Therefore and So

I haven't posted here in a long time and Rymac has been continually challenging me to do so. So, I guess I will. Here goes it:
I want to write this to call to attention two of the most important words in the Bible: "Therefore" and "so." While I must admit that they don't have quite the glitz and glamor of some other cool biblical words like "atone" or "propitiation," I have been amazed at the power these two words have in the Bible. I urge you to look for these words as you go about your Bible reading. With the Spirit's help they will unlock new and deeper understanding of God's word. Here's why:
Have you ever taken a logic class? In a logic class if you are trying to break down a written argument and put it into standard form, an easy way to do that is to look for buzz words. "Therefore" and "So" are logic buzz words that will help show you what the conclusion the author is coming to. The conclusion is the meaty part, the whole point of it all.
So often when we read the Bible we can gloss over things. We look for cool verses that inspire or convict, but the problem is that these are just singular verses within a much larger context. Not that singular verses are bad, I certainly hope they're not, most of my memorized scripture are singular verses! But the bigger picture is "what is the passage saying? What is the book saying? What is the Bible saying?"
"Therefore" and "so" are words that connect other verses, passages, or ideas with another to make one grander point. When you see these words you need to ask "What is the 'therefore' there for?" I know that's cheesy, but hopefully that will help you remember.
A warning: This will make Bible reading take longer. Often you may read a passage and then the very end will have a "Therefore" or "so" and then you must step back and read it all over again to piece together the argument that the writer is concluding. However, the more often you do this, the more you will begin to piece together larger portions of scripture and begin to have a better of the greater themes of scripture, to the praise and glory of Christ!
Here are a couple of passage that you can read and think about to get you started:
Philippians 1:3-11, John 11:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Soli Deo Gloria!
dj