Delight in the Torah

From Ethics to Ethics

　　7/2/2024From September 12 to 16 this year, I was teaching in the Doctor of Theology program at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, leading a seminar on Christian Ethics. I guided my students through the study of major texts on ethics, including philosophical ethics, contextual ethics by Paul Lehmann and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and virtue ethics by Stanley Hauerwas, among others. The students were exceptionally talented and diligent, which delighted me greatly. They attended classes for eight hours a day without complaint and devoted themselves to preparation, reading texts, and engaging in discussions.

　　Sitting in the classroom at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, I couldn’t help but recall many similar memories and reflect on the marvelous guidance I’ve received from God through my own teaching. In 1999, I was teaching at a university in the United States. In May of that year, I accepted invitations from some theological seminaries and Christian organizations in Hong Kong to deliver lectures. One of my lecture topics was “Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ethic of Responsibility.” Subsequently, I accepted some invitations and focused on these opportunities for academic exchange and research with universities on the Mainland. During that period, I met some university professors, and now, twenty-four years later, I found myself meeting them again in Nanjing, witnessing each other’s growth, filled with warmth and gratitude.

　　In 2000, I returned to my alma mater, the Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS), to teach mainly in my major field of study, systematic theology. However, due to the urgent needs of the seminary, I took on the teaching of Christian ethics to meet the immediate needs. Although I had studied Christian ethics during my doctoral program and had passed the comprehensive examination in ethics, ethics was not my primary area of expertise after all. So I taught it with some trepidation. Nonetheless, this exposed me to writings on virtue ethics, which proved to be very enriching. In 2001, unexpectedly, I was appointed as Academic Dean, taking on administrative work, which I had never considered pursuing. Previously, I had been a pastor and scholar with limited management experience, and handling administrative work was challenging. Still, the insights from ethics became a valuable resource for my leadership and administrative responsibilities.

　　It was really amazing that, after twenty-three years, on the morning of September 14 in a classroom in Nanjing, I found myself reading writings by Bonhoeffer, Hauerwas, and others with my students, further deepening my previous research on the ethics of responsibility. At that moment, memories from over twenty years ago came to mind, and I felt an immense sense of gratitude. I thanked God for His guidance throughout this journey!

Practical Theology with Theological Wisdom

　　In addition to thanking God for His marvelous grace, I would also like to express my gratitude to the two Vice Presidents of HKBTS. They willingly share the responsibilities with me, taking charge of internal leadership at the seminary. This allows me to focus more on external connections, fundraising, pondering the direction of theological education, and engaging in teaching and research work at our seminary, churches, and other theological seminaries and universities on the Mainland, fostering appropriate practical theology for churches.

　　Actually, these arrangements are related to the completion of the new academic building. I envision various academic conferences, large and small scale alike, being held in the new academic building in the future. There, we will pray, discuss, reflect, debate, and exchange ideas, receiving more wisdom from God to create a practical theology imbued with theologia.

The Righteous like Trees by Streams of Water?

　　During these days, Psalm 1 frequently comes to my mind. I have also preached on Psalm 1 in various churches and theological seminaries. Verse 1:3 is particularly memorable: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”¹ The psalmist describes the life of a tree, and speaks of the righteous being like a tree planted by streams of water, receiving the nourishment needed for growth, with leaves that never wither, and bearing abundant fruit. Everything they do prospers.

　　Perhaps some may question the psalmist’s words because the reality is that conflicts abound, wars continue, and there is an abundance of falsehoods and false witnesses all around. Faith communities are also facing disintegration. In society, we see upright individuals stumbling and falling, dehumanized and demonized by others who unfairly criticize them. The faithful seem like trees about to topple, seemingly unstable. Meanwhile, those who disregard God’s teachings prosper. In this light, the world described in Psalm 1, where the righteous prosper and the wicked perish, doesn’t seem to align with our world.

