Unlocked Bible Commentary Team Information Documentation

This site is the official documentation for Door43’s Unlocked Bible Commentary. The content for the UBC is being created by Wycliffe Associates staff members.

Contents:

Purpose

Purpose of this Document

The purpose of this document is to present to the UBC writers and manager-revisers the philosophy guiding the UBC project, as well as an overview of how the UBC is meant to function in relationship to the Unlocked Bible Notes (UBN) project. This document will also describe all the working procedures and management structure in the UBC project. Finally, it will present the personnel with the needed information about online repositories and file locations, as well as instructions for working with them.

Purpose of the Unlocked Bible Commentary (UBC)

The UBC is meant to provide in Christian-resource-deprived languages a two-volume Bible commentary (one volume per Testament), similar to the kind of commentary of the same scope used by Western Christians. The UBC will aim to present and explain the biblical themes present in the Scriptures in a way that allows the reader to understand them to a considerable degree.

The UBC is meant to be freely translated and adapted into other languages: “open license,” “creative commons–share and share alike” Share Alike 4.0; see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

The UBC’s Relationship to the Unlocked Bible Notes (UBN)

The Unlocked Bible Commentary and the Unlocked Bible Notes are meant to be developed simultaneously, so it is important that all commentary and notes writers understand both projects.

The UBC is planned to address needs of pastors and other church workers for deepening their understanding of the biblical texts, primarily on the basis of clarifying the themes presented in the biblical paragraphs and larger text units. With an average 2000-word per biblical chapter limit, the UBC material will make demands on the reader’s attention far exceeding the short study notes he will encounter in the UBN. On one hand, those UBN notes are meant to interfere minimally with the user’s Scripture reading; on the other hand, the UBC material will make substantial demands on the reader’s attention.

Unlike the UBN, which will have notes geared either to a basic level of Scripture knowledge or to an advanced level, the UBC material will assume that the user has an advanced level of biblical knowledge.

The Main Features of the UBC

The UBC is to have these main features:

Word count per biblical book

UBC material is meant to not exceed 2000 words per biblical chapter on average.

Version-free commentary material

The UBC material is not to be tied to any one version of Scripture, because it is meant to be translated and adapted into other languages. This means that the material should not cite any one version’s rendering of passages. Instead, it must refer to ideas in the passages.

When versions adopt a conflicting interpretation of a passage, and if this conflict becomes desirable to be noted in the commentary material, it should be done so in a reasonable fashion, without taking sides. The writer is free, of course, to point out any conceptual ramifications of particular interpretations.

Focus of the UBC

The UBC means to be a resource for the use of pastors, other church workers, and Christians advanced in biblical knowledge. It will present them with information and issues that will probably not surface from just a reading of the biblical text. This information is to be of the following sorts:

  • cultural background implied by the text
  • historical features implied or referred to in the text
  • language features of the text
  • implications of the text for biblical theology
  • interpretative issues in the text
  • significant textual problems, of the kind that versions must answer
  • theological issues arising from the text

The Unlocked Bible Notes will also present some of the same kinds of information, but on a verse-by-verse basis. While not avoiding commenting on specific verses, the UBC is able to present material in a paragraph-by-paragraph or section-by-section approach.

Important features in the UBC

Following are some important features of the UBC

Ease of translation and adaptation into other languages

The UBC is meant to be freely adapted and translated into other languages. This means that for the UBC to have the greatest ease of translation, it must have the least amount possible of English idiomatic expressions. It should also read clearly and easily. We will try to provide guidelines in an appendix for translation-friendly writing.

Tagging features in the UBC

The UBC is to be composed in markdown language, which uses tags beginning with the hashtag (#), also called the pound sign. In addition to the current inventory of tags for the UBC project, anyone is free to propose more tags. Any manager-reviser will have the authority to accept or reject such requests. Tags are used for:

  • formatting purposes
  • creating links to other resources
  • filtering purposes of the user

Please see the MARKDOWN LANGUAGE IN THE UBC PROJECT appendix for a list of tags that we will use in formatting the UBC material.

The Tagging Features in the Notes

The UBN is composed in markdown language, which uses tags beginning with the hashtag (#), also called  the pound sign. In addition to the current inventory of tags for the UBN project, anyone is free to propose more tags. Any manager-reviser will have the authority to accept or reject such requests.

Remark: these tags are sorted into four groups, as presented below. Because it is important for writers and manager-revisers to remember the order of these four groups, we propose the follow mnemonic phrase: “Failure to Sleep Reduces Well-being” – Filtering, Scripture, Resource, Working. If you do not like this phrase, maybe you will find this one better: “Forgiven Sinners Rise to Worship.”

