Bible Cards - Game Instructions

Spoken Word can be played with two people or with two teams.

If playing with two people, each person is given at least 12 cards. You can give each person more cards if you wish. Shuffle the cards before giving them to the players. If playing with two teams, each team is given at least 20 cards. You can give each team more cards if you wish.

How to Play

1. One person says a Bible text (without saying the book of the Bible).
2. The other person must name the book of the Bible. They have 30 seconds to answer.
3. If playing with teams, only one person from the team should name the book of the Bible. Team members can take turns saying the Bible text.
4. Note: Teams can talk amongst themselves but only one person from the team should ask the question and only one person from the opposing team can answer the question (name the book).
5. If the other person answers correctly, they keep the card. If not, the person who asked the question keeps the card.
6. The person or team with the most cards wins.
7. You can play with points by adding up the numbers on the cards that each team has.

Things to keep in mind:

1. The standard deck used for Spoken Word consists of 66 cards, one card for each book of the Bible.
2. If you must guess the name of a book, you should not guess the name of a book that you have or a book that has already been used. For example, if you have a card from Exodus and someone on the opposing team says a Bible text that is unfamiliar to you, you should not guess that it is from Exodus because in a standard deck the Bible books are not repeated. Only one verse is used from each book of the Bible.

Want to make it more challenging?

• Instead of simply saying the name of the book as the answer, you can require that the correct book, chapter, and verse be given as the answer.

Promise Books, also known as Bible Books, is commonly played with three to five players.

How to Play

1. If you are playing with three or four players, each player is given sixteen cards.
2. If you are playing with five players, each player is given twelve cards.
3. Each player places a card on the table. The cards on the table are called a "book".
4. The person with the highest valued card wins the book.
5. Cards from the Promise category are higher ranking than all other categories. If a player places a Promise card on the table, and there are no other Promise cards, that person wins the book.
6. If more than one Promise card is played, then the Promise card with the highest number wins the book.
7. If NO Promise cards are played, then the card with with the highest number wins the book.
8. If more than one of the same number is played (i.e. an 8 of Faith and an 8 of Love) then the card in the higher-ranking category wins the book. In this example the 8 of Faith wins the book because the Faith category is higher ranking than the Love category.
9. The ranks of the categories (from high to low) are:
   Promise

   Faith

   Love

   Mercy
10. Note that the four dots on the back of each card show the order of the categories. For example, the colors blue, green, red, and yellow represent the category colors - Promise, Faith, Love, and Mercy respectively.
11. The game continues until all cards have been played.
12. The person or team with the most books wins the game.

Things to keep in mind:

1. You can play with points. For example, you can tally the number of books won by each person or team.
2. This game is similar to the popular card game Spades.

Promise Hands consists of multiple rounds of play where each player is trying to achieve the best hand.
Shuffle the cards before playing.

How to Play

1. In each round, each player is dealt five cards.
2. After the cards are dealt to each player, the dealer will ask each player how many cards they want to exchange. Each player can exchange as many of their cards as they wish.
3. After each player is given a chance to exchange cards, the dealer will place cards from the deck of card in the center of the table (or area of play). The cards should be placed face up. Also, the number of cards in the center should correspond with the number of players. For example, if there are 4 players, the dealer should place 4 cards in the center. If there are 6 players, the dealer should place six cards in the center.
4. After the cards are placed in the center, each player will be allowed to swap (replace) one of their cards with a card in the center. The player’s card (the one placed in the center) is also placed face up.
5. Note that players swap cards one at a time, in the order they were dealt their cards. For example, the first person who was dealt cards will be given a chance to swap their cards first.
6. The person with the best hand wins the round. See the Hands of Promises below.
7. The winner's name should be noted or written. Also, the winner of the round can make brief comments about how they won the round.
8. The game can continue for 10 or more rounds.
9. The person with the most wins is the winner of the game. If there is a tie, a tie breaker round can be played with just the players who are tied.

The Hands of Promises (possible hands) from lowest to highest value are as follows:

1. Simple Hand: None of the hands below
2. One Promise (Solo): One card from the Promise category
3. Two Promises (Duo): Two cards from the Promise category
4. Three Promises (Trio): Three cards from the Promise category
5. Four Promises (Quartet): Four cards from the Promise category
6. Lineage: All 5 cards are in numerical order.
7. Harmony: All 5 cards are in the same category. For example, five Mercy cards or five Love cards.
8. Full Hand: Three cards with the same number and two cards with the same number. For example, three 10’s and two 7’s.
9. Four Numbers (Quad): Four of the same number. For example, Four 8's or Four 12's.
10. Covenant (Five Promises): All five cards are in the Promise category.
11. Harmony Line: All 5 cards are in the same category AND are in numerical order.
12. Covenant Line: All five cards are in the Promise category AND are in numerical order.
13. Holy Hand (aka Blessed Hand): All 5 cards have the words of Christ (5 cards with red letters).
14. High Holy Hand (aka Blessed Line): All 5 cards have the words of Christ (red letters) and form a numerical sequence.

If a player has none of the above hands, their hand is a Simple Hand.

Things to keep in mind:

1. The ranks of the categories (from high to low) are:
   Promise

   Faith

   Love

   Mercy
2. If two (or more people) have the same hand, the hand that consists of the highest category wins. For example, if two people have a Harmony hand (i.e., one person has five Mercy cards while the other person has five Faith cards) the five Faith cards is the better hand because the Faith category is higher ranking than the Mercy category.
3. If two (or more) people have a Lineage, the hand with the highest number is the better hand. If more than one person has the same number as the highest hand, the number from the higher category wins.