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What Is the Bible?

Discover the origins of the best-selling book of all time

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The Bible is the written Word of God and thus the ultimate set of guiding principles governing all areas of life for the people of God. Through these writings, God communicates his will, his laws, his nature, and his saving purpose to humanity.

The Bible is a compilation of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors during a period of approximately 1,500 years. The original text of the Bible was communicated in just three languages : Hebrew , koine or common Greek, and Aramaic. The Old Testament was written for the most part in Hebrew, with a small percentage in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.

'Bible' Definition

The English word "Bible" comes from bíblia in Latin and bíblos in Greek. The term means book, or books, and may have originated from the ancient Egyptian port of Byblos (in modern-day Lebanon), where papyrus used for making books and scrolls was exported to Greece. Other terms for the Bible are the Holy Scriptures, Holy Writ, Scripture, or the Scriptures, which means "sacred writings." For Christians, the simplest definition of the Bible is "the Word of God to humankind."

Beyond its two main sections (the Old Testament and the New Testament), the Bible contains several more divisions: the Pentateuch , the Historical Books , the Poetry and Wisdom Books , the books of Prophecy , the Gospels , and the Epistles .

Originally, the Holy Scriptures were written on scrolls of papyrus and later parchment, until the invention of the codex. A codex is a handwritten manuscript formatted like a modern book, with pages bound together at the spine within a hardcover.

The Inspired Word of God

Christians and Jews have been called "people of the Book" throughout history. Both Judaism and Christianity are based on the Bible. A key doctrine of Christianity is the Inerrancy of Scripture, meaning the Bible in its original, handwritten state is without error. Since the Bible contains the word of a wholly truthful God, all of its teachings are true.

The Bible itself claims to be the inspired Word of God , or "God-breathed:"

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ( NLT )

2 Peter 1:16–21 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (NLT)

The Bible unfolds as a divine love story between the Creator God and the object of his love, humankind. In the pages of the Bible, we learn of God's interaction with humans. We discover his purposes and plans from the beginning of time and throughout history.

The Canon and Apocrypha

The word canon means "a rule" or "standard for measurement." The Canon of Scripture refers to the list of books that officially measured up to the standard, and, therefore, were worthy of inclusion. Only the canonical books are considered the " divinely inspired " authoritative Word of God, and, thus, rightfully belong in the Bible.

Both Jews and early church fathers agreed on 39 divinely inspired books as comprising the Old Testament Canon of Scripture. Augustine (400 A.D.), however, included the books of the Apocrypha. A large portion of the Apocrypha was officially recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as part of the biblical Canon at the Council of Trent in A.D. 1546. Today, Coptic , Greek, and Russian Orthodox churches also accept these books. The word Apocrypha means "hidden." The books of the Apocrypha are not considered authoritative in Judaism and Protestant Christian churches.

The Story of Salvation

The central message or theme of the Bible is God's plan of salvation —his way of providing deliverance from sin and spiritual death through repentance and faith . In the Old Testament, the concept of salvation is rooted in Israel's deliverance from Egypt in the book of Exodus .

The New Testament reveals the source of salvation: Jesus Christ . By faith in Jesus, the promised Messiah, believers are saved from God's judgment of sin and its consequence, which is eternal death.

In the Bible, God reveals himself to humankind. We discover his nature and character, his love, his justice, his forgiveness, and his truth. Many have called the Bible a guidebook for living the Christian faith . Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (NIV)

History of the Bible

On so many levels, the Bible is an extraordinary book, from its diverse content and literary styles to its miraculous preservation down through the ages. While the Bible is certainly not the oldest book in history, it is the only ancient text with existing manuscripts that number in the thousands.

In ancient days, the authors of the Bible recorded its messages with whatever resources were available at the time. The Scriptures themselves reveal some of the materials used: engravings in clay, inscriptions on tablets of stone , ink and papyrus, vellum, parchment, leather, and metals.

For a long period in the history of the Bible , common men and women were forbidden access to the Scriptures and their life-transforming truths. The first full copy of the Bible was completed in the Greek language around A.D. 312. It was called the Codex Vaticanus, as it was kept in the Vatican library. By 405 A.D., Jerome had translated both Old and New Testaments into Latin, which the Catholic church made the official language of the Bible in A.D. 600. It wasn't until the 16th century that the entire Bible was translated into English.

Today the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, with billions of copies distributed throughout the world in more than 2,400 languages.

• Introduction to the Catholic Religion: Beliefs, Practices, and History
• The 66 Books of the Bible
• The Bible Timeline
• What Is the Apocrypha?
• What Was the Original Language of the Bible?
• What Is the Septuagint (LXX)?
• An Introduction to the New Testament
• Book of Romans
• Pope Francis: 'The Word of God Precedes the Bible and Surpasses It'
• Eros: Romantic Love in the Bible
• William Tyndale Biography
• Introduction to the Book of Matthew
• The Plan of Salvation in the Bible
• African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) Beliefs and Practices
• 7 Easy Ways to Get a Free Bible
• The Importance of Repetition in the Bible

Summary and History of the Bible

A quick overview of the Bible including history and synopsis of the Old Testament and New Testament plus a list of the books of the Bible

What is the Bible?

The old testament, the new testament, unity of the bible, bible interpretation, bible translations, books of the old testament, books of the new testament.

The Bible is the sacred Book, or collection of books, accepted by the Christian Church as uniquely inspired by God, and thus authoritative, providing guidelines for belief and behavior. 1

Many verses throughout the Bible attest to its divine origin ( Genesis 6:9-13 , Exodus 20:1-17 , 2 Timothy 3:16 , 2 Peter 1:20-21 , Revelation 1:1-2 , etc.) But the Bible was not simply dictated word-for-word by God; it is also the work of its many different human authors. The different writing skills, writing styles, personalities, world views, and cultural backgrounds of the human authors can be seen in their works. Many of the New Testament books were originally written as letters rather than as Scripture. Some Bible writings include the authors' own research and recollection of historical events ( Luke 1:1-4 ) and their own opinions ( 1 Corinthians 7:12 ).

There was no "official" list of accepted books of Jewish scripture until around 100 A.D. when Jewish rabbis revised their Scripture and established an official canon of Judaism, rejecting some books not found in Hebrew versions of the Scripture. This revision accounts for the fact that Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians use slightly different versions of the Old Testament.

Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, was born a Jew and practiced Judaism all His earthly life. Christianity began as a sect of Judaism and only emerged as a separate religion after large numbers of Gentiles had been converted. The Jewish Scripture had predicted the coming of a savior, the Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled that role. So it is natural that Christians would retain the Jewish Scripture as part of their Bible.

For more details: What is the difference between Protestant and Catholic Bibles?

In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Old Testament lists many other laws about circumcision, dietary restrictions, blood sacrifices, Sabbath observance, tithing, social welfare, crimes, social behavior, armies, qualifications of leaders, etc. These laws regulated almost every aspect of Hebrew life.

God intended for the Israelites to live according to His commandments and to show the truth of God to all the world ( Genesis 12:1-3 ). However, time and again, the Israelites lost sight of their mission and lapsed into idolatry, sin or narrow-minded nationalism. On these occasions, God called prophets, such as Elijah, Samuel, Jonah, Isaiah and many others, to lead them back to the right path. The Old Testament writings make no attempt to hide the fact that the Israelites and their leaders had many failings and flaws. Yet, through these flawed people, God was able to accomplish His purposes in the world.

The later Hebrew prophets foresaw the coming of a Messiah (meaning "anointed one"), a king who would usher in a golden era of peace and prosperity. More than any other nation, the Israelites looked to the future, to the coming of the Messiah, and to the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make of his descendants a great nation.

For more details: The Ten Commandments , Abraham

The collection of books we know as the New Testament emerged in the late second century, A.D. The church leaders accepted books they believed were based on eyewitness accounts of the events narrated, while rejecting many other early Christian writings. Eventually, the 27 books which form the present New Testament, along with the Old Testament books, became the Christian Bible as we know it today. The New Testament canon was formally adopted by the Synod of Carthage in 397 A.D.

Jesus traveled from town to town, healing the sick and preaching about the coming kingdom of God. He taught that God's kingdom is a spiritual kingdom that is now growing among the faithful, and it will find its fulfillment in the eventual sovereign rule of God and defeat of all evil. Jesus said He will come again someday to bring God's kingdom to fulfillment. He promised a wonderful eternal life after death for those who put their trust in God and obey His commandments.

Many of the Jews had expected the Messiah to be a great political and military leader who would defeat Israel's enemies, but Jesus saw His kingdom as spiritual rather than worldly. He taught the way to victory is not through force and violence, but through love, humility, and service to mankind. Jesus was not the type of "Messiah" the Jews had expected, and many of them rejected Jesus and His teachings.

The religious establishment of Israel saw Jesus as a threat. His claims of divine authority and His refusal to follow some of their religious rules were usurping their authority over the people. This conflict ultimately led to Jesus' execution by crucifixion only three years after He had begun His ministry.

Three days after His death, Jesus' body was discovered missing from the tomb, and over the next 40 days Many people saw Him alive again, and He talked with His disciples. At the end of 40 days, He ascended to heaven, returning to God, His Father.

Jesus' miraculous resurrection convinced many people that He truly was the Christ and their personal savior as well. Christianity was born, and Jesus' former disciples became its leaders. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as the Son of God, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, and as the means of our personal salvation from the power of sin and death.

