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- BIBLE CITATION HOW TO
- BIBLE CITATION FULL
Use commas between verse numbers of the same chapter (and between chapter numbers, but only if no verses are given). Use colons between chapter and verse numbers (most Europeans use a different format, putting commas here). John 1:1 and Gen 1:1).įormat Standards for the American System of Biblical References: The Fourth Gospel begins with the same two words as the LXX Greek version of Genesis (cf. The feeding of the 5000 is found in all four canonical Gospels (Mark 6:32-44 par. Matthew usually uses the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" rather than "Kingdom of God" (e.g., Matt 3:2 4:17 5:3 etc. The death of Jesus is briefly but powerfully described in the Fourth Gospel: "When Jesus had received the wine, he said, 'It is finished.' Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (John 19:30).
The Gospel according to Mark is the first Christian text that uses the word "gospel" or "good news" (1:1). Have you read the parables of Jesus, such as the famous parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)?. The European system for biblical references uses slightly different punctuation (explained in the chart below). The American system for biblical references normally does not use italics or periods in biblical abbreviations. You can omit the abbreviated name of a biblical book after the first reference if you are obviously still referring to the same book but if you are dealing with more than one book, include the names to make all references clear. BIBLE CITATION FULL
Spell out the full names of biblical books when they appear within your text, but use the standard short American abbreviations for biblical books in your parenthetical references (see HarperCollins Study Bible, xxxi or Catholic Study Bible, xii). Use "e.g." when you mean "for example" use "par." to refer to "parallel" passages in the other biblical books (esp. Use "see" or "cf." if you want your reader to "see" or "compare" what you have said with similar or contrasting texts. References are given within a sentence ( without parentheses) if they are an integral part of what you are claiming.
Biblical references are usually put at the end of the sentence (in parentheses), followed by the concluding punctuation.List specific references not only when you directly quote a biblical text, but also when you mention specific passages.
BIBLE CITATION HOW TO
Follow the examples in good biblical textbooks or commentaries to learn how to cite scriptural references properly. See also the related page on: Guidelines and Tips for Writing Papersįor clarity and precision in exegetical writing, always back up all of your claims with brief but specific references to the biblical texts, citing the appropriate book names followed by the chapter and verse numbers:
Biblical References: Format and Examples Biblical References: Format, Examples, History