Paul’s Narrative Preaching for Contemporary Homiletics

Abstract

Contrary to the common approach of contemporary homiletics, which treats Paul’s letters and narratives as completely different genres, Paul interweaves several narratives in 1 Thessalonians: (1) narrative of God and Jesus, (2) Paul’s narrative (3) the Thessalonians’ narrative. Paul wanted these three narratives to function as a collective story within the Thessalonian church, reinforcing their common identity, and as a story that separated insiders from outsiders, building a community distinct from the surrounding culture. Paul’s narrative preaching offers an alternative to the current homiletical approach which has reduced narrative to a personal dimension aimed at providing a preaching experience for the listener. It also offers fresh insights into the use of narrative for contemporary preachers responsible for building up the church community.