Thread:SouthWriter/@comment-5175866-20150828230358/@comment-1777104-20150903015734

Right, the Bible IS the source. That is the whole idea of a "book" wiki. It is not as clear with a "lifestyle" wiki where the "people of the book" are the focus. What I mean by this is that when we offer the Gospel in the articles, we have as a goal leading the reader to accept the Bible by way of "argument."

The only reason I use "other references" is to bring out the meaning in the text. For example, I reference Bible dictionaries and concordances because they have "dug beneath the surface" of the text. The reader cannot always get this out of the text through a general reading.

From almost the very beginning of the translation of the Scriptures into the common languages during the Reformation, the publishers provided notes provided by the scholars that translated the Bible. These early "study Bibles" fell in to disuse after the publication of the "Authorized Version" (KJV) in 1611, not to return until the Scofield Study Bible in 1917. Okay, not a good example... haha ... but ususally scholarship does not read so much "into" the text.

What you and I are doing is creating a "study Bible" with the text in the footnotes! Well, I guess a better way to put it is we are building a Bible handbook online. There are others out there, but not in "wiki" format.

Today, on my wiki, I added the outline to my latest "book" article: Samuel (Biblical books). I explain to the reader that the books were original one book called "First Kings" (or the Hebrew equivalent) and suggest a completion during the reign of Rehoboam. With a short synopsis in place, I finsish off the page with the outline of the two "books." Links lead to the main characters (Samuel, Saul, and David, among others). A book article should not try to "retell" the story, but send the reader back to the text.

Ah, I am rambling. Perhaps your pastor will like what I am doing and use my model -- and YOU can merge with me. :-)

Really, I am impressed at what you have attempted. Thank you for bringing me into your project. Now, I am going to take a few minutes to edit or build one of your articles.