The more skilled we become in using and interpreting language of all kinds, the more useful we can be to God and others in every area of life that involves communication. "True language consciousness on the part of the interpreter is essential. To develop this in the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) is very rewarding. But if one cannot study the original languages, then a language awareness in English will help the interpreter to escape many pitfalls and to lay hold of many truths which he might otherwise pass by."2
Relationship | Conjunction or Connecting Word(s) |
---|---|
CAUSE / REASON | Because, For this reason, Since, That |
COMPARISON | As, Also, Just as, Like, Likewise, More, More than, So as, So also, Too |
CONDITIONAL | If |
CONTINUATION | And, Either, Neither, Nor, Or |
CONTRAST | Although, But, Except, Even though, However, Much more, Nevertheless, Only, Otherwise, Whereas, Yet |
EMPHASIS | Indeed, Only |
EXPLANATION | For, Now |
LOCATION / POSITION | At, In, On, Over, Where, Wherever |
PURPOSE / RESULT | For this purpose, In order that, So that, That, Then, Therefore, Thus |
TIME | After, As, Before, Now, Then, Until, When, While |
WORD | ANALYSIS |
---|---|
I | Pronoun (Subject). What noun does this stand for? (Paul) |
thank | Verb (eucharisteo) = to express gratitude, give thanks, offer a prayer of thanksgiving. |
my God | Noun (Object). Literally, "the God of me." |
always | Adverb describing the time of the action (whenever Paul was praying). |
concerning you | Prepositional phrase (peri) describing the object of Paul's thanks to God (the Corinthian believers). |
for the grace of God | Prepositional phrase (epi) describing what it is about them that Paul thanks God for ("On account of the favors which God has bestowed on you"). |
which was given you | Adjective phrase describing how they received this grace. Literally, "the given-to-you" [grace]. |
in Christ Jesus | Prepositional phrase (en) describing the sphere in which this grace-gift was given to believers. |
1 This is the text of John 3:16 from Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (The New Welsh Bible) by The British and Foreign Bible Society, 2004.
2 A. Berkeley Michelsen, Interpreting the Bible (1963), 114.
3 Robertson McQuilkin, Understanding and Applying the Bible (1992), 110.
4 McQuilkin, 114.