Jesus taught that love of God and love of other people are the two "Greatest Commandments" that should totally guide our lives. He taught obedience to God and love for all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and even for enemies! Jesus did not abolish the moral and ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He affirmed and expanded upon those principles, but He said obedience must be from the heart (attitudes and intentions) rather than just technical observance of the letter of the law. Jesus and His apostles gave us a radically new understanding of the true intent of the Old Testament Law; they brought a new era of the rule of love for all people and spiritual truth instead of rule by law.

The young Christian communities suffered much persecution from the Jewish religious establishment and from the Roman Empire. Saul, a member of the Jewish religious establishment, was one of the fiercest persecutors of Christians. One day, while on the road to Damascus, Saul saw a blinding light and Jesus spoke to him saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" As a result of this overwhelming experience, Saul had a complete change of heart. Now known as Paul, he became a zealous Christian missionary and extended Christianity outside Judaism, founding many Christian communities in the Gentile world.

Paul wrote many letters to the people of the churches he had founded. He explained his beliefs about Jesus, instructed them in proper modes of worship, and sometimes chastised them for moral lapses. He taught that the way to salvation and eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ and high moral standards, not through obedience to the Old Testament Law. Many of Paul's letters have become part of the New Testament. Through these letters we know Paul as the most energetic and influential interpreter of Jesus' life and teachings.

The Jews of that time believed that holiness could be achieved by obeying about 600 rules derived from the Old Testament Law. But the Gentile Christians did not share that tradition and disputes arose about whether or not it was necessary to follow those rules.  Christian leaders, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, decided that the ceremonial and legal aspects of the Old Testament Law - circumcision, dietary restrictions, blood sacrifices, Sabbath observance and many other rules - are not binding on Christians ( Acts 15:1-5 , 22-29 ).

For more details: The Birth of Jesus , Jesus' Sermon on the Mount , The Greatest Commandment and the Parable of the Good Samaritan , What Does the Bible Say About the Old Testament Law? , Good Friday - The Crucifixion of Jesus , Easter - The Resurrection of Jesus , What does the Bible Say about Love? , What Does the Bible Say about Eternal Life and the Resurrection of the Body? , What Does the Bible Say about Salvation? .

Despite the diversity of the Bible books and their separation in time, there are several unifying themes that run through both the Old and New Testaments:

• There is only one true God. He created all that is the universe and takes an active, ongoing and loving role in its maintenance.
• God loves His people of all races, nationalities and religions, and seeks their love in return.
• God created men and women with the power to choose between good and evil. We are called to do good by serving God and respecting our fellow human beings of the world. Evil is a constant temptation that we must do our best to resist.
• God seeks the salvation of all people, individually and collectively, from the power of sin and evil. God has intervened directly in human affairs and has also sent the prophets and, finally, His Son Jesus, the Messiah or Christ, to help us with that salvation.

The Bible never tells the details of exactly how God inspired the human authors of the Bible, and this has led to much debate and differences of opinion about interpretation.

Traditional Interpretation Throughout most of the Christian era, Bible reading and Bible interpretation were confined to religious professionals. Until the fifteenth century, the Bible was available only in Latin. Even when the Bible was translated into other languages, the scarcity and high cost of Bibles kept them out of the hands of ordinary people. During this era, the Bible was interpreted according to church beliefs and traditions. There was little or no attempt made to determine the original meanings of the Scripture. Difficult passages "were interpreted as having a figurative meaning, so that they convey, through a kind of code, deeper truths about God, the spiritual life, or the church. 2 "

Fundamentalism Scientific discoveries, beginning in the seventeenth century, seemed to contradict some parts of the Bible. Galileo's study of the universe, Darwin's theories about evolution of species and fossil evidence of the age of the earth were particularly troubling. At the same time, the Bible was often being studied and critiqued as ordinary literature rather than as the Word of God. Some Christians felt their faith was threatened by these apparent challenges to the authority of the Bible. In reaction, the fundamentalist movement asserted the inerrancy of Scripture: Everything in the Bible must be absolutely, literally, scientifically and historically true. Anything less would be unworthy of God. Any apparent conflict between the Bible and another source (science, history, etc.) should be resolved in favor of the Bible because of its divine origin.

Modern Interpretation The mainstream of Bible interpretation today is based on hermeneutics [her meh NEWT icks], the science and art of Bible interpretation. Hermeneutics attempts to determine what message the author intended to convey and how it would have been understood in its original historical and cultural setting. This involves a lot of specialized knowledge of the original Bible languages, literary styles and figures of speech, as well as the history, culture, and current events and issues of the time and place where it was written. Rather than forcing Bible interpretation to fit into a particular theological framework, such as church doctrine or strict literalism, hermeneutics attempts to draw out the true meaning as it was originally intended. Once we know what a Bible passage originally meant, we can prayerfully apply that knowledge to our lives in the modern world.

For more details: How to Study the Bible , Should the Bible be interpreted literally?

During the first centuries A.D., Latin replaced Greek as the language of the Roman Empire. In 405 a Latin translation of the Old and New Testaments was completed. This version, known as the Vulgate, became the standard Bible of Christianity for many centuries. The first English version of the full Bible was John Wycliffe's translation of the Vulgate in 1384. Several other English versions followed, and the beloved King James Version was published in 1611.

None of the original manuscripts of the Old Testament or New Testament are known to exist; the best available sources are hand-made copies of copies. However, developments in archaeology and Biblical scholarship have made possible a number of modern, more accurate English translations of the scriptures. These newer versions are translated from the best available ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, rather than from the King James Version or the Latin Vulgate.

For more details: Bible Translations , Which Bible version is best?

1 R. F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison & Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary , "Bible," Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN, 1995. 2 James L. Mays, ed., Harper's Bible Commentary , Harper, 1988, pp. 8-9.

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By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 23, 2019 | Original: January 19, 2018

The Bible is the holy scripture of the Christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the Earth from its earliest creation to the spread of Christianity in the first century A.D. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament have undergone changes over the centuries, including the the publication of the King James Bible in 1611 and the addition of several books that were discovered later.

Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first section of the Bible, covering the creation of Earth through Noah and the flood, Moses and more, finishing with the Jews being expelled to Babylon .

The Bible’s Old Testament is very similar to the Hebrew Bible, which has origins in the ancient religion of Judaism . The exact beginnings of the Jewish religion are unknown, but the first known mention of Israel is an Egyptian inscription from the 13th century B.C.

The earliest known mention of the Jewish god Yahweh is in an inscription relating to the King of Moab in the 9th century B.C. It is speculated that Yahweh was possibly adapted from the mountain god Yhw in ancient Seir or Edom.

It was during the reign of Hezekiah of Judah in the 8th century B.C. that historians believe what would become the Old Testament began to take form, the result of royal scribes recording royal history and heroic legends.

During the reign of Josiah in the 6th century B.C., the books of Deuteronomy and Judges were compiled and added. The final form of the Hebrew Bible developed over the next 200 years when Judah was swallowed up by the expanding Persian Empire .

Following conquest by Alexander the Great , the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the 3rd century B.C.

Known as the Septuagint, this Greek translation was initiated at the request of King Ptolemy of Egypt to be included in the library of Alexandria. The Septuagint was the version of the Bible used by early Christians in Rome.

HISTORY Vault: Jesus: His Life

The Book of Daniel was written during this period and included in the Septuagint at the last moment, though the text itself claims to have been written sometime around 586 B.C.

New Testament

The New Testament tells the story of the life of Jesus and the early days of Christianity , most notably Paul’s efforts to spread Jesus’ teaching. It collects 27 books, all originally written in Greek.

The sections of the New Testament concerning Jesus are called the Gospels and were written about 40 years after the earliest written Christian materials, the letters of Paul, known as the Epistles.

Paul’s letters were distributed by churches sometime around 50 A.D., possibly just before Paul’s death. Scribes copied the letters and kept them in circulation. As circulation continued, the letters were collected into books.

Some in the church, inspired by Paul, began to write and circulate their own letters, and so historians believe that some books of the New Testament attributed to Paul were in fact written by disciples and imitators.

As Paul’s words were circulated, an oral tradition began in churches telling stories about Jesus, including teachings and accounts of post-resurrection appearances. Sections of the New Testament attributed to Paul talk about Jesus with a firsthand feeling, but Paul never knew Jesus except in visions he had, and the Gospels were not yet written at the time of Paul’s letters.

The Gospels

The oral traditions within the church formed the substance of the Gospels, the earliest book of which is Mark, written around 70 A.D., 40 years after the death of Jesus.

It is theorized there may have been an original document of sayings by Jesus known as the Q source, which was adapted into the narratives of the Gospels. All four Gospels were published anonymously, but historians believe that the books were given the name of Jesus’ disciples to provide direct links to Jesus to lend them greater authority.

Matthew and Luke were next in the chronology. Both used Mark as a reference, but Matthew is considered to have another separate source, known as the M source, as it contains some different material from Mark. Both books also stress the proof of Jesus’ divinity more than Mark did.

The Book of John, written around 100 A.D., was the final of the four and has a reputation for hostility to Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries.

All four books cover the life of Jesus with many similarities, but sometimes contradictions in their portrayals. Each is considered to have its own political and religious agenda linked to authorship.

For instance, the books of Matthew and Luke present different accounts of Jesus’ birth, and all contradict each other about the resurrection.

Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the Bible, an example of apocalyptic literature that predicts a final celestial war through prophecy. Authorship is ascribed to John, but little else is known about the writer.

According to the text, it was written around 95 A.D. on an island off the coast of Turkey. Some scholars believe it is less a prophecy and more a response to the Roman destruction of the Great Temple and Jerusalem .

