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Hidden in the Heart: How the Psalms Can Renew Your Mind

Matt Damico
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Hidden in the Heart: How the Psalms Can Renew Your Mind

God calls his people to see things the way he sees them. If God considers something good, so should we. If he reckons something evil, we must reckon it likewise.

Unfortunately, this does not come naturally for us. We are descended from Adam, born in sin, and live among those of the same lineage (Rom. 5:12). So our moral instincts are faulty from the start, and the world we inhabit has set itself against its Creator and Savior. So what hope do we have of not adopting the world’s values and priorities?

Praise be to God, we have hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s power to save all who believe (Rom. 1:16–17). This gospel plucks us out of the world and places us into the kingdom of Christ, and yet we struggle to be what we are — to be the holy, consecrated people God has objectively made us in Christ. Our Lord summarized this struggle when he prayed for us: “They are not of the world… I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:14–15).

The Apostle Paul turns that prayer into an exhortation: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom. 12:2).  

So how do we go about this supernatural endeavor? What resources do we have to fend off worldly conformity and pursue transformation? In his infinite wisdom, the Spirit of God has inspired the word of God so that we might have everything we need for life and godliness. The whole of Scripture is there for our instruction and edification, and yet we all likely have portions of the Bible where we feel more at home.

In what follows, I want to encourage you to avail yourself of the Psalms and add them to your armory, so that you can take up the Psalter in this holy war against worldliness and the noble pursuit of renewing your mind.  

Here’s why the psalms are indispensable for the Christian life.

The Psalms Are for Praying 

Pray without ceasing, be constant in prayer, and pray at all times in the Spirit. Those are all instructions the New Testament gives us. Most of us, if we’re honest, struggle in this discipline, in part because it’s so easy to fall into ruts and routines in our prayer life. Employing the psalms in prayer is a great way to infuse some fresh vigor into your communion with God. What can be better than praying God’s own words back to him, allowing him to renovate your desires and align them with his purposes?

As you pray the psalms, you’ll find yourself praying for things you may not otherwise pray for, you’ll find the vocabulary of the Psalter becoming your own, and you will experience what David promised: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4). It is not that delighting in the Lord is the key to getting everything you want, it’s that delighting in the Lord will transform what you want — and those who have the Lord possess all they could ever want. In other words, your desires and mind will be renewed. 

The Psalms Are for Singing

Why is it that God inspired a carefully arranged collection of 150 songs for his people? Because the combination of text and tune makes it so that we internalize what we sing. And the words we internalize stay with us, finding their way into our thoughts, our speech, and our desires. Over and over again, God commands us to sing within the psalms themselves: “Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name” (Ps. 30:4; see also 33:3, 47:6; and 68:4 for a sampling of such exhortations). 

You may not be in a position to choose psalms for your church to sing, but this is a practice you can adopt for your own edification. Find some good recordings of psalm settings, listen to them, and sing with them. The words, and the poetic devices that convey them, will burrow into your mind and heart, and you’ll find yourself not only repeating the words, but loving them. It was Augustine who said, commenting on Psalm 72, “He who sings praise, not only sings, but also loves.” This is the heart of transformation.  

The Psalms Are for Fighting

Paul was not simply being creative when he referred to the word of God as “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17); he was preparing us to fight against the forces of darkness in us and around us. The psalmists saw things the same way: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). David says that, because the righteous has God’s law in his heart, “his steps do not slip” (Ps. 37:31). And the path to righteous flourishing is to meditate on the law of God day and night (Ps. 1).

The Lord Jesus rebuffed the evil one by quoting the Scriptures, and we would be foolish to think we can survive with lesser weaponry. Read, meditate, and memorize verses from the psalms, and challenge yourself to memorize psalms in their entirety. There are imprecations that will challenge whether you think evil is truly evil, there are promises held out for those who fear God and hope in him, and there are confessions that express true contrition. If you want to fight temptation and worldliness, hide these words in your heart and be renewed.

The Psalms Are for Longing

The people of God have rarely been at home. Adam and Eve were briefly where they should be, dwelling in the presence of God in the place he provided. Then they sinned and were sent into exile. There were times when Israel resided peacefully in the Promised Land, but those periods were interrupted by enemies both without and within. Then, exile. And when they returned, the former glory was gone.  

Christians now reside under a New Covenant, but with the same status as those Israelites of old: “sojourners and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11) in a world with “no lasting city,” but seeking the city to come (Heb. 13:14). 

You will find no more poignant expression of this homeward yearning than in the psalms. David declares that “one thing” he seeks is to “dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life” (Ps. 27:4). Israelites in exile recorded their heart’s desire: “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Ps. 137:1). And every time you read, “Wait for the Lord” or, “How long, O Lord?” you are reading the words of an Israelite eager to be back in God’s presence in the place he provides. 

The psalms anticipate not just our final home, but the king who will lead us there. As articulated in Reading the Psalms as Scripture, the psalms teach us what to expect from the promised king. He will fulfill all that the Old Testament anticipated, and he will be king from David’s line, great David’s greater son whose dominion will be from sea to sea (Ps. 72:8). And the New Testament authors refer to the psalms with such frequency that, if we want to understand and anticipate the return of the Messiah rightly, we must know the psalms. 

An important part of not conforming to the world is to give our allegiance ultimately to this royal Son and to long for his reign. We are not escapists — we want to love our neighbors and seek the welfare of our cities — but the path of faithfulness in the world is to have the highways of Zion engraved on our hearts (Ps. 84:5).

Conclusion: Hide the Psalter in Your Heart

One day, God will set things right, and he will call us out of Babylon: “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins” (Rev. 18:4). Those who will be ready to respond to that sovereign summoning will be those whose minds have been renewed and have kept themselves ready. Hide the Psalter in your heart, and ready you shall be.

The psalms cultivate a life of prayer grounded in Scripture. In Reading the Psalms as Scripture, James M. Hamilton Jr. and Matthew Damico guide the reader to delight in the spiritual artistry of the psalms.

Psalms is a carefully arranged book saturated in Scripture. The psalmists drew from imagery and themes from earlier Scripture, which are then developed by later Scripture and fulfilled in Christ. The book of psalms advances God’s grand story of redemption, and it gives us words to pray by drawing us into this story. When we meditate on the promises and patterns in the psalms, we can read, pray, and sing them with faithfulness.

