by Professor Ho Kwon
Through Proverbs, Scripture conveys concise yet deeply memorable lessons about life and faith. Proverbs demonstrates literary excellence that transcends the banality of daily life, often employing unfamiliar expressions that capture attention, not through abstract terminology but by means of vivid language that awakens the reader. To create aphorisms, Proverbs draws upon extraordinary powers of observation, insight, and rhetorical skill not common to ordinary people. Despite its literary brilliance and theological significance, preachers often hesitate to preach from Proverbs. Even those who attempt it find it difficult, largely because of the challenge of discerning its structure. Some sections consist of collective units with clear themes, while many individual proverbs present diverse topics that emerge like pop-up windows, making it difficult to grasp a unified theme. For this reason, homileticians have long wrestled with how to construct sermons from Proverbs. Unfortunately, most previous studies have merely enumerated the biblical-theological content of Proverbs, offering only brief comments on homiletical method, thus leaving preachers without practical steps for sermon preparation. This article seeks to address that gap by both reviewing prior scholarship and proposing concrete steps for preparing sermons on Proverbs. After outlining the literary and theological features of Proverbs and surveying homiletical attempts to preach from it, this paper presents specific techniques that remain faithful to the text while drawing out its richness and depth. The conclusion suggests areas requiring further research for more effective preaching of Proverbs.
