Reading The Bible Is Fun
Many Christians trying to read the Bible in chronological order find themselves disoriented about overlapping times after reading Genesis and Exodus.
The reading plan and ideas set out in this article should help to simplify the process. Using a reading plan gets you used to the most important characters and events in the Bible, starting with Creation.
Reading the Bible should be an engaging activity. You can highlight your favorite verses and make notes in the margins as you go.
If you want to learn more about reading the Bible, download the pray.com app â for daily prayer, bedtime Bible stories, and more â in the and Apple Store.
Make Bible Reading Fun
As you figure out how to read the Bible, it is important to find ways to keep yourself motivated and excited. There are several ways you can further motivate yourself to read God’s Word. One important consideration is finding a Bible that makes you excited to crack it open to read. When we come to the Bible, we are seeking to meditate on the God’s word and to fix our minds on Jesus. Beautiful Bibles can help us to achieve this goal. Beauty is a gift from God and something to be celebrated. A pretty Bible can serve as inspiration to worship through creativity and help make study times fun and exciting. And journaling space or thoughtful imagery can help us to connect with scripture not only with our minds but also with our hearts. Visually beautiful Bibles are physical reminders of the beauty that characterizes a life dedicated to pursuing Jesus.
The Pauline Epistles Are In Front Of The General Letters
The NT has exactly 21 letters. The number 21 symbolizes completeness in terms of the Epistles and prophetic books of the OT. A few scholars want to list the 7 “General Letters” before the 14 Pauline Letters, as some ancient collections of texts list them directly after Acts. This is also acceptable but it speaks much more for keeping it in the current world-wide accepted order. This has been established very early in history, namely Acts, Pauline Letters, General Letters. The Pauline letters were first written, are more extensive, had a much wider circulation and significance in Christianity. They have been placed in the Vulgate and most Bible translations worldwide for nearly 2,000 years BEFORE the General Letters. Thus, almost all of today’s Bibles have the correct order of books, except that the Hebrews letter is in the 10th position of the 21 letters of the NT. More specific reasons for Pauline Epistel as the first group are:
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The Beginners Guide: How To Read The Bible For Beginners
Reading the Bible on your own can be intimidating. Where do you even start?
Reading the Bible on your own can be intimidating. Where does one even begin?
Do you start at the beginning and read straight through to the end? Should you jump around and read whatever strikes your fancy?
Is there a version of the Bible thats better than another version?
Speaking of versions, how many versions are there and what is the difference?
But reading and studying the Bible is an important part of every believers life and is one of the core spiritual disciplines.
Today Ill address the most common questions that beginners have about the Bible and how to read it.
How To Approach Reading The Whole Bible
Once you have read a few books of the Bible I highly recommend reading the whole Bible through in its entirety! It may seem intimidating but you can do it!
Most recently I have read the Bible through in chronological order using a Bible app, Youversion with the Bible reading plan called The Bible Recap. There is also a daily podcast to listen to that helps explain more difficult passage and gives you extra context for what youre reading.
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How To Read The Bible
Written by Brittany Ann
Do you wish you could learn how to read the Bible for beginners, but you dont know where to start?
If so, youre not alone.
As I share in my new book, Fall in Love with Gods Word: Practical Strategies for Busy Women, 59 percent of Americans wish they could read their Bibles more often, according to the 2020 State of the Bible Report .
And yet, its no secret that learning how to read the Bible can feel a little intimidating and overwhelming at first!
You may find yourself asking Google questions like: Whats the best Bible reading plan for beginners? or How to start reading the Bible for beginners? or How to read the Bible for the first time?
The good news is: Learning how to read the Bible really can be fun and easy even for beginners! And in todays post, Ill show you how.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps cover the many costs of running this site and allows me to help provide for my growing family. Thank you!
