People as they listen are familiar with normal flow of ideas. They expect a certain ending. When that ending is new, that is memorable. Jesus used this style a lot.
It is fun to challenge accepted grammar rules in ways that make what you say surprising and memorable. This can be done by juxtaposing – don’t let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you.
It can be done using double negatives to be understated subtlety.
Eg He was not uncooperative but not fully cooperative
It can be done just by changing word order to put the end of the sentence at the start.
Eg. To him is where I sent it.
eg. Peas I hate.
The meaning of these statements is clear but there is a subtlety to it, and the listener finds it intriguing. The ending was not as expected.
bring thy gift and remember thy brother hath ought against thee, first be reconciled to thy brother
Though ye believe not me, believe the works
Unless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish
Whom he hath sent, him ye believe not
your sorrow shall be turned into joy
A certain priest passed by on the other side and likewise a Levite, passed by on the other side
a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country and in his own house
agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him
all these are the beginning of sorrows
and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
because thou has seen me thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed
Believe only and she shall be made whole
betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
blessed are ye that weep now for ye shall laugh
blessed be ye poor for yours is the kingdom of God
do good to them which hate you; bless them that curse you
except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it bringeth forth much fruit
go out quickly into the streets of the city and bring in hither the poor
greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friends
he answered and said “I know you not”
he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already
he that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me
he that hateth me, hateth my Father
he that heareth you hearest me; that despiseth you, despiseth me and him that sent me
He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her
He that loveth his life shall lose it; he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal
he that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath on that judgeth him
he will not rise and give him because he is his friend but because of his importunity
How much owest thou? 100 measures. And he said unto him sit down and write 50
I am come that they which see not might see, and they which see, might be made blind
I am no more in the world, but these are in the world
I come in my Father’ s name and ye receive me not; if another come in his own name, him ye receive
I have overcome the world
I lay down my life that I might take it again
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou keep them from evil
If a man keep my saying he shall never see death
if Abraham’s children, ye do works of Abraham. Ye seek to kill me for the truth.This did not Abraham
if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, he can not be my disciple
if any man take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also
if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me
if ye had faith ye might say unto this sycamore tree be plucked up and planted in the sea
in vain do they worship me
it is not the will of your Father that one of these little ones should perish
laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men
Let both grow together. In time of harvest burn the tares and gather the wheat
love your enemy. Bless them that curse you.
many lepers were in Israel and none of them was cleansed saving Naaman, the Syrian
many shall come in my name and shall deceive many
Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven
My time is not yet come but your time is always ready
Neither can they die any more for they are equal unto the angels
No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God
none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper
resist not evil. Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also
See thou tell no man, but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, offer the gift Moses commanded
sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven
send him to my five brethren. Nay if they hear not Moses, neither will they be persuaded
Take no thought for the morrow. The morrow shall take thought for the things of itself
that poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the tteasury
the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light
the children shall rise up against their parents
the kingdom of God cometh not with observation
the kingdom of God is within you
the scribes which love the chief rooms at feast ; the same shall receive greater damnation
the son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day
There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust
there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down
there were many widows in Israel but unto none of them was Elias sent save unto a city of Sidon
they cannot recompense thee for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just
they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick
this my son was dead and is alive again
Thou hast hid these things from the wise and hast revealed them unto babes
Thy faith hath made thee whole
thy sins be forgiven thee
two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left
weep not for me but weep for yourselves and for your children
whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them
when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind.
which of ye taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
whosoever will do the will of my father is my brother and sister and mother
whosever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain
whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted
whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service
whosoever shall be chief among you , let him be your servant
whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it
ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them
ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you
ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always
ye on sabbath circumcise..and ye are angry at me because I have made a man whole on the sabbath?
ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolks and friends
Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free
Ye shall seek me and shall not find me. Where I am thither ye cannot come
Ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoice.
ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship
your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things
Take no thought what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour
Take the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents
Anticlimax
This is a speaking style that adds a small detail at the end of a dramatic story, that adds surprise and humor. It is a kind of unexpected ‘punchline’.
Eg. He got the grand prize, two weeks in Hawaii, and a year’s supply of lettuce.
he beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some an hundred fold, some sixty and some thirty
paradox. turnarounds
When something sounds illogical but when you think about it, you see it is logical, that is a brilliant way to present an idea.
Eg. Nobody goes to that restaurant lately because it’s so crowded
Eg. The more you try to impress people, the more they notice you are trying to impress them.
Jesus often presented paradoxes.
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live
abide in me and I in you
do not ye after their works for they say, and do not
He that cometh to me shall never hunger; he that believeth on me shall never thirst
he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him
He that hath sent me is with me
I and my Father are one
I can of mine own self do nothing
If I honour myself, it is my Father that honoureth me
judge not and ye shall not be judged; forgive and ye shall be forgiven
nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest
that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live
the father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father
the son can do nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do
the words that I speak to you, they ae spirit and they are life
with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged
ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me and I in you
your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him
As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee
enter at the strait gate. Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life
let the dead bury their dead
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart
Understatement
Sometimes a message is powerful if it is said much more mildly than it could be. People recognize the tone as weighed.
Eg. I seem to have broken my leg a little bit.
eg. Let’s just say that the tornado interrupted my day.
Eg. The car engine exploded so the repair might take a few minutes.
The power of such speaking device is – the listener himself starts to think the more logical ending. As soon as you get the listener to say in his head the actual message you had, that is powerful.
Because I said I saw thee under the fig tree believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these
I tell you, before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he
If a son shall ask bread of a father will he give him a stone?
If he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
If he ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue
Speech Style of Jesus 