Blessed are the Righteous: Delight in the Torah

　　However, when we carefully contemplate Psalm 1, we realize that the main purpose of the text is not to categorize people as righteous or unrighteous to allot them either rewards or punishments. Instead, it teaches us how to live. The psalm emphasizes the importance of obeying the law of the LORD: “Blessed is the man … his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (1:1-2). The word “law” (translated from the Hebrew word Torah) can refer to the entire Bible or the interpretation and teachings of the Bible. The teachings of the Bible are about God’s will, instructing us on how to maintain right and proper relationships with the Creator and fellow creatures. The righteous person meditates (hagad) on God’s law day and night, muttering, and mulling over and over in order to seek, ponder, and understand God’s guidance for their lives. Ultimately, God’s law is etched into the heart of the righteous, and such a person is “blessed.”

　　“Blessed” (Hebrew ashrei) refers to the joyful spiritual condition, a deeper joy in life, of those who root their lives in God’s life, and the pleasure and satisfaction derived from that. This state is not occasional but originates from those who are right with God. It is not influenced by successes or failures, nor is it determined by external circumstances. It is not about living comfortably due to favorable external conditions, achieving worldly success, or sensory pleasures in one’s daily life.

Blessed are the Righteous: Not Walking with Sinners

　　In terms of the negative, the righteous person “walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” “The wicked,” “sinners” and “scoffers” are essentially synonymous, but the last term, “scoffers,” specifically refers to those who not only reject God’s law but also mock those who follow it.

　　”The wicked” (Hebrew reshaim) refers to those who have been declared “guilty” in a court of law, those who have violated the law and have been pronounced “guilty.” “Sinners” (Hebrew hattaim) emphasizes the wrongdoing of those inclined to sin. These people not only commit evil deeds but also live lives dominated by sin. “Scoffers” (Hebrew lesim) describes those who mock and ridicule righteous living. They belittle those who pursue righteousness, rejecting guidance and correction from others (Prv 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12). They disdain others, inciting anger and conflict, and forming alliances to mock those who walk the path of righteousness (Prv 22:10; 29:8). They scoff at those who adhere to God’s teachings, finding amusement in mockery (Prv 1:22). These individuals introduce chaos, injustice, greed, and slander into the faith communities.

The Path of the Righteous vs. The Path of the Wicked

　　In contrast, the blessed, righteous person walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. They maintain both politeness and sincerity while upholding righteous relationship principles to love God and others. They are like trees firmly rooted in God’s law, standing strong in the storms of life and thriving.

　　The psalm promises that the wind will blow away the evil. The evil will be blown away like chaff by God’s wind. “Being blown away by the wind” means the wicked will face judgment. Yes, those immersed in the Torah are ultimately protected from the poison of evil. Those who delight in learning the Torah don’t just have their hearts occupied by it; their entire being is nourished and shaped by it, allowing them to stand firm in their life’s journey.

Rooted in the Torah: A Lifelong Choice

　　During these days, the image of a tree’s life span has been deeply imprinted on my mind. I earnestly desire that both myself and those who follow God are like trees filled with stories of God, firmly rooted in God’s Torah. This means that we must rely on the Holy Spirit and consciously make a choice—a choice to be rooted in the Torah. It requires us to make this conscious choice time and time again. It’s not a one-time choice, nor is it a one-time transformation; it’s a million choices and transformations. As C. S. Lewis said:

… every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.²

　　In simpler terms, rooting our life in the Torah is a lifelong choice and a journey of character building. The Torah shapes a person’s life, nurturing the growth of various virtues. Character is the continuous orientation of life, a result of choosing to be rooted in the Word of God, and being transformed in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the wind, not only blowing away evil but also dwelling within us, enabling us to bear the fruit of life. The fruit of the Spirit is beautiful in this world. The Spirit purifies, renews, and forgives us, making our faith stronger and more mature, bearing the fruit of life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

　　May the Spirit of God dwell within us, enabling us to bear abundant fruit. Each of us is like a tree planted by the streams of water, living in the Spirit’s wind. Amen.

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1. All scripture quotations are taken from the ESV.
2. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996), 87.

Nov 2023