What Is The Best Order To Read The Bible For The First Time
If you are just starting to read the Bible, you may be wondering about the best order to read the Bible for the first time. If you need a guide, we highly recommend Through The Bible. Using this guide, you will be able to read through the Bible chronologically. You will begin with Genesis and will end with Revelation. And everything in between with be like nothing youve ever experienced before, even if youve read the Bible! You will experience every event of the Bible, one after the other, in the order in which they occurred. Everything, including Psalms, Prophets and Proverbs will be order for you! You will be able to sit down and read the Bible every day, just like a novel!
How To Read And Understand The Bible
Reading the Bible on your own is a great start to growing in your walk with Christ.
However, if you want to understand the Bible, you have to learn how to study the Bible.
Attending your local churches weekly bible study is a great place to start.
Bible studies are less formal than Sunday service. Usually, you can ask the Pastor or group leader questions and gain insight from other members of the congregation.
There are also ways to study the Bible on your own, but thats a topic for another day.
I hope answered all of your questions about the Bible and how to read it.
Dont forget to download a copy of my Bible Reading Plan for Beginners!
As always, remember to keep Jesus in the center of everything you do.
Your Sister in Christ,
How Not To Read The Bible: 3 Big Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Keep in mind that youre not meant to figure out the whole Bible by yourself, or even to build a workable routine by yourself. You have an unstoppable God in your corner, and He will give you what you need to read and understand His words.
- Sonya DowningChristianity.com Contributing Writer
- 20206 Apr
Whether youve been a Christian for years or youve just begun your journey with Christ, you know how easy it is to say, Im going to study the Bible in-depth every day! and then run out of steam as soon as you stumble across a particularly puzzling passage.
Why does this happen? Why isnt the burning desire to understand Scripture enough to make that understanding a reality? Because the Bible isnt an easy book to read, and if you dont know where to start, its easy to make a mistake. Here are three big mistakes:
Don’t Miss: Order Of Bible
A Guide For New Or Non
When believers and non-believers ask me where to begin to read the Bible, my recommendation is my own personal preference. Others may give you other books to start with in reading the Bible. I would recommend that they do not start in the book of Revelation or in Genesis and start reading it through from start to finish. For a seasoned Christian, reading through the Bible is an excellent learning tool but for a new believer, it can be cumbersome and confusing. Revelation is difficult to understand, so for a beginner to start out in that book is asking for confusion and mistranslation of the verses since much of it is written in symbolic language. Here is a preferred order for a new believer or a non-Christian who wants to start to read and understand the Bible:
John emphasises the love of God as found in Jesus Christ
The Gospel of John
Psalms
Proverbs
Now where you go from there is wherever you like. I suggest that you repeat the four gospels at this point because you can never go wrong with the very teaching of Jesus Christ Himself. And the book of Mark, written by John Mark, is actually what can be termed as the gospel of Peter since most theologians agree that the Gospel of Mark is actually the work of Peter. The words represent Peters eyewitness accounts as transcribed by John Mark. Remember that John Mark was not an apostle and was never a witness to the living Christ while on earth or the resurrected Christ and that by definition is what makes one an apostle.
Dig Into Context Before Diving Into Details
You may have heard the phrase context is key and it is!
I am going to dive deeper into this topic in the seven day Where to Start Reading the Bible Course but for now context is simply understanding facts around the book of the Bible.
Its asking these questions so you can understand each book and unique verses.
- Who wrote this book?
- Why did he write it?
- What was his main points?
- What was going on in history?
These questions give us context so when we read the verses we understand the author which leads to us better grasping their truth.
Read Also: What The Bible Says About Loneliness
If You’re Wondering How To Start Reading The Bible Here Are My Top Five Places To Start Reading The Bible:
1. The Gospel of John – This is the best place for new believers, especially, to start reading. This book will give you a good understanding of who Jesus is and what His ministry is about. Although the other Gospel accounts do this, the book of John particularly focuses on who Jesus is rather than just what He did.
2. Romans – This is a good place to start if you want a clear understanding of the Gospel. I suggest every Christian read Romans to build confidence in the faith they profess. Since the entire Bible points to the Good News of Jesus Christ, this is certainly a good place to start.
