Summary
In this conversation, Paul S. Kim discusses his new Bible study on the book of Daniel, sharing insights from his personal experiences as an Asian American and how they inform his understanding of the text. He emphasizes the importance of community, resilience, and cultural engagement for modern believers, while also reflecting on the significance of prayer and faithful obedience in the life of Daniel. The discussion highlights the relevance of Daniel’s story in today’s context and encourages listeners to explore their own faith journeys.
Takeaway
Paul Kim’s book focuses on deepening understanding of the book of Daniel.
The importance of community in navigating faith as a minority.
Daniel’s story resonates with the immigrant experience.
Cultural engagement is essential for Christians today.
Prayer is a significant theme in Daniel’s life.
Resilience is a key aspect of the Asian American experience.
Daniel’s integrity sets a standard for believers.
The humor in Daniel’s narrative offers a fresh perspective.
Faithful obedience is more important than desired outcomes.
The lessons from Daniel are applicable to modern believers.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Paul S. Kim and His Work
03:18 The Journey of Writing a Bible Study on Daniel
05:46 Personal Insights as an Asian American
09:08 Application of Daniel’s Lessons for Asian Americans
14:05 Engaging and Disengaging with Culture
16:23 Favorite Stories from Daniel and Their Impact
19:04 Final Thoughts and Reflections
Transcript
Aaron Lee:
Hi everyone, this is Aaron for SOLA Network, and I’m here today with Paul S. Kim, the one you all know. Paul wrote the Bible study on Daniel. Paul, thank you for being here. Pastor Paul, I should probably call you that. Would you mind introducing your book and telling us a little about yourself?
Paul Kim:
Haha, yeah, Aaron, thanks so much for having me. And please, call me Paul.
Let’s see, about myself. I’m married to my wife, Linda, for 27 years, and we have three kids, ages 24, 20, and 17. I recently released a Bible study on the book of Daniel called Standing Firm in Adversity. It’s a 10-week study that goes deep into Scripture with a gospel focus, applying truth to the heart as we navigate what life in “Babylon” looks like as followers of Jesus.
Aaron Lee:
I really love this entire series from New Growth Press. Congrats on being the author for Daniel. I’m going to throw you a curveball right off the bat. I want to know your best small group Bible study experience and also your worst.
Paul Kim:
I think my best small group experience was when I first moved down to San Diego. As we were looking to plant a church, we joined a small group doing The Gospel in the Heart study with Dick and Liz Kaufman. Dick was one of my mentors. It was such a powerful time. The gospel was going deeper, and I was learning so much about how Jesus and the gospel impact our lives.
That experience was also a multi-ethnic, intergenerational community. Having grown up in a Korean church my whole life, which had many wonderful aspects, this was something new and unique. It really shaped me.
As for my worst experience, honestly, I can’t say I’ve had a really bad one. Some groups you connect deeply with, others maybe not as much, but I wouldn’t call any of them awful.
Aaron Lee:
That’s great. I love hearing about your background. So that was during your church planting days, but you were also attending a church at the time, right?
Paul Kim:
Yes, that’s right. We moved to San Diego in 2001 and planted in 2003. For those first two years, we did an internship, one year with a local church, and then a second year out in the field, gathering a launch team and getting everything ready.
Aaron Lee:
That’s awesome. I want to talk about your ethnic background later since it ties into Daniel, but before that, why a study on Daniel? How did that come about, and what was it like to actually write a Bible study?
Paul Kim:
This study actually began as a sermon series for our church, right after COVID. I wanted our people to grow deeper in God’s Word. Daniel has some well-known stories, like the lions’ den and the fiery furnace, but there’s so much more there.
As I studied, I realized how relevant it is. We live in “Babylon.” We’re exiles. What does it mean to follow Jesus in a culture that doesn’t share our beliefs? From an Asian American perspective, that resonated deeply.
Turning the sermons into a study was a humbling process. I usually preach without notes, so writing it all down, being concise, adding citations, and going through editing was challenging but rewarding. New Growth Press was wonderful to work with. I learned a lot.
Aaron Lee:
That’s great. Let’s talk about that process of interpretation and application. Here’s my SOLA question. What unique insights or experiences do you bring to studying and understanding Daniel as an Asian American?
And to be clear, your book isn’t for Asian Americans specifically. This is just a personal question.
Paul Kim:
Right, that’s a great question. My Asian American experience isn’t universal, of course, but here’s how it shaped my reading.
