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Bible API

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Re: Bible API

#211

Post by samirillian »

wcarey wrote: post #58

One of the most interesting things to happen to the scriptures is their balkanization into verses. We generally don't atomize other writings that way, and when folks read the scriptures as a series of disconnected logical propositions all sorts of wackiness ensues. What would it look like to have an API for the collected works of Jane Austen that returned snippets (some of which are not even complete sentences)? How…

Well, some books of the bible are more aphoristic, like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, as are plenty of other ancient texts like the Quran or the Sutras or the Tao te Ching. There's also Jewish numerology, and the mystical(?) idea that the arrangement of the letters in the Pentateuch is only one of many possible perfect combinations. The concept of divine infallibility definitely has a lot of weird implications, or semi-implications that people just run with. Conversely, the cipher-like quality of the scriptures is what makes them so hermeneutically fun, especially for all those violent little cults that have a way of taking over the world.

Re: Bible API

#212

Post by NobodyNada »

saos wrote: post #14

Awesome! Would love NLT or NKJV translation.

Unfortunately, you run into copyright issues very quickly when republishing modern translations. This site only provides “public domain and freely licensed bibles,” which includes neither NLT or NKJV.

Re: Bible API

#213

Post by jtbayly »

wcarey wrote: post #146
seemslegit wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Corinthians is not part of the old testament so I'm afraid its versing might not be per the union standards. It is currently versed as: Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom. But we preach Christ crucified - A stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Which seems like three complete sentences forming…

Ah - apologies - I misread you. I'm not sure whether there are any mid-sentence verse breaks in the Old Testament. I'll look!

I believe the first verse in one chapter in Job is “he said”. However, it is generally not separated out. Instead one and two are typically combined together and the next number is 3, or something like that.

Re: Bible API

#214

Post by ducaale »

dang wrote: post #200
sjwright wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, and then you were leap-elephanted by the enlightenment. Keep up.

Please stop. Your comments in this thread stand out as particularly bad, and the commenter you've been abusing is to be commended for not reacting in kind.

Thanks for restoring my faith in HN :)

Re: Bible API

#215

Post by chacha102 »

take_a_breath wrote: post #121
karaterobot wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good observation, but I think it's overstated. I don't know many people who read the bible as a series of disconnected logical propositions, they mainly read it in much longer sections covering some topic. Chapter and verse come in when you want to quote something, or shorthand something, or refer someone to a specific and narrow section. In this usage, it's very similar to the way we cite Shakespeare, Homer, Chaucer…

You make a good point, but I think your making the academic argument rather than the practical argument. Yes, scholars and avid Bible readers understand the exact location of a verse based on its Biblical coordinates, but plenty of others don’t. In practice, it is far more common to see the Bible quoted as a small snippet meant to re-enforce some other point. The Twitter feed of Senator Marco Rubio is a good example.

  In practice, it is far more common to see the Bible quoted as a small snippet meant to re-enforce some other point.
Any seriously complex work is very often quoted/cited as a small snippet meant to re-enforce another point. Speeches, books, statistics, other religious doctrines. In all of these cases, you can easily misinterpret the quote if you don't understand its origin.

The only reason the Bible is slightly different in this context is because the reference system has been formalized as being the best selling book in history means sometimes font sizes are gonna change.

You might have well just said:

  In practice, it is far more common to see [anything] quoted as a small snippet meant to re-enforce some other point.

Re: Bible API

#216

Post by catawbasam »

goto11 wrote: post #78
wcarey wrote: post #58

One of the most interesting things to happen to the scriptures is their balkanization into verses. We generally don't atomize other writings that way, and when folks read the scriptures as a series of disconnected logical propositions all sorts of wackiness ensues. What would it look like to have an API for the collected works of Jane Austen that returned snippets (some of which are not even complete sentences)? How…

The Bible was not written as single work the way novels like Persuasion are though. It is really a collection of books of very different origins and genre. Some books are laws where individual rules can be examined and there are collections of proverbs. But there are also parts which are longer narratives.