3. Psalms – This is a great place to start if you’re looking for encouragement. The Psalms offer hope, and healing, and help us to better understand that God is with us no matter our circumstances. I often suggest reading Psalms if stress and anxiety keep you up at night because the poetry style of writing is not only relatable but also very comforting.
4. Proverbs – This book is packed with wisdom. It offers biblical knowledge and instruction to help guide us in our day-to-day life. It’s a great place to start if you want practical direction on how to live out this Christian life. The brevity of each verse also makes it an easy and light read.
Use this free PDF for prayer in addition to reading scripture – Praying Through the Psalms: A 30 Day Prayer Guide
Where To Start Reading The Bible
Where to start reading the Bible? Where should I start reading the Bible?
The Bible is a unique book. Its not like any other book thats out there. Therefore we should approach it differently. Knowing where to start reading the Bible is key to learning and growing from it.
In this blog post we are going to look at 4 books of the Bible that are great places to start.
One of the things I often harp on in many of my blog posts is understanding what the Bible actually is and how to read it. Im not going to go too much into that in this blog post, but I would encourage you to check out some of the posts Ive written on that. They will help you better understand the Bible and get more out of your time in Gods word.
If you want more information about what the Bible is and how to read it Ive written several blog posts on those topics. You can find them here:
Recommended Reading: Why Are We Born Sinners
What Book Of The Bible Should I Read First
Start with a Book of the Bible such as John.
Part of the reason I would recommend starting with the book of John, and not a book like Genesis, is that John gives you an overview of the story of salvation: the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
Genesis, though an extremely important book in regards to creation and also salvation, can sometimes be overwhelming to a new believer because of the geneologies, Old Testament practices and other details interspersed throughout the 50 chapters.
All of Gods Word is inspired and without error, so certainly you will want to get to Genesis at some point! But starting with John, which is shorter and easier to understand if you do not have a background of reading the Bible , will bring the rest of Scripture alive and give it deeper meaning as you continue to learn and see how all Scripture goes together to paint the beautiful story of Gods love for us!
Another great book to move on to after John is the book of James. It is practical, full of wisdom and able to be easily applied to your life.
Overwhelmed? Just read 5-10 verses each day. And then think on them for a couple of minutes and pray over what youve read!
The Gospel Of Mark Is The Shortest Gospel
You will ask, If you recommend a Gospel for a new believer, couldnt Matthew or Luke or John suffice? The answer is yes, of course, it will. But at 16 chapters, the book of Mark is the shortest of the Gospels, making it less intimidating than, say, Luke, which is 24 chapters long. You can read Mark in less than 90 minutes. Its a book that you can read in one sitting over and over again.
Read Also: Chronological Order Bible
Where Should I Start Reading The Bible
A lot of new and seasoned Christians have a story about their attempts to read the Bible cover to cover that goes something like this: It was going great as they read through Genesis and Exodus, but somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, they started to get bogged down in details they didnt quite understand. And by the time they hit Deuteronomy, they were done.
While its true that all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness , we need to recognize that the Bible is not like any other book. It isnt necessarily meant to be read from front to back. In fact, the Bible is actually a library.
The Protestant Bible is comprised of 66 books, and many of those books are written in a variety of different genres or types of literature. These genres all need to be read a little differently. Starting at Genesis and trying to read straight through without a strategy can get frustrating if you dont know how these books and their literary genres work together.
There are a few ways to classify the genres of the Bible, but they typically fall into these categories.
Is The Bible Meant To Be Read In Order
The books of the bible are arranged according to the type of book and are not meant to be read in order. In fact, most people who try to read from cover-to-cover in order tend to get stuck after a few books. Its better to go for the overview first and then come back to fill in the details.
The books of the Old Testament are categorized into groups: the Law, History, Poetry, Prophetic. The books of the New Testament can get categorized into these groups: Gospels, History, Epistles, Prophetic. The order of 15 books recommended above includes at least one book from each category so you can get an idea of every genre.
There is also some repetition in the Bible. For example, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles cover much of the same history from slightly different perspectives. The same is true of the 4 Gospel accounts of Jesus. It is better to leave the nuances of the differences until after you get an overview of the Bible.