This text is still used by Evangelical Christians to interpret current events in expectation of the End Times, and elements of it find frequent use in popular entertainment.

Biblical Canon

Surviving documents from the 4th century show that different councils within the church released lists to guide how various Christian texts should be treated.

The earliest known attempt to create a canon in the same respect as the New Testament was in 2nd century Rome by Marcion, a Turkish businessman and church leader.

Marcion’s work focused on the Gospel of Luke and the letters of Paul. Disapproving of the effort, the Roman church expelled Marcion.

Second-century Syrian writer Tatian attempted to create a canon by weaving the four gospels together as the Diatessaron.

The Muratorian Canon, which is believed to date to 200 A.D., is the earliest compilation of canonical texts resembling the New Testament.

It was not until the 5th century that all the different Christian churches came to a basic agreement on Biblical canon. The books that eventually were considered canon reflect the times they were embraced as much the times of the events they portray.

During the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, books not originally written in Hebrew but Greek, such as Judith and Maccabees, were excluded from the Old Testament. These are known the Apocrypha and are still included in the Catholic Bible.

Gnostic Gospels

Additional Biblical texts have been discovered, such as the Gospel of Mary, which was part of the larger Berlin Gnostic Codex found in Egypt in 1896.

Fifty further unused Biblical texts were discovered in Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945, known as the Gnostic Gospels.

Among the Gnostic Gospels were the Gospel of Thomas—which purports to be previously hidden sayings by Jesus presented in collaboration with his twin brother—and The Gospel of Philip, which implies a marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene . The original texts are believed to date back to around 120 A.D.

The Book of Judas was found in Egypt in the 1970s. Dated to around 280 A.D., it is believed by some to contain secret conversations between Jesus and his betrayer Judas.

These have never become part of the official Biblical canon, but stem from the same traditions and can be read as alternative views of the same stories and lessons. These texts are taken as indications of the diversity of early Christianity.

King James Bible

The King James Bible is possibly the most widely-known edition of the Bible, though in England it is known as the “Authorized Version.”

First printed in 1611, this edition of the Bible was commissioned in 1604 by King James I after feeling political pressure from Puritans and Calvinists demanding church reform and calling for a complete restructuring of church hierarchy.

In response, James called for a conference at Hampton Court Palace, during which it was suggested to him that there should be a new translation of the Bible since versions commissioned by earlier monarchs were felt to be corrupt.

King James eventually agreed and decreed the new translation should speak in contemporary language, using common, recognizable terms. James’ purpose was to unite the warring religious factions through a uniform holy text.

This version of the Bible was not altered for 250 years and is credited as one of the biggest influences on the English language, alongside the works of Shakespeare. The King James Bible introduced a multitude of words and phrases now common in the English language, including “eye for an eye,” “bottomless pit,” “two-edged sword,” “God forbid,” “scapegoat” and “turned the world upside down,” among many others.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible. John Rogerson, ed . The Book: A History of the Bible. Christopher De Hamel . New Testament History and Literature. Dale B. Martin . The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels . From Jesus To Christ. Frontline.

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How to Write a Research Paper on a Biblical Book

Writing a paper on the theology of a biblical book is one of the best ways to internalize that book’s message. Not only will it require familiarizing yourself with the entire book, but you’ll also synthesize how the parts relate to the whole as you seek to explain the book’s theology and message.

There are six main steps to researching and writing a paper on the theology of a biblical book:

• Study the book’s background

Outline the book

Identify and study key verses.

• Examine its relation to the rest of the Bible
• Research outside commentary
• Report on your findings

Study the book’s background

Before beginning to study any book of the Bible, it’s critical that you understand the proper context of the book—it’s genre, when it was written and by whom, and more. Doing so provides us some knowledge of the culture and history the book was written in—and helps ensure correct biblical interpretation. As biblical scholar Craig Keener says, “Context is the way God gave us the Bible.”

Click each topic below to learn more about each.

Is it a letter? Narrative? Poetry? Each genre has its own rules for interpretation—for example, poetry is not to be taken literally, but the narrative is. Knowing a book’s genre helps you to properly approach it.

Who writes a letter or book reveals a lot about the book. Not only does that person’s history inform their words but so does their relationship with the people they are writing to. For example, the fact that Paul mentored Timothy in the faith gives his letters to Timothy a certain tenderness and intimacy.

Likewise, the audience of a book helps us understand it. For example, we learn through biblical archaeology and internal clues from 1 and 2 Corinthians that sexual immorality ran rampant in Corinth and among its Christians. With that background, we can understand more of what Paul says in those letters.

Knowing the date (or approximate date) a book of the Bible was written helps to place it in its correct historical context. For example, the Israelites were exiled from Israel to Babylon in 586 BC. Books of the Bible written shortly before or after this exile illuminate the events and activities that relate to Israel’s exile in a much more profound way.

Similar to date and audience, location completes part of the puzzle of context. It can also help us better appreciate certain details. For example, the Psalms mention the desert often because many of David’s trials happened there. Being able to picture the actual deserts in and around Jerusalem takes us further into the text.

Lastly, most books in the Bible are written for a specific purpose. For example, Luke was written that Theophilus might have more confidence concerning reports he was hearing about Jesus (Luke 1:3–4). When authors don’t state the book’s purpose, we can use the above contextual clues to infer it.

Helpful resources

Basically, every commentary will cover all of these items and more in their introductions, sometimes in great detail. You can also find this sort of information in study Bibles, dictionaries, and monographs (single books) about Bible backgrounds.

Here are just a few to get you started.

Lexham Bible Dictionary (free)

You can find a fairly thorough overview of every book of the Bible in this dictionary, including the above elements of background.

Explore the Lexham Bible Dictionary .

Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels

Written by a team of scholars with on-the-ground experience in Israel, the Lexham Geographic Commentary lets you see the land through the eyes of the disciples as Jesus uses the surrounding landscape as the backdrop for his teaching. Each article addresses a particular story, event, or subject across the Gospels. (Acts–Revelation forthcoming.)

Explore the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels .

Bible Background Commentary (IVP)

This unique commentary provides, in verse-by-verse format, the crucial cultural background you need for responsible Bible study.

Explore the Bible Background Commentary .

See more ways Logos can help you dive deep into the background of a book of the Bible.

Structure is a vehicle for meaning. Outlining a book is an exercise in identifying structure, which reveals a book’s flow of thought.

Generally, the following are clues for identifying structure. It’s best if you do this work yourself before consulting commentaries to see how others have outlined books.

• Conjunctions  — Particularly in epistles, words like “now,” “so,” “but,” and “therefore” reveal shifts in thought, either subtle or dramatic. For example, Romans 12:1 begins with “Therefore,” and from there Paul gets more “practical,” which leads most scholars to agree that chapter 12 marks a major shift in the letter.
• Mood  — We’re not talking about emotional moods (although that could be), but verb moods. A shift from indicative (“God is…”) to imperative (“We must…”) indicates a new section, as just described in Romans 12.
• Characters  — Especially in narrative, you can trace structure along with the focus on characters. For example, you could divide Genesis by the different patriarchs it follows, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, and so forth. Or in Acts, the focus shifts from Peter to Paul in chapter 13.
• Topic or theme  — Often, a book’s movement between subjects is its primary structure. For example, the book of James moves between topics like faith, wisdom, and the tongue. Focus on repeated words to spot important themes and topics.
• Audience  — Particularly helpful in prophetic literature, you can trace a book’s structure by who is being addressed. For example, many divide Isaiah based on who is receiving judgment–Judah and Israel in chapters 1–39, and then other nations in 40 and beyond.
• Geography  — Again, more of a structural clue for narrative, sometimes a book is structured by what’s happening where. For example, the Gospels record Jesus’ ministry as it moves from Galilee toward Jerusalem. Or the book of Acts, as the gospel message moves from Jerusalem outward.

Overview of Ecclesiastes

Here is an example of an outline of Ecclesiastes. The Bible Project has many such videos, which will help you learn (among many things) how to spot structure.

Tools for outlining the Bible

Bible outline browser.

This tool brings together all of the Bible outlines across your Logos library and lets you intuitively search through them all. Explore popular ways of breaking up and interpreting the text, and quickly find the outline you think is best.

Explore the Bible Outline Browser

Commentaries

Commentaries are among the best tools to consult for determining outlines. Browse the best commentaries on every book of the Bible to find reputable insights.

Browse the best commentaries

Faithlife Study Bible

For a quick check, you can always consult study Bibles. The Faithlife Study Bible is a free digital study Bible that discusses, among other things, the structure of every book of the Bible.

Get the Faithlife Study Bible

The Outline Bible

In this work, each major outline level uses a literary device—such as alliteration, rhyme, etc.,—to help the point stick in your mind and heart, and the unique formatting for each level helps you easily recognize it on the page. At the head of each outline is a brief summary of the information covered under that outline. References have been provided at almost every level so that the reader can easily and instantly recognize all the verses covered under that point.

Explore the Outline Bible

After you finish outlining a book of the Bible, you probably have an intuitive sense of its key passage(s). A book’s key passages are those that most densely back in its theology or communicate its purpose. For example, Romans 1:16 is widely regarded as the key verse of Romans, since it contains so many themes unpacked in the book.

