Pauline Preaching and the Formation of Christian Ethics: Reframing Homiletics through Imitatio Christi

Abstract

Preaching has always been central to the life of the church, yet its ethical dimension has often been neglected in homiletical discourse. Responding to this gap, this article examines Paul’s preaching as a paradigm for reframing homiletics through the integration of gospel proclamation and ethical formation. By means of a literature-based study, the paper highlights how Paul inseparably binds the gospel to the ethical life of believers, grounding communal identity in the story of Christ. In this framework, imitatio Christi functions not merely as moral imitation but as transformative participation in the cruciform existence of Christ. Thus, Pauline preaching demonstrates that homiletics is both kerygmatic and formative: it proclaims the gospel while shaping believers into Christlike communities. This perspective offers fresh implications for contemporary preaching by reclaiming the ethical dimension as integral to the ministry of the Word.