Thursday; May 4

The other day I was typing a Biblical reference and got to thinking about how these references have become such an integral part of our religion and our lives. It has almost become a type of religious shorthand. For example, if you see someone hold up a sign that says “Acts 2:30”, you don’t just read those symbols, you think, “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.’”. If we want to convey God’s love, we can write out, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” or just write “John 3:16” and most people will pick up on our meaning.

Scriptural citations have become an important part of our spiritual education, but have you given much thought into how we got them? Interestingly, they seem to have come to us as reference marks in the Bible. Imagine your minister preaching on God’s love and wanted the congregation to follow along with him as he read a passage on love. How confusing it would be for want him to say, “Turn over to about a tenth of the way through the book of John and find a sentence about a third of the way into the story of Nicodemus.”  Citing John 3:16 is much more efficient. How difficult would it be for a Sunday School teacher to teach about baptism by telling her class, “Go a few pages into Acts and find a sermon by Peter. Then, go to the end of the quote and read what it says.”? It’s just so convenient for her to say, “Turn to Acts 2:38.” Using a standard reference that uses the Book Chapter and Verse format has made study easier in a time when everyone has access to their Bibles.

What are your favorite Bible passage? Do you know where it is? Are you sharing it with others?

Think About It!

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