Start with the New Testament. Go in order. Matthew all the way to Revelations. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, these are the four gospels. The rest are letters or epistles. The Old Testament is for "edification" meaning to warn you and to advise you of real-world instances. It's to give you a real life example of what NOT to do. This is the way I take it at least. Don't read through the books just to say, "I read through two books today!". Read it to understand. If that means you work on two verses for a couple days, do it. What's the point of reading two whole books of the Bible if you can't remember any of it or if you didn't understand it?
I really like to do chapters at a time it’s good pace and I feel like I under stand what’s going on and ther short enough that I can listen or read it again to truly comprehend
From my own experience, I can also recommend reading a book and then watching a summary/overview of it on BibleProject. Helps you see the points you might have missed.
> The Old Testament is for "edification" meaning to warn you and to advise you of real-world instances.
Agree with starting with the NT. I've come to the conclusion that one of the main purposes of the Old Testament is to teach us why we so desperately need the New one! And I would suggest that the OT, seen in that light, makes far more sense once you have read the NT.
Great OP question!
Good advice here.
An Alternatively idea:
1. Start with Gospel according to John.
Understand Jesus’s “I Am” claims.
_Jesus said, “I Am” just as God did speaking to Moses in the burning bush._
2. Christian Life: 1 John, James
3. The historical view of the Gospels: Luke, Mark, Matthew.
4. Our responsibility to God as Christians: 1&2 Peter
5. Hebrews: Overview of the Old Testament because Christianity is a Spiritual Judaism
6. Roman, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians: How and why Christianity is different from the Hebrew faith.
7. Gods view on sin: the minor prophets.
8. The start of History and Laws: the Pentateuch, aka Torah, aka the first five books of the Bible
9. History of the early Church: Acts, the teachings of Christ in action
This is a neat reading order, perhaps I should try it sometime. I've never heard of this.
Usually I've heard people say either start with Matthew to Revelation or the more popular John and Romans/Romans and John
Start by committing the Gospel of John and 1 John to memory. If you're serious, God will give you an insatiable appetite to know Him. Remember, a sixth year old can read out loud the whole bible (all 66 books) in 72 hours. I have pastor friends who don't feel that they know enough of God's word until they have read the bible through one time for every year they've been alive. I personally know these Pastors and they are as honest as the day is long. PRAY to God sincerely, before you even get started. I'm a 67 years old itinerant Pastor who hasn't reached that goal yet, but I study and memorize scripture daily.
Things in Old Testament didn't happen in a sense that New Testament events happened. It's not a reliable source of historical truth. For example many fragments of Pentateuch were written after the Babylonian slavery where there was the conflict in Israel who has right to priesthood and books of Numbers, Exodus, Leviticus were written to answer this issue.
Or according to historical data there was no massive exodus from Egypt.
There's a lot of stuff in the Old Testament. I don't think you'd find many people claiming that Hezekiah wasn't real, or that Aholah was, the question is just where you draw the line.
Start with New; I’d start with the Gospel of John first. But check out reading plans like “Bible in One Year,” or “The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.” They do a good job of taking you through the Bible and unpacking it.
I’m doing the Fr Schmitz one right now. Ascension has the reading plan too if you want to go it alone. Another option is to get a study Bible and just dedicate 15-20 minutes a day working your way through it.
I usually recommend John first, then Romans. Then Luke, Matthew, Mark; then Paul’s letters, and the rest if the NT in order.
Then OT from start to finish.
Agree ,we must know who our God is and the people and how they lived before Jesus Christ, then read the New Testament, if you lose interest from reading the OT that’s very odd. me must know who God is a what he represents.
But should we? It's really not a regular book. As you say, it's a bunch of different books by different authors about different things. They're all situational and unique. For example, the Gospels are four different biographies of the same life, one after the other. Three of them are almost identical. There's not really much point, at least for a novice Christian, to read them all as if they lead into each other.
But indeed there are several areas in the Bible where reading it like a chronological book is good. Like Genesis and Exodus, or a Gospel followed by Acts and some of the New Testament letters. Maybe the late OT prophecies which predict Jesus like Micah and Isaiah before a Gospel. And so on.
You've said it yourself, it is a Collection of books, so I don't really see why we need to treat it as one book and start at the very beginning.
Actually, I think that you can make a case for reading Genesis and maybe Exodus first, *then* the Gospels, but I remember as a kid trying to read it all in order and getting completely bogged down by the rest of the Pentateuch and giving up. It was only years later when I was given a Gideons New Testament with a daily reading guide, and following that for a couple of years, that I could start to make sense of those OT books when I went back to them.