Remark: Each tag must go on its own line after a note, with only a few exceptions as noted below

Filtering Tags

These tags will allow users to find certain kinds of notes.

ALL FILTERING TAGS SHOULD BE PLACED AS THE FIRST GROUP OF TAGS AFTER EVERY NOTE.

  • Verse number (#vn). (Examples: #v1, #v2-4) Put this tag immediately after every note. Any note lacking this tag will not appear in the database of notes.
  • Advanced level note (#adv). This tag marks advanced level notes; basic level notes go untagged for level. See the explanation of advanced level notes in section 4.1 above.
  • Biblical theme (#bt-xxx). (Example: #bt-judgment) This tag allows users to locate notes having to do with distinct biblical themes, such as redemption, judgment, heaven, sin, etc. For example, if a writer composes a note on Mark 1:11 (“A voice called from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am very pleased’”), he may wish to mark it with the #bt-christ tag. As a result, this note will appear if a user searches for notes relevant to the biblical theme of Christology.
  • Theological stance (#ts-xxx). (Example: #ts-infantbap) This tag is used to mark notes that give theological positions that fall outside of WA’s Core beliefs.

These tags are available to attach to notes that present a viewpoint that is not shared by all Christians. Notes favoring theological positions that are not included in WA’s Core beliefs should be tagged in this way so that these notes can be kept from publication for now. They will be reserved for possible publication in the future, in an expanded version of the notes. See https://www.wycliffeassociates.org/who-we-are/our-core-beliefs to find WA’s core beliefs stated.

Sometimes we may write a note that unconsciously favors a certain theological stance. If a  manager-reviser determines that a note favors a certain theological stance, steps must be taken either to make the note more balanced, or to add the theological stance tag.

On the other hand, if a note presents both sides of a controversy in an even-handed manner (as judged by the manager-reviser), then no theological stance tag should be required.

Scripture-Linking Tags

These tags allow writers to link notes to other Scripture passages.

THESE TAGS SHOULD BE PLACED AFTER ALL SUITABLE FILTERING TAGS HAVE BEEN PLACED.

  • Allusion (#xa-xxx). (Example: #xa-isa40:3) To say that a biblical writer is alluding to another passage is to claim that, in your judgment, the writer is consciously drawing the reader’s attention to that passage without actually quoting it.
  • Direct quote (#xq-xxx). (Example: #xq-gen12:3) Remember that biblical writers may quote passages either strictly or loosely. They may combine two or more distinct passages into what appears as one quotation. They may also quote from either the Hebrew Bible or the Septuagint; they may even mix these two sources together to achieve a sort of combined quotation.
  • Cross-reference (#vr-xxx). (Example: #xr-gen1:1) A cross-reference is any other passage that is relevant to the passage under consideration, if it is not a direct quote or an allusion.
  • Multiple note insertion (#xxxn:n). (Example: #luk3:1) This tag is a device to apply a note written for one Bible passage to another passage as well. It allows the same note to appear in more than one place.

Resource-Linking Tags

These tags allow the writer to link notes to other project resources, i.e., glossary, articles, etc.

THESE TAGS SHOULD BE PLACED AFTER ALL SUITABLE SCRIPTURE-LINKING TAGS HAVE BEEN PLACED.

  • Existing glossary entry (#g-xxx).  (Example: #g-ascension) Use this tag to link the note to an existing glossary item. Check the inventory of current glossary items to see whether the item to which you desire to link already exists; if it does, you will find its approved tag. In that case, then use the same tag.
  • Existing article (#a-xxx). (Example: #a-christ) Use this tag to link the note to an existing article. Check the inventory of current articles to see whether the article to which you desire to link already exists; if it does, you will find its approved tag. In that case, then use the same tag.
  • Existing map (#m-xxx). (Example: #m-Judea) Maps are planned to be prepared upon request. They are to be included as a linkable resource.
  • Strongs number (#Hn..., #An..., #Gn...). (Examples: #H0305, #A1933, #G0058) Use these tags to refer to the citation form of a word in a biblical language. These tags should be put in-line in sentences in the notes. Formatting of the citation should have the English word in square brackets followed by the Strongs number in parenthesis; such as [world](#g2889). Citations with more than one Greek/Hebrew word should list them separately, with each English words followed immediately by the Strong’s link; such as [I](#g1473)[am](#g1510). The user will only see the words enclosed in the square brackets, but those words will link to the Strong’s numbers that follow them.

