The bashing continues ...
I want to talk about the poster boy of the Chinese gospel world: Dr. John Sung. He is often hailed as one of the most influential Chinese evangelists of the 20th century, remembered as a central figure in the Chinese Christian revival movement across Southeast Asia.
However, his claim to fame - the story modern pastors love to tell - is not about a famous sermon, a sprawling ministry or a lifetime of accolades. It is something else. After earning a PhD in Chemistry at Ohio Wesleyan University and excelling academically, Dr. John Sung shocked everyone - friends, family, mentors - he threw his diplomas into the sea while on the ship back to China.
What did he hope to prove by casting his diplomas into the sea?
Dr. John Sung left China for the United States in 1920, at the precocious age of 19. This is a tell-tale sign that he was not a poor peasant. In fact, he came from a relatively affluent family, and his father was a Methodist pastor. Given this background, his “divine calling” to evangelize may well have been “inherited” - and therefore never destined to attain the dramatic certainties granted to Jonah (swallowed by a fish) or Paul (struck down by lightning).
That said, the greatest challenge any aspiring pastor must face is justifying his divine calling. For those born into comfort, as Dr. John Sung was, the challenge of justifying a divine calling can feel even more formidable.
Jesus Himself warned His followers about persecution:
John 15:18–20:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."
Matthew 10:22:
"You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."
The apostles reinforced this warning:
2 Timothy 3:12:
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
1 Peter 4:12–16:
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening… if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed."
With his academic pedigree straddling Chemistry and Theology, Dr. John Sung would have had no trouble landing a position as a university professor in China. However, he was seeking to be a modern apostle for Christ, and that requires a very different crown - far removed from the velvet and tassels of a doctoral tam. He needed a “crown of thorns,” the same one Jesus wore when nailed to the Cross - a reminder that: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
Clearly, for the young Dr. John Sung, he needed something dramatic to mark his entrance onto the stage, since a crown of thorns would have been hard to come by for someone born with a silver spoon. However, overzealous as he may have been, he was far from naive. Modern research and the wealth of information now available online reveal a fascinating detail: though he discarded most of his academic scrolls as a symbol of severing ties with the world, Dr. John Sung kept the crown jewel of his achievements - his PhD diploma. Strangely, this small but important fact seems to have escaped the popular narrative that he renounced his secular achievements in favor of a divine calling. Perhaps this explains why, even today, the Chinese pastoral community fondly remembers him as Dr. John Sung, rather than simply Mr. John Sung.
That said, Dr. John Sung left a profound legacy for aspiring pastors striving to piece together their own crown of thorns. Unbeknownst to him, he had created a template for the “opportunity cost of responding to a divine calling” - the cruel irony that the very achievements he renounced would later become proof of his calling.
