우리 학교는 한국에 수없이 운영되는 교단에 속한 또 하나의 신학교가 아닙니다. <성경대학원 대학교>입니다. 놀랍게도 대학원대학교라는 새로운 제도가 우리나라에 생겨나면서 <신학이 아닌 성경>을 가르치는 것으로 특화된 학교입니다. 하긴 이론적으로 말하면, 신학이란 성경에 기초한 학문입니다만, 현실은 성경 66권을 배우는 일보다는 여러가지 신학을 배우는 곳이기 십상입니다. 주로 성경신학, 이론신학, 역사신학, 실천신학 등으로 나누어 3년동안 배웁니다. 성경신학이란 과목도 성경신학에 관한 이론들이 본문보다도 앞자리에 와 있기도 합니다.
하지만 우리 학교는, 그 이름 가운데 <대학원 대학>이란 이름을 빼고 읽으면, 어딘가 옛날에 듣던 <성경 학교>입니다. 물론 어린이를 상대로 하는 여름성경학교라기보다는, 한국교회 초기에 열심있는 평신도들을 차출해서, 농한기를 이용한 <고등성경학교>가 <성경대학교>로 격상이 되었다고 보면 어느 정도 정확할 것 같습니다. 요즈음 대세를 이루고 있는 “사역을 위한 교육/education for ministry”이 아니라 “사역 중의 교육/education in ministry”을 성경학교, 혹은 성경고등학교라는 이름으로 실시한 것입니다. 그런 면에서 한국교회 초기 선교사님들은 참 지혜롭고 생각이 유연한 분들이란 생각이 듭니다.
아직도 우리 주변의 성도들 가운데는 “시간이 있으면 성경을 좀 깊이 있게 배우고 싶다”는 소원을 가진 분들을 만날 수 있습니다. 게다가 요즈음은 조기 은퇴의 바람도 불어서 시간을 내는 일이 현실적으로 가능해졌습니다. 그래서 “성경을 깊이 있게 배우고 싶다는” 소원 때문에 신학교나 신학대학원의 문을 들어서기도 하지만, 본래 소원하던 성경을 깊이 배우는 것이 아니라, 광활한 신학의 바다에 허우적거리는 경우를 가끔 보게 됩니다. 그것은 어찌보면 자신이 학교를 잘못 선택한 결과이지, 물론 조금도 신학교의 잘못은 아닙니다. 하지만 그런 실수를 피하려면, 신학대학원 대신에 <성경대학원대학교>를 찾는 편이 안전합니다. 우리 학교 경우를 말하면 구약 39권을 위해서, 신약 27권을 위해서 각 세 분씩, 여섯 분의 교수들이 신학이 아니라 성경을 가르치는 사역을 하고 있습니다.
또 하나 우리 학교의 성경사랑이 표현되는 장은 큐티와 큐티 나눔입니다. 본문을 통해 들은 하나님의 음성을 순종으로 “살아내는” 일입니다. 그 일을 위해서 직원들은 매일 일과를 시작하기 전에 30분간 묵상 나눔을 합니다. 지난 4월 9일 매일성경 본문은 출애굽기 2장11~ 25절이었습니다. 구체적인 적용으로 자주 은혜를 끼치는 주방에서 일하는 두 분의 이야기를 오늘 나눕니다. <성질을 참지 못하는 모세, 나 역시 마음만 앞서고 열정이 앞서서 일을 그르치는 적은 없는지… 그럼에도 불구하고 모세를 사용하셔서 리더로 써주시는 하나님. 보내신 주방에서 리더의 위치 는 아니지만 필요에 따라 섬기는 자로 사용하시는 하나님을 기대합니다.> <미디안에서 좋은 사람 만나서 가정을 이룬 모세처럼, 기도의 사람이 되어 응답을 받기를 … 혹시 나는 모세처럼 내 잘못을 “모래 속에 감추는” 사람이 아닌가 자신을 살피며, 또 우리 집을 방문하는 사람들에게, 미디안 사람 르우엘처럼, 한 잔의 물이라도 잘 대접하는 사람이길 원합니다.> 성경묵상을 통해서 그 분의 음성을 듣고 일상속에서 살아내는 일에, 한마음으로 서로 격려하는 공동체에 속해 있다는 것은, 오늘 같은 세상에서, 특별한 직장이라고 고백합니다.