Here’s are a few things to pay attention to when trying to discern a key passage:

• Statement of purpose  — When a book states plainly why it was written (e.g, Luke 1:3–4; John 20:31), you know these are key verses.
• The most important themes  — As with the Romans example above, you can determine a key verse/verses by whether it mentions many of the themes treated in the rest of the book. In this sense, the passage is sort of the “nucleus” of the book. This is how most key passages are determined. (Note: “key passages” are in no way inspired or intended by the author of the book; they are simply helpful for linking the theme(s) of a book to a particular passage.)
• Unique themes to the Bible  — Another way of identifying a key passage is if it mentions something that makes the book unique from other books of the Bible. For example, 1 John talks about love and truth and darkness and light more than most books, so a key passage might be 1 John 2:7–10.

Tools for discerning key passages

While this task is somewhat subjective, your best bet is to consult the introduction of a commentary on your book. Typically you’ll find information about key passages under headings like Theme, Message, or Theology.

Again, consult the most reputable commentaries for trustworthy insights.

Browse the best commentaries .

The Bible Project

Again, the Bible Project’s overview videos are often helpful here. Many of them will note important passages that seem to package the book.

Explore the Bible Project .

Examine a book’s relationship to the rest of the Bible

This is not a long step, but it is an important one. No book of the Bible is an island—the Bible holds together in a unique way, and every book is important.

So before you land on a theology of your book, ask: “What does this book uniquely contribute to the story and/or theology of the Bible?” For example, Genesis lays a foundation, introducing the covenants that run literally through the entire Bible (and are fulfilled in Jesus). Proverbs, on the other hand, has no narrative movement but is an extended reflection on the moral fabric of the Torah. And then the Epistles of the New Testament take you into the early church as believers learned how to live together in the new covenant.

Questions you might ask on your way to discovery are:

• Why is this book included here? How is it continuing the story?
• What other books of the Bible does this book relate to? For example, Lamentations corresponds to the exile of Judah (2 Kings 25; Jer 52).
• What book has theology like mine? For example, John and 1 John, written by the same apostle, have many similar themes. The same is true of 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
• What hole would exist in our theology or story without this book?
• For New Testament books, ask how it relates to the Old. Does it quote or allude to the Old, and in what ways? For Old Testament books, how does it foreshadow the New Testament? Draw lines between the testaments.

Again, commentaries and good study Bibles will tip you off to these connections, but you might also consult a resource about how parts of the Bible relate to each other.

Resources on the cohesion of Scripture

The Story of the Bible

This is the second in a short, helpful series by the Bible Project about the nature of the Bible.

Explore the rest of this Bible Project series.

The Bible Timeline

This is a longer video that covers similar material as the one above. It also has an accompanying blog post.

Read the post accompanying the video.

The Promise-Plan of God

In this book, Walter Kaiser Jr. works chronologically through the books of both testaments to demonstrate how God’s main promise is seen throughout, how the various sub-themes of each book relate to the promise, and how God’s plan to fulfill the promise progressively unfolds.

Explore The Promise-Plan of God.

Learn more about all 66 books of the Bible.

Read more about the book.

After you’ve outlined the book and searched it for key passages, you are ready to delve more deeply into it. You probably won’t have enough time to do an exegetical study of the entire book, so turn to resources that highlight what’s most important about your book.

These include:

• Dictionaries  — Bible dictionaries are a great place to start, as the best of them know what is important to discuss about each book, especially areas of debate. You’ll also find helpful bibliographies in dictionaries, which will point you to other resources—like monographs.
• Commentaries  — Like dictionaries, commentaries provide helpful (and sometimes in-depth) overviews of your book. A critical commentary is especially helpful here, as they are known to interact with the most scholarly material and present the greatest detailed analysis. You might start with a non-critical commentary first, and then move on to a critical one if you don’t find a substantive enough treatment.
• Monographs  — “Monographs” is a fancy word for a single book, one that’s focused on a particular topic. For example, when preparing a paper on the book of Romans, you’ll probably come across the New Perspective on Paul. There are plenty of monographs (books) on this topic you may refer to for further reading, as time allows.
• Journal articles  — Even more than monographs, journal articles focus on particular topics, often areas of debate. You can use Atla, a religious studies database, for deeper research on topics within your book.

Pay attention to what these resources say about the  theology  of the book as well as important  debates concerning the book . These are the primary focuses of your paper. Essentially, you want to show your professor (and for your own learning) that you are well versed not only in the book itself but the conversations surrounding the book. Of course, if your professor asks you to answer certain questions or present certain information, focus your research on those matters.

Resources for further study on books of the Bible

Logos bible software.

Logos is a system for digital theological research. There are numerous guides that instantly load the most relevant information from across your library, as well as intuitive manual searching across your whole library. For example, you can search a certain topic (e.g. New Perspective on Paul) by resource type (e.g. Monographs) to quickly narrow your search results.

The Atla Religion Database

The Atla Religion Database is an index of academic journal articles in the area of religion. It is updated monthly and published by the American Theological Library Association. The database indexes articles, essays, and book reviews related to a wide range of scholarly fields related to religion.

Explore Atla

Report on your findings: start writing

Finally, it’s time to report on all your findings. If you’re new to theological writing, read this entire article. If you’re familiar with it and just need a brush-up, consult the top of the page to find the part of the writing process you need help with.

Generally speaking, though, you’ll report on the following:

• The background of the book
• The outline of the book
• A summary of the book’s main message
• Scholarly debates surrounding the book
• Your own opinions on those debates
• How the book applies to modern readers

You’re done!

Congratulations! By the end of the process, you’ll almost be an expert on a biblical book. And not only that, you’ve gained skills for comprehension, synthesizing information, and conducting scholarly research. Now, why not turn and teach what you’ve learned to others?

See how Logos Bible Software can help you study any book of the Bible better.

Logos Staff

Logos is the largest developer of tools that empower Christians to go deeper in the Bible.

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Using the Bible in Academic Writing

• Post author By Collin Kavanaugh
• Post date March 26, 2021
• 1 Comment on Using the Bible in Academic Writing

This post was co-authored by Collin Kavanaugh, Abby Long, and Monica Colón.

A common misconception about writing in a Christian academic setting (such as Wheaton) is that you’re expected to reference the Bible in all of your writing assignments. While it’s effective to incorporate in some genres of writing, scripture isn’t appropriate evidence for every scholarly writing occasion.

This post will help you identify when to use biblical references and how to do so persuasively for your genre and audience.

Identify Your Rhetorical Purpose

Before you decide whether or not scripture is an appropriate source for your assignment, determine your rhetorical purpose for writing. Is it to reflect on your personal experiences? Make an ethical claim? Advance an historical interpretation? Explicate scripture? Further a scientific hypothesis? Conduct a literary analysis? Evaluate a social policy?

Referencing scripture may or may not be an effective persuasive strategy for your purpose. Next, consider your intended audience.

Identify Your Audience

When writing for a general academic audience, you can’t assume that your readers will share your religious beliefs. Therefore, the Bible may not be considered an undeniable source of information. Appeals to the Bible’s moral, ethical, or historical authority may be unconvincing to many in a general academic audience. 

While scripture may not serve as persuasive evidence for a general audience, biblical allusions can be appropriate in some cases. However, when writing to a wider audience, consider whether the biblical reference is well-known or more obscure. If the allusion is unfamiliar to most readers, contextualize it with a brief explanation to make sure your audience knows what you are referencing and why you are making that particular reference.

If you are writing for a more narrow audience with a shared belief in scriptural authority, such as a Wheaton College professor or your classmates, it may be appropriate to reference the Bible, depending on the genre of your piece. 

Identify Your Genre Norms

Genres within different academic disciplines, such as the sciences, humanities, and biblical studies, all call for different ways of interacting with scripture. Having a firm sense of your genre  will guide your use of the Bible in a particular paper. Outside of exegetical and applied biblical studies, the Bible is generally not seen as a persuasive source of authority for academic arguments. 

Academic research papers. When writing a scholarly research paper, avoid using the Bible as evidence for an empirical argument. One notable exception is when your argument centers on analysis of the practices, behaviors, or policies of the church or a group of Christians. The key here is to illustrate how a particular theological interpretation of a specific passage, theme, or doctrine has functioned historically to shape the pattern you are analyzing. In this case, you can reference a biblical passage followed by your analysis of the way it has been interpreted and enacted by the group in question.

Scientific writing. As the Rev. Canon Emily McGowin, Ph.D. notes, “In the hard and soft sciences, it’s not appropriate to use the Bible to support one’s theses because the audience, not to mention the broader field of inquiry, doesn’t generally recognize scripture as an authoritative source.”   

Literary analysis. When you notice a biblical allusion in a literary text, you can use it as evidence to support your interpretation of the work. You can also use close reading methods on the Bible as literature itself—though if you’re not familiar with Greek and Hebrew, it’s wise to stay at the narrative level and avoid making claims about the diction and syntax. However, you can examine the linguistic effect of different translation choices in the languages you speak.

Biblical exegesis. When writing an exegetical paper, it is, of course, appropriate to reference the Bible extensively. Carefully select a passage and, if appropriate, conduct an analysis of the word choice, grammar, and syntax in the original language. Be sure to consider the literary and historical contexts of the selected passage. Finally, explore applications of the text. To get started, visit this library subject guide or check out Elements of Biblical Exegesis by Michael Gorman.

Reflective writing. In many general education classes at Wheaton, your professor may assign a personal theological reflection, either as a stand-alone piece or as a section of another assignment. In these cases, you can bring in biblical anecdotes, verses, or concepts that you find meaningful and explain their personal significance. Still, you’ll want to avoid making overly complex or prescriptive claims if you haven’t done much interpretive work on the passage in question.

