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

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scapularkid8 said:
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?!
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I would suggest you get yourself a copy of the Pope’s recently released book, Jesus of Nazareth.

He’s dealing with a problem with modern bible scholars, even in the Catholic church, who feel that the gospels don’t tell us who Jesus really was – the historical Jesus.

the Holy Father does not agree.

So, if you don’t mind reading a bit about that controversy along the way, this book is largely a Bible study in itself, to address the question of who Jesus is. Obviously that is an important topic, and you will get the benefit of his study of the subject.

Now, I’m college educated, and I can say that it was easy for me to read the book. But, I think it is a good book for everybody at least at a high school reading level… I suggest you read it slowly, and check out some of those scripture references he mentions.

Since he talks about all the four gospels, you will feel better about each of them, and with them taken together.

He says in the book that all scripture is about Jesus, and he will illustrate a lot of that for you.

By the way, he published this stuff as one book, but he says it will take another book for him to say everything he wants to on this subject. But, this book “stands alone” so far as I can tell.

There’s lots of good advice out there, I’m sure. The Vicar of Christ will not lead you astray, for sure.

I suggest you get into the book and keep at it, but don’t race through it, or you’ll cheat yourself of his fine insights. It’s just over 350 pages or so, which isn’t THAT long. I wanted to read to the end quickly, which I did, and now I’m re-reading for a better look at the things he’s saying.

He discusses the most important things in this book. You’re not going to miss anything reading this book.
 
I first read the Bible all the way through when I was a lapsed Catholic. I was not practicing any religion at the time. A friend of mine took me to a Christian music festival. There were representatives from various churches at the festival: Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist and Presbyterian. Somebody from the Baptist church gave me a Bible (KJV, of course). I had never read it. At the time, I was searching for meaning in my life, and I knew I was missing something, but did not understand that I was missing Someone (our Lord Jesus Christ). I actually read the Bible all the way through. I realised that everything that I had been taught in CCD and Catholic high school made sense. I repented of my sin, first to God and then to my priest and returned to the Catholic Church. The Bible (Protestant version) drew me back to the Catholic Church. Since then, I have been going to a Bible study at my parish. I have also acquired many Bibles, both Catholic and Protestant translations. God’s Word showed me the Truth of the Catholic faith. :amen: :bible1:
 
You have gotten a lot good suggestions, may I make one more and that is get a copy of this New Testament (Confraternity Pocket Edition) it is a reprint of the New Testament that was published for Catholic soldiers during WWII. It is divided into daily readings, 2 per day, if you read those readings each day you will read the New Testament in 6 months at an easy pace. It fits easy in your pocket so you can read whenever you a few minutes to spare.

Otherwise start in Mark, it is the shortest gospel.

PS: Don’t start from the Beginning, you will never make it.

This could be a help also Guide to the Bible

Let the adventure begin…
 
Q:Anyone read the book “Harry Potter #1”?

Q Did you start on chapter 12?

Did you ever think about how the bible is made up of 73 different books written by so many different authors at different times but put together, yet tells only one story?

The bible has many different “characters” but only one main subject. Many “stories” yet one main plot.

We have to start in the begining.From cover to cover. Reading one story in light of eachother.

From Genesis to Revelation we see how the “story”(our church) builds.

You can’t treat it like a cafeteria. “I’ll take some Genesis but no Leviticus,because it is to boring” " Give me only the Gospel cause it’s all I want."

I read a couple of posts that said skip Leviticus.

You know what I learned about in Leviticus? Confession. Before Jesus became our ultimate sacrifice. Confession went like this.

Leviticus 5

5’So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned.

6’He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

7’But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

8’He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it.

9’He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering.

10’The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

11’But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12’He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering.

13’So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’"

:twocents:
 
I would definitely start from Genesis, and then go from there. I think it makes a lot more sense to read the OT first, because the OT sets the foundation for the NT.

At the same time though, no one said you had to read the Bible in order!(Although I do prefer it!) If you want to read John, Matthew, Mark, or Luke, or somewhere in the NT, go for it!!
 
