Revised New Korean Standard Version”
- Prof. Seungmoon Lee (Myongji College, Director of Chaplaincy): “Utilizing the New Korean Bible for the Next Generation of the Korean Church”
- Prof. Suin Lee (Asia United Theological University, Departments of Christian Education and Media Studies): “Reading in the Digital Media Era and the New Korean Bible”
- Prof. Soonhee Kwon (Ewha Womans University, Department of Korean Language Education): “A Study on Foreign Students’ Comprehension Differences Between the New Korean Bible and the Revised New Korean Standard Version”
Originally published by Christian Daily Korea, translated and edited by Christian Daily International staff.