Look at the Book: Obadiah [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Obadiah [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The shortest book in the Old Testament, Obadiah calls back to the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis, insisting that Israel (Jacob) will get his due from Edom (Esau). 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Obadiah’s message is one of judgment against Edom (Esau’s line) for that nation’s failure to assist Israel and for its people’s gloating over Jerusalem’s destruction. 

  • Category: Prophets 
  • Theme: Triumph 
  • Timeline: After 586 BC 
  • Written: Attributed to Obadiah 

Key Verse 

“The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.” — Obadiah 1:15 (NIV) 

Curses and Blessings 

Obadiah is a case study of the curses/blessings in Ge. 12:1-3, with two interrelated themes: 

  1. The judgment of Edom by God for cursing Israel. 
  2. Judah’s restoration. This would even include the territory of the Edomites. 

Obadiah’s blessing for Judah includes the near fulfillment of Edom’s demise and the far fulfillment of the nations’ judgment and Israel’s final possession of Edom. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

Here is a seven-day guide to the prophets Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah. 

(See 30-day guide with all Minor Prophets below.) 

The Righteous Judge 

God rules and reigns as a righteous judge. Those who turn to him in faith and repentance will escape his just wrath. Those who do not will face the consequences of their rejection. 

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.

Infographic depicting major themes and content from Obadiah

What Are Paratexts and How Do They Change How We Read the Bible?

Garrick V. Allen
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What Are Paratexts and How Do They Change How We Read the Bible?

When we think about the Bible, we tend to picture it as words — an unchanging, directly accessible, unmediated sacred text. Words stand at the heart of scripture but, as I argue in my recent book, Words Are Not Enough for thinking about what the Bible is and how all its features coalesce to influence our interpretations. 

The Bible has never been some ideal text floating in our minds, waiting for the right person to snatch them out of thin air and arrange them perfectly in a printed book. When we look at the manuscripts of the New Testament, for example, it is clear that the text of the Bible is always something that is contextualized and physical.  

As handmade objects each manuscript is unique and offers new possibilities for interpretation. No two copies are the same. This reality extends not only to the changing texts of the New Testament, but also to a rich and ubiquitous variety of features that are generally hidden in plain sight, both in our modern printed Bibles and in the manuscripts: paratexts. 

Paratexts, the Bible, and Changing Scriptures

A term first coined by literary theorist Gérard Genette in 1980s, paratexts refer to all features of a book beyond the main text itself.  

The paratextuality of our contemporary print culture is vast and mostly taken for granted. In the case of a modern book, you might find blurbs on the back cover, the author’s biographical information, legal text about copyright, forewords, prefaces, tables of contents, title pages, cover art, and dedications. Each of these items contextualizes the book: you learn about the person who wrote it, the time at which they did so, who published it, why you should buy it, what’s in the book, how it’s structured, and what the author thinks is important about it.  

More commonplace items too are paratextual, including page numbers, chapter titles, subtitles, footnotes, endnotes, bibliographies, and indexes. These features organize the text, breaking it down into segments and creating new sets of information. Paratexts help us to find our way through a book, think about the author and their intentions, and see the larger literary world that a work inhabits.  

The Bible Is More Than Words

The same is true of the Bible. When you pick up a modern Bible today, you encounter paratexts common to all printed cultures — page numbers, legal frontmatter, and indexes. You also find paratexts specific to modern Bible publishing, many of which have ancient and medieval precursors in the manuscripts: chapter and verse divisions, section headings, prefaces of various kinds, maps of the Roman world, cross-references to quotations or parallel passages, or perhaps red text for the words of Jesus. None of these are part of original text of the Bible. 

The Bible is more than words because paratexts always impinge upon the ways we read, shaping the connections we make across the Bible, how we perceive its narrative structure, and what each passage is about. Paratexts and sacred texts are inseparable. Without paratexts there is no Bible as we know it. 

Paratexts are also meaningful. They create very different reading experiences even when the translation is precisely the same. For example, if we read the apocalyptic discourse in Mark 13 from The Jewish Annotated New Testament, our attention is drawn to the passage’s connection to the eschatological thought world of Jewish scripture in the form of extended scholarly footnotes. If we read the same passage in The Green Bible, we might focus on the consequences for creation because texts about famine and cosmic disorder are printed in green ink. Both use the NRSV translation but frame our experience with the text in divergent ways. 

Mapping Paratexts Across Manuscripts

Paratexts are the parts of Bible that modern editors and booksellers play with the most, repackaging existing translations for new audiences: teen life application Bibles, women’s study Bibles, big beefy family Bibles, American patriotic Bibles, and any other niche audience you can dream up. Bibles are big business for publishers, and making new paratexts is a path to selling copies without messing with the text.  

Although not oriented toward selling copies, something similar happens in the manuscripts of the New Testament. From our earliest copies, paratexts have been a non-negotiable part of scripture. They are the products of tradition, the residues of people grappling with their holy texts and quotidian realities of their daily lives.  

The great variety of paratexts and their many iterations is not evidence of the corruption of the Bible, but of its vitality. The things that we care for most intensely are the things that change the most.  

In my book, I start to map the many paratexts that appear in the New Testament’s 5,600 Greek manuscripts, produced from the second to the twentieth century. I explore titles, cross-reference systems, the plenitude of prefaces, and traces of use, like corrections, writing practices, prayers, and doodles.  

But here I want to explore two examples, both of which are held at the Chester Beatty in Dublin, Ireland, that illustrate the omnipresence of paratexts from the very beginning and their development as these sacred traditions passed from generation to generation.  

The Earliest Copy of Paul’s Letters

The first manuscript is the earliest copy of Paul’s letters, known as Chester Beatty Biblical Papyrus II or P46. Part of a collection of papyrus codices acquired in the early 1930s, P46 was produced in the third century AD, about 200 years after Paul’s death. But even at this early stage, paratexts were already an ingrained part of the tradition. 