Guidelines for Using the Bible in Your Writing

If using the Bible is appropriate for your rhetorical purpose, audience, and genre, consider these tips. 

Avoid “prooftexting.” Prooftexting is when you take a verse or phrase from the Bible completely out of context to support your point, and it is generally considered a misuse of scripture. While it can be tempting to simply drop in a Bible verse, it is important to carefully consider the context, meaning, and purpose of the verse so you do not undermine your integrity through misapplications of scripture. 

Justify your use of scripture. When writing for a general academic audience, the Rev. Dr. McGowin points out that “you’re going to need to explain and make a case for why the Bible is relevant to the subject in question. Also, you’re going to have to give more contextual information for the scriptural reference.”

Dive into commentaries. If your argument rests on an interpretation of scripture, it is essential that you explore the ways the passage has been interpreted in a variety of historical and cultural contexts. Look to biblical commentaries to learn more about the history of the passage in question.

Cite the Bible correctly. Most citation guides have specific rules for citing sacred texts such as the Bible. Look up the manual for your particular citation style for specific guidance about abbreviations, in-text citations, reference page entries, and/or footnotes. (Note: The Writing Center is working on an online resource for this, and we will link it here when it’s live.) If you are unsure about your recommended citation style, check with your professor or academic department. Finally, feel free to make an appointment at the Writing Center to get assistance!

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• Research and Course Guides
• Citing Theological Sources: How to do a Bibliography
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Citing Theological Sources: How to do a Bibliography: Bible & Bible Reference Sources

• General Citations: Books, Articles, Websites, etc.
• Church Documents
• Aquinas' SUMMA
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Writing Theology Well

How to Cite the Bible

Gen 12:27 ( NJPS ) or Gen 12:27 ( NJB ); Rom 5:12-21 ( NRSV ) or Rom 5:12-21 ( KJV ).

Or, in an in-text citation:  (Rom 5:12-21 NRSV ) or (Gen 12:27 NJPS )  

Use the abbreviation for the English version you are using.  NJPS for New Jewish Publication Society , NAB for New American Bible , NJB for the New Jerusalem Bible , etc. 

If you will use the same version throughout, you can include a footnote or endnote to that effect the first time you use a biblical citation.

If you are quoting biblical verses that are the same in many versions of the Bible, you do not need to cite the Jewish Study Bible or the New Oxford Annotated or the HarperCollins Study Bible in the in-text citation.

If a biblical book is the first word in a sentence, do not abbreviate it.  Example:  "We see this in Rom 5:12 ( NRSV )..."   But when it comes first in the sentence:  "Romans 5:12 shows us this...."

The Bible - Using MLA

It is advisable simply to cite by chapter/verses with Scripture abbreviation, chapter/verse placed parenthetically in your text. Do not use an endnote. In the bibliography, list the version/translation of the Bible as given on the title page, making sure the version/translation is indicated even if not actually given on the title page proper. You can add it on your own. When citing more than one Bible version in your paper, consult your instructor.  

Follow Bible book title abbreviations as in MLA or as recommended by your instructor 

Within the text of your paper:

(Gen 22:10) (1 Cor 13:5)  

In your paper's bibliography (you must indicate the version): 

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University, 1996.  

  How to Cite the Bible: MLA

General Guidelines:  Books and versions of the Bible are not underlined, italicized, or put in quotation marks.  But the titles of individual published editions of the Bible are underlined or italicized.

Example:   The King James Version of the Bible was originally published in 1611. 

Example:  The Catholic Study Bible includes an introduction to each book of the Bible.

  Parenthetical References

       • Books of the Bible are abbreviated; see the MLA Handbook for common abbreviations. Example: (Phil. 3.8) • A period, not a colon, separates chapter and verse. • When you first refer to a particular translation, include the name, a comma, and then the passage. Examples: New Jerusalem Bible , Ezek. 2.6-8 • After this, only include the scripture reference, unless you switch translations.

  *** Information taken from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , 7 th ed., 2009, sections 6.4.8, 7.7.1, and 5.6.2.

Common Abbreviations for Bible Reference Sources

Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary - JPS Torah Commentary

Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible - IDB

New Jerome Biblical Commentary - NJBC

Anchor Bible Dictionary - ABD

Harper's Bible Commentary (1988) - HBC

HarperCollins Bible Dictionary - HBD

New Interpreter's Bible - NIB

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible - EDB

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE

Abbreviations for Selected Apocryphal Works

Selected Apocryphal Works 

  1 Information taken from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed., 2009, section 7.7.1.

MLA - Citing Bible Reference Sources

How to cite encyclopedia or dictionary entries:  

To find entry authors, look at the end of the entry -- often "signed" by contributor. Cite unsigned articles by title only.

Bibliography (entry author, set editor, multi-volume):    

Klauck, Hans-Josef. "Lord's Supper." The Anchor Bible Dictionary . Ed. David Noel Freedman. Vol. 2. New York: Doubleday, 1992.  

Endnote or footnote:  

8. Hans-Josef Klauck, "Lord's Supper," The Anchor Bible Dictionary , ed. David Noel Freedman, vol. 2 (New York: Doubleday, 1992) 485.  

In-text citation:  (Klauck 485)  

Note  that quotations around entry title. From the book itself be sure to record publishing data and editor(s) from title page of the whole work. Also note that normal word order style is used for editor's name.

How to cite a Concordance:  

               (Author of Article)                Last Name, First Name. “Title of Entry.” Title of Concordance . Ed. Name of Editor, if applicable. Edition, if applicable. City of Pub.: Publisher, Year.    Medium of Publication.

               Example:

               Goodrick, Edward W., and John R. Kohlberger III.  “Mount.” The New Concordance of the Bible. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1990. Print.

*** For further information, see 5.5.7 (p. 160-61)

How to cite a Bible Commentary in a larger work:  

See Books above for series volume by individual author. In a large work like a commentary with many essays on specific books or chapters, it is often the case that individual commentaries are written by different scholars and the overall work itself has a 'general' editor.  In these cases, this general editor is NOT the author. In MLA style the editor need not be listed but, for clarity, many students add the general editor after the book title.

Bibliography:  

Option 1: Weems, Renita J. "Song of Songs." The New Interpreter's Bible . Vol. 5. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.

Option 2: Weems, Renita J. "Song of Songs." The New Interpreter's Bible . Ed. Leander E. Keck. Vol. 5. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.

(See the most current MLA Handbook for detailed full citation discussion, a list of all elements (in order), and punctuation rules, and for endnotes or footnotes, or the in-text citation option.)

How to cite an essay in a collection:    

Many items in books featuring articles that are indexed by the ATLA Religion Database are essays that are contributions to published works -- in a 'collection.'  Cite these essays as a "part" of a collected work.  Use quotation marks around the essay title.  Be sure to include all full data for the collection in which the essay appears.

Bibliography (authors, editor, multi-volume). Note abbreviations for editors, editions, and volume numbers.  

Ewbank, Michael B, and H. Aityni. "The Difference Diversity Makes." Saints, Sovereigns, and Scholars . Ed. Robert A. Herrera. Vol. 2. New York: Peter Lang, 1993.  

11. Michael B. Ewbank and H. Aityni, "The Difference Diversity Makes," Saints, Sovereigns, and Scholars , ed. Robert A. Herrera, vol. 2. (New York: Peter Lang, 1993) 13-14.. 

In-text citation (Ewbank 16-17)   

How to cite a chapter in an edited book in a multi-volume work:   (Such as the New Interpreter’s Bible .) 

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Commentary . Edition, if applicable. City of Pub.: Publisher, Year. Inclusive Page #s of chapter. Medium of Publication. Vol. # of Title of Work , Ed. Editor of Work.  # of vols. Inclusive publication dates.  

Example:   

Longenecker, Richard N.  “Acts.” John and Acts . Minneapolis: Liturgical Press, 1981. 205-573.  Print.  Vol. 9 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary . Ed. Frank E. Gæbelein. 12  vols. 1976-92.  

*** For further information, see 5.5.6 (pp. 157-60) & 5.5.14 (pp. 168-70) of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. 

How to cite a book in a Series: (Such as the Anchor Yale Bible Series)).

Last Name, First Name. Title of Commentary . Ed. Name of Series Editor.  City of Pub.: Publisher, Year. Medium of Publication. Name of Series. Number in series, if available.

Example:  

Fox, Michael V. Proverbs : a New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. New York: Doubleday, 2000. Print. The Anchor Yal Bible Ser. 18A-B.  

             *** For further information, see 5.5.15 (pp. 170) of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.

The Bible - Society of Biblical Literature Handbook of Style

The Society of Biblical Literature has posted an online style guide for students on the web.  This guide will explain most of the specifics you need.  It is a pdf at  

https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pubs/SBLHSsupp2015-02.pdf You'll need to scroll down past the preface and title page.

Or you can find an unabridged print copy in the Ireland Library Reference Room at:

Emory University's SBL Citation Builder

• Emory University's SBL Citation Builder SBL style is designed for students and scholars writing in the disciplines of ancient Near Eastern studies, Biblical studies, and studies of early Christianity.
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Turabian Writing Guide: Citing the Bible

• Bibliography

Citing the Bible

Writing center.

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the  On-Campus Writing Center  for assistance. Online students should contact the  Online Writing Center  for assistance.

