Page 172 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

forms and devices with the intent of utilizing them for a model of preaching that can penetrate

the heart of the Korean folk people.

Simple and Imaginative Language of Preaching
The use of simple and imaginative language in preaching makes Jesus’ style different

from that of the religious teachers of his day. His language was simple and was “no display of

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oratory.” He used concrete word pictures drawn from everyday life. Hunt contrasts Jesus’

style and that of the western oratory style, saying, “We Occidentals moralize in abstract terms;

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Jesus deals in ‘things which you can touch and see.’” In this way, Jesus spoke to hearts and

changed minds. His image-filled language made an emotional impact in the hearts of his

audience that paved the way to drive home his message.

Jesus’ use of simple and imaginative language provides several suggestions to Korean

preachers. First, the preachers should cultivate their sensitivity to the use of simple language,

especially in the narration of stories that derive from where people live, work, and play. Like

Jesus, when he traveled the market places, synagogues, and Temple precincts where the people

gathered, modern Korean preachers need to go and meet the people where they are. Jay Comier

gives this advice:

Be in touch with the world around you by reading a reliable newspaper every day. Read
national magazines like Newsweek, Time, and, yes, People. See a popular movie now
and then, and check out the books that people are talking about. And don’t miss the
many wonderful stories that are told on television newsmagazine programs. Where is
God found on these pages, in these pictures? How is the spirit at work in these stories?
What is the Jesus of the Gospel speaking in these events? Remember that preaching is

73 Martin Dibelius, The Message of Jesus Christ (New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1939), 21.

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Hunt, A Pattern for Life, 21.