From my experience, I have found that it can be discouraging to start reading the Bible starting at the beginning. Genesis is OK – a lot of neat stories (including love stories). But pretty quickly you will run into some pretty boring and complex stuff. I find that most people get bogged down and quit. I ALWAYS suggest that people start with the New Testament. That way you run into Jesus right off! It is MUCH MORE ENCOURAGING, and much easier to understand. Some Old Testament books that you might actually enjoy reading would be:
- Psalms -
poems/songs, mostly short, many different topics – some quite
surprising
- Proverbs -
mostly short, wise verses aimed at youth
- Song of
Solomon - a shocking collection of romantic
writings!
- Ruth -
a wonderful love story (short too).
- Esther -
a story of a beautiful Jewish princess who saves her whole nation. (If you like this story, see me to
borrow the movie [One Night With the King]: Debbie and I LOVE
it!)
- Job -
a pretty long story about an ancient man of God who encountered
amazing problems but stayed true to God.
(Best to read this from The Living Bible or The Message).
- Do return to
Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, I&II Samuel,
Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther eventually to gain an understanding of the
history of Israel. The stories you’ll
encounter are fascinating!
If you do read the New Testament, here’s a short explanation of what you’ll run into:
1.
Mathew,
Mark, Luke, John – the Gospels: the
stories of Jesus’ life told by four different men. The first three are very much alike; the last
one is quite unique!
2.
Acts - the
history book of the beginnings of the Christian church!
3.
Romans - the
theology book of the NT, pretty deep stuff.
If you read it, try to do so from either The Living Bible or The
Message! Romans and Galatians have
some pretty strong similarities, only Galatians is a lot shorter.
4.
I
& II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I & II
Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon -
these are all letters written by the great Apostle Paul. He founded a bunch of churches and then wrote
them letters to correct or encourage them.
The first eight are written to churches.
The last four were written to individuals.
5.
Hebrews - also
a letter (we’re not quite certain who wrote it). Very interesting but hard to understand
because it draws heavily on a knowledge of the Old Testament!
6.
James - A
letter written by Jesus’ half-brother who became a leader in the early Christian
church after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven!
7.
I
& II Peter - written by the great Apostle Peter to all the
Christians scattered across the
8.
I
& II & III John - written by the Apostle John. Filled with instructions to love. The last two are really short.
9.
Jude - A
very short letter written by another half-brother of Jesus!
10. Revelation - This
is the prophecy book of the New Testament.
It is very extreme with graphic, mysterious images of the End
Times. Challenging. I would again encourage the use of The
Living Bible or The Message!
A NOTE ABOUT TRANSLATIONS
You
may have noticed that I recommended The Living Bible and The Message
several times above. They are highly
readable versions of the Bible. The
Living Bible was written by a Bible scholar so that his children could
understand the Bible. The Message
was written by a Bible scholar in the language of the 90’s – it is very
contemporary!
There are other very readable translations. The New International Version is considered an evangelical version and is commonly used in many churches – very reliable and very readable. I would avoid buying the TNIV even though you might find some good bargains on it.
The New Century Version is delightful. It is written at a fourth grade reading level and attempts to eliminate all big words! Refreshing!
Other acceptable versions are: The New King James Version and the New Revised Standard Version. The New American Standard Version is considered by many to be the most faithful to the original languages [and consequently the best for studying the Bible] Totally confused now? J
Psalm 119:105
New King James Version Your
word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
The Living Bible Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me
from stumbling.
The Message By your words
I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
New Century Version Your word is
like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
New International Version Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Be blessed as you read God’s Word! You WILL meet His Holy Spirit in doing so!
I’m new at Bible reading, where should I start and how should I proceed?
Great question! As a new reader, I would suggest that you begin with Mark’s Gospel. It is fast moving and begins with Jesus as an adult!
If you really enjoy reading about Jesus, try the other gospels:
- Matthew was one of Jesus’ disciples
and wrote for the Jews to understand.
- Luke was a Gentile and also a
physician which makes his perspective interesting.
- John was also an apostle of Jesus’. His gospel is VERY different from the
other three. He tells stories that
the others omit and gives a personal glimpse into Jesus’ life by one who
was in Jesus’ inner circle!
You might enjoy reading the letters that the Apostle Paul wrote to the young minister, Timothy [I & II Timothy]. They are full of encouragement for a younger person.
Eventually, you might like to dip into the Old Testament by reading a psalm-a-day. There are 150 of them and some are really long.
For instance, Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, but it is written as an acrostic using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Don’t avoid it! Simply read one section a day!
You might also enjoy reading portions of Proverbs. This book was largely written by King Solomon [David’s son] who God described as the wisest man who ever lived. Much of the book is made up of wise sayings.
Don’t be in a hurry to read the whole Bible. Many sections of the Bible are very boring and difficult to understand! Examples to avoid until you’re more mature in your faith: Leviticus, I&II Kings, I&II Chronicles, and all of the prophets from Isaiah through Malachi.
A WORD ABOUT STUDY BIBLES
Study
Bibles can be a great help to a new believer or a new reader of the Bible!
TWO IMPORTANT NOTES:
- A Study Bible will obviously slow you down! You’ll be curious and tempted to read all of the notes in the margins and boxes; you’ll get lots of information and learn a great deal – however, it will slow your progress in reading the Word. You simply get to choose what interests you.
- A study Bible is only as good as
the person [or people] who put it together. Ask for advice from a pastor or someone
who teaches at your church. See if
they can guide you. My ‘go-to’ has
been TALK THROUGH THE BIBLE [from Walk Through the Bible
Ministries] by Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, 1983.
PRACTICAL ADVICE
a)
Don’t
fall into a legalistic trap! If you miss
reading for a few days – or a month or year J - just jump back into
it! Our God is a God of grace! Aim for every day, but don’t be defeated by
missing occasionally!
b)
If
you get bored, read elsewhere! Don’t
give up! Just move on…
c) Don't try to read a chapter-a-day! Some chapters are REALLY long! Many Bibles now have subdivisions in each chapter; read by subdivisions or paragraphs. Smaller bites will keep your appetite in balance! ;-)
d) I like to read in more than one place at a time! The Bible has subdivisions:
OLD TESTAMENT
1.
The
Books of the Law: Genesis – Deuteronomy
2.
The
Books of History: Joshua – Esther
3.
The
Books of Wisdom: Job – Song of Solomon
4.
The
Major Prophets [Major=long]: Isaiah – Daniel
5.
The
Minor Prophets [Minor = shorter]: Hosea – Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT
6.
The
Gospels: Matthew – John
7.
History:
Acts
8.
Theology:
Romans
9.
Letters
Written by the Apostle Paul: I Corinthians – Philemon
10.
Letters
by other Authors: Hebrews – Jude
11.
Prophecy:
Revelation
I often keep a bookmark in four or five different
sections and read in all of them as time allows [or from day-to-day]. I get bored easily, so this maintains variety
for me!
e) Mark your Bible up! Develop symbols that identify things you liked. Underline powerful passages! Write helps or prayers in the margins! Personalize your Bible! Make it into a resource that will bless you for the rest of your life [and maybe your heirs after you've moved on to Heaven]!
Hal Haire-Revised 9/24
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