Also, if you read just 1 of the Gospels first, you can get a good sense of the life of Jesus. I recommend Luke in the list of 15 books above because he gives a thorough and orderly account of Jesus life and ministry. It also fits in well with the book of Acts, as Luke wrote that book too.
Reading for an overview of the Bible first is a good way to not get bogged down in difficult passages or a list of names and numbers that dont make sense. Those can all be read later. Go for the main flow of the Scripture first.
Read Also: How Many Times Does The Bible Say Fear Not
Where Biblical Knowledge Comes From
The most important element when reading the Bible is to not be in a hurry. Stop and meditate on the words. And pray for the Holy Spirit to open up the meanings and understanding of the Bible It is the Father that reveals spiritual knowledge through the Holy Spirit and He reveals these truths to those whom He calls. If you are wanting to read the Bible, believer or not, this may be strong evidence that God the Father is calling you . Spiritual truths are not actually acquired by human thought alone but as Jesus told Peter, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven . The point is that biblical knowledge is not gained by rote memorization or from academic head knowledge but by God the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in John 16:13, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
Which Books Of The Bible Should I Read First
You have just received your first Bible, and you excitedly sit down to read it. You cant wait to read Gods Word. You are hungry for it, but where to start?
If you are like most people, you start at the beginning with Genesis. You read the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and Abraham and you imagine what it is like to be in that time. By the end, you are ready for more and start Exodus and the story of Moses.
All throughout you are learning and growing in God, and it is good. Then you hit Leviticus. You arent even through the first chapter and you are bogged down in all the offerings, and you have no clue what it all means. You try to keep reading but it is not long before you just stop because you are confused.
Now you feel guilty because you know that you are supposed to get to know God through His Word, but thats hard reading. The only thing I can say to you is to join the club. Even mature Christians can get bogged down in those books.
So what do you do?
Simple: dont read the Bible from cover to cover. The Bible is made up of sixty-six books, and many of them can be read independently of each other.
Read Also: Rhema Bible College Courses
What Is The Best Bible For Beginners
Most people are familiar with the King James Version of the Bible, which also is the first authorized English translation of the bible.
However, I wouldnt recommend it for beginners.
When choosing a bible you should consider these two things:
- Readability & Understanding
Which Version of the Bible Should You Choose?
There are roughly 450 English translations of the bible.
The most popular translations are:
- King James Version
Why Are There So Many Bible Translations and Which One is Best?
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek .
Since the original Bible was written in several languages, it had to be translated into English. The English bible versions that we read are all translations from these original texts.
However, there are several ways that bibles can be translated.
The most accurate way is a word-for-word translation .
The King James Bible and the English Standard Version are examples of formal equivalence. While these versions are accurate, they are harder to read and understand.
Then you have retelling or paraphrasing the scripture which attempts to paraphrase the original text in a way that is easier for modern readers to read and understand.
The New Internation Readers Version and the Good News Translation are examples of dynamic equivalence.
There is a happy medium between the two called functional equivalencethat balances word for word and paraphrasing. The New International Version and the Christian Standard Bible are translated this way.
Bible Reading Plan For Beginners
If you are ready to commit and dive into the whole Bible then you need a Bible reading plan. Then you dont have to think of where to start reading the Bible, you read it all!
When reading the Bible all the way through there are two main ways to do it.
One way is just from cover to cover. This is often the easiest place to start.
*Sometimes Bible reading plans include the books in a different order to break up some of the longer story sections and make it easier to read!
You can also follow a chronological order of reading. The way the Bible is currently published is not necessarily the order the books were written in.
When looking at context we realize a few books actually repeat stories of others.
This kind of Bible reading plan is often as a way to go deeper after reading it through at least once cover to cover.
Its good to mix things up and read the Bible both ways!
This year Ive read the entire Bible all the way through for the first time. It taught me so much about the bigger picture of the Bible and how Gods plan was happening throughout.
I even took on a challenge that is only for those who are really ready for a big commitment I read it through in 60 days. Check it out here!
If you are looking for a Bible Reading Plan for the entire Bible here it is! This one will go back and forth on the Old Testament and New Testament everyday!
Also Check: What Order Should You Read The Bible