Preparation for Heavenly Living Correspondence School

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PFHL Course 105-- Easy-To-Read Scripture Formatting

Directions: Study the directions below about a way to format text for inductive teaching and
easier memorizing. Then study the samples indicated in previous courses.
Format your favorite Bible passages. Finally for each passage, briefly describe
why they are your favorite Bible passages and about anything you leaned while
formatting them in the ETR way. I have learned some things every time I have
done this. This assignment is worth 3 units, so write at least 4 quality pages.
How to Do Line Upon Line Scripture Formatting
(developed by Mr. Everett R. Taylor and Bill Stevenson)

Introduction: This method of Bible study

will help the formatter learn new understanding of God’s Word
and can be used
for inductive teaching for Bible study discussion groups and
for easier memorizing of Scripture
Try it, you will like it!
This way of writing Scripture can be done using any translation of the Bible
but please show respect in and capitalize the first letter of
deity pronouns,
Earth (for God’s special planet),
Christian, and
other words that indicate uniqueness (like Apostle)
I. Context Importance
A. Easy-To-Read Scripture should be structured like an outline
in showing how phrases, clauses, and sentences relate.
B. Paragraphing should be the first goal accomplished.
You will be double-spacing before a new paragraph.
No paragraph should be split by a page turn.
II. Necessary Definitions
A. a phrase: a group of words
containing neither subject nor predicate
which acts as a single part of speech.
B. a clause: a group of words
containing a subject and a verb.
C. indentation: starting a line of words a certain distance from the left margin.
III. Relating Ideas Decisions
A. If a phrase, clause, or sentence concept is of equal importance
to a preceding phrase, clause, or sentence,
it should start at the same indentation point.
B. Do not do this indentation just because
the clause or phrase starts with the same word or two.
See Ephesians 1, “in Whom”.

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 C. If a phrase, clause, or sentence concept is one of the following--
inferior in importance to,
pertaining to,
dependent upon,
continuing the thought of, or
chronologically after (except in dialogue passages)--
in relation to
the immediate preceding phrase, clause, or sentence,
it is considered subordinate to the previous line
and should start 4 or 5 spaces
to the right of the starting place of that line.
D. If a phrase, clause, or sentence concept is either just slightly related to
or is explaining a word (usually the last) of the previous line,
it should be considered parenthetical or non-restrictive
and should start 8-10 spaces to the right of the previous line.
A seemingly out of order idea should also be treated this way.
To test if a clause or phrase is restrictive or parenthetical,
simply blot out the suspected clause.
If the essential communication remains clear,
the clause is non-restrictive or parenthetical.
If, however, blotting out the clause
blots out the intended meaning as well,
the clause is restrictive and should be treated
as the previous instruction above this section indicates.
E. If a phrase, clause, or sentence concept is a change of thought
to the previous verses or explanation flow,
start a new paragraph with a double space.
IV. Punctuation--
“The general principles governing the use of punctuation”,
declares the Government Printing Office Style Manual,
“are that if it does not clarify [help for understanding] the text,
it should be omitted.”
A. Commas should be used:
to separate two independent clauses on a line.
to prevent misreading or misunderstanding.
to set off non-restrictive phrases and clauses
which break the continuity of the sentence
because they supply only incidental information.
B. Semicolons should be used to separate to closely related phrases.
They should be left alone except in the KJV Bible version
and, in the just mentioned, can be changed to periods.
C. In the KJV Bible, colons are used as semicolons
and can be changed to the latter in this formatting.
The colon should be used only
if what follows directly explains what is just before it.
D. Periods should be left alone.

Now, have some wonderful spiritual fun!!! And learn a lot as well. I have had a good
experience every time I have done such formatting.
Note: Samples of this way of formatting the Scripture passages found on the first page of my
website and in PFHL 102, 111, 142, 161, 200, 210, 221, 223, 302, 312, 401, and 411.
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