Scripture Citations

As a sacred work, you do not include the Bible in your bibliography. All Bible verses will be mentioned parenthetically only . Rather than footnoting the first instance (and including “unless otherwise noted”) as in previous versions of Turabian, the version of the Bible being used will be noted in parentheses, spelled out, after the first Bible citation. The version will not be mentioned again unless version is changed. If only one version is used in a paper, then the version will only be spelled out fully in that first citation. If the student uses more than one version, however, the first instance of each Bible version will be spelled out fully, and then its abbreviation must be used as necessary for the reader to discern which version is being referenced.

• When citing from multiple translations within a paper, the version abbreviation should be included within the in-text parentheses. For example, (Mark 3:12, NASB).
• Books of the Bible should be abbreviated when referenced in parentheses. For examples, see the Writing Center's Sacred Book Reference List or the CMOS pages for Old Testament books (10.45) , Apocrypha (10.46) and New Testament books (10.47) .
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite the Bible in MLA

How to Cite the Bible in MLA

When writing a research paper, there may be an instance where you need to cite the Bible or another sacred text. It can be tricky to know how to properly cite the Bible, since its formatting makes it different from other MLA style book citations .

In this guide, you will find the basics of what you need to know about how to cite a Bible in MLA 9, the current edition of MLA handbook (we follow the handbook but are not associated with it). This guide contains formatting guidelines and examples of how to cite a print Bible, an online version of the Bible, an e-book Bible, and a Bible app, both on in-text and on your reference page.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

• What You Need?

Works Cited Citation for a Print Version of the Bible

Works cited citation for an online version of the bible, works cited citation for an e-book version of the bible, works cited citation for a bible app with multiple translations, creating in-text citations for the bible, troubleshooting.

Citing sources is important in any research paper. It shows that you have done the necessary work to make credible arguments, it helps readers understand the context of your quotes, and it gives credit to the original sources. In order to avoid plagiarism, you need to cite all direct quotes or paraphrasing from other sources. Properly citing your sources shows that you are an experienced and ethical scholarly writer.

What You Need

To create your reference page citation, you will need to following information:

• title of the Bible
• name of the editor(s) (if applicable)
• version of the Bible (which may differ from the title)
• publication information.

For your in-text citation, you will need:

• the title of the Bible
• the Bible verse(s), including book name, chapter, and verse numbers

Bible Title. Edited by Editor’s First and Last Name, Bible Version, Publisher, Year of Publication.

Holy Bible. New International Version, Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

The guidelines for citing an online version of the Bible are different from a print version. If your source is an e-book or an app, those guidelines are different as well. These are the guidelines for a Bible found on a website. Note that you only need to create one reference page citation for every web page you cite from the same online Bible (MLA Style Center) .

Bible Title. Title of Website/Organization , URL. Accessed Date.

New International Version. Biblica , www.biblica.com/bible/niv/genesis/2/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2020.

In MLA, citing an e-book version of the Bible is the same as citing any other e-book ( MLA Style Cente r). Since MLA e-book citations begin with the author name, skip straight to the title information instead of beginning the citation with the author.

Title. E-book edition, Publisher, year of publication.

The King James Version of the Bible. E-book edition, Project Gutenberg, 2011.

List The Bible as the title and use the translation as the version ( MLA Style Center) . The name of the bible app should follow in italics, then the version (if available), and app publication information.

Title. Name of translation Version. App Title , app version number, app publisher, year of app publication.

The Bible. Good News Bible Version. YouVersion , app version 5.0, British & Foreign Bible Society, 1996.

Whether you are citing a print or online version of the Bible, the in-text citation format remains the same. You will need the Bible verse you are quoting, including the book name, chapter number, and verse number. For longer book names, you will use an abbreviated version in your in-text citation ( MLA Handbook ). For example, abbreviate the book of Genesis as Gen. Shorter books can be completely written out, such as Mark.

You need to include the italicized title of the Bible, which should match the italicized title on your reference page, at the beginning of your first in-text citation. The remaining in-text citations should only include the book name, chapter, and verse number.

First in-text citation format:

( Title of Bible, Book Name Chapter.Verse)

All following citations:

(Book Name Chapter.Verse)

Example f irst in-text citation format:

( New International Version, Gen. 2.1)

Following citations: 

(Mark 3.5-7)

(1 Cor. 1.5-11)

In this section, Jesus explained, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” ( King James Version , John 3:16-17).

Many believed John the prophet was the Messiah, evidenced by him saying, “A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him” (John 3:27-28).

Solution #1: How to cite a Psalm as an in-text citation

Creating an in-text MLA citation for passages from the Book of Psalms is similar to citing other books of the Bible.

First, begin with indicating the book, Psalm, followed by the Psalm number and, if necessary, the specific lines quoted. The Psalm number and lines will be separated by a period.

(Psalm 28.6-9)

Solution #2: How to cite a Bible that is not in English

To cite a Bible that isn’t in English for your full MLA citation in your bibliography, include the title of the Bible in its language of publication, followed by the translated English title in brackets. Italicize both titles in both languages.

La Biblia de las Américas [The Bible of the Americas] . Biblica, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=G%C3%A9nesis+1&version=LBLA. Accessed 20 Nov. 2021.

For your in-text citation, you only need to include the title of the Bible in its language of publication, not the translated title as well. Italicize the title. Follow the title with the book and verse of your quotation, separated by a period.

( La Biblia de las Américas , Gen 1.1)

Solution #3: How do I cite a Bible if there isn’t an editor listed?

If you want to cite a Bible, but cannot find the editor’s information, you may leave out the editor and edition information from your bibliographic citation. This applies to both hard copies and electronic Bibles.

Holy Bible . New International Version, Zondervan, 2011.

• Works Cited

“How Do I Cite a Bible App with More than One Translation?” The MLA Style Center , 27 June 2019, style.mla.org/bible-app-multiple-translations/.

“How Do I Cite an e-Book in MLA Style?” The MLA Style Center , 4 Sept. 2019, style.mla.org/citing-an-e-book/.

“If I Am Citing an Online Version of a Sacred Text and Each Chapter Is on a Separate Web Page, Must Each Web Page Be Listed in the Works-Cited List?” The MLA  Style Center , 2 July 2019, style.mla.org/citing-web-pages-sacred-text/.

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published August 10, 2012. Updated May 15, 2021.

Written and by Grace Turney . Grace is a former librarian and has a Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Technology. She is a freelance author and artist.

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The version of the bible and books are not italicized but are capitalized like titles (e.g., Bible, Genesis, Old Testament). However, the titles of individually published editions are italicized (The Interlinear Bible ).

To cite a Bible verse in MLA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the Bible version, year, chapter number, verse number, and/or URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and works cited list entry of a Bible verse, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and examples:

Write the Bible version in italics. Include the chapter number and verse number after the Bible version. The chapter number and the verse are separated by a colon.

( Bible version verse)

( New International Version Gen. 1:20)

Works cited list entry template and example:

The Bible . Bible version. Publisher Website, URL. Accessed

The Bible. New International Version (NIV). Biblica, www.biblica.com/bible/ . Accessed 23 Sept. 2021.

Include the accessed date as the date of publication is not available.

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The Holy Bible

By: David   •  Essay  •  721 Words  •  November 13, 2009  •  1,582 Views

Essay title: The Holy Bible

In a world of chaos and destruction there is a book that illuminates the path of peace and tranquility, The Holy Bible. There are many reasons why The Good Book is interesting. It helps everybody make difficult decisions when there is no one there to help. As well, the sacred manuscripts can help people learn from others’ past mistakes and there are rules in the divine novel that everyone can apply to their lives. It is not just about rules but also has very intriguing stories. Anyone who reads The Holy Bible will not want to put it down.

The Good Book can be utilized to help anyone, of any race make decisions that would otherwise be difficult from their own lack of experience or judgment. In the ethereal novel it talks about such things as, what to do if anyone plans on getting a divorce, or having an abortion. It says in the pure text to be faithful to the spouse and not to cheat. It forbids divorce for the wrong reasons because when a person gets married they have made a lifelong commitment to their spouse. If a person is contemplating having an abortion, even in the early stages of pregnancy, the heavenly guide states that it is still killing a human being. As well according to www.answers.com women that have an abortion are more likely to experience clinical depression, substance abuse, and suicide in association with abortion. These are just some of the decisions that The Holy Bible can help when placed in different situations.

There is an old saying that states, “If we don’t learn from past mistakes we are doomed to repeat it.” The sacred manuscripts have many stories contained within the pages that we can learn from others’ past mistakes. One such story talks about a man who was so attached to his wealth that when he was asked to get rid of it for the ultimate reward he refused because of his greed. The situation won’t exactly be the same but this could happen to anyone. There is another story about a king who is a dictator and has strict control of his people and demands high taxes. He was later dethroned and killed because of it. This relates to modern rulers like Saddam Hussein, who controlled every aspect of his people’s lives but was later captured. Anyone can learn from others mistakes, found in The Holy Bible.

In the pure text there are ten rules that govern the life of any human. These rules do not just apply to Christians; they can be applied to anyone’s

Fighting fire with fire: Why the Holy Spirit sometimes sends suffering our way

A Homily for Pentecost

Vigil: Genesis 11:1-9 Romans 8:22-27 John 7:37-39 Mass during the day: Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 John 20:19-23

The Holy Spirit might be called the “faceless God,” though we do not say that because it denigrates. We see the face as the portal to the soul, even if we sometimes fail to read what truly lies inside. To be a person is to have a face.

To speak of the third person of the Trinity as pure spirit leaves us without an image, even one imported from descriptive, relational nouns such as Father or Son. But that does not make the Holy Spirit an “unknown God,” whose altar St. Paul encounters in Athens (Acts 17:23).