Our school is not merely another denominational seminary among the countless ones operating across Korea. It is a . Remarkably, when the new system of a graduate university was introduced in our country, our school was established to specialize in teaching . Theoretically speaking, of course, theology is a discipline rooted in the Bible; in reality, however, seminaries often end up teaching various branches of theology rather than the 66 books of Scripture itself. Students usually spend three years studying divisions such as biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, and practical theology. Even in a course titled Biblical Theology, abstract theories concerning biblical theology often take precedence over the biblical text itself.
Yet if you omit the words from our name, our school sounds very much like the old-fashioned we used to hear about in the past. Of course, rather than a Vacation Bible School for children, it would be more accurate to say that the —which gathered devoted laypeople during the agricultural off-season in the early days of the Korean church—has been elevated into a . Instead of the currently prevalent "education for ministry," it conducted "education in ministry" under the banner of Bible schools or higher Bible schools. In that respect, I am reminded of how wise and flexible the early missionaries to Korea truly were.
Even today, we often encounter believers around us who express the longing: "If only I had time, I would love to study the Bible in depth." Moreover, with the recent trend toward early retirement, making time has become a practical reality. Thus, driven by the desire to "study the Bible deeply," some enter the gates of seminaries or theological graduate schools. Too often, however, instead of plumbing the depths of the Scriptures as they had originally hoped, they find themselves floundering in the vast ocean of theology. In a sense, this is simply the result of choosing the wrong kind of institution; it is certainly not the fault of the seminary. Yet to avoid such a misstep, it is far wiser and safer to seek out a rather than a traditional theological seminary. In the case of our school, six dedicated professors—three for the 39 books of the Old Testament and three for the 27 books of the New Testament—are devoted to the ministry of teaching not theology, but the Bible itself.
Another setting where our school's deep love for Scripture is expressed is during our QT (Quiet Time) and devotional sharing. It is the practice of "living out" in obedience the voice of God heard through the text. To that end, our staff members gather for thirty minutes of devotional sharing every morning before beginning their daily tasks. On April 9, the text from the Daily Bible reading was Exodus 2:11–25. Today, I would like to share the reflections of two staff members working in our kitchen, whose concrete applications often bring great grace.
<Moses, who could not control his temper—have there not been times when my own impetuous heart and zeal got ahead of me, ruining things? . . . Even so, God chose to use Moses and raise him up as a leader. Though my position in the kitchen where He placed me is not one of leadership, I look forward to how God will use me as a servant according to every need.>
<Just as Moses met a good partner in Midian and established a home, I pray to become a person of prayer and receive His answers . . . Wondering whether I, like Moses, might be someone who "hides my faults in the sand," I examine myself, and I wish to be someone who warmly welcomes those who visit our home with even a simple cup of water, just like Reuel the Midianite.>
To belong to a community that encourages one another with one heart to hear His voice through Scripture meditation and live it out in ordinary daily life—I confess that, in a world like today's, this is truly an extraordinary workplace.
Ons skool is nie net nog ’n denominasionele teologiese kweekskool tussen die talle wat in Korea bestaan nie. Dit is ’n . Merkwaardig genoeg, met die koms van die nuwe stelsel van nagraadse universiteite in ons land, het ons skool gespesialiseer daarin om te onderrig. Teoreties gesproke is teologie natuurlik ’n wetenskap wat op die Bybel gegrond is; in die praktyk is ’n kweekskool egter dikwels ’n plek waar ’n mens allerhande teologiese strominge leer eerder as die 66 boeke van die Bybel self. Studente bring gewoonlik drie jaar deur met die bestudering van vakke soos bybelse teologie, sistematiese teologie, kerkgeskiedenis en praktiese teologie. Selfs in ’n vak soos Bybelse Teologie geniet die teorieë oor bybelse teologie dikwels voorrang bo die Skrifteks self.