Folio of Ancient Greek pericope containing the end of Hebrews and beginning of 1 Corinthians
Fig. 1: BP II, Folio 38. Source: Chester Beatty

Consider folio 38 (Fig. 1), the page where Hebrews ends and 1 Corinthians begins. If you’ve never looked at a papyrus before, you might notice some characteristic features. There is no punctuation, no paragraph breaks, or word divisions. The margins are orderly, but there’s no visual way to see where one word or sentence ends and another begins. You might also notice a few words, like in lines 1 and 5, with a horizontal bar over the letters. This indicates a nomen sacrum or sacred name, an abbreviation of particular words characteristic of early Christian manuscript production. In this case, the words Jesus (line 1) and Christ (line 5) are abbreviated.  

In addition to these features, a restrained set of paratexts exists. To start, there is a page number (οα or 71) in the top margin, a feature that helpfully enables us to reconstruct what else may have been in the codex when it was first made. The most obvious paratext, though, is the title to 1 Corinthians (literally “To Corinthians 1”). It is easy to spot because it is center justified, has blank space around it, and is divided from the end of Hebrews by a paragraphos or long line that extends into the left margin. Finally, above the title there is a stichoi notation, a counting of the lines of text for Hebrews written by a later hand. It reads “700 lines,” telling readers and future scribes how long the preceding work ought to be.  

These paratexts aid readers in locating their place within the codex, in visualizing the length of works, and in dividing between the works that comprise the New Testament. None of these features were written by Paul. Even the title to 1 Corinthians was contrived by some unknown later editor who labelled the letters so that readers could distinguish between Paul’s works and understand the letters within a larger story about Paul’s biography and activity. While paratexts exist in P46, they are relatively restrained — the text is the main thing. 

A Byzantine Gospel Book

Another example is known as CBL W 139 or GA 2604, a deluxe twelfth-century Gospel book brimming with paratexts. There are multiple prefaces, cross-references tables, lists of liturgical readings, chapter lists, lists of Hebrew words in each Gospel, illuminations, and more. Paratexts exist not only before the text of the Gospels themselves but are integral to each page of the codex.  

Medieval Bible manuscript with marginalia and other paratext
Fig. 2: W139, Folio 176v. Source: Chester Beatty

Take a look at folio 176v (Fig. 2), a page that contains Mark 15:43–16:2. The biblical text is situated in the center of the page, framed by smaller text in the upper, lower, and outer margins. Between the smaller outer text and the main text are a series of numbers and abbreviations. Even before we get to these features, the main text of this manuscript differs in obvious ways from P46: there are accents, punctuation, word breaks, and paragraphs, marked by larger letters in the left margin. Even if we ignore the paratexts, the reading experience has drastically changed due to changes in the way the text is structured. 

The main difference between these manuscripts though is the oppressive paratextuality of W 139. The most obvious paratext is the text in the margins, which is significantly longer than the main text! Scholars call these texts catenae (“chains”) because they are commentary extracted from early Christian writings and arranged in a string around the biblical texts they comment upon. In this case, there are two sections: the little beta (the Greek letter Β) in the far-left margin denotes the second commentary section, and the little beta above the last line of main text shows readers what text the catena comments upon. In this case, it’s a note about the chronology of Easter morning, smoothing the apparent differences between the Gospels.  

There is also a series of numbers in the margin between the main text and catenae: 228/1, 229/1, 230/8, and 231/1. These numbers are part of the Eusebian canon system, a common feature that divides the Gospels into sequential sections (the first number) and locates them on one of ten tables for cross-reference (the second number).  

In a period before the introduction of the chapters and verses we see in Bibles today, the Eusebian system was the main way that people divided the texts of the Gospels. In this case, most sections appear on Table 1 (passages shared by all four Gospels), but section 230 appears on Table 8, passages shared by only Mark and Luke. If you were to flip to Table 8 at the start of the codex, you can find the parallel passage in Luke.  

The paratexts on this page do some heavy lifting. They help readers to puzzle out interpretive problems that arise when you compare the timeline of Easter morning across the Gospels and to flip back and forth between parallel passages, among other things. They create a network for reading that cannot be easily duplicated in our modern Bibles. 

Conclusion: Paratexts and People

Paratexts allow us to do things with the Bible, pushing us to think about our sacred texts in new ways. They not only create new potentials for interpretation and scriptural reading, but they reflect the ideas of past readers and become inseparable parts of the sacred tradition more broadly.

Some paratexts can be traced to famous thinkers like Eusebius of Caesarea, who was responsible for the canon table system in the Gospels. But other times, the people who made paratexts, produced manuscripts, or read these artifacts are anonymous.  

When we think carefully about paratexts and the large frameworks that define our Bible reading, we participate in a longer history of scriptural conversations. We commune with the many thousands of Jewish and Christian hidden figures who made it possible for us to hold an entire Bible printed between two covers today. Their obscure work, reflected in part in the tradition’s rich paratextuality, is ironically what allows us to think about the Bible as just words.

But once you look under the hood, you can’t unlearn the fact that, when it comes to engaging with the Bible, words are not enough.

This article just scratches the surface of our Biblical paratexts. Go deeper into the many ways these features have influenced our understanding of — and relationship with — the Bible throughout history in Dr. Allen’s groundbreaking book, Words Are Not Enough: Paratexts, Manuscripts, and the Real New Testament.

‘Art Speaks of Christ’: Interview With Bestselling Bible Illustrator Siku

Siku and Bible Gateway
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‘Art Speaks of Christ’: Interview With Bestselling Bible Illustrator Siku

Bible Gateway recently had the privilege of sitting down with bestselling British/Nigerian Bible illustrator and teacher Siku for a wide-ranging discussion about his new work, Bible Origins: The Underground Story — a graphic Bible that tells the story of the letter carriers who risked torture, imprisonment, and death to carry the Gospel across the Roman empire — plus his thoughts on art, Biblical history, and his favorite Bible verse.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

  1. What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you get involved with illustrating Bible Origins: The Underground Story? 

It was when I first saw Dr. Who in our Chelsea basement flat in London. I was just three years old. It remains my first memory. The Daleks scared the life out of me and I thought to myself, “I want to do that when I grow up.”

I met Dr. Brian Brown through my agent, Ed Chatellier. Brian’s project [Bible Origins] was stuck in development limbo and he needed a creative to partner up with him. Jeff (the other artist), was otherwise taken with his pastoral duties.

