After having been translated into numerous languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian, the History of Redemption series sold over million copies and became an international bestseller. Now the series anticipates the publication of its seventh book. The masterpiece has received numerous praises and admirations by many scholars at home and abroad, such as “the books to be remembered as a colossal monument in Christian civilization of the world,” (Dr. Min Kyung-Bae, Th.D., Honorary Professor, School of Theology, Yonsei University) and “the first astounding achievement in history” (Dr. Andrew J. Tesia, Ph.D., President, Research Institute of Reformed Theology, Los Angeles). At the same time, its readers also began to wonder about Rev. Abraham Park’s mindset and the process in his monumental task of writing these books at the age of 86.
Missionary Park Nam-Soon who closely assists him in writing the books expresses, “It’s a process that cannot be watched without tears.” This article summarizes the verbal testimony given by the missionary Park Nam-Soon.

Although several years have passed since I began assisting Senior Pastor Abraham Park in his writing of the History of Redemption series, it wasn’t long ago that I decided to share my testimonies. I was hesitant at first because I, being nothing more than a person running errands for him, was afraid I might wrongfully overshadow God's grace. However, not so long ago, I made a firm decision to testify about the author as who he really is before I breathe my last breath. It’s because I’ve realized that people have no idea about the author’s state of heart during the process of writing the books. I want to say beforehand, however, that these testimonies are far from being an in-depth understanding of the author; what I’ve witnessed is only partial, and my time with the author has been too short for me to comment freely on the long years of his ministry. Yet, one thing is for sure: the author is an amazing pastor who has always loved God, the Bible and his congregation so fervently throughout his 55-year ministry.



"A fine powder of love that has been ground again and again"
From what I’ve seen, Senior Pastor’s books and sermons are filled with so much love. One can read therein his profound love for God and his congregation. Numerous theologians and ministers come to meet the author, and I have so often witnessed them becoming mesmerized after reading just one or two pages of the author’s old, faded draft copy from decades ago. I believe such is possible because just a single page is enough to invoke the author’s love in his readers. Each sentence written by Senior Pastor is like a fine power that has been ground again and again with love so that it can slide down the throat ever so smoothly. His sermons overflow with his love to make sure that no one is to experience indigestion, get hurt, or stumble. Several days ago, he preached a sermon titled, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed." As I was handing over the transcript of the sermon, I asked him, "Wouldn't the wealthy feel uneasy when listening to this sermon?" But that was only my thought. The listeners do not get hurt because Senior Pastor preaches those words from the smelting furnace of love. Every single sentence clearly testifies that he has written them while thinking of each member of the congregation. He touches every heart among the 60,000-members in the congregation that listens to his sermon. In the end, not just some but all are blessed by the sermon.

At times, Senior Pastor revises his sermon more than twenty times. Even after numerous edits, he will often ask me to bring my laptop so that I can type what he dictates, which sometimes lasts six hours. But, he ends up preaching for only an hour. Although he has prepared so much, he distills it again and again to deliver only the essence of the sermon to his congregation. There are days when he revises so much that I want to ask, “Why does he take it this far?” Then, he says to me, “Do you understand how much I love their souls?” In fact, people are greatly blessed by Senior Pastor’s sermons even after just ten minutes of preparation. Yet still he prepares tremendously. He prepares in prayer so that no one will go home feeling unloved or hurt. He asks me, "Why do you think people come to church?" and then answers, "They come to be comforted." He also says, "We must never burden or put stumbling blocks before such believers. We must send them home with the healing medicine of love. They must receive courage, strength, and comfort." He prepares the spiritual manna solely with the power of love and feeds them.



"Should I delete this verse?"
Senior Pastor’s sermons are preached only based on the Bible. To him, there cannot be any sermon that cannot be supported or explained with the Word of God, and he very strongly dislikes such sermons. There cannot be any word that is not found in or backed up by the Bible. He cites all the related verses from the Bible in his sermons. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire New and Old Testaments are presented in a single sermon of his. Once, it took me six hours to look up all the reference verses that he had cited. At times, he writes verses that seem irrelevant to the sermon. In mathematical terms, it is not a simple 'A=B' equation since he takes it to another dimension through the use of differential and integral calculus. Still, there are times I just can’t understand, so I have asked him, “Should I delete this verse? It seems like it has nothing to do with the message.” Then he orders me to just write it down regardless. Then later, as I listen to his sermon, I finally understand how the verse relates to the message or to the point he is trying to make. Hence my final reaction is, "Ah ha! So this is the meaning of the verse!" or "This is what he means to say!" Now that I have had numerous experiences similar to this, I do not question him anymore.

