{"id":62180,"date":"2023-08-16T10:55:22","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T15:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=62180"},"modified":"2024-02-28T17:47:05","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T23:47:05","slug":"what-is-a-good-way-to-mark-up-a-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-a-good-way-to-mark-up-a-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a good way to mark up a Bible?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Does anyone have or know of a good Bible-highlighting strategy?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

Virtually all published methods I’ve seen are woefully complicated and even obscuring or distracting from the text.<\/p>\n

I use a very simple system based on the vocabulary of each book, or in the case of the Psalms, five books. Since even author groups – eg. I Corinthians and II Corinthians, I Thessalonians and II Thessalonians, and I John, II John, and III John – oft have differing (or even unique) vocabulary, my method is not necessarily consistent within those groupings (but easily could be modified to make them consistent).<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Compile a vocabulary of words in a book<\/li>\n
  2. Look for patterns of words or phrases, especially identifying multiples<\/li>\n
  3. At the upper margin of each book, alphabetically write the list (I tell folks, always use a pencil for the times you make mistakes). Impose on yourself a limit of, say, 20 significant words, phrases, or patterns (the more on your list, the more complicated the system)<\/li>\n
  4. Obtain a set of 24 high-quality <\/strong>– no cheap Dollar Store quality; go to an art store or educational supplies store – colored pencils (no highlighter, colored ink, as distractingly broad, bleeds or offsets, etc.).<\/li>\n
  5. Assign a color to each word, phrase, or pattern in each book. While major Bible words might consistently use the same color between books, there are too many variations of vocabulary in the Scriptures to do this for every word, phrase, or pattern.<\/li>\n
  6. Using those assigned colors, underline each word, phrase, or pattern in a single book corresponding to your penciled list.<\/li>\n
  7. Voila! Colorized text!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Each book is unique, with perhaps some accidental consistency – or even assigned for prominent themes, eg. love, sacrifice, obedience, faith, etc. – but don’t worry about trying to impose an impossibly strict standard of marking throughout the Bible. The New Testament is easier to find interrelational words, phrases, or patterns. The Torah oft shows similarities, as do the 5 books in Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and some of the prophets.<\/p>\n

    by Royce Bell<\/p>\n\t

    Answer:<\/h2>\n

    Kris Emerson has a workbook on this, called Color Bible Marking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    by Zeke Flores<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Question: Does anyone have or know of a good Bible-highlighting strategy? Answer: Virtually all published methods I’ve seen are woefully complicated and even obscuring or distracting from the text. I use a very simple system based on the vocabulary of each book, or in the case of the Psalms, five books. Since even author groups…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[913],"class_list":["post-62180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-bible-study"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92570,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-attend-bible-classes-because\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":0},"title":"I Attend Bible Classes Because…","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Eldred Stevens It is a delightful way to obey a scriptural command (II Timothy 2:15; II Peter 1:5; 3:18; I Timothy 4:13; John 5:39). I have a great desire to emulate first-century Christianity (Acts 2:41-47; 4:23,24; 12:12; 17:11). I have three children (Proverbs 22:6; Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; Ephesians 6:4).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35560,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-are-the-books-opened-in-revelation-2012\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":1},"title":"What are the books opened in Revelation 20:12?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day. I have an argument with a Catholic defender on social media about Sola Scriptura. I used Revelation 20:12 that the written word will judge us in the last days. But he said that the books opened are not the Bible but the record of men's deeds. What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3281,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-could-peter-say-that-god-has-given-us-everything-through-the-bible-prior-to-the-bibles-completion\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":2},"title":"How could Peter say that God has given us everything through the Bible prior to the Bible’s completion?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was the New Testament written prior to A.D. 70? I realize scholars claim the Book of Revelation was written around A.D. 95, but if that were so, does it pertain to life and godliness? I Peter 1:3 says, \"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42589,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-wondrous-book-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":3},"title":"The Wondrous Book of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 119:17-24 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Eulogy of the Bible \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many years ago, I entered the wonderful temple of God\u2019s revelation. I entered the portico of Genesis and walked down through the Old Testament Art Gallery where the pictures of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4066,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-new-testament-canon\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":4},"title":"The New Testament Canon","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0On the night of Jesus\u2019 betrayal, Jesus promised his troubled disciples that he would send a helper - John 14:16 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The helper would be the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth - John 14:17 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0His purpose in coming would be to teach and to remind the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7235,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-historical-facts-make-the-bible-true\/","url_meta":{"origin":62180,"position":5},"title":"Do historical facts make the Bible true?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Brother, How would I handle the difference between the inspired text that makes claims and a comic book that someone can use to make claims? I was told this: \u201cFor instance, I can claim the existence of Spider-Man because he is from Queens, NY, and that is a real\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62180\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}