I think you should start with the Gospel of Mark.Its action packed and only 16 chapters long.Then read Acts, which continues directly from where Mark left off.Then read the stories about people in the OT, such as Jonah and the whale, Tobias and the Angel, Daniel and the Lions, Jacob and Esau, the tower of Babel, Saul and the lost donkeys, etc,etc.Some of them will give you a good laugh, such as when Judith beheads Holofernes:rotfl:, and some of them will teach you to be wise, such as when Solomon offers to kill the baby.When you’ve read lots of stories, move on to Proverbs(words of Wisdom)and Psalms(beautiful, rich metaphors, wonderful for praising God).Then read the prophetical books, such as Obadiah, Baruch, and Micah, but I think you should save Isaiah, which is mataphorical and complicated(though certainly lovely)untill last.Then read Revelations, and the NT letters of instruction.This is the way I did it.
 
fellowChristian said:
You know what I learned about in Leviticus? Confession. Before Jesus became our ultimate sacrifice. Confession went like this.

Leviticus 5

5’So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned.

6’He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

7’But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

8’He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it.

9’He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering.

10’The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

11’But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12’He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering.

13’So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’"

:twocents:
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I read about half of Leviticus and then I just couldn’t take it any more, and I felt I had to stop.Its nothing but a collection of old rules which no longer exist.Surely God doesn’t still want us to murder animals???It just doesnt apply anymore and God changed the rules a long time ago.Leviticus is my least favourite book in the Bible and I can barely understand it, anyway.😦
 
Teeliumtrozzle said:
I read about half of Leviticus and then I just couldn’t take it any more, and I felt I had to stop.Its nothing but a collection of old rules which no longer exist.Surely God doesn’t still want us to murder animals???It just doesnt apply anymore and God changed the rules a long time ago.Leviticus is my least favourite book in the Bible and I can barely understand it, anyway.😦
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That’s OK - you don’t have to find every word of the Bible riveting 😉 although perhaps thinking about the reasons behind the giving of those laws in the first place helps?

When I read it I think of the fact that this was the very early days of monotheism, so God had to keep the Israelites on a really tight leash to keep them faithful to him - even so they slipped and worshipped other gods and so on.
 
I would recommend starting in Leviticus.
If you can make it through this book, then the rest will be easy.
 
I would start with the material that will most nourish your faith. That means I would start with Psalms. Next I would read the Gospels. Then I would go through the epistles.
 
In Leviticus we can learn about confession, laws for the priests There is an historical section (8-10), giving an account of the consecration of Aaron and his sons (8); Aaron’s first offering for himself and the people.

Or how about when Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron are killed because they disobeyed God -Leviticus 10:1

Leviticus 10:08

8The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying,

9"Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die–it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations–

10and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,

11and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses."

**
Luke 1:5**

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 1:15
15"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

16"And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

Because of his family tree John the Baptist is a priest from the line of Aaron, and that is why no wine or strong drink. I also think of how a priest is the one who anoints the new King and isn’t it interesting how John (priest) seems to be anointing Jesus (King)?
Give Leviticus a chance:yup:
 
fellowChristian said:
In Leviticus we can learn about confession, laws for the priests There is an historical section (8-10), giving an account of the consecration of Aaron and his sons (8); Aaron’s first offering for himself and the people.

Or how about when Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron are killed because they disobeyed God -Leviticus 10:1

Leviticus 10:08

8The LORD then spoke to Aaron, saying,

9"Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die–it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations–

10and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,

11and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses."

Luke 1:5

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 1:15
15"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.

16"And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God.

Because of his family tree John the Baptist is a priest from the line of Aaron, and that is why no wine or strong drink. I also think of how a priest is the one who anoints the new King and isn’t it interesting how John (priest) seems to be anointing Jesus (King)?
Give Leviticus a chance:yup:
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First time Bible reader!! Get the story first and then maybe, maybe read Leviticus.
 
