Page 159 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Consequently, Donald Macleod poses the pertinent questions to them, “Is the

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contemporary preacher really sure of who he or she is and what the job or calling entails?”

Macleod describes the danger of losing a clear sense of who they are, of real identity, that they

“become peddlers of temporary panaceas, or patchers up of quarrels, or psychiatric neophytes

without a couch, then what they say and stand for ceases to count.” He continues, “The

preacher’s loss of a clear sense of identity among the laity is a danger also in the handling of the

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various facets of the ministry as vocationally conceived today.” Chester Pennington
summarizes, “In any case, preaching suffers. Such personal and professional insecurity comes

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out in a person’s preaching.”

The roles Jesus took on in his preaching set a model for the Korean preachers who are

experiencing role confusion. The dominant functions of Jesus in his preaching were that of a

prophet and teacher. Jesus’ prophetic functions are revelation and confrontation: revelation of

the Word of God with all the divine pathos and confrontation against his contemporary society

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and culture. Jesus also functioned as a teacher of the Scripture for the people. These two
primary roles of Jesus should be the primary roles of the Korean preachers. Preachers are the

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prophets of their time in terms of witnessing their experience of the Gospel in front of people.

33 Donald Macleod, The Problem of Preaching (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987), 20.

34 Ibid., 22.

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Pennington, Communication Problem, 23-24.
36
Heschel, Prophets, 26.

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Michael Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (Grand Rapids, MI: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), 48. He presents the balanced explanation of the Gospel,
saying, “The gospel is good news; it is proclamation; it is witness.”