Imagine this: Brian had to deconstruct the Gospels into their traditional oral components. Then build a narrative that tells us how the people of God probably preserved that oral tradition up until Mark decides to begin to collect those sayings into what we now know as the Gospel of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. He then translates from the Greek Gospels into English with an eye on the extracted oral tradition components. Something I like to think is more like transmission than translation.

  1. How has your faith and personal Bible study influenced your work as a creative, especially for a project like Bible Origins? 

It’s my training as a theologian that helps makes the connection between my faith and my art. Understanding how to purposefully harness art through a theological, Christological, and redemptive perspective is what makes the whole thing work as a whole. Understanding how it relates to popular culture — a very present pop culture — and then tapping into that stream. It takes observing, listening, praying, studying, dialoging, and practicing — over and over again.

The training helps you learn to see, hear and speak into culture. That means you are present in culture rather than a “passive-submissive” within it. Now, transpose that backwards in time — let’s say, first century Jerusalem or Rome (where much of our story is set) — and you’ll find those same skills useful. Asking the right questions; understanding how to communicate to the readers; keeping an eye out for consistency of the cultural signposts. 

There is a certain emergency you want to capture when you are developing a story based on the collecting of the Gospel oral traditions. A certain urgency that began to dawn upon the Church leadership as the rank of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ ministry were being degraded through martyrdom. 

“We feel like we have in some way replicated the acts of the first believers in preserving the oral sayings of our Lord with a certain vivid freshness.”

A local culture not versed in book writing (reading is another matter) started to very quickly become acquainted with the craft. Mark would begin that innovative project. We tried to capture that energy in how we visually paced the story. For the ancients, it was dangerous and counterintuitive. Truth was considered preserved in the hearts and on the lips of the faithful; but now, those words were to be written and preserved on scrolls of vellum. 

There is a sense that we are taking part in that dangerous and innovative enterprise. We feel like we have in some way replicated the acts of the first believers in preserving the oral sayings of our Lord with a certain vivid freshness. An immediacy that the readers will sense as they skip from the Gospel passages, to the dramatized comic book form, tracking our Lord and his disciples as those oral passages are formed; then to the “manga” strips in Rome as those traditions are committed to rolls of cow hide. Rome will burn and thousands of Christians will burn at the stake as they are blamed for the carnage; and in all that… the letters must continue to be copied and posted. 

In our own very, very, small way, we are first century believers: we have found a way to transmit the Gospels just like our sisters and brothers did, two thousand years ago. Like then, there is quite a lot of noise in the background — a lot of noise from “culture-war and war-culture.” But the letter copying needs to be done; we must work while it is day, for the night cometh… 

  1. Did illustrating Bible Origins change or deepen your understanding of the New Testament and the early church? If so, how? 

I am a Bible teacher with a lot of research and study in first century Judean customs, history, typology, and geography. I brought a lot experience to this project through my degree training and previous work on The Manga Bible and The Manga Jesus.

When you distill the oral tradition from the compositional work of the Gospel writers, you do begin to see the Gospels in a more vivid perspective. It brings the Gospel into sharp focus. It’s more immediate — indelibly etched into the deeper recesses of one’s soul. You start to ask questions like,  

  • Why did the writers repeat certain passages?
  • Why are there apparent contradictions?
  • Why did John explicitly leave out certain traditions, which the other three thought relevant to include? 

Ironically, the veracity of the oral tradition would have been in its wide reach, from Alexandria to Syria — hearing the same memorized sayings recited over and over again. Some individuals would been vessels with the entire tradition memorized, verbatim! In some strange way, you may call this the democratization of the revelation of our Lord. 

If our books were to be suddenly taken away from us, how much would we be able to recover from memory, verbatim? I believe that we would be able to repeat that feat; working on a project like this makes you think about God’s fidelity to us in preserving revelation for all generations.

  1. What role do you believe the visual arts play in communicating Biblical truths, particularly for those who may not engage with written scripture as easily? 

Immediacy. Art brings immediacy. Art provides the empathic connection. It crosses the empathic, intuitive and cognitive divide. When you see art… you sort of know without knowing how you know.  

It is an error to assume art is for the scripturally and technologically uninitiated. It’s an error that has cost the Church the cultural high ground. The technological Church sees ‘art’ as a tool, a transactional means to an end.

“working on a project like this makes you think about God’s fidelity to us in preserving revelation for all generations.”

This is a view I see at odds with the Church’s mission statement. It is not so much what role Art plays but rather, what is Art?

Let me put this in a more grounded sense: Art speaks of Christ. It’s designed to do so: just like how the entire animal kingdom earnestly cries out for the unveiling of Jesus Christ, so does Art. 

Take a look at our holy scriptures: every heading, every paragraph, every line of text is artistically placed, aesthetically arranged. The efficacy of its Truth is what creates its ornamental beauty. Each aesthetic stroke speaking directly to the revealed and coming glory of Jesus Christ. All that is missed with a functional approach to spirituality. 

Art should be flourishing in the body of Christ as a means of incommunicable worship, incommunicable speech… incommunicable ways of being human. 

  1. What do you hope readers will take away from seeing the stories of the Gospel’s spread and the growth of the early Christian Church visually interpreted in Bible Origins? 

Three things. First, honor those who were faithful in the preserving of our Gospel. 

Second, Worship our God and King for making his Gospel available to us. 

And third, attend to the Gospels with a fresh mind. Put aside the old assumptions and read afresh. 

  1. How do you see the power of visual storytelling impacting someone’s personal faith journey through a book like Bible Origins? 

Sequential story telling (graphic novels, comic books, manga) breaks down time. It does so visually, thematically, and literally. That causes the reader to read the scripture differently.

When we deconstruct time, we ask questions we would not have asked; we see solutions we might not have seen; we hear voices we might have missed. 

The comic book artist can freeze or accelerate time. Time can be fractured, staggered, or squashed into a singularity. All of that is designed to guide the reader into the Story landscape… and then we let go. The reader becomes its own master of time and they will choose their own “selah” moments. 

  1. Do you have a favorite scene or illustration from the book? What makes it stand out to you? 

Page 84: Paul and the Letter Carriers! 

It’s its vivid simplicity, its latent energy, its danger! It stands as a metaphor to the perils believers face all around the world today.

