Theocratic Aid To Kingdom Publishers

Lesson 43

COHERENCE

Words are combined into sentences. Some are more important than others so far as carrying the burden of thought is concerned, but if the smaller word units of the sentence were not used to bind together these more important words, no complete and clear thought could be developed. But one sentence is not a talk. Many are required to develop a main theme. Each sentence develops an idea, differing in content from the ideas presented in the scores or hundreds of other sentences of the composition. If this array of sentences is to contribute to the one theme they must be fitted together logically, just as the word units are combined in each sentence. The sentences make up paragraphs; these larger composition units must hold together. Similarly, the introduction, body, and conclusion must unite to prove the same main point or theme. All this involves the matter of coherence.

COHERENCE means a sticking together within. There are many means of securing coherence. Best known, perhaps, are those words or phrases called transitionals. They are used to bridge gaps that would otherwise appear, due to

change in time, change in view, etc. Change in time might be indicated by thereafter; change in view, by on the other hand. Other transitionals are as follows: therefore, in view of the foregoing, for these reasons, hence, thus, furthermore, moreover, in addition, however, on the contrary, similarly, likewise, formerly, heretofore, etc. These words and phrases are valuable on occasion, but if they were all that one had to secure coherence little success could be had.

Coherence must find its starting point before a word of the composition is written, namely, in the outlining of material gathered. Logical arrangement of material in accord with the main theme is the primary requirement. If transitionals alone were used it would be little better than pouring cement over a jumbled pile of bricks. Some sticking together would result, but there would be no real fitting and cohering as would be necessary to erect a building according to blueprint. The many sentences of a composition, like the bricks of a building, must be fitted together one on top of the other, and find their sticking-together power in thought content more than artificial transitionals.

An analysis of an example to see wherein it gains coherence will serve best to instruct. The opening paragraph of this book states: "The attention of Jehovah's Kingdom publishers was arrested nineteen centuries ago by the rousing command: 'Go, disciple all the nations, . . . teaching them to observe all things which I have enjoined upon you.' (Matt. 28:19, 20, Diaglott) The words were uttered by the Leader and Commander of all Christians, Christ Jesus. What were the 'things which he had enjoined' upon those early Christians? Relative to the twelve apostles, Jesus commanded: 'Go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' To seventy others he later gave similar command and sent them forth to preach 'The kingdom of God is come'. (Matt. 10: 5-7; Luke 10:1, 9) The army of Kingdom publishers grew, and they all preached. That was what was enjoined upon them. Hence that is what new disciples as well as older ones were to be taught to observe and do.

Thereafter they did go into all the nations round about and did teach others to observe the same command of Kingdom announcement enjoined upon them. All were attentive and responsive to the commission to make disciples."

The first sentence uses the word "attention" in relation to publishers, which connects with the chapter heading and the name of the book, and quotes the text that is to serve as the basis of the paragraph discussion. The second sentence identifies the speaker of the words, and by opening with "the words" throws the mind back to the quotation. By a question concerning a phrase used in the quotation, "I have enjoined upon you," the third sentence opens up a new line of thought, and the fourth sentence answers relative to a limited few, the apostles. The fact that this answer was introduced by the words "Jesus commanded" connects again with the opening sentence wherein Jesus' "rousing command" is quoted. The fifth sentence goes further and shows a "similar command" was given to seventy others, the command being to go and preach, as it was to the twelve and in the one quoted in the opening sentence. These sentences show an increase from twelve to seventy, and the next sentence catches up this idea of increase by stating that the army of "Kingdom publishers", an expression used in the opening sentence and the chapter and book titles, "grew, and they all preached." Here a new thought is brought in, namely, the command was obeyed. The pronoun "they" connects back with publishers. The seventh sentence opens with the word "that", referring back to obedient preaching, and then answers the question raised in the third sentence and ties in with it by repeating the key word "enjoined".

The eighth sentence brings in the final conclusion based on this reasoning. Yet note the many devices used to make it cohere: "Hence" prepares the mind for a conclusion of some sort; "that," referring back to the same thing as the "that" in the previous sentence, carries the mind to the preaching enjoined upon publishers; it speaks of new and

old disciples, which reminds one of the original twelve, then the seventy, and last the new ones added as "the army of Kingdom publishers grew". With all this to give coherence, the conclusion follows that the preaching work is what all are to be taught to do; and "taught", of course, is quickly linked to the "teaching" of the opening sentence. The last sentence sums up and coheres by throwing the mind back to the word "attention" as used in the chapter title and the opening sentence, to the commission to make disciples expounded in the text, and to the response to the command that the paragraph had developed. Also note the transitional question used at the beginning of the next paragraph: "But what of this day?" This simple device satisfactorily switches the scenes across nineteen centuries. A gap of centuries is bridged without mishap to coherence.

If one is to be effective and not "beat the air" in his speaking he must have coherence. First, see to it that thought is logically arranged. That done, the main battle for coherence is won.