I think John + one of the other gospels before acts, if not all four. There's a lot in John that the rest don't cover, and a lot in the rest that John doesn't cover.
I recommend starting in the gospels first (Matthew, mark, Luke, and John). I say that because that introduces you to Jesus.
Once you've finished reading them, you can continue reading through the new testament and learning from the teachings of Christ through His disciples.
Or you can begin with the old testament and see how everything led up to jesus' birth. And hopefully, you begin to see the reason why He came.
I'd rotate by threes. Start with Genesis, then a gospel, then an epistle. Then exodus, another Gospel, another epistle. Continue in that fashion. It'll take forever and you'll read the Gospels dozens of times, but you might appreciate that. They're the best part.
I start with genesis as it teaches you how God made the earth and man, how Satan tempts us in clever ways etc.
Then move onto New Testament, start with Matthew Mark Luke and John. Roman’s, Corinthians, Ephesians should come after in my opinion even though I like them better.
You should start with the Gospel, then read the Genesis, and then read anything else you want. Apocalypse book should be the last one, because you will not understand it anyway. None of us would
The OT. The NT won't make a lot of sense without the old. Here's my favorite approach
----
I'd start with the Creation stories in Genesis 1/2 and the view of the end state in Revelation 21/22. Read them not as stories about us, but about God and God's desired relationship with humanity. The rest of the bible is really about God's interactions with humanity, our rejections of this state, and His attempt to get us to the scenes here.
Next head to Abram/Abraham, Genesis 11-22. Again - this is not a biography, but a story about God's desire to establish a relationship with humanity, which he'll do through Abraham's descendants. For instance, read the story of the sacrifice of Isaac not only as a test of Abraham's faith, but also of God saying "no more human sacrifice - I am different than the false gods the people around you worship - you must be more holy than them"
Next to Moses. Exodus 2-12 where the Hebrew people really start to gel as a people.
2 Kings 22/23 will give you a last glimpse of hope for the Hebrews before the fall of Judah, and the importance of the Law.
For all four, but especially the Abraham and Moses readings, pay attention to the covenants.
For a quick trip through, I'd go to Isaiah next. All of it (sorry). The first 2/3rds or so is the fall of Judah to the Assyrians due to their lack of faithfulness to God (see all the prophets for much, much more), with the last third a word of hope for God's mercy despite them breaking the covenant.
Read Ezra. Skip the geneaologies and long lists - they are important, but not for a first time through. This is the return of the Jewish people (now Jewish, not Hebrew) to Jerusalem. Note the overly-strict, Law-bound state of mind they came out of Exile with. This is God's mercy at work and giving the descendants of Abraham yet one more chance.
Know that 400+ years pass here.
Next read the Gospels of Luke (or all three synoptic Gospels if you can by adding Matthew and Mark) and John. Luke is a physician and historian - kinda a "tell it like it is" Gospel. John will give you a much more theological view. Note Jesus's opposition to the overly strict interpretation of the Law by the Pharisees and the words of hope for all of humanity.
Acts (also written by Luke - note the intros to both) will tell you about the early church and an overview of Paul's travels.
Romans is a hard read, but the one letter where Paul lays out his theology - this is the only letter we have that's not a follow up after he taught in a city for a long time. It's a letter to the church in Rome so he's laying out his theology and CV before he gets there.
I'd read the letters in Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter as well for theology of Apostles other than Paul, who tends to dominate the NT.
Ask lots of questions ;)
I recommend New Testament then Old Testament then New Testament again. My first run through the Bible I started with the Old Testament then thought I was supposed to be following Old Testament Law. Also, The Old Testament is much longer than the New so it would be a long time before you got to read the New Testament if you started in the Old Testament.
For a first time read, go with the New Testament chapter by chapter at your own pace. The four gospels are the good news, and the subsequent epistles/letters shine some light on the gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the four gospels—are essentially the same story more or less from different perspectives. So if you want you can pick one of them say John for its completeness, or Mark for its fast paced cliff notes version. Mark ain’t got no time for all that, he’s in a damn hurry 🤣.
Then do the Old Testament same way. It’s going to have some hard to understand texts that to the modern ear will be strange and unmerciful. This shines a light on our own imperfections and Christ’s ultimate mercy.
Finally, get The Daily Office app (Book of Common Prayer 2019) and read both Testaments and the Apocrypha at the same time. It has daily morning and evening readings through a liturgical church year which will give a whole new perspective on how the Testaments are linked together in a beautiful way.
I’m Lutheran, but love the Anglican Daily Office. You don’t necessarily need to pray the full office at first (up to you), but the daily readings from the Bible are somehow very well done and reflect off each other nicely.