  1. What advice would you give to aspiring artists who want to tackle Biblical projects like Bible Origins? 

Study. Study. Study. Pray. Fast. Pray again. Get close to the Father, then you’ll know what he wants from you. 

The study is first the Scripture; then your craft; then your world. Understand these three intimately. Know the Father, know his heart so that you have compassion. That compassion will fuel you and give you drive. The concert of these three things will put you in the right place for the right opportunity. Keep pushing; there will be knock backs, but keep pushing. Do not give up.

“The opportunities come; God makes them available at the right time, but you need to be available.”

Bible Origins: The Underground Story took over seven years to realize. We had given up on the project before it came back to life, out-of-the-blue! 

The opportunities come; God makes them available at the right time, but you need to be available. Do the things you need to do. Be active with your hands, but restful in your heart. 

  1. Can you explain how the different illustration styles within Bible Origins illuminate the different timelines at play? 

Jeff, the other artist, who I’ve known for over twenty years, is a master of the old school technique. A master of the old naturalistic European style. He understands the human body and form in a way I can’t. His style is naturalistic; mine is highly stylized. It’s perfectly suited to this project in a providential way. 

The naturalistic style works with the historical thread (the Gospel narrative). That’s the Jeff bit. The hard historical narrative is told in Jeff’s earthy naturalist style.  

The fictional thread of the book (our Story Bearers), which focuses on the story of the dissemination of the Gospel by means of letter writing, is told in a more stylized manga style. Bright, vivid, and fitting for young readership, yet allowing breathing room for the earthy hard history that is Jeff’s art. 

The counterpointing between the two styles really worked. The reader intuitively knows when the switch takes place. 

  1. Finally, do you have a favorite Bible verse — something that you hold onto for inspiration, either in your art or your daily life?

The twelve disciples had returned from their field mission. They had cast out devils, healed the sick, and preached the kingdom. They were excited, congratulating themselves as they gathered around the dinner table. It had been days — probably weeks — since they were gathered like this. They were separated into pairs for the special field mission. Tired and worn by the journey, but invigorated by the amazing feats they performed, they exchanged stories.  

Jesus was excited. Full of joy, recalling a vision Dad had given him a while ago in the desert, he exclaimed at the top of his voice, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven!” 

Luke 10:18. That’s my favorite verse. 

Cover of "Bible Origins: The Underground Story"

Experience the New Testament narratives and letters, interwoven with action-packed graphic novel tales of its origin in the early church.

Dive into the captivating world of the underground church in Rome and Jerusalem with this unique and engaging hybrid graphic novel, specially designed for readers ages 8 and up. Bible Origins: The Underground Story contains portions of the New Testament interspersed with full-color graphic novel stories. The engaging art brings to life incredible tales of couriers braving danger to deliver the gospel stories and letters about Jesus to secret house church gatherings for the very first time.

The Story of Christmas in 35 Bible Verses

Bible Gateway
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The Story of Christmas in 35 Bible Verses

The Christmas season is a time for reflection, joy, and celebration. It’s also a time of patience, yearning, and expectation. As we wait for Jesus to enter the world — and then rejoice in peace and exultation when he inevitably does — it gives us an opportunity to enter into the Bible story and experience it for ourselves. We re-experience the long, hopeful, sometimes desperate wait that God’s people had to endure before Christ was finally, blessedly born to us on that night in Bethlehem.

As you enter into this time of waiting and celebration, here are Bible verses you can read, study, and reflect on — whether quietly to yourself or together as a family. These verses will take you through some of the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus’s birth, into the story of the Gospels, and then to later reflections by Paul and other apostles — so you can experience the full journey of God’s people across the centuries described in our Scriptures.

(Note: We’ve presented these passages in various Bible versions to shine a light on the variety of translation styles available to us. Click into each verse to read them in your preferred version.)

Old Testament Prophecies of the Birth of Jesus

The expectation of Jesus’s birth and arrival is threaded throughout the Old Testament. Here are a few of those passages.

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult. — Numbers 24:17 (NKJV)

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. — Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.
— Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.” — Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NRSVUE)

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
— Micah 5:2-3 (ESV)

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. — Malachi 3:1 (KJV)

The Birth of Jesus Christ in the Gospels

The first two chapters of the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and John, all have to do with the origins of Jesus from different perspectives. (The gospel of Mark begins later, with John the Baptist’s proclamation and Jesus’s baptism.) Here are a few selections from them.

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. — Matthew 1:18 (NLT) (Read the whole chapter.)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” — Luke 1:26-33 (NIV) (Read the whole chapter.)

Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. — Luke 2:4-7 (CSB) (Read the whole chapter.)

And the Word became flesh
    and made his dwelling among us,
    and we saw his glory,
    the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
    full of grace and truth.
— John 1:14 (NABRE) (Read the whole passage.)

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. — John 3:16-17 (GNT)

Reflections on the Coming of Christ in the Epistles

How did the the earliest Christians interpret the Incarnation? Here are a few passages from Paul’s letters, and one from John’s, that tell us what God taking on a human body meant to them — and what it means for us.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. — Galatians 4:4-5 (NRSVUE)

Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God,
        he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
        by taking the form of a slave
        and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
        he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
        even death on a cross.
— Philippians 2:5-8 (CEB)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. — Colossians 1:15-17 (NKJV)

By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. — 1 John 4:9 (NET)

Merry Christmas from Bible Gateway!

As you celebrate the birth of our Lord this month in whatever way is most meaningful to you, we hope you will take some time to reflect on these passages. How can we welcome Christ into the world — and into our hearts — this Christmas season?

Look at the Book: Amos [Infographic]

Chris Fann
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Look at the Book: Amos [Infographic]

“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. Sometimes known as the “social justice prophet,” Amos urges Israel to return to worshiping God — not through sacrifices and festivals but by redistributing wealth to the poor and caring for the innocent. 

Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below. 

Summary 

Amos was a shepherd and keeper of a sycamore-fig grove who lived in Judah, though his book was targeted to the idolatrous people of the northern kingdom of Israel. Amos’s dominant theme is a call for social justice. 

