In order to engage people with the Bible, we'd like to have intriguing summaries of Bible passages that catch people's interests and, hopefully, encourage them to read the Bible.
So instead of encouraging you to "Click here to read Jos 6:1-27" we can give you a link labeled:
"A fortified city falls to an exercise of faith. None are spared but the house of the hostess of spies."
Think of these as "television episode summaries", rather than "section headings." We're trying to create the kind of 20 word description you'd see in a TV Guide, designed to catch your interest.
We don't need them for every passage in the BIble (though that would be great!), but we'd like to have them for most story episodes.
We're thinking of running a contest where users can submit summaries and then we judge/vote/evaluate them somehow and award some book-buying credit to winning entries.
What do you think? Do you like the idea? Would you participate in the contest? What kind of incentive would motivate you?
Below are my entries on a few passages. Here is a survey where you can submit your own. At the end of this post is a long list of references to try. If you'd like to participate, use the survey form, and I'll award winners from these submissions for any entry we choose to use, and/or roll these entries into a larger contest via our blog.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NWLVG8J
Samples (20 words or less, in general.)
1 Sa 3:1-4:1
A young man hears a mysterious voice in the night; it foretells his mentor's fall from grace.
A young man hears a voice in the night; the ears of a nation will tingle when the leader falls.
1 Sa 17:1-58
A young shepherd successfully slings stones to the shame of shirking soldiers.
An army is surprised to find its champion arrived with bread and cheese, not sword and shield.
An outspoken youth ends a 40 day standoff with an unarmored run to the battle line.
An overconfident champion loses his head to his own sword, at the hand of the youth he disdained.
Ge 1:1-31 The Creation of the World
God speaks the world into existence, forming it for the use of man, whom He creates in His own image.
Ge 6:9-7:24 Noah and the Flood
The corruption of flesh demands a cleansing flood; humanity lives on through a 600 year old man and his family.
Ge 12:1-9 The Call of Abram
One man is called to father a great nation; in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Lev 14:33-56 Laws for Cleansing Houses
When disease infects the walls of a house it threatens all who live there; haul away even the stones and timbers.
Jos 6:1-27 The Fall of Jericho
A fortified city falls to an exercise of faith. None are spared but the house of the hostess of spies.
An attacking army holds their tongues for six days, till a surprised city falls to a shout of faith.
Jud 16:1-22 Samson and Delilah
A mighty man pays a mighty price loving a woman who would sell his strength for silver.
A mighty man with a weakness for women is betrayed by a woman with a weakness for silver.
Some passages to start from:
Ge 10:1-32 Nations Descended from Noah
Ge 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel
Ge 11:10-26 Shem's Descendants
Ge 11:27-32 Terah's Descendants
Ge 12:1-9 Promises to Abram
Ge 12:10-20 Abram in Egypt
Ge 13:1-18 Abram Inherits Canaan
Ge 14:1-17 Lot's Captivity and Rescue
Ge 14:18-24 Abram and Melchizedek
Ge 15:1-21 God's Covenant with Abram
Ge 16:1-16 Hagar and Ishmael
Ge 17:1-27 The Sign of the Covenant
Ge 18:1-15 The Son of Promise
Ge 18:16-33 Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
Ge 19:1-11 Sodom's Depravity
Ge 19:12-29 Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
Ge 19:30-38 The Descendants of Lot
What are you going to call it -- The Twitter Bible?
No, wait...someone's already done that: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/13/twitter-bible-translated-tweets. He's tweeting under the pseudonym @WhatWouldGodTweet.
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What is the target audience? That would have a major impact on my reaction and entries.
Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."
MJ. Smith:What is the target audience?
Well, everyone. We're hoping to use make these summaries available like our new "Verse of the Day" plugin (http://biblia.com/plugins/verseoftheday) so people could add them to their own web sites to encourage people to engage with the Word.
I can hear Don LaFontaine [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_LaFontaine] now:
"In a world under water, one man and his family rise to the occasion"
Ward Walker: I can hear Don LaFontaine [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_LaFontaine] now: Ge 6:9-7:24 Noah and the Flood "In a world under water, one man and his family rise to the occasion"
Love it!
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Bob,
Have you consider, when completed, instead of using it as a stand alone, include it in a version of the Bible (e.g KJV)? It can be as a hyperlink or as a supplemental unit in the back of the Bible, if the finished product is produced as a hardcopy. This will increase the likelihood of getting a newcomer to the Bible to see the context and read the full Word of God. It could be biblical training wheels. One word of caution, the Lead Editor, must make sure the summaries of the passages are accurate.
MHO- Uh, no. Too subjective
Lonnie,
Is your “too subjective” is applicable to Children’s Bibles?
What about singled authored paraphrases of the Bible (e.g. Eugene Petersen’s—The Message Bible; Jack Blinco’s – ClearWord Bible, etc.)?
What about paraphrases in general, are they “too subjective”?
Oh, What about the notes in Study Bibles, are they “too subjective” (Namely, Scrofield, etc.) too?
Would I be fair to say that you think the Selected Bible Verse Summary Project (future) is “too subjective” to be included in the KJV, as a stand-alone work or both?
Just to flag that Bob posted the question and idea in 2011 - I expect Faithlife have done what they are going to do with this by now
Graham Criddle:I expect Faithlife have done what they are going to do with this by now
Do you know what it is?
One liner bible commentary logos-users version?
All the more, the questions (above) remain.
Charles McNeil: Graham Criddle:I expect Faithlife have done what they are going to do with this by now Do you know what it is?
No idea, sorry.
Blind man loses social security benefits after chance encounter on Jericho Road.
Alms seekers warned to keep clear.
tootle pip
Mike
How to get logs and post them. (now tagging post-apocalyptic fiction as current affairs)
Mike Binks: Blind man loses social security benefits after chance encounter on Jericho Road. Alms seekers warned to keep clear.