Stand Firm in Christ, Advance Toward the Future

　　This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (“HKBTS”). We thank God for His continual guidance and blessings, enabling HKBTS to steadily transform and grow. If we include the 80-year history of its predecessor in Guangzhou, HKBTS’s history now spans 155 years. How great is God’s grace!

Looking Toward the Future through Scripture

　　HKBTS is rooted in the Baptist faith tradition, placing special emphasis on Sola Scriptura and focusing on the experience and formation of Christian life. Just like Baptist churches around the world, HKBTS has grown amidst hardships, pressed forward through trials, and faced a future fraught with uncertainty. Because we are grounded in the Sola Scriptura tradition, every time we hold an anniversary worship service, we return to Scripture to renew ourselves and reflect on HKBTS’s future and mission.

　　I recall the 60th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service in 2011, themed “Soaring High in God’s Faith, Hope, and Love,” where we reflected on Philippians 3:13-14. Although Paul had been following Jesus Christ for quite some time, he still longed to know Him more deeply, to experience the power of His resurrection through His sufferings, and to press on toward the goal. Likewise, I encouraged teachers and students to come to know God more deeply and to experience the power of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, so that they too might “soar high in God’s faith, hope, and love.”

　　The year 2016 marked the 65th anniversary of our seminary. Its theme was “Magnifying God the Almighty, Preaching the Gospel across Boundaries,” with the Scripture passage taken from Luke 1:46-55. Inspired by Mary’s Magnificat, we observed that Christ did not align Himself with the far right of society (Caesar or Pilate) nor with the far left (the Zealots), but rather overcame the power of sin through His love and suffering on the cross.

　　In 2021, we held a Thanksgiving Service to commemorate HKBTS’s 70th Platinum Jubilee, along with a dedication ceremony for the new academic building. The theme was “Endowed in Grace for 70 Years; Forward with Faith, Hope, and Love,” and the key passage was 1 Corinthians 13. As we constructed this new building, we continued to practice an education grounded in love. We emphasized that the meaning of “edification” is to build up the body of Christ, so that it may become a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. Therefore, grounded in the Triune God, the seminary’s education must be guided by love and, therefore, must regard love as a guiding light.

Hope and Salvation

　　This year, the 75th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service and Concert of Praise was held on April 19, on the theme “Stand Firm in Christ, Advance Toward the Future.” The Scripture passage reflected upon was Luke 24:13-35. We paid special attention to one word in particular from the passage—“hope.”

　　What does “hope” mean? In everyday language, “hope” often simply refers to “really wanting something to come true” or “eagerly wishing for something” with a sense of uncertainty. However, Scripture offers a deeper understanding of “hope.” In the Old Testament, “hope” (qāvāh) means “to wait patiently”—a waiting marked by patience and anticipation, always closely linked to redemption. We can clearly see this kind of hope in the Psalms. Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 share the same refrain: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (42:11; 43:5). In both psalms, the object of hope is “my God” and “my salvation.” The psalmist, far from home, longs to return to the temple and experience God’s presence once more. This longing for God’s presence is a hope for salvation. Another example is Psalm 130, which deals with the confession of one’s sins before God. God’s salvation brings forgiveness of sins: “my soul waits for the Lord … O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities” (vv. 6-8). Here, “hope” is directly linked to the forgiveness of sins.

　　In this passage from the Gospel of Luke, the meaning of “hope” aligns with the understanding found in the Psalms. The description that “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21) shows that “hope” is inseparably linked to God’s saving work.

On the Road to Emmaus

　　Luke’s story begins with a journey. Two disciples set out from Jerusalem for a village called Emmaus. Along the way, they discussed “all these things that had happened” (v. 14). What they were discussing is a hope that had not been fulfilled. They recalled the events of the past few days over and over again, “replaying” the experience in their minds. Yet, as they did, they grew increasingly confused. It was as if they were trapped in this endless loop, gradually losing all hope for the future. Their conversation reveals their anxiety: they spoke rapidly and sometimes incoherently, even verging on hysteria because their leader Jesus had just been put to death.