  • Category: Prophets 
  • Theme: Judgment 
  • Timeline: Possibly ca. 750 BC 
  • Written: Attributed to Amos 

Key Verse 

“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” — Amos 5:24 (NIV) 

Sin, Judgment, and Restoration 

Amos addresses Israel’s two primary sins: 

  1. An absence of true worship. 
  2. A lack of justice. 

Israel’s apostasy is promised divine judgment. Because of His covenant, however, the Lord will not abandon Israel, but will bring future restoration to a righteous remnant. 

7 Day Reading Guide 

Here is a seven-day guide to the prophets Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah. 

(See 30-day guide with all Minor Prophets below.) 

A Bad Deal 

“The Israelites exchanged their focus, attention, and affection for God with the false gods of the Canaanites. When this happened, they lost their peace.” — Joel Muddamalle, Finding Peace Through Humility 

Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.   

Infographic depicting major themes and content from Amos

Come Home to Peace this Christmas 

Matthew West
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Come Home to Peace this Christmas 

I know I’m probably not supposed to pick favorites when it comes to the names of Jesus. But I just love the name “Prince of Peace.”

When I say it these days, I just feel like I’m exhaling the trouble and anxiety of my life and allowing my heart to be pointed to a humble King who graciously promises the gift of peace, not in some far-off future, but right now in this very moment — in this very Christmas season. You know, the song “Hold Me Jesus” by the late Rich Mullins always moves me. In it he sings about shaking like a leaf, prayerfully appealing to God to be his Prince of Peace. 

I wonder if you relate to that sentiment like I can. Has the world left you shaking like a leaf this past year? The great beauty of the Christmas story is not found in the circumstances surrounding His birth; it is found in Him, the Savior who has overcome this troubled world! 

Jesus Is the Prince of Peace

Christmas celebrates the coming of a Savior who the apostle Paul tells us delivers on His promise of peace: “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

So the peace Jesus offers is found not in a moment or in a location or in a special circumstance, but in our relationship with Him — in coming home to Him. Despite the stress, anxiety, and worry our world seems to ramp up around the Christmas holidays, the coming of Jesus on that first Christmas was a story aiming us toward the Source of all peace — one that passes all understanding. 

The good news of the first Christmas is that directly into the chaos of human history and human experiences, a Prince of Peace was born. God sent His only Son to offer a peace that transcends whatever is happening in your life, in the busyness of this holiday season, and in the greater world all around us. It is a peace that transcends our circumstances.

Peace that passes all understanding requires that we open our hearts, take a deep breath, step back, stop what we’re doing, and acknowledge who Jesus is and what He can do. That’s right, it means we trust Him to provide it. You see, the peace we long for is as simple as leaning on the truth of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Embracing peace means letting go of our searching, striving, and achieving and making a spiritual trust fall into the arms of a Savior. 

Coming Home to Peace by Trusting Jesus 

What if we really embraced the truth that peace is not something we have to go and find? Peace is not confined to a certain location, vacation, or vocation.

I love how the apostle Paul explains, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13).

The secret of being content is found in trusting in Jesus. It is in Him that peace resides. We will not find peace in the things we buy, in our status, our relationships, or our financial security. We cannot find it in where we go or what we do. We can only find it in Him. That is why it seems to be so rare in today’s world — even during the Christmas season.

Be Still and Know

What if we set down our search for peace and simply learn to be still and trust the Prince of Peace residing in our hearts? The reality is that we can sleep in heavenly peace because our Savior has arrived. We can be still and know that Emmanuel has come. God is with us in this very moment. We don’t have to search for an escape from reality in order to find that elusive moment of peace because Jesus stepped into our reality to offer us a peace that will never leave us.

We can know peace because our sins are forgiven. We can know peace because death is not something we have to fear anymore. We have peace because we can trust that Jesus walks alongside us. You can be still knowing that Jesus brings peace to you wherever you are — whether that is on your way to the office party, standing in a crazy line at the mall, working to get your church ready for a Christmas Eve service, or going in for your next cancer treatment. He is waiting for you to be still and trust Him with every territory of your heart. 

The peace that passes all understanding is as present in our hearts as it was in the manger that first Christmas. When we take a moment to turn our eyes toward the Source of peace rather than trying to find it on our own, peace finds us. “Be still” in Psalm 46 is a reminder that we don’t need to stress, strive, go, do, or perform in order to receive the favor of God. We only need to look toward the manger and open our hearts to Him.

And when our hearts come home to peace in Christ, something supernatural happens: we become peace providers for others. Jesus, in His mission statement sermon, says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus is calling us to share this peace, this shalom, that He provides for us with the world. 

Share the Peace

I love the idea that peace on earth begins with God bringing peace into our hearts. It reminds me of a song that has become part of the hymnals in many denominations called “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

I read that Jill Miller, who co-wrote the song, actually wrote it while coming out of a terrible time in her life. In a failed attempt at suicide, she came face-to-face with God’s unconditional love. She explains, “I had an eternal moment of truth, in which I knew I was loved, and I knew I was here for a purpose.”

Peace that passes all understanding is truly found in the unconditional love of Jesus. Finding that kind of peace is good news that must be shouted from the rooftops, sung in carols, written on cards, and across wrapping paper . . . but most of all, it must be shared with our family, our neighborhood, and the world. 

Cover of "Come Home for Christmas" by Matthew West

Adapted from Come Home for Christmas by Matthew West.   

Matthew West, in his trademark creative and engaging style, leads readers to experience Christmas through the eyes of a child and to come home to greater joy, hope, peace, and belonging found only in Jesus. 

This special book, which springs out of Matthew’s love for Christmas, reminds us that the story of Christmas calls readers back to the heart (or the home) of what it means to be loved by God. Each chapter will include a specific Bible reading about the Christmas story, and the book will include small group discussion questions and an Advent challenge. 

Praying Through Loneliness During the Holidays

Karina Allen and Rebecca Petersen
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Praying Through Loneliness During the Holidays

For many people, the holidays are a time of joy, expectation, and delight. But for those estranged from their families, grieving lost loved ones, or overwhelmed with financial, health-related, or other kinds of stress, the holidays can be an unwelcome reminder of what’s missing in their lives.

It’s OK to feel lonely at Christmastime. And if that’s you — if you feel like you’re watching the festivities through a window while you’re outside in the cold — we want you to know that you’re not alone. Many other people feel that way, too. And God is with us.

