Page 83 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

The nature of preaching and the function of preaching are inseparable since homiletic

nature reveals homiletic function and vice versa. Since this is especially true with the preaching

of Jesus, both his homiletic nature and function will be treated together.

This section will pay special attention to the Sermon of the Nazareth Synagogue (Lk.

4:16-29) as a text delineate the nature and function of Jesus’ preaching.

This well-known account of Jesus’ preaching is “the biblical starting point for any study

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of Christian preaching.” Though the account of Jesus’ preaching at the Nazareth Synagogue
does not reveal much of Jesus’ discourse, it does reveal decisive clues to the nature and function

of Jesus’ preaching.

Preaching as Kerygma with Didache

When the Synoptic writers announced the public ministry of Jesus, they described Jesus

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as “proclaiming” the gospel of the Kingdom. All accounts of this phrase use the verb kerussein.

According to Robert Mounce, “Jesus’ ministry is represented by the verb kerussein more than

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twenty times.” “It serves,” he continues, “as a resume of His ministry over a period of time.”

If Mounce is right, it is crucial to comprehend the nature of the kerygma when pursuing the

concept of the nature and function of Jesus’ preaching.

Upon his publication Apostolic Preaching and Its Development (1936), C. H. Dodd

provides a seminal impact on the discussion on the subject of kerygma. He argues that there is

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Thomas K. Carroll, Preaching the Word (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1984),
10.

45 Matt. 4:17, Mk. 1:14-15, and Lk. 4:14-29.

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Robert H. Mounce, The Essential Nature of New Testament Preaching (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960), 28.