​“You are still doing research and writing! You really have nothing better to do!” This was the remark made by a friend recently. He was probably surprised that I remained focused in what I have been trying very hard to do all these years.
 
Why do I write? One thing for sure, I do not consider myself a prolific or a good writer. I struggle to put words into sentences and express myself clearly. Because of this, I take a long time to write. Yet, this is something I enjoy doing. Let me share four primary reasons why I write.
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1. It is my vocation calling.
I consider my vocational calling as a New Testament scholar. This means that I not only teach courses related to the New Testament at all levels (from undergraduate to doctoral levels) but I also carry out research and writing in this area. I see my vocational calling as a ministry to both the academia and the church, and there is no dichotomy between these two spheres of ministry. I serve the church as an Anglican priest, and I attempt to communicate the fruit of my research in my teaching and preaching to the wider community of faith.  
 
2. It is to find answers to the questions I have
My research begins with questions I have and this is followed by my attempt to answer them. Back in 2003 when I tried to put together a research proposal for my PhD, I was struck by the fact that Paul made frequent references to his sufferings in 2 Corinthians. He wrote a letter to a community that did not have much evidence for persecution or suffering. Why did Paul talk so much of his suffering to the Corinthians? How would this impact the church today? This marked the beginning of my PhD journey into finding answer to these questions. 
 
All my writing, be it a book project, a journal essay, or an essay in an edited volume, are results of my attempt in looking for answers to questions I have, with the hope that some aspects of my research may be beneficial for the church, particularly for the church in Malaysia.
 
3. It is to clarify my thoughts
Ideas float in my mind, but how these various thoughts connect together is best expressed in writing. Whenever I write, I clarify my thoughts. I attempt to connect the dots by bringing together information from different sources. By doing so, I try to develop these ideas hoping that they will form a coherent argument. Rereading what I have written also helps me see whether what I put down in writing hangs together. It is important to see that the various parts are well-connected and all heading in the same direction, without which, my argument may not make sense or may be difficult for the readers to follow.
 
4. It is to share my research with the wider community
Many people I have encountered perceive that a scholar works in silos. Contrary to this perception, I actually work in a community. My research is hardly a work of my own. It is always in conversation with many other scholars who are working both in the same and in different disciplines. I also stand on the shoulders of giants who have made significant contribution to New Testament studies. 
 
Initial drafts of my research are usually presented in international academic conferences (such as the Society of New Testament Studies Meeting, Society of Biblical Literature Meeting, etc) to gather feedback and response. Comments and critiques received from colleagues all over the world help me strengthen my arguments. A couple of times, based on feedback gathered, I had to abandon some of my initial ideas as they did not seem to be feasible. 
 
I would normally request friends and colleagues to read my initial drafts for feedback to save me from errors. Before they are accepted for publication, most manuscripts will be reviewed by editors or subject to peer reviews. Any suggestions for corrections or further improvements will be taken seriously and the drafts will be rewritten. After a book is published, it will be reviewed by the scholarly community and these reviews are often published in journals.
 
Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the community that has helped me in my journey as a scholar.
 
Conclusion
Hopefully, these four reasons will help readers understand why I am passionate in what I do. At times, I wish I have nothing better to do than to read, research, and write. That would be a dream come true for me! What are some other reasons you write as a scholar?

My extended no-pay leave from the seminary has begun, and this gives me a bit of freedom to catch up with some reading. Here is a list of books I will be reading and engaging with in the months to come. 

What about your list?
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Authored by Bishop Emeritus Hwa Yung, Dr Lee Soo Tian, Revd Dr Lee Tat Yan & Revd Dr Lim Kar Yong.
Published by Faith Books, an imprint of August Publishing Sdn Bhd, Puchong, Malaysia
Date of publication: January 2023.
108 pages.

​This book is available from Canaanland Bookstore. Please click here for ordering information.

​The Table of Contents can be viewed below:

​This year, I have the opportunity to spend a cold and wet Advent season in the UK. Advent is my favourite time of the year. In the church, the liturgy takes on a slightly different shape. The hymns carry the theme of longing, waiting, and expectation; the liturgical colour is purple; the Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest) is replaced with Kyrie Eleison (Lord, Have Mercy); and the Advent wreath replaces the flowers. The lighting of the Advent candles reminds us to keep awake, watch, wait, for as we prepare for Christ’s coming.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Advent is also the darkest season of the year (and very wet and gloomy where I am at the moment). Perhaps this is an appropriate reminder of the broken world we live in, and how much more we need the light of Christ to shine in the darkness of our world. As we prepare ourselves for Christmas and celebrate the coming of the Christ child, we also look forward in anticipation of his Second Coming where he will come to reign as King and Judge. At the same time, we pray and long for a better Malaysia, especially after the recently concluded GE15 resulting in a hung parliament. We give thanks for the appointment of a new Prime Minister. Yet, we are reminded that our real hope is not found in the politics of the nation. It is only anchored in Christ, who died and rose, and who will come again.

Advent: a season of waiting, a season of longing, a season of anticipation. But it is never a season without hope.

