Page 162 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

This is not to say that preachers should not have authority or are not entitled to use their

authority in ministry, including the ministry of the Word. Jesus had authority and used it in his

preaching; and it is the nature and attributes of his authority that set the standard for Korean

preachers who perform assigned ministry among the congregation. The incarnational authority of

Jesus, discussed earlier, urges Korean preachers to incarnate the words of their pulpit. First, one

should experience the word of God through sincere study of the text, meditation, and every day

life setting.

Then, he should preach as a witness of what he experienced and lived out. If his

incarnated life comes to be an illustration of the preaching, then the preacher will gain authority.

This is especially true with the Korean Christianity. Preachers as moral teachers are expected to

not only teach the principles for moral perfection but also live out that standard. The life of

Jesus as the incarnated Word became a living illustration of what he preached. Moreover, the

relational authority of Jesus sets up an archetype that the Korean preachers should imitate.

Having observed Jesus’ vital relationship with the Father and his people, his contemporaries

were forced to ascribed him authority.

Korean society is characterized by its relation-oriented culture. The relational authority

of Jesus teaches the Korean preachers to nurture a dynamic relationship with God and their

congregation. For a preacher to obtain relational authority from the congregation, his preaching

needs to be dialogical. Dialogical preaching is essential to relational authority because one of the

most important means of creating and maintaining relationship is through dialogical, not

monological, communication.

congregation must recognize the authority of the sermon or they will not likely consent to its