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How to Look up Bible Passages

(1) Note the verse or passage that you want to find, such as Galatians 3:28. (2) Find the book or letter. Galatians refers to Pauls Letter to the Galatians. When we begin to read the gospels, the book of Mark refers to The Gospel According to Mark, but in most Bibles it will simply be called Mark (or Matthew, Luke and so on). If you don't know where the book/letter is, go to the beginning of the Bible and look at the Table of Contents to locate it.

RELS 110 Literature of the New Testament

(so youll be turning to page 2181 to start)

(3) Find the chapter. 3 refers to the chapter in Galatians where the verse is located. The number before the colon will always refer to the chapter of the book.

(look for the giant numbers!)

(4) Find the exact verse. 28 refers to the verse in chapter 3 where the reference is located. The number after the colon will always refer to the verse in that chapter. Once you find it, you have your verse right next to it.

(look for the little number)

Tips: Not all translations are created equal! For this class we are using the New Revised Standard Version translation of the Bible (the NRSV) like the HarperCollins Study Bible or the Ehrman reader. This is because many English translations of the Bible are associated with specific religious groups and they will change the original texts to suit their theological interestsnot a good thing for a critically thinking student of history! Even the NRSV isnt perfect, but it is the closet translation you will find in English to the original texts. Whenever a Bible reference is followed by a comma (ex. John 3:16, 17), the intention is for the reader to read verses 16 and 17. Sometimes the references to be read are not necessarily next in sequence, so the reference would look something like this: John 3:16, 24. In this case, you want to first read verse 16 and then skip the other verses and proceed to reading verse 24. Some Bible passages contain more than one verse; in this case, you will notice a dash and the other set of verses (represented by the numbers) following it. For example: John 3:16-21 would mean that you should start reading from verse 16 and continue reading until you have finished reading verse 21.

RELS 110 Literature of the New Testament

Tips on How to read ancient texts


(1) Give yourself plenty of time Ancient texts can be dense and reading them can prove to be time consuming. Be sure to give yourself more time than you would for a modern/contemporary source, particularly if you are new to the process. Be patient It can get frustrating to read translations of ancient documents. If they seem confusing at first, its easy to find yourself skimming or not reading thoroughly. Pace yourself and be patient. You are learning a new skill and thats never easy! Read your secondary assignments If youve tried working through a text and you cant make sense of it, take a good look at any modern, scholarly readings youve been assigned (in our case, usually Ehrman). Does the chapter, article, etc. explain or summarize aspects of the source you are trying to read? Does it reference passages from the assignment and offer explanations that might help you better understand the context and content of the source? Dont take anything for granted Especially in the case of Biblical texts, it can be easy to read past terms like faith, spirit or sin and not really reflect on what they mean. Remember that these texts have been read for thousands of years and the interpretations of others have been passed down to us, often altering the original meaning. We want to make sure we read these sources on their own terms and try to understand what they meant in their historical context. Take note of what you dont understand If an idea, term or phrase doesnt make sense, write it down and bring your question(s) to class! Reword it! If a passage seems antiquated or confusing, see if you cant reword it so it makes sense to you in contemporary English. When Paul says What then are we to say? Should we continue to sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! (Romans 6:1-2) turn that into So what, then? Do you really think we should just keep on sinning so that way we have something to be saved from? No way! Ask Questions Still not sure? Email me or, even better, post on our discussion board on onCourse and ask your classmates for help. I guarantee that you arent the only one who is asking the question!

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