BibleGateway MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides Bible passage retrieval functionality using the mcp-weather core infrastructure.

This server enables AI assistants to access Bible passages from various translations, with support for multiple deployment modes:

• --mode stdio (default): MCP protocol over stdin/stdout for direct AI assistant integration
• --mode mcp: MCP protocol over HTTP for networked AI assistant access
• --mode rest: Both REST API and MCP protocol over HTTP for maximum flexibility

Features

The BibleGateway MCP Server provides:

MCP Tools (for AI assistants)

• get_passage(passage, version) - Retrieve Bible passages. Supports multiple passages separated by semicolons (e.g., "John 3:16; Romans 8:28").

REST API Endpoints

• GET /health - Health check
• GET /info - Service information
• POST /passage - Get Bible passage
• GET /docs - OpenAPI documentation (Swagger UI)

Supported Bible Versions

Supports all translations available on BibleGateway.com (200+ versions across 70+ languages). Common examples include:

• ESV (English Standard Version) - Default
• NIV (New International Version)
• KJV (King James Version)
• NASB (New American Standard Bible)
• NKJV (New King James Version)
• NLT (New Living Translation)
• AMP (Amplified Bible)
• MSG (The Message)
• CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
• NRSVUE (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
• Any other valid BibleGateway code (e.g. LUT for German Luther, LSG for French Louis Segond, etc.)

Installation

Prerequisites

• uv

Install

uv tool install biblegateway-mcp

Usage

The BibleGateway MCP server supports three deployment modes via command-line arguments:

Mode 1: stdio (Default) - Direct AI Assistant Integration

# Default mode - MCP over stdin/stdout
bg-mcp

# Explicitly specify stdio mode  
bg-mcp --mode stdio

Perfect for direct integration with AI assistants like GitHub Copilot, Claude Desktop, etc.

Mode 2: mcp - MCP Protocol over HTTP

# MCP-only server on HTTP (no REST API)
bg-mcp --mode mcp --port 3000 --no-auth

Provides MCP protocol over HTTP at http://localhost:3000/mcp for networked AI assistant access.

Mode 3: rest - Full HTTP Server (REST + MCP)

# Full server with both REST API and MCP protocol
bg-mcp --mode rest --port 3000 --no-auth

The server will start at http://localhost:3000 with:

• MCP endpoint: http://localhost:3000/mcp
• REST API: http://localhost:3000/*
• API docs: http://localhost:3000/docs
• Health check: http://localhost:3000/health

Test the MCP Tools

You can test the MCP tools by connecting GitHub Copilot or using a test client:

// .vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "bible": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Then ask Copilot:

• "Show me John 3:16"
• "What does Romans 8 say?"
• "Read Psalm 23 in NIV"

Test the REST API

# Health check
curl http://localhost:3000/health

# Get service info
curl http://localhost:3000/info

# Get a Bible passage
curl -X POST "http://localhost:3000/passage" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "passage": "John 3:16",
    "version": "ESV"
  }'

# Get multiple passages
curl -X POST "http://localhost:3000/passage" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "passage": "John 3:16; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:13",
    "version": "NIV"
  }'

# Get an entire chapter
curl -X POST "http://localhost:3000/passage" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "passage": "Mark 2",
    "version": "ESV"
  }'

CLI Help and Options

# See all available options
bg-mcp --help

# Usage examples:
bg-mcp                         # stdio mode (default)
bg-mcp --mode stdio            # stdio mode
bg-mcp --mode mcp --port 4000  # MCP-only HTTP on port 4000
bg-mcp --mode rest --port 4000 # REST+MCP HTTP on port 4000
bg-mcp --mode rest --no-auth   # Disable authentication

Environment Variables (Alternative to CLI)

You can also configure the server using environment variables:

# Alternative: Set environment variables
export MCP_TRANSPORT=http        # stdio or http
export MCP_ONLY=false           # true for MCP-only, false for REST+MCP
export MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0         # Host to bind to
export MCP_PORT=3000            # Port number
export AUTH_ENABLED=false       # Enable/disable authentication

# Then run without arguments
bg-mcp

License for original code from geosp/mcp-bible

This project is provided as-is for use and modification.