Search For Wisdom In Those Around You
While all these above steps will help you learn to better read the Bible on your own, there is another step that worked wonders for me. I went to someone I looked up to and knew had a rock-solid understanding of Gods Word and asked, Could you teach me to read the Bible like you? This may require a little pride swallowing, but it may also change everything.
Reading The Bible For Beginners
Reading the Bible doesnt have to be overwhelming. And it certainly shouldnt be something you dread. Sometimes its easy to get hung up the idea that you should be reading your Bible that you feel guilty for not doing it.
Just remember, theres no right or wrong way to read your Bible. Every time you open your Bible, God is going to speak to you. Its His words written there!
The human mind is like a sponge. It soaks up whatever you expose it to. Reading the Word of God will help you think about and dwell on spiritual things.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 ESV
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17 ESV
The Bible is a big book with a lot of pages.
- 66 books in the Bible
- 1,189 chapters in the Bible
Youll always learn something when you read Gods Word and youll experience new insights and understanding every time you read a passage even if youve read it many times before.
Example: How To Start Bible Study
One example is John 4:1-2: Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John .
If I was relaying the basic story, I would have just said Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard he was baptizing and making more disciples than John. The fact that the author adds though Jesus himself didnt baptize them means that theres something important there.
I did some Googling/research and it turns out that thats actually a really important note! It seems like Jesus didnt perform water baptisms so that no Christian could lord their status over another, because we are all of equal status in Christ . By paying attention to what stands out, Im able to notice little details that I wouldnt if I just looked at the big picture.
Also Check: What Does God Say About Isolation
Ground Level: The Historical Books
The bulk of the Old Testament primarily covers a period of time from about 2500 B.C. to about 400 B.C., in the area of the world known by scholars as The Ancient Near East. It specifically focuses on Gods historical and prophetic interactions with the Hebrew people. There are 39 books or sections written by a number of different authors.
The Old Testament is divided into at least three major sections. The first part contains the history of the Jewish people. Its roughly chronological, and all the narratives fit into the times described in these history books.
Need A Way To Keep Track Of Your Bible Reading Plan For Beginners
When I was learning how to read the Bible for the first time, I loved checking off each book and chapter as I read them, so I could easily see my progress.
My NIV study Bible came with a built-in reading plan checklist right in the front. If yours doesnt, youre welcome to print off this Bible Reading Checklist to keep track of your progress.
It comes straight out of my Fall in Love with Gods Word WORKBOOK, but youre welcome to have it for free.
Print it out and stick it in your Bible, or hang it on your fridge where youll see it often as you work your way through your Bible reading plan for beginners.
Read Also: Chronical Order Of The Bible
The Book Of Acts: What Happens Next
The book of Acts continues the story of the Gospel and how it changed life on earth after Jesus came. It is a powerful testimony of how the early church was established by the work of the Holy Spirit and it is easy to see how that work is continuing today, even in the Church in Singapore.
Introduction to the book: Before Jesus was taken to heaven, He instructed His followers to be a witness for Him. Jesus followers received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and became filled and equipped to spread the good news that would restore Gods kingdom over the world. Through persecution, the believers were scattered. They continued to preach, and the church at Antioch was born.
It grew into the first multiethnic, international church from which missionaries were sent throughout the world to preach about Jesus.
Where Not To Start
I have actually had non-believers ask me this more than new Christians and this is a great question. The Bible is not strictly written in chronological order. For example the book of Job belongs in the time frame of the book of Genesis. Some have tried to start at Genesis and begin through the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, then Deuteronomy, but when they get to certain sections of the Old Testament they can get bogged down in the lengthy genealogies. A good example is found in I Chronicles 9:11-12: Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the official in charge of the house of God Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah and Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer. You get the idea.
You May Like: Read Bible In Chronological Order
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.
