Ask Jerry
How to use scripture in your book.
Asked by Pastor Terri Schroeder on January 30, 2021
In writing about the things I have gone through and learned. I use scripture to encourage and teach. Most of my writing comes from teaching biblical subjects online, and turning the teaching into books is difficult. Do you recommend writing out the whole scripture, or do you recommend putting the scripture reference in and letting them find it? How much scripture reference is too much and is there a balance?
Also, I find it hard to get out of the teaching model, and telling a story.
Jerry's Answer
I can only tell you what I prefer as a reader, Terri, and that is not having to look up verses from just the references. Sure, there are times when all the Scriptures seem a bit dense, but if they're all formatted consistently, I can skip them if I want to read on in the narrative and get back to them later (or not). I think that helps you avoid making a popularized text look too academic for the layperson with ubiquitous footnotes, etc.
That said, your uniqueness comes in your interpretation and application of the Bible, so repeating words and phrases in your narrative makes sense and also helps us follow. Like, "In this verse, where Jesus tells Nicodemus that God gave His only Son, it would have been particularly meaningful to a Pharisee because..."
And you're so right, Terri, to work hard on getting back to stories. While you're teaching and explaining, even if you just remember an anecdote to help flesh it out, that will speak volumes. Like, "I'll never forget memorizing this verse in Sunday school years ago. My mother had helped me, and..."