Maar as ’n mens die woorde uit ons naam weglaat, klink dit baie soos die outydse waarvan ons vroeër gehoor het. Dit is natuurlik nie ’n vakansiebybelskool vir kinders nie; dit sou eerder akkuraat wees om te sê dat die <Hoër Bybelskool>—wat in die vroeë dae van die Koreaanse kerk ywerige lidmate tydens die rustiger landbouseisoene byeengebring het—nou opgegradeer is na ’n . In plaas van die hedendaagse gewilde "opleiding vír bediening" (education for ministry), het hulle "opleiding ín bediening" (education in ministry) aangebied onder die naam van Bybelskole of hoër Bybelskole. In daardie opsig dink ek dikwels aan hoe wys en buigsaam van gees die vroeë sendelinge in Korea waarlik was.
Nog steeds ontmoet ons gelowiges om ons wat die hartsbegeerte koester: "As ek net tyd gehad het, sou ek die Bybel dieper wou bestudeer." Boonop het die onlangse tendens van vroeë aftrede dit prakties moontlik gemaak om tyd in te ruim. Gedryf deur hierdie begeerte om "die Bybel dieper te bestudeer," stap party die deure van ’n kweekskool of teologiese fakulteit binne. In plaas daarvan om die Bybel diep te leer ken soos hulle gehoop het, sien ’n mens egter soms hoe hulle hulpeloos ronddobber in die ontsaglike oseaan van teologie. Op ’n manier is dit bloot die gevolg van ’n verkeerde skoolkeuse; dit is natuurlik glad nie die kweekskool se skuld nie. Maar as ’n mens so ’n fout wil vermy, is dit baie veiliger om ’n te kies in plaas van ’n gewone teologiese kweekskool. In ons skool se geval is daar ses professore—drie vir die 39 boeke van die Ou Testament en drie vir die 27 boeke van die Nuwe Testament—wat hulle toewy aan die bediening om nie teologie nie, maar die Bybel self te onderrig.
Nog ’n plek waar ons skool se liefde vir die Bybel sigbaar word, is tydens stiltetyd en die deel van ons oordenkings. Dit gaan daaroor om die stem van God wat ons deur die teks hoor, in gehoorsaamheid prakties "uit te leef." Vir daardie doel kom die personeel elke oggend dertig minute lank byeen om hul oordenkings te deel voordat die werksdag begin. Op 9 April was die teks uit die Daaglikse Bybel Eksodus 2:11–25. Vandag deel ek graag die getuienis van twee van ons kombuispersoneel, wie se konkrete toepassings ons dikwels met groot genade bemoedig.
<Moses, wat nie sy humeur kon beteuel nie—is daar nie ook tye dat my eie hart en ywer my vooruitloop en dinge bederf nie? . . . Tog het God Moses gebruik en hom as leier aangestel. Al beklee ek nie ’n leiersposisie hier in die kombuis waar Hy my geplaas het nie, sien ek daarna uit dat God my sal gebruik as ’n dienaar volgens elke behoefte.>
<Net soos Moses in Midian ’n goeie maat gevind en ’n gesin gevorm het, bid ek om ’n mens van gebed te wees en Sy verhoring te ontvang . . . Terwyl ek myself afvra of ek nie dalk soos Moses my foute "in die sand wegsteek" nie, wil ek ook iemand wees wat mense wat ons huis besoek, soos Reuel die Midianiet, hartlik verwelkom met selfs net ’n beker water.>
Om te behoort aan ’n gemeenskap wat mekaar met een hart aanmoedig om deur Bybelse bepeinsing Sy stem te hoor en dit in die gewone alledaagse lewe uit te leef—ek bely dat dit in vandag se wêreld werklik ’n heel besondere werkplek is.