If I were to start reading the Bible, where would I start!?

Apologetics Sacred Scripture
#1

That’s a weird question, but should I start with the New Testament and go to the Old, or from Genesis to Revelation, or what?!

#2

Personally…why do anything but start at the beginning of mankind with Genesis.

#3

Scapular kid… May I suggest that you look into Jeff Cavins bible study? He goes into which gooks are the narrative books and will get you through salvation history. Then there are the supplemental readings associated with each of the narrative books… I liked the way he broke it down. Also, in the workbooks is a plan for reading the bible in a year… which books to read when. greatadventureonline.com/page.asp?ContentID=2

This is a website showing the different courses that are offered. You would want the first one… I highly recommend it.

#4

i am in the process (a long process) of reading the Bible from cover to cover. right now i am bogged down in chronicles which is a repeat of samuel and kings. there is a timeline bible study out there, i think it is by jeff cavins(?), to read the Bible in true chronilogical order. but, the main thing is to just start reading the Bible now.

#5

Genesis
exodus
Numbers
Joshua
Judges
1 Samuel
11 samuel
1 Kings
11 Kings
Ezra
Nehemiah
1 Maccabees
Luke
Acts

The fourteen narrative books of the Bible. If you read four chapters a day it will take you 90 days to read the narrative books of the Bible. Just in Genesis alone the Lord makes three covenants with His people…
One Holy couple (adam and eve)
One Holy Family (Noah)
One holy Tribe (Abraham)
It’s a page turner for sure. In these fourteen books you will read about
The early world
Patriarchs
Egypt and the Exodus
Desert wanderings
Conquest and Judges
The Royal Kingdom
The Divided Kingdom
Exile
The Return
Maccabean Revolt
Messianic Fulfillment
The Church.
Discover how these fourteen books tell the story and how the other 59 books fit in. Good Luck. Remember to pray always before you read. The Holy Spirit is just awaitin’ to help.

#6

Somehow I think the Gospels are just too important to start anywhere else. So I’d probably read them and then Genesis. But that’s not the way I read scripture anyway, I always read from both the Old and New side by side. At the moment I’m on Job and Isaiah, as well as Galatians.

#7

I would go NT in order first. Then read the the whole Bible from Gen. 1:1 to the end of Rev. :thumbsup: I think it’s best to have a good handle on the NT to get the most out of the OT–then, with a handle on the OT, the NT will be even more meaningful! :slight_smile:

#8

I agree with Lily. One thing that most people do not know is that is one reads just 3 chapters a day every day one will read the entire Bible in about a year. What I like to do is start with Matthew…then jump to Genesis, then Mark, then Exodus…etc, but it’s really all up to you.

I think the Gospels are the best place to begin with followed by the rest of the NT. Especially if this is your first time really getting into the Bible.

The idea here is to build up your faith and knowledge of Our Lord…not necessarily get some award for being able to say that you’ve read it all.

The fact is that reading the Bible is a lifetime thing and unless Gabriel shows up and tells you you’re due to die tomorrow, then ya got the time. Read at your own pace and take it all in. It’s the very best reading material on the planet. Enjoy! :thumbsup:

#9

I’m interested by this plan…I also found a journal for personal study that goes along with the reading of these books…I’m not sure if I should get it or not.

#10

I recommend reading the NT first. It’s much shorter and easier to read (IMO). I think reading the Bible straight through, i.e., Genesis to Revelation, is quite possibly a bad idea, esp. if you get bogged down in an OT book, which could derail the plan for a while (which is bad).

Personally I’ve went through the NT, and I’m taking my time with the Old Testament. The Gospels are absolutely central, so always go back to the gospels. Start with Mark, maybe, then read something else. Then dart back to Matthew or Luke, etc., rinse and repeat. Then, by the time you get to the OT, you’ll be reading the OT in light of the NT, which is a perfect way for a Christian to read it.

Don’t worry about, “getting it done” just to be a completionist. If you read the gospels, read acts, read the epistles, read Revelation, and then decide, hey, I want to reread a gospel, or this epistle, don’t worry, and read it.

That’s just my opinion, of course. Maybe I’m just making excuses because I haven’t been hacking away at the OT much.

-Rob

#11

ditto
except my advice is read the 4 Gospel and stop until you are comfortable. Later the rest of the New Testament EXCEPT Revelation ( it is a difficult to understand) stop again. Later Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Ruth, and Job. Stop again then fill in the rest when ever you feel like it. I think that would be much easier than a cover to cover read which is a dreary read

#12

I wouldn’t worry too much about Leviticus (or Numbers). The Jewish ceremonial laws, the laws about food and leprosy, and the lists of geneologies of the Tribes really do not have much to offer to us as Christians. I do believe they have a purpose in the Bible, but I tend to skim over the lists of laws and geneologies, which have no real meaning to us today. I do more in-depth reading of other parts of the Bible.

#13

Well, maybe not start with reading the whole book, but you can’t beat this for an introduction to the Bible…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 5 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

NAB Gospel of John 1:1-5 courtesy USCCB

You could also start with Luke and Acts…

#14

Here is the thing Leviticus is scripture and it is scripture we do not follow and the concept of that is very important to truly understand [Catholism] religion.

#15

You can also listen to “Our Fathers Plan” before you start reading. ( it is in mp3 format, for real audio format and explaination of each program, click here: EWTN)
In this audio series Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins cover the bible in chronological order and go deep into the theology of the biblical story. They explain the church teachings along the way.

It is a mixture of Jeff Cavins bible timeline and Scott Hahn’s “A father who keeps his promises”, which covers all the covenants.

Here is the order of the tracts:

  1. Reading Through The Bible

  2. History Of Early World

  3. Patriarchs

  4. Israel In Egypt

  5. Conquest Of Canaan

  6. Judges

  7. United Kingdom

  8. Divided Kingdom

  9. The Exile

10.Gospels I

11.Gospels II

12.Acts I

13.Acts II

(They tell you in each program which chapters of the bible to read before the next session.)

Best of all its FREE!

#16

That’s great! I think I’ll try that. I’ve been doing the St. Paul’s Center online course, but I’m on my iPod more than my computer so that’s a great opportunity/place to start!

#17

I love the Old Testament. But would skip Leviticus. I find it so exciting when I read something in the OT that has been fulfilled in the New. And like CM states it is a lifelong journey. Here’s hoping your journey is a very, very long one. God Bless.

#18

Going to echo the “Great Adventure” study. I grew up Evangelical and we read the Bible cover to cover many times - DH and DS did not grow up this way and the Great Adventure was a fantastic way for them to begin.

#19

start at the beginning, take your time , have a break and conentrate on any given sentence and use it as a prayer .
blessings.

#20

I started with the Gospels, reading one chapter per day in the morning before breakfast. After I finished John, I started over again with Matthew. After several cycles of this, I added Acts before starting back with Matthew. One or two cycles later, I went straight through the New Testament and started reading the whole thing over and over again.

At some point I also decided to read one Psalm before bed (long or short didn’t matter; I simply read one Psalm). Thus, I was now reading two chapters of the Bible every day: one NT reading in the morning and one OT reading at night. Five months later (150 Psalms @ 1/night = 5 months) I had finished Psalms, and I decided to go on to Proverbs. So I converted my Bible-reading scheme to the continuing re-reading of the New Testament in the morning and one Old Testament reading at night. Eventually I reached the end of Job and realized that I had read the entire Bible. Note: it’ll take a while.

Then, when you’re done, start over again. It’s God’s word, and it’s worth repeating.

Good luck!