However, the truth is that even though he prepares so much for the sermon, he ends up proclaiming more of what is not on the sermon script. His sermon changes completely once again at the actual scene of preaching. That is why I believe that the words that are spoken from the pulpit are the real words of God. It is truly a sermon that dynamically responds to the prepared hearts and prayers of the congregation. Of course, there are times when the congregation isn’t ready to take on the weight of the message that has been prepared. If such is the case, he will deliver only a portion of it despite the fact that every single word is infused with his heart and soul. The sermon scripts carry much more contents than what has actually been preached. I believe that all of those messages will be published in the History of Redemption series.

He sheds so many tears as he prepares his sermons
The author cries a lot as he writes his books or reads the Bible. I imagine he does this because the Bible is his only companion. There seems to be no one who can fathom his utmost love of the Bible. He sheds tears not only while preaching the Word of God but also while preparing his sermons. When this happens, I, too, cry beside him. Sometimes, I do not know exactly why he cries, but I still cry with him. When I reread that part of the sermon script later, I cry again by myself. The author often says while reading the Bible, “It’s like watching a scene from a movie.” At times, he chuckles to himself or wipes off his tears. As he reads the Bible, he displays the same reactions I have when I watch TV. The Bible never leaves Senior Pastor’s hands. He always keeps various versions of Bible translations on his desk and he reads them all the time. When I visit him in the morning, he tells me: ‘do you know how much I read today,’ ‘I read from Genesis to Ezra in two hours,’ ‘can you do the same,’ and so forth. He regularly reads the Bible more than five hours each day. He seems to be comforted and strengthened only through the Bible. He must have read it so many times and preached with it for so long, and yet he never puts himself above the words of the Bible.

The author’s books and sermons don’t have difficult expressions. There is no embellishment. Senior Pastor does not like using technical terms or jargons. He points out that it’s arrogant to use the words only known to the speaker to show off his knowledge. Since among the congregation are those who did not make it through elementary school, he says the sermons must be easy enough for everyone to understand. Thus, he has gotten into the habit of using various dictionaries including a Korean dictionary, completely stocked on his desk, so that he can clearly explain the words. As a result, the author’s writing style is easy. His words instantly touch one’s heart, and people are totally gripped by the message because there is no blockage in his words. This is why well-known theologians who have read the History of Redemption series exclaim, “How can he take such complex subject and write it out in a way so easy to understand!”
He never writes to boast, ‘I am indeed an eloquent pastor,’ or to show off his level; every line is adjusted to the reader’s level. Sometimes he makes sure that I have included anecdotes that are somewhat childish or immature. He says the believers must be able to understand. He solely focuses on how the congregation or the readers can understand the Word of God. This is another reason why he adds actions and monodramas while preaching his sermons. The author says the Word of God is not complex; it is always just one. Thus, it must be simple. No one will understand the sermon when it is complex; being able to understand just one thing will be enough. Even after listening attentively during the sermon, many will forget once they pack up and go home. So the author emphasizes the importance of having at least one part of the sermon remain in the hearts of the believers.



There are many messages that have not yet been proclaimed
The author has more than 100,000 completed sermon scripts. There are always more than 200 sermon scripts available on his desk. They have been written and prepared about three or four months ago, the oldest having been written about a year ago. They are not general sermons that espouse morals; these in-depth sermons are authentic works on the Bible, every single one of them being equivalent to doctorate dissertations. Furthermore, of the 10,000 sermon scripts already in existence, the messages that haven’t been proclaimed are ten times more than the ones that have been proclaimed. People are very surprised when they hear that the eighth book of the History of Redemption series is already complete and the author is now working on the ninth book. But it is correct to say that all twelve books are already out. The writing that he has completed up to the present can easily make up 20 or 30 books.

The main theme of the upcoming book is "The Ten Commandments." However, that theme is already contained in the 10,000 sermon scripts that he has written. Only the process of editing is needed to turn them into books. As I was working on the book about "The Ten Commandments,” I was amazed and afraid at the same time to know that all the sermons he has ever written or spoken concludes with "The Ten Commandments."
As all the congregation members of Pyungkang Cheil Church may know, Senior Pastor lives and takes care of his daily tasks in the church. His life is open for everyone to see since Pyungkang family members walk past his living quarters from the moment they go to dawn service until they leave later in the evening. From what I have observed, Senior Pastor never sleeps before one o'clock in the morning. This becomes even more so when the time of the publication of his books draws near. He never has a deep sleep. He usually gets up after only an hour of sleep in order to write, and if he is away at one of our church retreat centers, he then makes phones calls to give instructions. He gets up at dawn, takes a cold shower, and sits at his desk without fail. The author's main living space is the study room. He always sits at his desk in his study room, reads the Bible, writes, and prays. Even his brief rest is often taken at the same place ? at his desk. The believers who come to visit him know this well since they always find him there at the same place. There are many times I go into his study room and find him there so focused on reading the Bible, that I stand in wait for a long time until I end up leaving, unable to speak with him. I cannot help but asking what can be done to hasten the completion of the entire History of Redemption series. Many people say that they pray for the History of Redemption series. However, from the perspective of a person who has closely watched the author, the task is such an arduous and painstaking process.