Pick One Of The 4 Gospels
The 4 gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is where you can read about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is essential for the Christian faith. You can always add a study to help with understanding the context of what you are reading. These can be helpful! Once you finish reading through one gospel, I recommend picking another. When reading through the gospels, the story of Jesus is really setting a foundation for you to build on as you continue to read the Bible.
I have created an 18-day reading plan for you that goes through the Gospel of John. This reading plan is a great way to build reading the Bible as a daily habit as well as giving you an idea of where to start reading in your Bible. Make sure to subscribe below to get your Gospel of John reading plan!
Read Also: What God Says About Loneliness
Where To Start Reading If Youre New To The Bible
Psalms and Proverbs are always a great choice to begin reading because they are simple and full of encouraging verses.
Its usually not hard to comprehend the context and meaning behind these verses and they are beautiful when applied to our lives.
Other great books to start with are Romans and the gospel of John.
- Romans is a wonderful overview of what living the gospel is all about. Romans answers a lot of questions new Christians might have.
- John gives a wonderful and concise glance of Jesus and His ministry while here on Earth. This is vital information to new believers.
A Letter To Believers: Ephesians
Unlike the gospel of John and the book of Acts, Ephesians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus.
Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese church leader and teacher, distils the essence of Ephesians into three simple words: Sit. Walk. Stand, and says Ephesians abounds with spiritual riches, and yet is intensely practical.
He writes: Christianity does not begin with walking it begins with sitting.
For Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. Thus Ephesians opens with the statement that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And we are invited at the very outset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves.
Introduction to the book: In the book of Ephesians, we see how the Gospel story affects believers everyday lives. God, the Father, planned throughout history for Jesus to create a multi-ethnic community of followers. Consisting of Jews and non-Jews, these followers form the family God promised to Abraham. They live in unity as one body in their families, neighbourhoods, and churches because of Gods grace.
Read Also: What Does The Bible Say About Strong Woman
Fall In Love With Gods Word
Reading Gods Word truly CAN be fun, enjoyable, encouraging, inspiring, and so much more.
If youre truly interested in learning how to read the Bible for beginners, Id love to invite you to check out my brand new book: Fall in Love with Gods Word: Practical Strategies for Busy Women!
Practical, encouraging, and full of biblical truth, Fall in Love with Gods Word has everything you need to learn how to:
- Overcome 7 common obstacles preventing you from spending time in Scripture
- Discover the personalized Bible-reading routine that works for YOU
- Learn 15 easy ways to make reading the Bible for beginners more meaningful and enjoyable
- Use Scripture to conquer sin, false beliefs, and negative thought patterns
- Experience fresh spiritual growth and passion for Gods Word.
Please visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore to learn more and grab your copy of Fall in Love with Gods Word today!
Where To Start Reading The Bible For Beginners
New Christians or people seeking to learn more about Christianity should start in the New Testament.
The New Testament covers the life of Jesus, the history of the early church, and ethical and moral guidelines for Christians.
To get an excellent overview of this information, I recommend the following reading order:
The Gospel of John Having a firm understanding of who Jesus is and why he came is important to your faith as a Christian. The book of John does a marvelous job of explaining who Jesus is and what his ministry is about. The other Gospels detail Jesus ministry, but they focus more on the things Jesus did.
Acts- The book of Acts was written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel Luke, and records the history of the early church. Starting with Jesus ascension and commission of the disciples, the persecution of the early church, and the spread of the Gospel throughout the known world.
Romans- Every Christian should read the book of Romans. If you want to build your faith and gain a clearer understanding of the Good news of Jesus Christ, this is the best place to start once youve read the two books.
