Here's Romans 8:26-39 from the New International Version:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I read a thing several years ago that either Peggy Noonan wrote or someone wrote about Peggy Noonan (among others), where the author talked about how conservative-ish writers especially like to use series to prove in their arguments for X by saying X is obviously true and everyone knows X is obviously true. And, in particular, this author noted, they really like to use series with repeated "ands." So, an example of what this author is talking about would be something along the lines of, ...
ReplyDeleteFruit is good, isn't it? Fruit is so good. Apples are good, and oranges are good, and watermelon is good, and grapes are good, and peaches and strawberries and lemons ... they're all so good, aren't they?
Anyway, I thought that article was really on to something, and the author might've even wrote this, but I imagine that, in the Christian world at least, that style comes straight out of Paul.