Logos 5: Find Multiple People in the Same Passage

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris, who has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos seminars, provides many training materials.

I was recently presented with this question from a Logos user:

Jesus lived and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. Is there a Logos search that locates the passages in which both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are mentioned?

The affirmative answer to this question highlights arguably my favorite new Logos 5 feature: the Referent dataset. A Logos research team went through the Bible tagging all the words that point to people, places, and things. In other words, every he, she, we, me, etc., is connected to the correct person, place, or thing!

Using the Clause Search, we can now locate all mentions of people, places, and things, regardless of the words used to identify them.

With this in mind, let’s find the places where Jesus and the Holy Spirit appear in the same clause.

Please keep in mind that the Referent dataset does NOT appear in every Logos base package, so the following instructions may not be applicable to you.

• Click the Search icon
• Select Clause as the search type (A)
• Select All Passages from the dropdown list (B)
• Select The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition from the dropdown list (Currently, the Clause search must be executed in the either the Hebrew or Greek text, but the results can be displayed in English) (C)
• Click, in the list of Search Helps, Person Anywhere In Clause (D)
  
• Notice that person:Moses is placed in the Find box (E)

• Replace the word Moses with Jesus (F)

• Click again, in the list of Search Helps, Person Anywhere In Clause (G)
  
• Notice that person:Moses is placed in the Find box after person:Jesus (H)

• Replace the word Moses with Holy Spirit (I) 
  
• Notice that person:Jesus person:Holy Spirit is now in the Find box (This search string represents an AND search, which locates clauses containing both people) (J)
• Press the Enter key to generate the search results

• Click Verses to display the results in list form (K)
  

If the results are appearing only in Greek:

• Click Add Versions (L)
  
• Type a Bible abbreviation like ESV in the Resources box (separate additional Bibles with commas) (M)
  
• Press the Enter key to display the verses from your added Bible(s) (N)

As you examine the search hits, you’ll discover you didn’t search for the words Jesus and Holy Spirit. You searched for the persons Jesus and Holy Spirit.

That’s why, in reference to Jesus, you’re finding Jesus, Him, He, mine, etc. And in reference to the Holy Spirit, you’re finding Holy Spirit, Spirit, Helper, etc.

Pretty cool, eh?

*Please don’t be alarmed if you see some false hits. Logos is continuing to tweak the tagging.

More practical instruction like this is found in the Camp Logos DVD training, now on the Pre-Pub page, where you can watch a preview and place your order.