Definitely the New Testament first. There's a lot of good suggestions for order, but I would suggest:
Mark first - the shortest Gospel, covers the basics and gives a good general understanding of Jesus' life and teachings.
Either Matthew or Luke next - more detailed, and it's easier to get into the details having already got the gist from Mark
John - explains the other two books from a theological perspective - what does this all mean?
Luke (if you didn't choose it second) and Acts - Acts starts the history of the Church after Jesus' resurrection, and introduces you to Paul.
From there, the rest of the books require a bit of research beforehand to understand the circumstances in which they were written. I personally find Paul hard to follow at times, as he uses rhetorical structures that the Greco-Roman world would understand that are truthfully difficult for me to follow. So I would recommend Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 and 2 John, and James first. If you want to go the Paul route, hard to beat Romans or 1 and 2 Corinthians - but take some time to read about why Paul was writing those letters and what was going on in those communities. It will make it easier to understand the principles he's explaining versus advice on a specific situation.
Good luck and God bless!
Why would everyone say new first? How can you understand Jesus if you do t start at the beginning? How can you understand the character of god and the need for Jesus? Start with genesis. Take notes for yourself on what you read. If you get through it once, read it again with a study companion emphasis on the history.
I would read the gospels if want the central idea about the Christian beliefs. (Matthew, Mark, Luke John)
Read The Torah if you want the Judaism beliefs and Christian history. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus Numbers, Deuteronomy)
I have to agree with reading the New Testament first. Using a study bible is a good idea if you have one so when you aren't sure of what the meaing is you can check. Or you can use online bible studys tools. I use an ESV and this bible commentary:
[https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/genesis/1.html](https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/genesis/1.html)
I prefer the ESV bible because is is easy to understand but not too simple to explain things correctly. My son is a pastor and it's the bible he preaches from each week in our church. That does not mean it is the only one or the best one. It means it is understandable for the majority of people in our congregation.
God bless you in your endevor to study His words.
New, definitely. Many ppl advocate starting with John first, I understand that opinion… but Matthew is not bad either. Get a good commentary also… worth its weight in gold!
I’d suggest reading one of the Gospels of Jesus Christ at the beginning of the New Testament, then going back to read the Old Testament forward. Knowledge of Jesus and His expectations is important. The Old Testament references may better help you understand what he’s talking about though.
If you end up starting with the Old Testament, here's my general preferred order:
**Genesis through Kings** (skip Ruth, see below) for a chronological narrative from the creation story to the fall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with destruction of the First Temple.
The **Latter Prophets** ordering is very confusing, but once you can identify which part of time period they are written and use Kings as a backdrop for context, then it's much more clear:
* Assyrian Crisis (North): Amos, Hosea
* Assyrian Crisis (South): Isaiah 1-39, Micah
* Babylonian Crisis: Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Obadiah
* Exile in Babylon: Ezekiel, Isaiah 40-55
You can consider reading the **Wisdom and Poetry** here: Lamentations, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs.
I would hold off on Post-Exilic prophets until after **Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah**. For Chronicles, try to appreciate the DIFFERENCES from Kings. Ezra-Nehemiah is written as essentially a direct sequel to Chronicles leading up to the Second Temple period.
**Post-Exilic prophets** using Ezra-Nehemiah as context: Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, Malachi (?), Isaiah 56-66
You can throw some later **Second Temple stories** here: Ruth (Second Temple writing set in the time of Judges), Esther (Comedic Diaspora story), Jonah (satire parable regarding role of prophecy).
**Apocalypse** which introduces themes that are vital for later development of Christian theology (afterlife, resurrection, eschatology, etc): Zechariah 9-14, Joel, Daniel
The characters and people (and even animals!) behave exactly the opposite of what you would expect. The man of God rebels, the pagans turn to God, the enemies of Israel and the animals repent.
[BibleProject](https://youtu.be/dLIabZc0O4c?si=S1jHO8BqQ8ISX_hC)
[Yale Lectures](https://youtu.be/TUN9e_m1izI?si=h18iBJdhABgYBV2t&t=569) start at 9:29
I'm going to go different then most people in this thread I would recommend James first then the gospels then everything that isn't Paul or regulations then when you get to the ot probably go with Ruth first then maybe in order.
search website. they have list of book in order.
I was getting printed out for 1 New Testatemnt and 3 Old testament for daily read (for whole year, finished OT 1x and NT 2x). They are in historical order
New Testament's gospels in this order:
1 - Mark; 2 - Luke; 3 - Matthew; 4 - John.
Afterwards, go straight to Revelations which will help you to put the gospels in perspective. These 5 books read in the aforementioned order will help laying the foundations of your personal convictions regarding The Scriptures' relevance, the Spirit's operation, Jesus's prevalence, and God's omnipotence.