During the recent lectures I gave on "Journey with the Apostles to Turkey" on 16 & 23 August 2021 (organised by Wolrd Discovery Travel), I thought that I would use the opportunity to make available about 50 copies of my recent book, "Following Jesus" (please click here for more information on the book), for sale to the participants as a small fundraising initiative. All proceeds from the sale will go to St Nicholas' Home for the Blind based in Georgetown, Penang. This home is a social outreach of the Anglican Diocese of West Malaysia.

During the current pandemic, St Nicholas' Home for the Blind faces a number of challenges in their administrative operation, and funding being one of them. St Nicholas Home is a non-profit charitable organisation reaching out to the needs of the blind and visually impaired community (BVI) in Malaysia. The Home carries out  training for BVIs, equipping them with living skills so that they are able to find employment and lead independent lives. Some of these initiatives include massage training, basketry skills, and pastry and baking training.  

​I am very pleased to announce that 53 copies of my books have been sold, and the total amount received from the sale is RM4,100. This amount will be donated to St Nicholas' Home. Initially, I thought that I would use the months of August and September for this initiative. However, with such a good and encouraging response , this small fundraising exercise is now ended. 

Thank you to all who purchased my book, and some of you bought 2 and 3 copies. Thank you for joining me in this small initiative to make a difference in the lives of people who are visually impaired. ​

A group of Malaysian scholars currently in Malaysia and other parts of the world come together to contribute to a book project entitled, "From Malaysia to the Ends of the Earth: Southeast Asian and Diasporic Contributions to Biblical and Theological Studies." This volume is edited by my colleague, Elaine Wei-Fun Goh, and others including Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, Jonathan Yun-Ka Tan, and Amos Wai-Ming Yong. This project is now in the final proof reading stage and should be published by Claremont Press in the autumn of 2021.

I make a small contribution to this project where I examine Paul's understanding of ethnic relations between Jews and Gentiles gleaned from his letters, and offer some contemporary reflections for nation building in Malaysia.

My essay is entitled, "“For All of You Are One in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28): Paul’s Social Vision Beyond Inclusivity and Diversity", in pages 83-116. This bulk of the essay was written when I was on sabbatical in the second half of 2019. In light of the current political climate and the COVID-19 pandemic, I have made further reflections on what I have written. Perhaps a short follow-up piece might be needed.

I look forward to seeing this significant project in print soon. 

While it may not be possible to visit all these places in Turkey physically with our borders still closed, you can join me in a virtual tour as we follow the footsteps of Paul in Turkey, read the Scriptures in sites where the events took place, and reflect on some of the lessons we can apply in our context today.

Please register for the course by clicking on this link:
https://forms.gle/8kvpWNyJBzMwcoHz9
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Take a sneak peak of what we will cover in our sessions by viewing the slideshow below.

This event is organised by Footprint Travel Planner and Beit Shalom.

May this devotional be a helpful tool for you as you prepare for the Holy Week.

Over the past one year or so, most theological libraries are either closed or opened with restricted access. Almost all our classes have gone online. This means that accessing online resources is critical for all of us to prepare our lectures and carrying on our research. For students, digital resources allow them to access text books online and also other reference books needed to complete their assignments.

At Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, the library subscribes to a host of digital resources such as ATLAS, JSTOR, Brill Online, Sage Journals, Global Digital Theological Library, T&T Clark library, amongst others. This gives us access to the latest top-tiered journals and publications (Please get in touch with the library if you need any help accessing these resources, if you are registered as our student)

Yet, many books remain inaccessible to the students. One of the cheapest way to access theological books is to take up a subscription based online library with vast theological collection. Perlego is probably one of the best and cheapest available at the moment. At USD$40 per annum for residents in Malaysia, the subscription fee is less than the cost of a theological book, and this subscription opens up access to more than 34,000 theological books.

Over the past weeks, Perlego announces that they have added another 10 theological publishers to their collection, and this includes Westminster John Knox, Baker, Fortress, and Eerdmanns. Together with Bloomsbury/T&T Clark, Taylor & Francis, Wipf & Stock, de Gruyter, Zondervan, Peter Lang, Baylor, and the list goes on, almost all critical text books and references for theological studies are now available with a few clicks and at a fraction of the cost of acquiring these books.

For students taking biblical studies/exegesis courses, they now have online access to many excellent commentaries such as those in the series of NIGTC, NICNT/NICOT, PNTC, Two Horizons Commentary, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, BECNT, Zonderven Commentary, and many more.

Check out what our library offers for your research, and also some of the online theological libraries available. I would say this is probably one of the most exciting times to do studies and research as almost all the resources we need can easily be accessed in the comfort of our homes ... or office!

"Following Jesus to the Cross" is now available from Our Daily Bread. This illustrated guide with 12 devotionals for Easter will guide our reflections on the passion, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus this Easter season. Based on the Gospel of Mark, each reading contains reflection questions and prayers to commit ourselves to God. 

Evoke our senses with photographs of the sites where the events of the final week are believed to have taken place, and let this devotional make the Scripture come alive for us in fresh ways.

A sample chapter of this booklet is extracted below.

If you or your church would like to have copies of this devotional booklet, please contact Our Daily Bread Malaysia.