Here are a couple of reflections from people who know what you’re going through.

We Are Never Alone in the Family of God (by Karina Allen)

Who doesn’t love the holidays? Me.

Well, it’s not that I hate them. It’s that the holiday season isn’t exactly my favorite time of the year. Why, you ask? I’ll tell you: family. 

Families can be wonderful, but they can also be a lot to deal with. In my case, they’re just plain nonexistent. It’s not that I don’t have family — I do. But we’ve been estranged for as long as I can remember. I grew up with my maternal grandmother, who passed away my freshman year in college. My father passed away when I was young. I’m not close with my mother or my siblings due to the fact that we didn’t live together. As for my extended family, they’re spread out across the country. 

So, there you have it: my complicated relationship with holidays. I’ve spent my fair share of them alone, pretending I wasn’t sad and lonely. Sometimes, though, I’ve received an invite from a friend. Those become sweet times of being seen and loved and welcomed into another family. 

Friends can be family because God’s definition of family is bigger and wider than ours. I’ve walked through being forsaken. It’s hard, lonely, and devastating. But there is hope: “Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (Ephesians 2:19 TLB). 

That’s what the body of Christ is supposed to be, right? Family. As the family of God, we belong to Him, and we belong to each other. God created us to be in community where we are known, valued, and wanted. There we find love and a warm welcome waiting. We are no longer orphans but daughters and sons in the family of God. 

A prayer for this season:  

Father, thank You for the gift of You through Your family. Thank You for inviting me in with open arms and a warm embrace and for being my comforter in times of loneliness. Thank You for providing friends who become family. Give me eyes to see the lonely person whom I could welcome in like family. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When We Feel Lonely in a Crowd, Jesus Notices Us (by Rebecca Petersen)

The more everyone chatted happily about Christmas plans, the lonelier I became. Overwhelmed with working as a teacher and caring for my husband, I had no idea how to survive until Christmas. Holiday activities I enjoyed before my husband’s spinal stroke, like decorating and baking, were now luxuries of time, and I didn’t know how to shoehorn them into my schedule. 

How is it that sometimes we can be lonelier in a group than when we’re actually alone? 

That question reminded me of the woman in Luke 8 who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. Considered unclean, cultural norms of the day dictated that she live apart from her family and friends. During that time, she was lonely until she braved the crowd because she believed Jesus could heal her. I imagine she felt more alone than ever amid the people. Yet she pushed her way through the crowd until she could touch Jesus’ robe. Miraculously, she was healed. Healed, she was able to return to her people — no longer alone. 

What’s more, Jesus noticed her in the crowd and sought her out.  

Often, we hear this story and think of her faith and physical healing, but today I am left thinking about her loneliness. After years of being invisible, she would forever know that she was visible to Jesus. She reached out to Him from the loneliness of the crowd, and He assured her that she was not alone.  

When our circumstances lead us to feel like outsiders — invisible and alone — He offers us that same certainty. Therefore, we can reach out from our lonely place and know that He sees us. What’s more, He is with us in every season (Matthew 28:20), ensuring we’re never alone. 

A prayer for this season:  

Heavenly Father, thank You that You are always there for me. No matter how far removed I feel from those around me, You’ve shown through Your Word that You notice every one of us. Thank You that when I reach out to You, You leave me less lonely. Remind me of these truths when the lonely feelings in a crowd press in. Amen. 

Cover of "Praying Through Loneliness" compiled by Kristin Strong

Adapted from Praying Through Loneliness, compiled by Kristen Strong.

In a season of loneliness? Take comfort in the stories of other women who share their own honest experiences of feeling isolated, struggling to find friends, and still finding a meaningful way through.

Praying Through Loneliness doesn’t skip over the sadness and hardship loneliness brings. It doesn’t offer trite advice or give spiritual formulas to shortcut the slow work of friendship. Instead, it offers an empathetic and hopeful accompaniment in the dark night you are walking through.

Spend the next 90 days with come-alongside friends and the God who has said from the beginning that it is not good for us to be alone; let them lift your burden of loneliness. 

The 100 Most Read Bible Verses at Bible Gateway in 2024

Bible Gateway
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The 100 Most Read Bible Verses at Bible Gateway in 2024

What are the most read Bible verses? We wanted to find out, so we crunched some numbers. The results might surprise you! Or they might not.

One surprise for us was the ascendancy of the Psalms this year, which captured over a third of the top 100. Another was Jeremiah 29:11 edging out John 3:16 for the top (non-psalm) spot. Genesis 1:1 dropped off the list this year, while Revelation didn’t make a single appearance.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a quick overhead look at the data, then we’ll dive into the verses. Scroll to the bottom if you’re curious about our methodology.

Top Bible Verses, by the Numbers

First, let’s get a bird’s-eye view of the list.

Of the top 100 Bible verses read on Bible Gateway in 2024…

  • The most popular book (by far) was the Psalms, claiming well over a third (39) of the top 100 verses (mostly thanks to Psalms 23, 91, 121, and 1 — on that, see below) — six more verses than last year.
  • The second most popular book was 1 Corinthians, with six verses.
  • The most popular chapter (also by far) was, depending on how you measure it, either Psalm 23, which claims the first six verses on the list; or Psalm 91, with a whopping 16 verses, all in the top 25. (This suggests readers are usually reading these entire psalms, rather than isolated verses. See the Methodology section below for more on how we process that data.)
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  • The most popular New Testament chapter is tied between 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 4, also typically read as a block, both with five verses in the top 100. In general, Paul was very well represented, with 31 verses from Pauline epistles.
  • The top 100 is divided evenly between Old and New Testaments, with 50 of the top 100 verses each (though remember only 11 of those Old Testament verses are not from the Psalms).
  • With Psalms and Paul each claiming around one-third of the top 100, that leaves only 30 verses from the entire rest of the Bible combined. Ten of those verses are from the Gospels (Matthew and John, to be precise; neither Mark nor Luke made the list), so that’s only 20 verses from the remaining 50 books of the Bible.

Top 100 Bible Verses at BibleGateway.com

Here are the top 100 most viewed Bible verses on BibleGateway.com. All are quoted from the NIV; click through to the verse to read it in your preferred translation!