No, the Holy Spirit is indeed like the simile we use for him. We cannot see the wind with our eyes, but its effects are clearly visible. Similarly, St. Ignatius Loyola suggested that our encounters with the Holy Spirit can be recognized by their emotional effects upon us. Ignatius saw those as double-sided, dependent upon whether we are moving toward or away from God.

In the case of those going from good to better, the good angel touches the soul gently, lightly, and sweetly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The evil spirit touches it sharply, with noise and disturbance, like a drop of water falling onto a stone ( Spiritual Exercises, “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits”).

For Ignatius, the presence of the Holy Spirit is easily overlooked without prayer. Why? Because in healthy souls, the Holy Spirit’s entry is frequent and therefore gentle.

But Ignatius goes on to note that we might be moving toward God in some areas of our lives and away in others. Consequently, we might also experience jarring entrances of the Spirit. These are associated with those areas of our lives still resistant to the Spirit.

T. S. Eliot called “Little Gidding” his Pentecost poem. Here the Spirit enters as purifying fire, one intended to break down barriers to divine life.

The dove descending breaks the air With flame of incandescent terror Of which the tongues declare The one discharge from sin and error The only hope, or else despair           Lies in the choice of pyre or pyre—           To be redeemed from fire by fire.

“Incandescent terror.” Sometimes the Spirit burns away our smug self-confidence. Some sudden adversity calls into question our compromises, our settling for less than who we were meant to be. The purpose is to “discharge from sin and error.”

Why is “the choice between pyre and pyre?”

Because the terror calls us back to the purifying love of God. We are “redeemed from fire by fire.” Eliot suggests that we either burn with love or we burn in sin. There is no in-between.

If fighting fire with fire sounds harsh, the Spirit sending suffering our way to set us free from self-inflicted suffering, Eliot summons the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to support his contention.

Who then devised the torment? Love. Love is the unfamiliar Name Behind the hand that wove The intolerable shirt of flame Which human power cannot remove.           We only live, only suspire           Consumed by either fire or fire.

At the close of her book, Revelations of Divine Love , the Lord tells Julian that suffering can be an instrument of love , at least when it leads to our renewal. Indeed, that God’s great joy lies in calling sinners to himself. “For he beholdeth His heavenly treasure and solace in heavenly joy, in drawing our hearts from sorrow and darkness, which we are in.”

Elliot’s “intolerable shirt of flame” from which we cannot find escape may simply be the Lord’s embrace, his burning, purifying love at work in our lives. Why must the Holy Spirit sometimes be experienced as burning terror? Julian insists that her Lord drummed the answer into her.

Love was His meaning. Who shewed it thee? Love. Wherefore shewed He it thee? For Love. Hold thee therein, thou shall wit it more in the same. But thou shalt never wit therein other without end.

If the old English of Julian’s revelation is hard to follow, she closes with simpler prose.

Thus was I learned that love was our Lord’s meaning. And I saw full surely in this, and in all, that our God made us; He loved us, which love was never slacked nor never shall. And in this love He hath done all His works; and in this love He hath made all things profitable to us; and in this love our life is everlasting. In which making we had our beginning; but the love wherein He made us with in Him from without beginning. In which love we have our beginning. And all shall we see in God without end.

“He hath made all things profitable to us.” Sometimes, in the burning love of the Holy Spirit, that includes suffering.

The Rev. Terrance W. Klein is a priest of the Diocese of Dodge City and author of Vanity Faith.

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35 Insightful Bible Verses for Pentecost to Pay Tribute to the Power of the Holy Spirit

A s part of the Trinity of God, the Holy Spirit plays a vital part in the lives of Christians. After Jesus died , rose and ascended back to heaven, the Holy Spirit was poured out on His Apostles. The Spirit then filled the followers with boldness and confidence to go out and preach the gospel without fear. This day is known as Pentecost and the beginning of the church age. That first pouring out of the Spirit happened fifty days after the resurrection of Christ. Its remembrance is celebrated today by many Christian churches on Pentecost Sunday. To better understand and recognize the gift of the Holy Spirit, these Pentecost Bible verses offer plenty of insight.

Since everyone who believes in Jesus  receives the Holy Spirit, it's good to know just how amazing this gift is. The Holy Spirit works to guide us, enlighten us, strengthen us, convict us and so much more. And, what better power to indwell us than the very Spirit of God? On Pentecost Sunday, take time to reflect on these 35 Pentecost scriptures to better understand the power source that has been poured out to all believers. 

Related:  'Being Born of Water and Spirit'—50 Bible Verses About Baptism

35 Pentecost Bible Verses

1. "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." - Matthew 3:11

2. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." - John 14:26

3. "for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." - Acts 1:5

4. "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." - Acts 1:8

5. "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He has said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit." - John 20:21-22

6. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20

7. "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4

Related:  Quiz Your Family's Knowledge With These 300 Bible Trivia Questions (With Answers!)

8. "But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." - 1 Corinthians 12:7

9. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 12:13

10. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." - Romans 8:9

11. "If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness." - Romans 8:10

12. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." - Romans 8:11

13. "...for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - Romans 8:13-14

14. "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." - Romans 8:26-27

15. "Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." - Philippians 1:18-19

16. "Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

17. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." - John 14:16-17

18. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" - Luke 11:13

Related:  Wait, What Does 'Sabbath' Actually Mean?

19. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:17

20. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." - John 16:13

21. "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

22. "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear." - Acts 2:33

23. "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." - Acts 4:31

24. "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning." - Acts 11:15

25. "Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness will abide in the fertile field." - Isaiah 32:15-16

26. "Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." - Romans 12:1

27. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

28. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25

29. "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." - Galatians 6:1

30. "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." - Galatians 6:8

31. "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him." - Matthew 3:16

32. "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young me will see visions. Even on the male and female servants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days." - Joel 2:28

33. "Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." - Acts 4:13

34. "And with great power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all." - Acts 4:33

35. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14

Next Up:  'His Compassions Never Fail'—50 Comforting Bible Verses About God's Love

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Bible - the Word of God. It guides and comforts us in difficult times. That's why it's so important to immerse ourselves in the Bible every day. We've created this convenient free app EasyBible for your daily walk with God. Discover and compare over 50 translations of the Bible, create personal prayers, generate Bible quotes based on your mood, receive personalized notifications with Bible verses. And most importantly - delve into the Holy Scripture every day. Download today! Users from all over the world read, share, and receive inspiration from the Bible through EasyBible. Personalize EasyBible for yourself. Get full online access or download specific versions and translations for offline reading. Get closer to God alongside your loved ones, with the EasyBible. Engage in open conversations about Scripture and build deeper relationships. Make prayer a part of your every day: * Use prayer cards to track and organize your prayers. * Create prayer lists effortlessly * Keep your prayers private or share them with friends. Explore the Word: * Choose from over 50 versions of the Bible, in more than 10 languages. * Select translations like Synodal (SYNO), New Russian Translation (NRT), Modern Translation (MRT), Bishop Cassian's Translation (CASS), and others. * Read the Bible offline (available for some translations only). Study the Bible: * Explore thousands of plans, including "Bible in One Year" and others. * Use the Bible search with keywords. Seek revelations with the generator: * Generate Bible quotes based on your personal revelations and share them with friends. Customize EasyBible for yourself: * Change background colors for comfortable reading. * Highlight verses in different colors, just like on paper. * Add bookmarks to quickly find important places. * Share favorite verses with friends on social networks or send them via email. * Add personal or public notes. * Synchronize all data between devices with a free EasyBible account. * Track the material you've studied through your reading history in your EasyBible profile. Connect wth EasyBible: * Reach out to customer support directly from the app. * Join the EasyBible community on social networks. * Stay updated with the latest news on our blog. * Read the Bible in a browser at https://easybible.app/ Discover more about the world of the Scripture through EasyBible - your reliable guide to the Bible. Download today and join millions of people immersed in an exciting spiritual journey closer to God.

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The Trinity

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God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is eternally, internally Triune, and when he acts outside himself, he acts in a way consistent to his being—from the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the gospel, God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As such, the Trinity is the real content and conceptual framework of the Christian faith. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united in being and differentiated by their eternal relations: the Father eternally begets the Son; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit is the bond of their love. When God acts outside himself in creating and saving, the persons act in unity—from the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The God of the Gospel

The Triune God is the God of the gospel—the ultimate reality unveiled in the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 In the gospel, God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As such, the Trinity is the real content and conceptual framework of the Christian faith. Moreover, the church’s saving knowledge of God occurs through reconciliation to him in the only begotten Son of the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Christ’s instruction for baptism in Matthew 28:19 demonstrates the essential connection between the Trinity and the gospel. 2 Christians are commissioned to baptize “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” not as a mere formality, but because of the nature of our salvation. The Lord Jesus defines God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In doing so, God heralds himself to us by naming himself for us, thereby revealing his eternal being. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and our baptism in his name signifies our participation in his loving, Triune communion. The gospel is the gracious act of the Triune God—the Father sending the only begotten Son to become human for us and our salvation, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit we might participate in his eternal life. In our baptism, we are united with Christ in his death and raised to his life (Rom 6:4), the life of the Trinity. The risen Christ then sends his church to proclaim this gospel, an open invitation for all to join our fellowship in the Triune life (1Jn 1:3) through union with him in his death and resurrection.

