Discourse for Preaching: The Homiletical Significance of Selected Greek Conjunctions in the Epistle to the Hebrews

Abstract

This dissertation is aimed at understanding how Greek conjunctions serve as authorial instruction to discern the discourse structure of the Epistle to the Hebrews to guide expositors to establish a homiletical structure for preaching. This is demonstrated through the analysis of seven conjunctions in the epistle to the Hebrews (οὖν, ὅθεν, γάρ, ἵνα, δὲ, ἀλλά, μέν–δὲ) that validate a practical payoff for expositors, which are transferable to the field of homiletics. These Greek conjunctions are analyzed to reveal their functional role relative to the clauses they connect in the Epistle to the Hebrews. This dissertation examines discourse features in Hebrews from a functional perspective rather than a stylistic one, focusing on the linguistic structure of each feature, its purpose (the task it accomplishes), and the factors influencing its use. The analysis centers on Greek conjunctions as boundary markers, tools for discourse progression, and marking development, correction, and expectation in the text. Key discourse principles applied include cohesion, coherence, markedness theory, prominence, choice implies meaning, and semantics versus pragmatics. The findings highlight homiletical opportunities, shaping preaching segments, guiding sermon outline development, and clarifying authorial propositions. These findings prove that the substance and structure of the biblical text can directly shape the sermon, enhancing expository preaching. Chapter 1 introduces the study, presenting the thesis, methodology, significance, and argument of the research. Chapter 2 explores discourse analysis as a hermeneutical tool for homiletics, focusing on its linguistic approach and relevance to sermon structure, substance, unity, and application. Chapter 3 examines selected Greek conjunctions in Hebrews, categorizing their function as coordinate, inferential, and subordinate within the epistle. Chapter 4 provides a detailed discourse analysis of these conjunctions, emphasizing their functional and rhetorical roles. Chapter 5 applies these findings to demonstrate the homiletical significance of Greek conjunctions in Hebrews, illustrating how the structure of the text informs sermon development. Finally, chapter 6 summarizes the research, correlates its findings with homiletics and discourse analysis scholarship, and discusses implications for further study and expository preaching.