The second rule for careful exegesis is more mechanical, but it works time and again. Pay close attention to Paul’s connecting words – words such as kai (‘and’), de (‘but’), gar (‘for’), hina (‘in order that’), ara (‘so then’), oun (‘therefore’) and so on. As with all translation, the Greek and English may not always match exactly. A word in one language – even a small conjunction! – may well not carry all the implications of its nearest equivalent in another language. But we have to do the best we can. Paul doesn’t throw these little words around at random.