A Quick Word about Words

As we describe the God of our salvation and proclaim him to one another, the nature and limitations of language present challenges for our theological articulation. Every word we use to speak of God already has meaning in a different context. For example, when you hear the word “Father,” you have a preconceived notion of its meaning related to your understanding of human fatherhood. When we use “Father” to refer to God, we must conform our understanding of the word to align with its divine reference and maintain reverence for God’s holiness. God reveals himself to us in familiar terms, but we must hold our understanding of those terms loosely and allow God to define himself for us, acknowledging his eternal, infinite goodness and our own finitude. We should use theological language with an expectation that God will reveal himself in our speaking and give us an understanding of the reverence appropriate for his presence.

The Union and Communion of God’s Being: Eternal Relations

God’s eternal life is “active and full.” 3 The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the eternal fellowship of abundant life and love, not by willing choice, but as the very essence of God’s being. John reminds us twice in 1 John that “God is love” (4:8, 16), not as a statement of how God acts, but of who God is. God is not only loving toward us; God is love in his internal, eternal being. The Father eternally loves the Son. The Son is eternally beloved of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the bond of the Father and Son’s loving fellowship. The Triune God’s eternal relations (sometimes called “processions”) of love are the subsistence of his being and what differentiate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Bible uses two parallel language motifs to describe the eternal relations of God’s being—love and begotteness. Readers see the eternal communion of God revealed in terms of love at the baptism of Christ. Matthew tells us that at Jesus’s baptism, “immediately [Jesus] went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (3:16–17). The Father identifies Jesus as his “beloved Son.” The Father loves the Son, and the Son is loved of the Father—his Beloved. The Gospel of John uses this same language of begotteness to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son. The familiar verse John 3:16 teaches that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.” “Only Son” is a translation of the Greek term monogenes that underscores the distinct relationship of begotteness between the Father and the Son. The Father eternally begets the Son, and the Son is eternally begotten of the Father.

The biblical authors describe the eternal relation between the Father and the Son by highlighting the themes of love and begotteness. The Father, by virtue of his divine Fatherhood, eternally gives life and love to the Son, begetting the Son as his very same being. While human fatherhood begins at a point in time and confers some measure of hierarchy, God’s Fatherhood is eternal with no difference in being outside of the relation itself. Likewise, the Son is eternally beloved and begotten of the Father—one in being with him. While human sonship begins at a point in time and involves some measure of subordination, God’s Sonship is eternal with no difference in being outside of the relation itself.

Like the Triune fellowship mentioned above, the relationship of begetting/begotteness does not occur by willing choice. The Father does not choose to beget the Son; if he had, it would mean the Father existed prior to the Son and the Son was his creation. Begetting describes who God is, not what he does. God’s being eternally exists as the communion of the Father and Son. The early church Fathers summarized this teaching for the church in the Nicene Creed, writing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the “only begotten Son of God, begotten from his Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father.”

The Holy Spirit is the fellowship of the Father and the Son’s love. He proceeds from the Father and the Son eternally. At Jesus’s baptism, the Holy Spirit descends from the Father to the Son. The movement of the Holy Spirit from the Father to the Son is indicative of his eternal relation as the communion of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit eternally participates in the loving and living communion of the Father and the Son as he proceeds from them both. He is one in being with the Father and the Son and differentiated only by the relation of procession. He is not subordinate to or distinct from the Father and Son in nature.

Three “Persons”

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are differentiated by their eternal relations yet one in their being. Or as the familiar and true adage goes: the Trinity is three persons ( hypostasis ), yet one being/nature/essence ( ousia ). Because of how we use it in our created context, “person” can be misleading depending on how we define it. We must be mindful of the conceptual framework we bring to our understanding of “person” in its Trinitarian sense.

If we impose on the Triune persons our presuppositions about what differentiates human persons, Trinitarian error will be inevitable. Human persons are differentiated in at least three relevant ways: by (1) space—we have separate bodies, (2) consciousness—we have separate minds, and (3) volition—we have separate wills. If we assume those differentiations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will undermine their unity of being and functionally hold to tri-theism instead of Trinitarianism.

Differentiating the persons of the Trinity in terms of space is not possible because God is spirit (John 4:24). In terms of mind, God’s knowledge is shared in the same way as his being. God shares his mind/self-knowledge in the communion of the Father and the Son—as Jesus said, “No one knows the Son except the Father. No one knows the Father except the Son” (Matt 11:27). The Spirit participates in the knowing communion of the Father and the Son, as “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1Cor 2:11). Thus, the mind of God is shared in the same way as his being—from the Father to the Son in the communion of the Holy Spirit.

God’s will is also shared from the Father to the Son by the Holy Spirit. God’s purposes and actions follow the same contours of the Trinity’s eternal communion. Jesus explains, “For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son” (John 5:19–20). In other words, what willing act the Father does, the Son does also because of the Father’s love of the Son. So it is with the Holy Spirit. He can reveal the will of God because it is his own (Col 1:9, Rom 12:1–2).

Neither body, nor will, nor mind separate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The eternal relations alone differentiate the persons of the Trinity.

The Union of God’s Actions: Inseparable Operations

God is eternally, internally Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When the Triune God acts outside of himself, he acts in a way consistent with his being—from the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible reveals this Triune relational pattern in God’s creating and saving actions.

In creation, the Father creates through the Son in the power of the Spirit. In Genesis 1, God the Father speaks to create all things. 4 He is the author of creation—“the maker of all that is seen and unseen,” as taught in the Nicene Creed. When John explains the Genesis 1, he teaches that all things were created through the Word, who is the eternal Son of God (John 1:3); thus, the Son is the Word spoken of the Father through which he creates. Further, Genesis tells us the Spirit of God hovered over the waters from which all life emerges (Gen 1:2). The Spirit’s hovering indicates his power making actual or effective the Word spoken of the Father to give life. In this way, there is no creating activity of the Father that does not occur through the Son in the Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are as inseparable in their external acts of creating as they are in their internal being.

Likewise, in salvation, the Father saves through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. When Paul recounts the Trinitarian framework of God’s saving activity in Ephesians, he begins by praising the Father who authored the plan of salvation before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:3–4). Specifically, the Father planned for the church to be adopted to himself through his Son. To accomplish this work, the Father sent the Son to become human and save us (John 3:16). The Father authors our salvation, and he accomplishes our salvation through the Son.

The Son, who is one with the Father eternally and sent by the Father in history, is the agent of our salvation. He accomplishes our salvation in the incarnation. God blessed us with his grace “in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6), who became human to save us through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Through his sacrificial, substitutionary death, Christians have “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph 1:7). Through his resurrection and ascension, God “made us alive together with Christ . . . raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places” (Eph 2:5–6). Through the Son’s descent into our humanity, his vicarious obedience unto death, and his ascent out of the grave to the right hand of the Father, Christians have received adoption “as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:5). By the salvation wrought in Christ, we are welcomed into sonship in the incarnate Son.

The Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and Son, is sent of the Father and Son to make actual and effective in the church the salvation accomplished in Christ. The Spirit indwells believers so that they are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph 1:13), uniting them to Christ in his death and resurrection. According to Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” In the same way the Spirit brought life in creation through the agency of God’s Word, the Spirit brings life to our mortal bodies through the agency of Christ according to the plan of the Father. As a result, we are saved by the united work of the Triune God as the Father acts in the Son through the power of the Spirit.

The Church’s Communion with God: Nature and Mission

The eternal life given to the church in salvation is participation in the loving fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Just before Jesus’s crucifixion, he prays to the Father for his disciples, present and future, that “the love with which you have loved me might be in them and I in them” (John 17:26). Jesus prays that we might join the Trinitarian communion of love by receiving the eternal love with which the Father has loved the Son. We receive the love of God through his grace in “the Beloved” (Eph 1:6) and in the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2Cor 13:14), who is the bond of love between the Father and the Son. This is the glorious mystery of our salvation, that we who “were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13) to receive the eternal love of the Father in him. In Christ we have his life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Our salvation and the gospel we proclaim cannot be understood apart from a right understanding of God’s eternal Triunity.

The church goes on mission by proclaiming Christ and inviting others to join us in communion with God. We who have beheld Christ now preach him to the world that, by believing in him, they too might have the eternal, abundant life of God. As John explains in his epistle, “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1Jn 1:3). As the church participates in God’s mission by preaching the gospel, God’s life and love spread across the globe as people from “all nations” are baptized into the communion of God “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). The nature and mission of the church is grounded in the Triune God. His being provides the conceptual framework of the church’s faith, and he reveals himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—as we proclaim the gospel. The Triune God is the God of the gospel—the ultimate reality unveiled in the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Further Reading

Reeves, Michael. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith . Illustrated ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2012.

Sanders, Fred. The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything . 2nd ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.

Sanders, Fred. The Triune God . Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain, eds. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2016.

Swain, Scott R. The Trinity & the Bible: On Theological Interpretation . Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2021.

Torrance, Thomas F. The Christian Doctrine of God: One Being Three Persons . 2nd ed. T&T Clark Cornerstones. New York, NY: T&T Clark, 1996.

Vanhoozer, Kevin J. and Daniel J. Treier. Theology and the Mirror of Scripture: A Mere Evangelical Account . Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015.

This essay is part of the Concise Theology series. All views expressed in this essay are those of the author. This essay is freely available under Creative Commons License with Attribution-ShareAlike, allowing users to share it in other mediums/formats and adapt/translate the content as long as an attribution link, indication of changes, and the same Creative Commons License applies to that material. If you are interested in translating our content or are interested in joining our community of translators,  please reach out to us .

Elvis Presley's Personal Holy Bible

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