　　It was in the midst of this that Jesus appeared, but “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (v. 16). Jesus asked, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other …?” (v. 17) This is precisely the question I have often wished to ask of certain people and fellow believers in recent years. Do the stories of those who have left the churches and their faith share any common threads? What are they discussing on their life’s journey? Have they lost their practice of faith? Have they experienced trauma? Do they feel doubt—or even anger—toward God?

　　In the passage, the two disciples explain that Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet called by God, who possessed great power, yet was crucified by religious and political leaders. Once they had hoped for a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman rulers; they expected that their way of life would be tangibly improved by political change and that they might be freed from oppression. They had hoped that Jesus would bring salvation without any tragedy. They longed for change without bearing the cross, for love without having their sins exposed, for salvation without facing judgment. Therefore, they said, “we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (v. 21). Yet what they ultimately experienced was utter disappointment. They were disappointed because, in their eyes, the story of hope had come to an end. They were disappointed because they had not seen justice fulfilled. They were disappointed because they found that Jesus had not set them free. They were disappointed because Jesus was crucified and died.

　　They also mention that the other disciples had gone to the tomb but had not found Jesus’ body. This implies that they had not seen the risen Lord. Consequently, even after hearing the news of the empty tomb, they remained disheartened. In their eyes, Jesus’ death had destroyed all hope. As a result, they left the faith community in despair.

　　After hearing this, Jesus said to them that they were “slow of heart to believe” (v. 25). Being “slow” reflects how their hearts were numbed by the world and how they had lost their sensitivity to God. In contrast, being “quick” of heart means having a heart for faith; faith signifies trust in God and is the key that unlocks the door to hope.

　　Next, Jesus began with the words of Moses and the prophets, explaining and teaching them the message of the suffering Christ. He pointed out that death is indeed part of glory, ultimately leading people into a new life of resurrection. Jesus’ words reawakened their faith, dispelled their doubts, revived their hearts, stirred them anew, and rekindled their hope.

The Hope-Filled Gospel

　　After reading this passage, I have three reflections. Firstly, I see that HKBTS, born out of adversity, faces an unseen and uncertain future; yet on the road to Emmaus, because of the presence of Jesus Christ, we can still hold onto hope and share that hope with all churches. Our hope is closely tied to Christ’s salvation.

　　Just like those disciples, we too often encounter similar challenges on our faith journeys, experiencing discouragement and disappointment. Over the past decade, Hong Kong has faced various natural and man-made disasters, as well as complex social issues. Local churches have lost many members for various reasons—some have emigrated to distant lands, while others have left due to interpersonal conflicts within their churches. Even theological educators, pastors, and seminary students may waver in their calling, their hearts becoming “too slow” to believe. In such circumstances, some brothers and sisters have lost their faith in God and even embraced an utterly politicized version of Christ. Anxious at heart, they speak hastily about “all these things that had happened,” yet no longer believe that Jesus is the Lord who came to redeem us.

　　Yet the risen Lord has not abandoned us. He continues to reach out to us, walk with us, speak to us, open our hearts and eyes, and enable us to see Him. He explains to us the salvation brought by the suffering Christ, rekindling the fire in our hearts and fostering hope. He reminds us that the suffering of the cross and the glory of the resurrection are two inseparable aspects of the Gospel of Christ. Christ’s death itself is part of that glory, ultimately leading us into a new life of resurrection. In other words, Christ has to suffer and rise from the dead in order to overcome sin and death, thereby accomplishing salvation and bestowing it upon the world.

　　Therefore, the mystery of Christ’s suffering is the very foundation of our hope. This reminds us that even when we find ourselves in desperate situations, we must continue to believe in God’s salvation. We believe that God is present in our suffering, failures, doubts, wounds, and even death. He saves us in suffering, frees us from mistakes, restores trust amidst doubts, heals wounds in brokenness, and grants life even in death. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals that God’s power and promises are true and trustworthy—the very foundation and assurance of all hope. This is the hope-filled gospel that HKBTS proclaims.