Once youve read through these first three books you should have a firm understanding of who Jesus is, the history of the early church, and a better understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
After youve read these books, you can dive into the Old Testament and read:
Also Check: What Does Being Sanctified Mean
Choose The Right Bible For You
This goes without saying, but you need to get a copy of the Bible in order to read it. You probably already have one, but it may not be the best fit for you. There are a bunch of different Bibles on the shelves at the Christian bookstore and it can be super-overwhelming to know the difference between them all. Here is a post all about the different types and versions, if you are interested. But the bottom line is this: use a version you can read easily. If youve had a Bible for years, but the reading level is way over your head, consider grabbing a version that is easier to read. The New Living TranslationFull Disclosure: At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase. Thanks for your support! or the NET BibleFull Disclosure: At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase. Thanks for your support! are both very readable and great for beginners.
If money is tight, Im sure your local church has copies on hand they would love to give you. Alternately, check your local thrift shop and/or bookstore for inexpensive copies. I often see $5 deals at LifeWay or through online promotions. There are also loads of free apps you can grab.
Is The Bible Meant To Be Read In Order
The Bible is not arranged in the order to be read, but by the type or genre of the books.
In the Old Testament, all of the books of the Law are grouped together the first 5 books, from Genesis to Deuteronomy. Then there are the books of History. After that are the 5 books of Poetry. Finally, there are the Prophets.
The New Testament starts with 4 accounts of the Gospel, the life of Jesus Christ. Then there is one book of history, the book of Acts. Its followed by many Letters or Epistles. The last book is the book of Revelation, which is the genre of Prophecy.
If you want to find out more about how the Bible is arranged, you can read this article: How the Bible Arranged: Its Main Structure & Meaning.
Many people start out doing well through Genesis and Exodus, but get bogged down somewhere near the third book, Leviticus. Leviticus goes into the details of the Law that you can come back to at a later time. Instead of reading in order, you can skip to Joshua, the first book of History, to pick up the major storyline of the Bible for now.
Then when you get to 1 & 2 Kings, skip over 1 & 2 Chronicles for now because they cover much of the same history. The slightly different perspectives and different purposes of those sets of books can be explored later.
The recommended order below takes a sampling from each of the types of books in the Bible.
Recommended Reading: 365 Bible Verses About Fear
Start Building The Habit Of Reading Your Bible
Habit > Understanding > Worship
Probably the most common barrier to reading and understanding the Bible is a lack of habit. In fact, I often have to go back to this step, even after decades of reading and studying the Bible. Because I cannot gain more understanding without a regular routine of opening my Bible. Until we have established the habit of regular Bible reading, understanding is going to be hard to come by. Why? Because without the habit, youll start off strong but fizzle out by the end of the week. How do I know? Been there. Done that. My guess is, you have to.
Here are a few thoughts to consider as you embark on creating a rhythm of regular time in the Bible.
- Start small. Choose something that will give you the quick win!
- Ex.: These short reading plans range from 8 days to 31 days.
The Ultimate Guide To Reading The Bible For Beginners
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.
If youre desiring a closer walk with Jesus, reading your Bible on a regular basis will be life changing. Today Im talking about reading the Bible for beginners or how to get started reading your Bible.
First, before we get into reading the Bible for beginners, I wanted to share a few thoughts Ive had this week. Weve been in social isolation at our house for seven weeks now. At first it felt like a big adjustment. I think the first couple weeks were the hardest.
At least for me. I needed to find a new normal.
Since weve been home so much more than usual, Ive found Im enjoying the slower pace. Life is quiet. Each day presents much the same as before. Like a quiet routine.
I spend more time relaxing. My house is clean. I dont have the pressure of meeting appointments and keeping a strict schedule. I dont have to get up at 4 am.
I spend my days puttering around the house doing cozy things.
- Ive been planting a garden.
- I play with our new puppy, Marlowe.
- I sit and talk to my girls.
- I sit in the sunshine.
- We take walks.
- I work on my writing.
- I clean the house and cook new recipes.
- I spend evenings watching sermons from It is Written and sometimes well watch a movie.
Its peaceful. It reminds me of this verse:
Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
But for now, I think Im going to enjoy this quiet life just a little more.
Recommended Reading: List Of 365 Do Not Fear Bible Verses