Richard Rojas is a Langham Scholar and a published Langham author from the Philippines. He is where he is now thanks to the grace of God, who gave him opportunities and made the path clear even when Richard felt resistant to it.
Doors open for a PhD
Richard first learnt about Langham Partnership when he was about to complete his Master of Theology at the Asia Graduate School of Theology. Dean of the school, Dr Theresa Lua, told him she had endorsed him to the Langham scholarship committee.
Richard recalls, “I did not expect it. In fact, I had no prior knowledge of Langham Partnership then. I was a reluctant applicant. I deferred my application letter for a couple of months. I did not want to pursue the PhD program anymore because I felt I was too old to do it ( I was around 42, I guess). Doing more research at that time felt quite overwhelming already. However, the Lord made it clear to me that it is His will that I should take the opportunity to study. So I did.”
Wisdom and division
Richard chose ‘Wisdom according to Paul in relation to the Corinthian problems in 1 Corinthians 1-4’ as his PhD topic. He shares, “I became curious about the rhetorical function of Paul’s wisdom teaching.”
Richard’s curiosity was sparked by how Paul urges the Corinthian believers to address the problem of division, and then goes on to teach them through a long discourse of wisdom teaching. Richard says, “So, I wanted to explore how Paul’s wisdom teaching connects with the problem of division, the problem of boasting, and the problem of wisdom. At the same time, I wanted to find out whether the 3 problems connect.”
Long days of research and writing
The process of doing his PhD was one Richard describes as, “grueling days of research and writing.”
He also experienced an additional challenge when he was called to be the President of Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary. Richard says, “It was going through very difficult times. At that time, I wondered how I could manage to do both without compromising any of them. By the grace of the Lord and with the help of my team, we were able to stabilise the situation of the school while I completed my dissertation in time as well.”
Through the overall stress of the experience, Richard was grateful for his support systems! He reflects, “The strong support of my family and Langham Partnership encouraged me throughout the long stretch of research and writing.”
In addition to financial and pastoral support, Langham also brought about exciting opportunities for Richard.
He shares, “During the dissertation stage, Langham granted me a research study at Asbury Theological Seminary for 4 months. Through it, I was able to gather excellent resources that I could never have gotten here in the Philippines. As a result, my dissertation was published.”
From researcher to Scholar to author!
Becoming a published author wasn’t part of Richard’s original plan, but once again, the path became clear!
He explains, “During my defense, Dr. Joel Williams, my first reader, asked me if I had plans to publish my book. I told him that publishing my book was never part of my plan because my goal was only to pass the defense and graduate. He strongly encouraged me to submit it for publication and see how the publishing company would treat my draft. He told me that he sees a lot of potential in my work and it can provide a compelling voice within the scope of my topic.”
With this encouragement behind him, Richard submitted his work to Langham Publishing for review. He says, “I am thankful to Langham Publishing for considering my draft and publishing it. I also consider this a way of honouring and giving back to Langham Partnership for all their support to me.”
Richard’s book, ‘Wisdom According to Paul in Relation to the Corinthian Problems’, aims to impact both people in the academic field and those who are leading churches and ministries.
“It is my hope that both emerging and experienced scholars will continue to explore and engage with the ideas presented in this book and expand further the depth of the discussion on this topic. At the same time, those who are leading churches and organisations will benefit from this book as they look into the significance of one’s identity and relationship with Christ.”
Richard’s term as the President of Ebenezer Bible College ends in May, and he is considering his next steps. He says, “Looking forward, I am still praying for more opportunities where I could maximise my gifts and training. We are currently seeking God’s direction for our lives.”