In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to know about citing a Bible source in your paper, including:

The Bible is one of the most important texts to have ever been written. It is also one of the oldest, dating back to around 300 BCE. The Bible has been translated into more than 2,000 languages and is still read by millions of people today.

-What type of source it is

-When you should use parenthetical citations vs. footnotes or endnotes

-How to cite specific passages

Bible Intro

The Bible is one of the most important texts in history and remains a foundational resource for many people today. It is also one of the longest texts in history, with some estimates placing it at over 1.5 million words. The Bible contains 66 individual books and letters written by more than 40 authors from various places around the Mediterranean region. The earliest parts were written in Hebrew, but many later parts were translated into Greek and Aramaic.

Some scholars believe that the Bible was compiled from many different sources over a period of hundreds of years, while others believe that it was all written by one person at the same time. Regardless of how the Bible came to be, what matters most is that it gives us insight into how ancient people viewed their world and interacted with each other.

Bible Intro:

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that Jews and Christians consider to be a product of divine inspiration and a record of the relationship between God and humans. The Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, is divided into books, chapters and verses. Each chapter begins with a reference to the book name and verse number, for example: “Hosea 1:1”. Verses are usually grouped into paragraphs according to topic.

The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch, meaning “five scrolls.” These books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The New Testament contains 27 books: four Gospels (Matthew , Mark , Luke , John), Acts of the Apostles; Epistles to several churches (James , 1 Peter , 2 Peter , 1 John ), Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy , 2 Timothy ), Revelation

The Bible is a collection of books written by various authors, over hundreds of years, and in multiple languages. It contains the Old Testament and New Testament, which are roughly divided into three parts: the law (the Pentateuch), history (Joshua through Esther), and poetry (Job through Song of Solomon).

The Bible was compiled over a period of centuries, with some of its contents dating back to the 10th century B.C.E. The books were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic and later translated into Greek, Latin and other languages.

A. The Bible is the most widely read and influential book in history.

B. The Bible is an anthology of many different religious texts written by many different authors over a long period of time.

C. The Bible contains two types of literature: narrative (stories) and poetry (poems).

D. The first five books of the Old Testament are called the Pentateuch, or the Law, because they contain laws that govern how people should live in relationship with God and each other.

*[1] The Bible, New International Version (NIV)

*[2] The Bible, King James Version (KJV)

“1 Thessalonians 5:22-23” is a reference to the Bible. It is located in the book of 1 Thessalonians, and it is found on page 5 and verse 22 through 23.

In text citations for the bible

MLA​

• To cite a passage from the New Testament in MLA, use the abbreviation for the book, followed by its chapter and verse. For example:

Matt 5:13-16

To the Christian on pilgrimage throughout the world, the Bible is the perfect map and chart.

You may safely and confidently navigate all the mazes of this world with God’s Word in your hands and mind. The true and narrow path is so boldly outlined that even a runner can read it. A traveler, even a fool, can safely navigate it (Isaiah 35:8) because it is clearly marked with God’s laws, even though the rest of the world can’t see them. The Spirit of Truth, who is unseen, guides us and reassures us when we are unsure of what to do, saying “This is the way, walk ye in it” (Isaiah 30:21). As a result, you can continue on your journey to the city of God with peace of mind as you rely on the Bible as “a lamp to your feet, and a light unto your path” (Psalm 119:105), a route that no one knows save He who leads you.

 The path brightens as you travel over mountains and through valleys, eventually leading to the ideal day. That’s what the wise say (Proverbs 4:18). If we pay attention and steer our rickety schooner by God’s Word, we will reach the promised land of eternal peace and rest without hitting any snags along the way. But if we are not careful and arrogant and rely on our own conceits, we will sink our faith. A young lieutenant in the English navy recently reported a previously unknown and potentially hazardous rock in the Mediterranean to the admiralty. The directive to include it on all charts was sent via telegraph to every station. 

The first vessel to pass over the spot was captained by an elderly man who, upon seeing the fresh warning on his map, was curious as to who had first reported the rock. When told this, he said, “There is no such rock there.” Twenty years of sailing this sea has left me without evidence of such a rock. Then, full of self-importance, he ordered his sailing-master to take the ship straight over the target. The brave ship sailed straight through the perilous area. The ship crashed with terrible force, taking the lives of everyone aboard. Many a Christian has gone down in flames due to arrogance or ignoring his infallible compass. We pray that the Holy Spirit would prompt us to carefully examine the course laid out for us by God.

• For example: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the law to become void.” (Matt 5:18)

APA​

• Verse numbers. If you want to cite a verse in the Bible, put it in italics and include the number of that verse. For example: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).
• Chapter and verse range. If you have more than one citation from a chapter, reference that chapter with a capital letter and then write out the whole chapter name if there are only two citations or use three periods between each citation if there are more than two citations from one chapter (for example: John 3). Then include all relevant verses for this particular section (for instance, “John 3” would mean “John 3-5”). For example: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for” (Hebrews 11:1). “We live by faith” (James 2:24).
• Book title plus chapter + verse number – This style is also acceptable as long as you only have one reference within your reading text

Chicago​

In the Chicago Manual of Style, you should use footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations. If you are citing a work that has more than one author, it’s best to list all authors and then the year in parentheses. For example: “Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and Dr. Laurie Fenton Ambrose (1990) report that …”

If your paper is citing multiple sources from the Bible, including different books and verses within each book, then it’s best to format your citations using numbers separated by periods for each reference number followed by a period (1). Use 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 as an example:

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

You can cite the Bible in multiple formats using different citation styles.

• A regular book citation for the Bible would look like this:

Bible. New Testament (English Standard Version). Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018. Print.