No, but single narratives have been done -- Tolstoy's "The Gospel in Brief" is a nice example that both captures his interpretation of Christianity and ties explicitly back to the original verses. And its Tolstoy, so it makes a nice read :)

Re: Bible API

#217

Post by chrismorgan »

pcunite wrote: post #196
chrismorgan wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would depend upon a belief in the doctrine of the trinity, which while mainstream is far from universal. As a Christadelphian I refute the doctrine of the trinity: it simply doesn’t appear in the Bible; it was developed over the course of time in roughly 100–325 AD. (Even apart from that I doubt that trinitarians would go along with your interpretation, but the whole thing of the trinity is confusing and depends…

Extremely insightful observation. How do you feel about Acts 2:38? Do you feel it is pivotal to understanding salvation?

That repentance and baptism are called for upon realising our depth of sin and need for salvation, certainly. (Notwithstanding this, per Ephesians 2:4–10 salvation is by God’s grace, not by works. Yet baptism is commanded, here and elsewhere.)

Given the context in this thread I suspect you may be seeking remark upon “the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Of that I would say that in the sense of what might commonly be known as the Holy Spirit Gifts (healing, tongues, and the like) Peter was speaking to those that were there at that time, and that it is not applicable to us. Apart from cases of intervention by the Lord, the Spirit in this sense was given only by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands (Acts 8:14–17, and refer to all other documented cases of receiving the Spirit for further support of this allegation; note that Paul is included in the number of the Apostles, despite his not being one of the Twelve; he was specially ordained as such by Jesus). As the Apostles died out, so did these Holy Spirit Gifts, as there was no one further to bestow them. Instead, by this time we had the New Testament, and so had no further need for those obviously miraculous gifts (1 Corinthians 14:22–25 is slightly related to this idea, though I find it difficult to clearly explain how, in part because Paul writes verse 22 in a way that feels kinda back to front).

All that, I say, when referring to the commonly-perceived Holy Spirit Gifts. But please do not take me to be saying that we do not have God’s Holy Spirit with us today; God is with us and sustains us with his power daily (for that is what the Holy Spirit is: the power of God, nothing more, nothing less), including in less obvious abilities we are given. If you look through the list in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, only a few are obviously supernatural. We all have our own abilities given us by God.

If you or anyone else happen to be interested in discussing these or any other things further, email me at bible@chrismorgan.info. I am always glad to talk about the Bible!

Re: Bible API

#218

Post by goto11 »

ars wrote: post #206
bjourne wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even Jesus himself often referred to specific verses in the Old Testament: "Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7; cf. Luke 4:12)" "“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” (Matthew 5:38)" So the Scripture must have been "Balkanized" before Christianity existed. Which is not so strange given that it served both…

> You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” That's a great example, because that verse is saying only punish an eye for an eye, and not a life for an eye. It's a verse requiring proportional punishment. (On top of that it means the value of an eye, not an actual eye.) So quoting it that way actually does remove necessary understanding, which is making the OP's point.

The example shows that even Jesus quoted single verses out of context. So the assertion that this didn't happen in antiquity is clearly wrong.

Re: Bible API

#219

Post by seemslegit »

jtbayly wrote: post #213
wcarey wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah - apologies - I misread you. I'm not sure whether there are any mid-sentence verse breaks in the Old Testament. I'll look!

I believe the first verse in one chapter in Job is “he said”. However, it is generally not separated out. Instead one and two are typically combined together and the next number is 3, or something like that.

There are several chapters in Job with the first verse being roughly "And X replied, saying" with the rest of the chapter being their reply. Still very much a full sentence that identifies the speaker.

Re: Bible API

#220

Post by chacha102 »

bdcravens wrote: post #178
karaterobot wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good observation, but I think it's overstated. I don't know many people who read the bible as a series of disconnected logical propositions, they mainly read it in much longer sections covering some topic. Chapter and verse come in when you want to quote something, or shorthand something, or refer someone to a specific and narrow section. In this usage, it's very similar to the way we cite Shakespeare, Homer, Chaucer…

> I don't know many people who read the bible as a series of disconnected logical propositions It's common to quote short passages (1-3 verses) in society, either to prove a point (often missing context) or in a "thought for the day" manner. Many homes have wall hangings with scripture that the owner has never read in the bible.

  Many homes have wall hangings with scripture that the owner has never read in the bible.
People quote literature they haven't read all over the place[1]. Implying its unique to the Bible means you probably haven't done your research either.

[1]: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/68007/50-famous-misquota...

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