Bible Signposts: Understanding Cross References

Welcome listeners. Ever stop to think about how we humans only scratch the surface of what our brains can do. It's wild, right, we have this incredible organ capable of astonishing feats, yet we often tap into only a small portion of its power. But here's the kicker we do the same thing with the Bible. Our Bibles contain an often untapped resource called cross-references. It's like having this massive library of wisdom at our fingertips, but we usually look right over them. I know I did for a long time. When we do that, we're missing out on so much. But hey, no worries, we're about to change that. Stay tuned to this episode of the Bible Basics podcast, where we'll dive deep into cross references and discover all that good stuff hiding in plain sight. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where weekly, we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. Have you ever noticed those small letters, numbers or symbols scattered throughout the pages of your Bible? Well, these subtle markings are cross-references.

Cross-references are literary tools where a note in a book or other document tells you that there is related, relevant or more detailed information in another part of the book or document. In Scripture, as a result of theological research. Cross-references identify commonalities between different parts of the Bible, between different parts of the Bible, similar themes, words, events or even people. They're like signposts guiding us to related passages elsewhere in the scriptures. The cross-references do vary from one Bible to another and from one translation to another. Note that, unlike the text of the Bible itself, cross-references are not perfect and without error. Some cross-references may lean one way or another on doctrinal or theological issues. As with any biblical tool, be aware of its limitations. Before we go any further, let's take a moment to discuss why cross-references should even concern us. Then we'll look at the types of cross-references and some examples why cross-references.

In past episodes on Bible study, you've heard me say that our understanding of the meaning of a biblical passage should be consistent with the rest of the Bible. Also, when we talked about understanding the meaning of parables, I emphasized the need to compare Scripture with Scripture. We need to ensure that our interpretations align with the broader teachings of Scripture. We need to be able to answer the question what does the rest of Scripture have to say on this matter? Well, you might be saying I'm new to the Bible. I haven't read the whole Bible. Even if I had, I don't remember everything in it.

Well, that's where cross-references come in your Bible. Translators and publishers have included this tool to guide you to related passages in other parts of the Bible. They can shed light on the passages you're reading and studying and provide more information and different details about people, places, events and themes. It's like having a personal tour guide through the Bible, and there are thousands, 63,000 and 340,000 Bible cross-references. In fact, if you Google Bible cross-reference image, you'll see stunning graphics depicting these cross-references. So how do they look in your Bible?

In order to describe cross-references to you further, I pulled out every one of my paper Bibles to look at how cross-references appear. I should note that a few of them were what we call plain Bibles. They simply have text and some footnotes, but no cross-references or commentary. But for the rest, I noticed they used a common approach to cross-referencing, which is where, on each page, I encountered verses with a tiny letter next to it. When I say tiny, I mean a tiny little a or b or c or so forth. That small letter is linked to a verse or verses that are found in a list. That list is located either in the center of the page or in the margin, or at the bottom of the page, or in the margin or at the bottom of the page. The list will provide just the verse number for those references that are in the same chapter. It will provide the chapter and verse number for those that are in the same book and the book name with chapter and verse number for references that are outside the particular book you're looking at. By the way, you might also see other annotations, tiny numbers, those typically linked to translation footnotes. At the bottom of the page you might see the letters cf. next to a verse. This means compare, or you might also see the phrase 'see also.'

Now let's talk about the types of cross-references. Bible cross-reference systems include several types of cross-references, including references to other passages with the same words, phrases or themes. It may refer to longer passages that closely parallel the current passage. A frequent use of cross-references are for when a passage is quoted elsewhere in the Bible Bible. Now let's dive into a couple of examples to see how these cross-references can deepen our understanding of Scripture.

I'll be highlighting the kinds of help the cross-reference can provide. Take Psalm 23:1, for instance. You're familiar with this hymn of praise by David that starts out with the line "the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Well, if you follow the cross references, you'll discover similar themes of God described as a shepherd to his people.

Descriptions of his guidance and provision are scattered throughout the Old and New Testament. In my Bible, the first cross-reference I see is Isaiah 40: 11, which depicts his tenderly feeding and leading his flock the actions of a shepherd. Next in the list is John 10: 11, which is a New Testament reference to Jesus identifying himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. This refers to his substitutionary death for sinners on the cross. And then we have 1 Peter 2: 25, which tells us why we need the shepherd. We are like sheep going astray. And lastly, I have the reference Philippians 4: 19, which further elaborates on the last part of that verse, why we shall not want. God will meet all of our needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

We know the first four books of the New Testament chronicles the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, the basis of our salvation. Well, the first three books, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are called synoptic Gospels because they present similar perspectives on Jesus' ministry. As such, they describe many of the same events in his life. The type of cross-references we'll see frequently in the Synoptic Gospels are parallel or similar passages. In some Bibles this is indicated by double slashes included in that list of cross references. Here's one In Luke 5: 12- 14, Luke the physician gives us an account of Jesus healing a man with leprosy.

The man begged Jesus saying Lord, if you're willing, can you make me clean? Jesus touched the man and said I am willing, be clean. The man was immediately healed. Jesus then told him not to tell anyone, but go and show himself to the priest and make sacrifices. Looking at the cross references, I quickly could see where the parallel verses are in the other Gospels Matthew 8: 2-4, and Mark 1: 40-44. However, we learn one unique thing by looking at the Mark passage. At the Mark passage, the verse after this pericope that's the scholarly word for story tells us that the man did not keep quiet but instead told everybody so much that Jesus was not able to come into the town to teach because of the crowds. That's the kind of thing we might find if we're looking at cross-references.

Let's do one more. I still have parables on my mind because we recently did an episode on them. If you didn't catch that one, I encourage you to do so. The show notes have a link to it. Let's turn to Matthew 13: 34 - 35. It reads, quote Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables.

He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world. Unquote. The cross-reference for this passage led me to Mark 4: 33-34, which provides further elaboration here. In Mark's narration he says Jesus only spoke in parables, but when he was alone with the disciples he explained everything. This last cross-reference led me to John 16:25, where Jesus spoke further about his use of parables. He said, quote a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language, but tell you plainly about my father. Unquote. Oh, my goodness.

I only selected a few cross references, but I hope it was enough for you to see the immense value these cross-references can bring to your Bible reading and study. Now, the cross-reference tool we've been discussing is powerful. It's free and you probably already have it. That's your Bible. However, if you're so inclined, there are additional ways to access cross-references. If you really want to go deep, consider the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Here's an example For Psalm 23:1, which I just talked about, the Bible I was using had four cross-references for that verse In the book called the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, for this one verse there are at least 50 cross-references. And, of course, there's the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, which also has a wealth of course references. And don't forget about the volume of free resources available online. Dive into digital databases and Bible study tools to unlock even more insights and explore interconnected themes with just a few clicks. The Blue Letter Bible and the Open Bible. info are just a few. I'll have the links to those in the show notes as well.

Well, everyone, we've reached the end of our journey. For today. I hope you're feeling inspired to crack open your Bible and start following these cross-references. If you let them, cross-references can be your best friend in Bible study, serving as a massive library of wisdom at your fingertips. I encourage each of you to embrace the journey of discovery that's there for us in cross-references of Scripture. Let's approach the study of God's Word with curiosity and humility, allowing this powerful cross-reference tool to deepen our understanding and mature our faith journey. If you found this episode helpful, informative or inspirational in any way, would you please share with someone you know who needs to hear it? You can do that by sharing the podcast website, bible-basics. org, or you can click on the share button right where you're listening now. For those of you listening on YouTube, go ahead and like, subscribe and leave us a comment. In closing, may the grace and peace of God be with you now and always.