My parents immigrated from South Korea and ran a dry-cleaning business. Growing up, there was this sense of needing to succeed, to make it in a new country. When I look at Daniel, he was an exile who “made it.” But the point of Daniel’s story isn’t about power or success. It’s about how he stewarded his influence as a follower of God. That really resonated with me.
Another theme is living as a minority in a majority culture. That experience, while sometimes difficult, can also keep you from fully assimilating and instead push you to find your true identity in Jesus, the ultimate exile.
And something fascinating is that the book of Daniel is written partly in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. It begins and ends in Hebrew, chapters 1 and 8–12, and the middle section is in Aramaic, the language of Babylon. So Daniel is literally bilingual, speaking to both his own people and to the Gentiles.
As a Korean American pastor in a multiethnic church, that speaks deeply to me, learning to communicate the gospel across languages and cultures, both to my own community and to others.
Aaron Lee:
I love that. That’s such a rich insight. Now let’s talk about application. From your study, what lessons from Daniel do you think speak particularly to Asian American Christians today?
Paul Kim:
Great question.
In Daniel 1, we see a young man, probably a teenager, taken into exile, given a new name, new food, and a new culture. That experience of displacement is something many Asian Americans can relate to.
We also see Daniel’s friends, and community was key. They stood together. That solidarity matters, especially for minority believers.
Other themes that stand out include peer pressure, authority, and honor. Daniel faced a king who demanded worship. Talk about pressure. In shame-and-honor cultures like ours, we often wrestle with how to honor authority without compromising our faith. Daniel models that beautifully, honoring the king but submitting ultimately to King Jesus.
There’s also resilience, living faithfully as a minority in exile. I think that’s a word for our community.
And prayer. Growing up in Korean churches, I saw that—early morning prayer, deep intercession. Daniel prayed three times a day, even when it cost him. His prayers were collective too, “we have sinned.” That’s powerful.
And finally, Daniel points us to Jesus, the true exile who came to bring us home. As believers, we live in that tension, not home yet, but trusting the One who will bring us there.
Aaron Lee:
That’s so good, so rich. I love how you draw that out. Okay, let’s move to another theme in the book. You talk about how Christians are called both to engage with culture and to disengage from it. Can you explain what that’s looked like in your own life?
Paul Kim:
Yes. Daniel modeled being in the world but not of it. He served in the king’s court, had influence, and yet his loyalty was always to God.
As believers, we’re called to live publicly, to be engaged so that people see something different and are drawn to Christ, but also to expect that some will reject what we stand for.
The key is how we engage. Daniel wasn’t a jerk. He lived with conviction and grace, bold but winsome. Jeremiah 29:7 says, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city,” and Daniel did exactly that. That’s what I hope to live out too.
Aaron Lee:
During this conversation, we’ve covered several stories from Daniel. What’s your favorite section of the book, and how has it influenced your faith?
Paul Kim:
My favorite, and the one that surprised me most, is Daniel 3, the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar builds this massive idol and demands worship, or else they’ll be thrown into the fire. But Daniel’s writing actually injects a bit of humor. He keeps saying the idol “had to be set up.” It’s a setup. It’s almost comical, like a Wizard of Oz moment, where what looks so powerful is actually empty when you see it with eyes of faith.
And when they’re thrown into the fire, there’s “another in the fire.” We see Christ there. The point isn’t just the miracle of deliverance but their faithful obedience. “Even if He does not [save us], we will not bow.” That has challenged me deeply.
Aaron Lee:
I love that. I’ve never heard that Wizard of Oz comparison before. Thank you for sharing your insight and your passion for the book of Daniel. The Old Testament doesn’t always get enough attention, so I appreciate how you’re bringing it to life.
One last question. When you meet Daniel in heaven, what’s something you’d want to ask him? (Assuming he’s there—I guess we can assume that!)
Paul Kim:
Haha, yeah, we can assume that. That’s such a great question. You know, Daniel’s story stands out because there’s no big recorded failure, unlike David, Abraham, or Moses. So I might just go up to him and say, “Come on, Daniel, be honest. What was your struggle?”
Aaron Lee:
That’s great. Pastor Paul, thank you so much for your time and for your work. Congrats again on the release. I’m so excited to share it with the rest of SOLA Network.
Paul Kim:
Thanks so much, brother. I really appreciate it.