A Simple Guide for Students, Creators, and Christian Writers

We live in a world where information is readily available at our fingertips. Gone of the days of spending hours at the library going through the reference section to find the information we need for a project, thesis, book or teaching. The internet brought with a it a world full of instant information that is easy to copy-and-paste. It is, therefore, more important than ever to understand what plagiarism is, especially if you create content meant to teach, encourage, or inspire. This is particularly true for Christian writers, pastors, and authors who work with Bible study materials.

What exactly is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words, ideas, or creative work as if they were your own. Synonyms for plagiarism are: copying, theft, piracy, stealing, poaching… Doesn’t that just put it into perspective with what the Bible teaches. Plagiarism doesn’t only apply to projects or assignments, it applies to books, sermons, commentary notes, Bible study guides, devotionals, and even online blog posts.

For Christian writers, plagiarism isn’t only a moral or academic issue. More than that, it’s an integrity issue.

Common Forms of Plagiarism:

1. Direct plagiarism

Copying text word-for-word from another writer without citing (or referencing) it.  For example, taking a paragraph from a well-known commentary (like Matthew Henry, Warren Wiersbe, or N.T. Wright) and inserting it into your study book without quotation marks or credit, is plagiarism.

“Word-for-word plagiarism is committed when someone copies a string of 7 or more words from an original work, and represents the words as one’s own” (Indiana University School of Education 2014).

2. Mosaic plagiarism (patchwriting)

Rearranging sentences or swapping a few words but keeping the original author’s structure and ideas without attribution. For example, rewriting someone’s explanation of a passage such as someone’s interpretation of “the armour of God” but keeping their same progression, examples, or unique insights without mentioning the source, is plagiarism.

3. Paraphrasing without credit

Summarising another author’s unique interpretation or teaching but not acknowledging where it came from, is plagiarism. For example, if a commentary describes a particular story in the Bible and you take the words and make slight changes to it, rephrasing it here and there without crediting the source. Even though the words changed, the idea was “borrowed” and therefore it is considered to be plagiarism.

4. Self-plagiarism

Reusing your own previously published devotional or study guide content in a new book without noting that it originally appeared elsewhere, is plagiarism.

5. Media and sermon plagiarism

Using someone else’s sermon, study outline, diagrams, or teaching structure without permission or attribution or acknowledgement is plagiarism. For example, preaching or publishing someone else’s sermon series and presenting it as your own original study.

Is it Plagiarism to use Bible Verses?

No, quoting the Bible is not plagiarism. Scripture itself is public domain depending on the translation. However, translations are copyrighted and therefore need to be attributed accordingly.

How to use Bible translations responsibly:

1. KJV is public domain – no permission needed.
2. Modern translations (AMP, NIV, ESV, NASB, CSB, NLT, etc.) are copyrighted but allow usage with proper citation, within certain parameters.

You must:

• Use quotation marks. Direct quotations of scripture, like any other quoted material, must be enclosed in quotation marks for shorter passages (typically less than four or five lines of text).
• A block quotation (also known as an extract) may be used for longer passages of Scripture. A block quotation is when an entire passage is quoted. It is indented and usually in a size font size. This means there are no quotation marks are needed.
• A different font is optional, but it is not a substitute for quotation marks. You can use a different font or italics in addition to quotation marks or the block format. This is a stylistic choice; it does not replace the required punctuation or formatting. 
• Include the translation abbreviation (ex: NIV). Note: if you are only using one translation, you can include that information in the copyright page and acknowledge it in the Introduction of a book.

Example (correct use):
“Do not be anxious about anything…” (Philippians 4:6, NIV).

Example (incorrect):
Copying a whole chapter of the NIV without permission or attribution.

What is plagiarism with Bible content?

While Scripture itself can be quoted with permission, commentary about Scripture can absolutely be plagiarized. For example, if you copy someone’s explanation of what “anxious for nothing” means and present it as your own teaching, that’s plagiarism. Even though the verse is public, the explanation if still that person’s explanation.

How to use Sources Ethically when Writing Christian Study Books:

Cite or Reference your sources for commentary, theology, or ideas.

This means that if you use someone’s explanation, insight, or interpretation, you give them credit. For example: As John Stott notes in The Message of Ephesians, the armour of God “depicts the resources God supplies in spiritual conflict.”

Quote Bible translations properly: Always include the translation abbreviation and follow publisher guidelines.

Keep clear research notes: Track where each idea or insight originated so you can attribute properly later.

Be transparent with inspiration: Readers appreciate honesty and humility. For example, this study was inspired by a sermon by Lester Summerall.

For Christian writers, plagiarism isn’t just a technical mistake, it’s a matter of character. When we give credit where it’s due, we honour the labour of others, maintain integrity in our teaching, and reflect Christ in the way we handle truth.