You love God’s Word. You know its power to shape minds and hearts and transform lives. But does that mean that the more Scripture references you provide, the better?
It depends. In Bible studies and academic books, copious referencing of Scripture verses is the norm.* Readers expect that and want it.
But if you’re writing in a popular style–for example, your book is about nature or recovery, or it’s your life story–then your use of in-text Scripture references should be more conservative. Provide them when they’re truly helpful, but avoid going overboard. Not everything you say needs to be corroborated with verse numbers for readers to look up.
Overkill clutters the text, looks like you’re strutting your scholarship, and can weary the reader with too much information. Conversely, a selective approach carries weight.
Maintain the Momentum
Every reference creates a pause in the flow of your text, if not an outright bunny trail. So match your use of references to your topic and your audience. Weigh the relevance of a verse against the benefit of keeping your readers moving through the narrative. The fewer speed bumps you present, the likelier your readers will be to explore the references you do show.
Avoid showing multiple verses unless they’re called for. For example:
God helps the humble (Ps. 18:27; 25:9; Prov. 3:34; James 4:6, 10 [cf. 1 Pet. 5:5–6]).
That string of references is perfect for a Bible study. Your readers want to dig into the Scriptures, and it’s your job to help them. But if you’re writing a biography, are all those verses necessary? Is any reference at all needed? Probably not. The context determines what is appropriate, and that is for you to judge. If you decide that a reference is indeed desirable, just one will usually suffice (e.g., Ps. 18:27 in the above example).
To B or Not to B
Unless you’re writing an academic work, simple verse numbers provide all the specificity you need. Using letters to fine tune a reference (e.g., Rom. 4:16b; Dan. 2:41c) is rarely appropriate for a general readership. If you do use letters, you should do so with enough consistency to justify them. But you’re unlikely to need such precision.
In the words of veteran editor Bob Hudson, “Even [in academic books], the letter system is best reserved for only those occasions when a specific portion of a verse is being singled out for discussion.”**
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In summary: Tailor your use of in-text Bible references to the kind of book you’re writing. If you’re writing a trade book (as opposed to academic), (1) be conservative and selective with your references, and (2) normally, don’t use the letter system.
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* By “reference,” here I mean the citing of Scripture verses and passages independent of quotes, usually in parentheses.
** Robert Hudson, The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, 4th ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 332.