Reinhard Clever

Hayward, California, USA

+1 (510) 610 - 3446  mobile

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In Defense of Jeong Myeong-seok (정명석)

Jeong Myeong-seok (정명석), pronounced jong myong-sock (officially Romanized until 1999 as Chŏng Myŏng-sŏk and after 2000 as Jeong Myeong-seok) is the controversial leader of a new religious movement generally known as Providence (religion).  His Korean name is not 중뮹석, as the old Romanization of his name, Jung Myung Seok, would suggest, but 정명석.   His Western name is Joshua Jeong, or, using the incorrect Romanization, Joshua Jung.  He is also known as Seon Saeng Nim (선생님), the Korean word for teacher, as R for Rabbi, the Hebrew word for teacher, or as Pastor Joshua. 

My Testimony

Matthew 7:16-17

[16] By their fruit you will recognize them. …
[17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

2000 years ago people had a hard time recognizing who Jesus was.  He did not look the part, he did not speak the part (Galilean accent), and his family of origin was anything but upper class.  His miracles may or may not have been as powerful and convincing as they appear to be in the Bible; the Jewish authorities obviously were not too impressed by them, otherwise they would not have crucified him.  So what it boiled down to in the end was his Word, and the effect it had on the people he taught.  And this pretty much holds true for all Central Figures in the Bible, starting with Noah.  Prophets in the Jewish Scriptures for the most part were only recognized after their predictions ultimately came to pass.  Nobody carried a passport which unmistakably identified him as being sent by God to preach the Word for that time period. 

Experiential Understanding of God

Pastor Joshua lived more than 10 years in the mountains fasting and praying as a mystic to gain an experiential understanding of God.  He is spending the rest of his life imparting his knowledge to his followers.  I believe mystics have a more accurate understanding of God than theologians.  Even Saint Thomas Aquinas said that.  

Listening to Pastor Joshua’s messages is almost like going through a continuous self-improvement program.  And while it focuses very much on our physical life right here and now, it also gives valuable insights into the spiritual world which surrounds us, and which we are influenced by whether we realize it or not.  It helps us become more spiritual and better adept at recognizing God’s movements in our life. 

Before coming to Providence I had many inspirations which I believed were given to me by God through the good spiritual world.  More often than not those inspirations lead me astray.  The results started to become very predictable: despair and anger turned against God.  But the more I listened to Pastor Joshua’s Word the better I was able to discern between influences from the good versus the bad spiritual world. 

It is exactly this discernment, this deep understanding of how God thinks, feels and acts, which Pastor Joshua teaches.  It takes a mystic to be able to educate so deeply about God.  For me, the insights gained from listening to his Word could not be obtained by reading the Bible by myself or studying theology books. 

Theology

More than 10 years in the mountains fasting and praying afforded Jeong Myeong-seok a fresh new look at the Bible. 

I now understand (excerpt):

• The true meaning of the Fall of Adam and Eve.
• Why the Jewish people did not recognize Jesus.
• Why the Bible is not a science book.
• Why Jesus said about John the Baptist that even though he is the greatest person born of a woman, he will be the least in the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:11), and how clearly this question is answered in the Bible.
• The best of the Catholic and the Protestant faith, and why we need to understand both in order to live the kind of life Jesus wants us to live.
• The wisdom behind orthodox teachings about sexual morality.
• The degree to which popular culture is spiritually out of balance.

The Social Aspect

I never cease to be amazed by the quality of people attracted to Providence.  Before I attended this church I never noticed much of a difference between church goers and regular people.  In Providence the difference is striking.  Providence members are so dedicated to God in their daily lives that they only want to marry other Providence members.

Conclusion

What is the fruit of Jeong Myeong-seok’s Word?  Did it bring me closer to God, or push me further away from Him?  Do the other church members lead lives which would please God?  Ultimately, these are questions everybody can only answer for himself or herself.

 

Matthew 7:16-17

[16] By their fruit you will recognize them. …
[17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

I simply like the fruit.  It is a fruit I believe only God can give me.

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