  1. Psalm 23:4 — Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
  2. Psalm 23:6 — Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
  3. Psalm 23:5 — You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
  4. Psalm 23:1 — The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  5. Psalm 23:3 — he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
  6. Psalm 23:2 — He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
  7. Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” [See Becky Kiser’s commentary on this verse.]
  8. John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
  9. Psalm 91:11 — For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
  10. Psalm 91:1 — Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [What does this psalm’s popularity tell us about our world today? And how can it help us with our current troubles?]
  11. Psalm 91:2 — I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
  12. Psalm 91:4 — He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
  13. Psalm 91:12 — they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
  14. Psalm 91:15 — He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
  15. Psalm 91:16 — “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
  16. Psalm 91:14 — “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”
  17. Psalm 91:7 — A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
  18. Psalm 91:10 — no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
  19. Psalm 91:9 — If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
  20. Psalm 91:8 — You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
  21. Psalm 91:5 — You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
  22. Psalm 91:13 — You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
  23. Psalm 91:3 — Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
  24. Psalm 91:6 — nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
  25. Joshua 1:9 — “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
  26. Isaiah 41:10 — So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
  27. Romans 8:28 — And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [Read how Romans 8 can help with our relationships.]
  28. John 14:6 — Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  29. Romans 12:2 — Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
  30. Matthew 6:33 — But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
  31. Ephesians 6:12 — For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. [Learn more about demons in the Bible.]
  32. Philippians 4:6 — Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [Read Curtis Chang’s analysis of this verse and chapter.]
  33. Philippians 4:13 — I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  34. Philippians 4:7 — And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  35. John 16:33 — “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
  36. Philippians 4:8 — Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
  37. Isaiah 40:31 — but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
  38. Proverbs 3:5 — Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [See Megan Marshman’s devotional on this verse.]
  39. Proverbs 3:6 — in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
  40. 1 Peter 5:7 — Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
  41. Isaiah 54:17 — “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.
  42. 2 Timothy 1:7 — For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
  43. 2 Corinthians 5:17 — Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
  44. Matthew 11:28 — “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
  45. John 10:10 — The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
  46. Matthew 28:20 — “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
  47. 1 Corinthians 13:4 — Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [See Scot McKnight’s commentary on this chapter and verse.]
  48. 2 Corinthians 12:9 — But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
  49. Galatians 5:22 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
  50. John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
  51. Psalm 121:8 — the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
  52. 1 Corinthians 13:7 — It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
  53. Matthew 28:19 — Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
  54. Psalm 121:7 — The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
  55. Psalm 121:2 — My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
  56. Psalm 1:3 — That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
  57. Romans 12:1 — Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
  58. Psalm 121:3 — He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
  59. Psalm 121:1 — I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
  60. Psalm 121:4 — indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
  61. 1 Corinthians 13:5 — It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
  62. Psalm 121:5 — The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
  63. Psalm 121:6 — the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
  64. 2 Timothy 3:16 — All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
  65. Galatians 5:23 — gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
  66. Psalm 1:2 — but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.
  67. Psalm 1:1 — Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
  68. Genesis 1:27 — So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
  69. 1 Corinthians 13:6 — Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
  70. 1 John 1:9 — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
  71. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
  72. Psalm 46:10 — He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
  73. 2 Corinthians 10:5 — We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
  74. 2 Chronicles 7:14 — if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
  75. 1 Peter 2:9 — But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [Read J.D. Walt’s commentary on this verse.]
  76. Ephesians 2:10 — For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
  77. Psalm 139:14 — I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
  78. Hebrews 4:12 — For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
  79. Ephesians 3:20 — Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
  80. Matthew 11:29 — Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
  81. 1 Corinthians 13:8 — Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
  82. Ephesians 2:8 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
  83. Ephesians 6:11 — Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. [Read Jonathan “JP” Pokluda’s article on preparing for spiritual warfare with the armor of God.]
  84. Isaiah 53:5 — But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
  85. Psalm 1:6 — For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
  86. 1 Corinthians 10:13 — No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
  87. Psalm 1:4 — Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
  88. Psalm 100:4 — Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
  89. Psalm 1:5 — Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
  90. Romans 5:8 — But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
  91. Jeremiah 33:3 — ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
  92. 1 Peter 5:8 — Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
  93. Galatians 6:9 — Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
  94. Hebrews 12:2 — fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  95. Colossians 3:23 — Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
  96. Hebrews 11:1 — Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
  97. Philippians 4:19 — And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
  98. Romans 3:23 — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
  99. Acts 1:8 — “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
  100. Genesis 1:26 — Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Top 5 Verses from the Apocrypha

Although the Deuterocanonical or Apocryphal books get significantly fewer views than the core 66 books (which makes sense given that they are accepted only by Catholics and Orthodox, while all Christians accept the rest), we thought it would be interesting to see which of them get the most looks, too.

Since these are not translated in the NIV, we use the NRSVUE.

Like the main list, the top five verses from the Apocrypha are largely claimed by a single chapter that is usually read as a block.

  1. 1 Maccabees 3:19 — It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from heaven.
  2. 2 Maccabees 12:45 — But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.
  3. Sirach 6:14 — Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter; whoever finds one has found a treasure.
  4. 2 Maccabees 12:44 — For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.
  5. Sirach 6:15 — Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.

Methodology

To compile the list of our most viewed Bible verses, we crunched Google Analytics data of page views for every translation in every language. We also controlled for verse ranges: for example, if 10 verses are viewed, each verse receives 0.1 view.

This accounts for why a few passages have several verses on this list, sometimes (but not always) side by side. Often, those verses are viewed as a single unit; but sometimes individual verses are searched instead, which elevates them above the rest of their group.

Conclusion: The World’s Most Popular Bible Verses?

Bible Gateway data is of course not all Bible data. Still, Bible Gateway is the world’s most-visited Christian website; we’re talking billions of views, in many different languages, all around the globe. So this is a pretty good sampling of the most popular Bible verses in the world.

That said, verses are always best read in context. We encourage you to do a deeper dive into these popular verses by exploring the passages and books they are situated in.

If you’re not sure where to start, a Study Bible can help focus your reading; here are some of the best Study Bibles available right now. Or, you can try Bible Gateway Plus with free and explore dozens of resources for getting to know the Bible — and the Lord — more closely.

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