The 21 Epistles Of The Nt
Paul was the first to write letters to the newly formed Christian churches. The often-quoted word “Epistle” is nothing more than a word borrowed from Greek for “Letter” . Paul’s letters were collected from the beginning, and were inspired . They should be read everywhere and passed on , so that the recipients could see them . They were exchanged in the churches , and even opponents praised their powers of persuasion . There were some forged Paul’s letters, so warnings were pronounced , that requires a collection. Peter knew such a collection, as he commented on the content of Paul’s letters as a whole . These notes in the NT show the high esteem of Paul’s letters in early Christianity.
Ever since the beginning of canonization Paul’s letters to the “7 churches in dispersion” have been sorted not according to the time of their origin, but according to their size . After these , the Epistle to the Hebrews always came in the 10th position in the oldest scriptural collections , though he after the 1. Corinthians letter should have been arranged. Thus, it becomes clear that the early Christians were well concerned about the proper order of the Epistles and could clearly distinguish the group of letters to the seven churches from the Epistle to the Hebrews.
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Which Book Should I Read First
One of the most commonly asked questions by people reading the Bible for the first time is Which book should I start with? The truth is there is no one right answer! Here are some tips and suggestions that lots of beginners find helpful.
The whole Bible is made up of two major sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is further divided into 39 books, and the New Testament is made up of 27 books. The Old Testament books covers the period of time spanning from the creation of the world to just before the birth of Jesus and documents the ancient history of Israel and provides moral teachings. The New Testament is believed to flow directly from events that occur in the Old Testament and includes the Gospels which document and share the teachings and life of Jesus. In addition to the Gospels, the New Testament includes various letters written by and to the early churches.
You can start from the beginning, literally, with Genesis. Genesis is the first book of the Bible and covers the creation of the world and how life came to be. This reading order essentially entails opening up your Bible and reading from Genesis to Revelation . Working through the entire Bible from start to finish is a great way to familiarize yourself with all of the different Testament books.
The Story Of The Bible
The Bible isn’t just a story.
It’s the story behind every other, and God is the author.
It’s the story behind every other. The Bible is not primarily about people, a nation, places, creation, religion, morality, life-advice, self-help, reconciliation, or forgiveness. The Bible is about God: who he is, and what he’s done.
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Best Chronological Bible Reading Plan Printable
Ultimately, the order you read the Bible in is up to you. There are many different methods and plans online that can help guide your study time each day for a deeper understanding of Gods message to us through His word.
However, I would encourage you to read the Bible in its entirety at least once for a big picture overview of what the Bible says about Jesus Christ. There is no one right way to read the Bible however if you do choose to read the Bible chronologically, be sure to to keep track of your daily readings.
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How To Read The Bible Chronologically
Christians have a special relationship with the Bible. Its not a just book we read once and set aside. Its one that we hopefully come back to regularly for knowledge, inspiration, and guidance.
The challenge we face is in maintaining constant exposure to Scripture without developing a been-there-read-that mentality. Finding new ways to approach the Bible prevents us from the kind of familiarity that makes reading it a chore.
Reading the Bible chronologically can be a refreshing way to see it through new eyes. We might think that because the Bible starts with creation and ends with Revelation its already laid out sequentially, but its not. Reading it in the order that events occurred can equip us to understand its narrative more clearly, and see it from a fresh perspective.
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What Are The Benefits And Downsides Of Reading The Bible Chronologically
This ushers in the proponents for reading the Bible in chronological order, in the order in which the books were written, as outlined here.
If you follow this order, one day you may read Genesis 8-11, and the next Job 1-5, as Job 1 occurred before Genesis 12.
Benefits of chronological Bible reading begin with understanding the Bible in a new light. After all, we can follow Scriptures timeline throughout history. This also helps us to avoid the Leviticus/Numbers slump that often happens when we read the Bible from cover to cover. This method can also help us to avoid gaps in the historical timeline that occur when one reads the Bible straight through instead of in chronological order.
Downsides of reading the Bible chronologically include the whiplash effect when trying to flip back and forth between passages of the Bible, because the texts overlap. Plus, not all scholars agree precisely when certain books are written, so we may never know if we have truly nailed down the correct timeline.