Scripture as the Source of Hope

　　Secondly, I have come to see that Scripture is the source of hope. Scripture’s significance lies in the focus of its narrative—the living God, or more precisely, the Triune God. As Augustine, Martin Luther, Karl Barth, and others have said: when Scripture speaks, God speaks; Scripture is the living Word of God proclaimed; Scripture is the Word of God written in alphabets; Scripture is the school of the Holy Spirit, in which nothing is taught but what is conducive to the cultivation of piety; Scripture is all about God Himself. All these theologians maintain that Scripture is the Word of God, through which God speaks to humanity. In this passage from the Gospel of Luke, we also clearly see that Scripture reveals God’s mysteries and is the source of our hope. Scripture gives us insight, enabling us to understand the deeper meaning of what happens in our lives; it is also our practical wisdom. Therefore, in the face of suffering and trauma, pastors and fellow believers must relearn to trust Scripture and retell its stories, so that together we may discern the true meaning of “all these things that had happened.”

　　However, considering the situation today, churches in Hong Kong have, to some extent, been influenced by liberalism. Without realizing it, we have lost our ability to tell biblical stories, leaving the construction of meaning to science or other professional realms. As a result, we have become silent in matters of faith. Therefore, I firmly believe that churches must relearn how to tell the stories of our faith and speak out with a unique, clear, and powerful voice to this generation. We need to draw wisdom from Scripture and let that wisdom guide our future actions, rather than being swept along by current trends, data, or public opinion.

　　So, how should we read Scripture? Of course, we need to make good use of contemporary biblical scholarship. Over the past few decades, theological education in Hong Kong has developed rapidly. Many teachers have returned after completing their studies at prestigious educational institutions around the world and are able to apply various interpretive methods to help us understand Scripture’s history and context. This is truly something we should be grateful for.

　　Nevertheless, from this passage in the Gospel of Luke, we also see that studying Scripture is not merely an intellectual exercise, but rather a practice of “spiritual discernment”—a grace given by God, through which He Himself opens people’s hearts and reveals Himself. Our hearts can become hardened by sin and need redemption and renewal; otherwise, we are no different from those two disciples who only see the surface of things and are unable to truly understand what they are told; they are unable to recognize the risen Lord on the road or in the Scriptures.

　　Therefore, it is my sincere hope that HKBTS teachers and pastors will not only use various methods to study Scripture closely, but also exercise spiritual discernment, have their hearts opened by God, accept Christ’s teaching, and reframe life’s struggles and sufferings within biblical narratives to gain fresh understanding and interpretation—so that they may passionately proclaim God’s story.

Practical Theology with Scripture as the Source of Hope

　　Thirdly, I see that we must promote a practical theology with Scripture as the source of hope. At HKBTS, “practical theology” is not merely a label, but a concrete practice of closely connecting Scripture with life in the midst of suffering and trauma. This means that we must not only study Scripture in depth but also listen attentively to understand people’s circumstances, responding through pastoral care, counseling, and social engagement. Such practical theology does not reduce Scripture to a tool or pastoral care to mere techniques. Rather, it guides believers to continue drawing hope from Scripture amidst stormy circumstances and to live in the light of the risen Lord. This hope is not “positive thinking” but is rooted in the salvation accomplished by Christ through the cross and the resurrection.

　　Therefore, one of a pastor’s most important responsibilities is to foster hope and courageously confront despair. In an age dominated by disappointment and disillusionment, churches have an even greater need to proclaim anew the hope found in Scripture. As practical theologian Donald Capps points out, pastors are bearers of hope; a pastor who has lost hope will find it difficult to fulfill their pastoral ministry.

　　Through such practices, churches gradually embody hope in worship, preaching, fellowship, care, and witness. As we walk with the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus—where He opens both the Scriptures and our hearts—we are able to continue telling God’s story in the midst of trauma, keeping the hearts of our community burning with passion in times of hardship.

　　May we, therefore, continue to boldly proclaim in this broken and divided world: The One in whom we trust is the Lord who died on the cross and resurrected on the third day; our hope is in the God who remains sovereign amidst history and suffering. May HKBTS continue to promote practical theology, with Scripture as the source of hope, on this journey of faith, so that churches may remain a witness to God’s hope even in times of tribulation. May the faculty and students of HKBTS hold fast to hope, be inspired by the Word of God, be moved by the presence of Christ, and, together with all our brothers and sisters in Christ, stand firm in Christ as we face the present and advance toward the future. Amen.

Aug 2026