I am reading the Bible because I have the ability to do so. I would not presume to tell anyone else how of why to read it but when I do I feel like I am looking at the world through the eyes of God and the men and women who served him a long time ago. I am up to 2nd Kings. There are no parts, so far, that are better or worse than others. It’s a mess at times and the people in it are certainly not perfect in my understanding of the words. I especially like the injunction to make his altar from uncut stones. Once I start cutting away the bits I don’t care for (Leviticus, Chronicles, etc) I wind up with something that looks less like God’s will for me and the world and more like what I think God’s will ought to be. I DO NOT claim to understand what it’s all about. I learn a little bit at a time. I want to read the whole book because I want to read the whole book and so far it seems to be changing me. I like the poetic language of the KJV but it’s harder to read so I’m reading the NEV because I understand it better. I admit to sneaking off to the Psalms now and then and I follow the liturgical readings at Mass as well. Love is patient. Read on:)
 
scapularkid8 said:
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?!
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Im surprised no one has suggested John for a starter. A overview if you will of Jesus. Then the other Gospels.

There is no sense going to the OT if you have no understanding of Christ, you will only be frusterated.

Like said before scripture, its in order sort of, but does not need to be read that way. If you really need it to be in order after you read John etc then pick up a Chronological Bible. It has the books arranged in the basic order of events then it reads more like a “novel” that we are used to in this day and age.

hope that helps. 🙂
 
Crumpy said:
I would suggest you get yourself a copy of the Pope’s recently released book, Jesus of Nazareth.
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I am reading that right now! It’s good so far. I’m only beginning it, but I bought it because I wanted to just understand the True Christ a little bit more. I reccomend this book.
 
I forgot about suggesting this

Here load a whole bible onto to your computer, actually you can get several translations. e-sword.net/index.html it is free. Here is some the Free translations you can down load after you download the basic software.
American Standard Version
Bible in Basic English
Contemporary English Version
Douay-Rheims Bible (w/ Deuterocanon)
English Standard Version
Good News Translation
GOD’S WORD
International Standard Version
Jewish Publication Society Old Testament
King James Version
King James Version (Red Letter)
King James Version (w/ Strong’s) (This is included in the e-Sword installation.)
King James Version (w/ Apocrypha)
Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
Modern King James Version
Revised Version
Analytical-Literal Translation
Darby Bible
English Majority Text Version
James Murdock New Testament1,
Webster Bible
Weymouth New Testament
Young’s Literal Translation
Hebrew Old Testament (w/ Strong’s),
Greek Old Testament (Septuagint)
Latin Vulgate (w/ Deuterocanon)
Check out the web site, they do offer some modern translations that you may purchase, if you want, but not required, all that I listed are free!
The software is Awesome, once you check out the features you’ll love it.
There is a feature where you can set up daily bible readings to read through the Bible at a scheduled which you choose, 6 months, a year etc.
It free!
 
Gamera said:
I would start with the material that will most nourish your faith. That means I would start with Psalms. Next I would read the Gospels. Then I would go through the epistles.
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Gamera, nice to begin with Psalms. Never would have began with that book.

My advice would be to start with the Gospels in the order they appear in the Bible…but I would also do so with the Navarre books that are written to educate the reader…both new-comers and long time re-readers. The Navarre books include valuable commentary on each passage from OT references that ties into the NT texts, language translations thru the many tomes, instructs the reader to use many tools to get the true meaning of the Scriptures.

Most Catholic bookstores carry Navarre books. They usually deal with a book on it’s own…sometimes more…but always a valuable tool for studying the Bible.
 
lak611 said:
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.
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Yeah, really…It was a happy day in my life, when I realized that nobody was going to show up & force me to re-read long lists of the Jewish dietary rules, and what to do with a :eek: :confused: “leprous house”. (I’m still not sure about what that is…)
Eventually, you will want to check them out, but for a new Bible reader, they can throw you completely.
lak611 said:
One of my Catholic Bibles has a reading guide. It says “Leviticus may be skipped.”
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👍 And very good advice that is, too!!
Someone was saying that they had really found value for them in there. That’s great. It’s why, when you get your head around more accessible Bible portions, that you can read it then. (Or not…🤷 ).

Start with the Gospels. My personal favorite would be to read Mark (short & to the point) first, then go on to the others.But there are as many ideas about this, as there are people.
And read Luke/Acts as a “set”, because that’s what they really are…a continuous narrative.
Psalms are also a good starting place. Something in there for every occasion.
Congratulations on your new adventure!!
 
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