Links to Strongs numbers can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong%27s_Concordance or elsewhere.

For your information, we expect that glossary entries will look something like these examples:

#g-ascension - The return of Jesus to heaven after he rose from the dead.

#g-brother - A male sibling or other close male relative; a fellow member of a group of people–for example, a fellow Christian or a fellow Israelite. In the New Testament, “brothers” can also refer to both men and women in the same group.

#g-pentecost - A Jewish celebration that came fifty days after the festival of Passover. Pentecost also became an important day in the early church because the believers received the Holy Spirit in a new way on that day. Many Christians consider Pentecost to be the day on which the church formally began.

Workflow Tags

Use these tags in the process of composing and developing the notes. These tags will not appear in the final, publish product. Most of these tags being with (#d...), which you can remember as standing for “desired.”

THESE TAGS SHOULD BE PLACED AFTER ALL SUITABLE RESOURCE-LINKING TAGS HAVE BEEN PLACED.

Once a manager-reviser accepts a requested item, he or she will do the following: (a) create a page for the item, (b) run a script changing the #dx- tag to a #x- tag everywhere in the UBN repository, and (c) place the changed tag in the proper tag order. For example, after accepting a request to add “Crucifixion” as a glossary item, the #dg-crucifixion tag will be changed by a script application to #g-crucifixion. And after accepting the request for a map of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, a page for that map will be created, and the #dm-egyptattimeofexodus tag will be changed to #m-egyptattimeofexodus. Finally (d), the manager-reviser will also ensure that these new items be added to the current inventories of items.

This means that for a resource item to be said to exist, it will suffice for that item to have a unique page and a permanent tag—even if the content of that item is not yet written.

  • Question (#q).  Use this tag to mark every working question created to generate a note. Place the tag after the question on the same line. (This is an exception to the general rule of each tag sitting in its own line.)
  • Desired glossary entry (#dg-xxx).  (Example: #dg-blessing) Use this tag to request a new item to be added to the glossary.
  • Desired article (#da-xxx).  (Example: #da-crucifixion) Use this tag to request a new article to be written.
  • Desired map (#dm-xxx). (Example: #dm-Jerusalem in David’s time) Use this tag to request a new map to be drawn and added to the map resources.
  • Desired biblical theme (#dbt-xxx) (Example: #dbt-verbalinspir) Use this tag to request a new biblical theme that the user can employ for filtering notes.
  • Desired theological stance (#dts-xxx) (Example: #dts-infantbap) Use this tag to request a new biblical theological stance that the user can employ for filtering notes.

The IT repository of the UBC and other tasks

Below are the repositories for the UBC and other projects

UBC repository

These are the repositories established for the UBC in general, and for the Gospels of Luke and John in particular. You can compose commentary material in Microsoft Word or Notepad, but remember to use markdown language. You must then copy and paste the file’s contents into the correct place.

The main repository for the UBC - https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubc

Luke - https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubc-luk

John - https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubc-jhn

UBN Repository

https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubn - the UBN home page that contains information pertinent and links to all the other UBN repos

https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubn-articles - the repo that contains the articles that will be linked from both the UBN notes and UBC.

https://git.door43.org/Door43/en-ubn-articles/src/master/rejected.md - the repo containing rejected proposals for articles.

Door43/en-ubc-xxx

(where xxx = three-letter code for any biblical book).

Here is where to locate the working files for the UBC (i.e., the files containing the notes as they are being composed and edited):

Each book has a directory of the chapters. Each chapter has a directory of pages. So that the directory tree for any book will look like:

en-ubc-xxx/
    |.github
    |content/
    |  |01
    |     |01.md
    |  |02
    |     |01.md
    |LICENSE
    |README.md

The content directory (Psalms will be 3 digit numbers) shown above indicate chapter numbers and the Introduction to the Book page.

The Management Structure in the UBC Project

Training Department Manager: Christine Jarka

UBN/UBC/tN Projects Manager: Jim Pohlig

Prototype phase (Nov. 2016 - Jan. 2017)

  • Prototype working structure
    • Gospel of Luke team: Drew, Larry, Wesley, George, and Bianca
    • Gospel of John team: Drew, Harry and Keith
  • Managers-revisers:
  • General UBN editor:
    Drew

Remark: our goal will be to have all of you, as you grow into the UBC work and if you are willing, to become potential manager-revisers for other UBC workers.

Appendices