“This is not Hebrew that is understood from learning.”
In the author’s process of writing the History of Redemption series, other ministers and I assist him by researching on any international commentaries that will support God's administration in the history of redemption. Even when the author is away on a missionary trip abroad or within the country, he incessantly calls to give instructions such as "Look up this commentary, on this page. Read from this line up to that line. Then you will find what I am trying to say." They are all very specific. Then upon his return, he does not forget to check if the assigned works have been done accordingly. Whether it be during the early hours of the morning or late at night, the time of the day does not matter to him,. When I present two opposing views on ongoing theological arguments, he clearly resolves the matter with the exact verses in the Bible. He wins over all logic with the Word of God. No arguments can stand before the Bible.

The History of Redemption series is well known among theologians for its clear explanation of Hebrew and Greek in which the Bible is written. After Dr. Kang Sin-Taek, world's leading authority on Sumerian which is the root language of Hebrew, read the History of Redemption series and met Senior Pastor, he said, "Senior Pastor is not expounding the Bible so well because he understands Hebrew very well; it is because he understands the Bible so accurately that he is able to expound the Hebrew and Greek language." Scholars all over the world are not just amazed at the amount of Hebrew he uses in his books. Rather, it is his ability to make the Word of God come alive by appropriately explaining the Word of God with Hebraic meanings where it is needed the most. Thus, experts in Hebrew realize and exclaim, "Ah, by this meaning of the word, he is able to turn the things around!" I gave a completed copy of the upcoming seventh book of the History of Redemption series, to an expert in both Hebrew and Greek for his book review. After reading the copy, he expressed his astonishment by saying, "His level of command in Hebrew is not learned. Anyone with learned language skills cannot be this good. He must have received special grace from God." The author's Hebrew Bible is all tattered. To this day, he reads the Hebrew Bible. His pronunciation of the language is amazingly precise. Because of that, I am sometimes afraid of him. He pretends to not know about some things, but in fact, it is not so. He also acts as though he does not know English; but when he converses with foreign guests with interpreting pastors, he sometimes points out in the midst of the conversation that the interpretation was wrong and scolds the interpreter. Therefore, interpreting pastors confess about their fear toward Senior Pastor as well. At times, he acts as though he does not know how to handle a simple mechanical device and calls someone for help. But at other times, he does everything by himself. It is perhaps because he wants our company and also wants to adapt to our level.

God needs an expert on obedience.
There are times I express my thoughts to Senior Pastor when I have a differing opinion concerning his script. However, as time passes, I realize that my thoughts are wrong and his words are the truth. I’ve experienced this countless times.

I really do not know how I began to assist him in the preparation for his writing, for I lack in so many ways. More and more, I think to myself, “I must do each task with the love of God, the love of the Word of God, and the calling to do His will.” Some people are envious of me, thinking that I’ve become an expert in the History of Redemption series because I help editing the series. But nothing can be further from the truth than that. I was one of the very last people to memorize the 77 High Priests song that had already been mastered by the kindergarteners in our church. In fact, there are often times I cannot answer the questions by believers, and I lack so much in my capability.

Senior Pastor always teaches me the Word in order to set me to work. However, he is very sparing with words of praise. In my human mind I sometimes think to myself, “Praises even make whales dance and dogs wag their tails, so that they will obey their keepers,” but there are more times when I feel so fortunate that he does not scold me that much. The author himself has also never asked me to send any messages of appreciation for praises that he has received from someone else; instead, he habitually glorifies God. If a person shows deep gratitude for the hospitality that he or she has received from Senior Pastor, he always replies with the words “It is your endowed blessing!” and lives his life of exalting God only. When one is praised repeatedly, the person loses the ability to see himself clearly. At times, the author speaks highly of someone ahead of time even though he does not seem to deserve such a compliment. Then there are times when he reprimands severely even though it does not appear that what the person has done was all that terrible. It is not easy to comprehend his actions at the time of occurrence; but later, one realizes from looking back that if he hadn’t been scolded right then, he could have sinned and become proud in idleness and negligence toward God’s work and life of faith. The ultimate reason why he does not believe in superfluous compliments and praises is because he firmly believes that God pays each of His children according to the work that he or she has done for Him. What can be more absurd than entering through Heaven’s door and realizing that we have lost all the rewards we were about to receive because we lost them all through the praises we had already received in our lives? I think perhaps for this reason the author, who lives only according to the Word of God, does not praise or compliment very often.

God does not use arrogant people. He uses them after knocking them down if that’s what it takes to humble them. I feel that the author also has such a heart. I don’t think there is an expert in the History of Redemption series. Who can dare to say that he or she has mastered them? I believe that the process of book making is our journey of obedience to fulfill what Father God desires to accomplish?regardless of whether we understand or not. God needs man of obedience, not man of ability.

Written by Missionary Park Nam-Soon