08.2.3 Abbreviations, Full Stops, Spaces and Capitalization

i. Contractions should not be followed by a full stop, unless they end a sentence:

                         Mr                Mrs              Dr

ii. Abbreviations are normally followed by a full stop (“e.g.” has two full stops):

                         Rev.             Vulg.            ed.               mg.               cf.

iii. When plural abbreviations are formed by repeating a letter, the full stop appears after the final letter only. When they are formed by adding an s, a full stop is still required. For example:

                         p./pp.          v./vv.           n./nn.         ch./chs.      vol./vols.

iv. The full stop is omitted in abbreviations for chronological eras, divisions of the Canon, and Bible versions and editions, which are printed in all caps:

                         BC     AD             OT       NT             NIV     ESV           MT      LXX

The full stop is likewise omitted in abbreviations for publishing houses and series titles (printed in capitals) as well as journal and reference book titles (italicised capitals):

                         IVP               JSOTSup           JSOT            TDNT              BHS

For abbreviations of secondary sources (journals, periodicals, major reference works and series), see the SBL Handbook, 171–216 (alphabetized by source) and 216–60 (alphabetized by abbreviation).

v. A space is inserted between the initial letters of personal names when occurring before the surname. Likewise, a space is required between a verse, page or chapter number and the abbreviation v(v)., p(p)., or ch(s). For example:

                         F. F. Bruce                D. W. B. Robinson               v. 1               pp. 12–22

vi. Abbreviations for biblical (and apocryphal) books should follow those used by the SBL Handbook, 124–5. Full stops are not used.

However, if the biblical book is the first word in the sentence, or cited without chapter or verse number, it should be written in full: “First Samuel 2:10 is a key messianic text”; “Paul wrote 2 Timothy near the end of his life.”

A colon separates chapter and verse; a comma and space separates verse and verse; a semicolon and space separates chapter and chapter. Thus: Deut 4:4, 15; 10:20; 11:16, 22–25; 30:20.

For extensive lists of technical abbreviations and abbreviations of Bible texts and versions, apocryphal books, Dead Sea Scrolls, works by Philo and Josephus, Mishnah, Talmud, Targumic and other Rabbinic works, Apostolic Fathers and other classical and ancient writings, see the SBL Handbook, 141–68.

vii. While capital letters should be used for proper nouns such as Bible, Christ, Christology and English, adjectives derived from such nouns only retain the capital letter when the nouns were personal or national names. Hence a Christian woman and an English pub, but a biblical principle and a christological argument.