Furthermore, if we follow a plan similar to the Bible Study Tools one linked above, we may grow weary of the process. After all, it doesnt have the same thrill as knowing youve read 54 books and only have 12 to go. Because passages are spliced in the timeline, theres a lot of back and forth.
How Should I Study The Bible
The best method to learn materials is to quickly skim or read like a novel, then study everything a second time, finally reread in a regular repeating pattern that covers the entire bible. Heres a suggested order of reading:
Read the epistles the most. Read the Gospels the next most. Then, in order of frequency, I recommend Psalms, Prophets, Proverbs, the books of Moses , and least often the history books.
Everything in the Bible is important, but this type of order will build up foundational knowledge and understanding the quickest.
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Reading Through The Bible A Plan I Can Stick With
Reading Scripture was both an Old Testament practice and a New Testament practice . It was performed by Jesus Himself , and prescribed by the Apostle Paul .
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13
Today, it seems more important than ever for us to be in the Word of God.
Read with an earnest desire to understand it. Read with simple childlike faith and humility. Read with a spirit of obedience and self-application. Read Scripture every day. J.C. Ryle
What Bible reading does for the reader:
- Bible reading will bless us .
- Bible reading leads us to know Gods plan of salvation .
- Bible reading brings us to an understanding of Gods will for our life .
Jesus The Ultimate Word Of God
Jesus is not only called the Word of God but also demonstrated in his life that he spoke with authority and power as the God of the Old Testament.
He spoke with authority over creation , people , spiritual realm and concerning the future .
The first four books of the New Testament recorded Jesus words for us to read and understand for ourselves, much like those first disciples who originally heard the words from Jesus own mouth.
Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, wrote to a young man named Timothy to encourage him to look to the Bible to grow and become wise in Christ.
His instructions show us the early churchs understanding of the nature of Scripture. Paul writes,
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
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What Is The Bible
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Before we discuss how to read the Bible, lets spend a few seconds talking about what the Bible is and why you need to read it.
The bible is a collection of literary works, written by 40 different authors, over 1,500 years.
It consists of 66 books that are divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament is made up of 39 books and spans from Genesis to Malachi. The New Testament has 27 books and spans from Matthew to Revelation.
The Bible consists of books of history, poetry, written letters, prophecy and testimony about Jesus.
This collection of works makes up the Bible.
It reveals the Biblical story of the world from its creation, fall, Gods plan for our redemption, and Gods plan for the future.
Level Five & Six: The Letters & A Prophetic Book
The next section contains epistles, or letters, written by early church leaders to various congregations or individuals. They struggled with and celebrated the same things we do today.
The final section of the New Testament is also prophecy. Its primarily about Jesus second coming, and how to live in the interval between his two appearances.
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So How Long Does It Take To Read The Bible
Some people make it a goal to read the Bible in a year. While others never actually read the entire Bible.
If you are wondering how long does it take to read the Bible, or if you want to read all the books in the Bible, it’s important to focus on how much you absorb when reading as opposed to how fast you read.
You should take as long as you need to read the Bible, as long as you are truly studying and meditating on Gods Word and allowing it to become a part of your life.
If you only read one bible verse or passage a day, and you truly meditate on it and apply it to your life, that is more important than rushing through the Bible in a certain period of time.
Some people can read the entire Bible in a year, but may read it so fast that they miss out on how God wants to speak to them.
Matthew Acts Of The Apostles
The Bible can be read in many different ways, but one way that I have found to be the most helpful is to read it in its correct order. Reading the bible in order is a great way to get the full meaning of scripture and also understand how all the books fit together. When you read through the Old Testament and see how it foreshadows or points toward Jesus Christ, it gives you a deeper understanding into what God was doing throughout history. The New Testament is where we see how these things are fulfilled by Christ himself and even more importantly how he offers us hope for eternity with him.
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