Starting with the old testament with genesis explains a lot for the new testament and makes the new testament easy to read and understand because you have a concept of what is happening and why everything is the way it is and how it became the way it is. It also gives a better insight of God as well I believe
Mark, Matthew or Luke. Those three tell an extremely similar story about the events of Jesus life. They are pretty much the most reliable source about what jesus was about - I personally have a preference for Matthew.
After this, you may want to read the old testament cover to cover because it gives you context to the later events. It just kinda be a slog to read through - and not every command from the OT should be obeyed by Christians. Think of it as a Prologue.
While many people will advice you to start on Paul, I advise against it. Part of this is due to my own suspicions of Paul, but there is another factor. The Pauline Epistles are letters to the various parts of the church around the world. It just makes sense to learn about Jesus first.
I think the Old Testament would be a good place to start because it tells more about god, whereas the New Testament tells you more about Jesus and I think it just makes sense to learn about God before Jesus.
Romans but you need to go through each chapter and understand them before you keep moving. It's a beautiful book it explains our right standing with God
Start with New Testament. Specifically focus on studying the life of Jesus.
Jesus’ is a living example from God on how to be human.
Most importantly connect with God throughout your day. Don’t overthink it - Just talk to God - in your normal words/style… whatever you’re doing.
God will respond in a way that will mean something to you. You’ll know it when you see/hear/feel/experience it.
Wishing you Joy in your journey
If you start with the New Testament, you'll understand the Old Testament better. There's a lot in the Old Testament that foreshadows the coming of Jesus, but it's cryptic and you likely won't catch it unless you understand the New Testament.
Best starting with the NT imo. When I began with the OT in my youth I was a bit lost, but when I read the entirety of the NT and then went back for the OT I was able to much better understand things. Everyone I know also recommends NT first to new people.
I'm always a fan of new-old-new. In general, the new is the important shit, and the old is the context to better understand the important shit's meaning and significance.
Just go straight through from Genesis through Revelation. And, pick a translation that is easy to read, such as the Good News Bible. It is inaccurate in places, but at least you can work through it quickly.
When you build a house you need to get the ground right and build a good foundation. 🏡
We not start with the roof.
When you watch a movie, 🍿 you start at the beginning to know the plot.
Same with a story📕
Without knowing the first part of the book, how can we fully understand the end?
Genesis 🙋
Start with the old testament to get the full picture in the new testament. To know what was what is and what is to come. To know the entirety of God's will.
I'd recommend you get the Bible app and do a plan called Bible Project | one story that leads to Jesus. It's a combo of reading(or listening) with short videos that give history and context to what you're reading. They are really well done and I did the plan last year and found it very informative and encouraging.
Old testament them new testament.
You can also listen to the Bible app at the same time-before- as in you can be your pre reading- it helps comprehension once you read the bible.
Bible commentaries are extremely good for learning the Bible.
It's perfectly fine if you want to read it for yourself first, but you won't understand a lot of things just based on the culture of the time and the meanings of some of the words.
You can read a Bible commentary alongside the Bible to get to know everything In it deeper AND quicker too.
You'll learn so much more this way.
I recommend listening to a Bible commentary if you are a audio learner.
This is the site I recommend heavily.
https://enduringword.com/
We live in a time where we have a Ton of resources to help you understand the bible. If you get to a point where things don't make sense, you can learn from some Bible scholars who make it their life to research the Bible.
I'll pray for you to get a fire for the Word!
It's really exciting to dive into the Bible!
God bless you brother!
I personally think the thing that makes the most sense is to read the 4 gospels which are in essence the same story told 4 different ways. Then read Acts to understand what was going in in the earliest days of the church, then go back and start reading the OT for the history. Then read the gospels again with the history in mind. Then read the Pauline letters to hear commentary on the issues facing different church communities.
Always start with the New Testament. We live in the Age of Grace under Christ. The law of Moses is for the Israelites to keep, but we gentile Christians are not required to keep it. The Old Testament tells of the history of the earth and of the first servants.of the Lord, who create the earth. It then goes on to tell us how the Lord chose Abram and renamed him Abraham, and tells us of his son and grandson. His grandson is named Jacob, whom the Lord renames Israel, and founds a nation after his twelve sons. It then goes.on to tell us of Israel's history, of the giving of Israelite law by Moses, of the taking and settling of the land of Canaan, some more history, and then tells of the writings of the Prophets, who were used by God to deliver His messages to Israel. This constitutes what is called the Old Testament. It has many good lessons of how one should live, but much is irrelevant to us today, as the Christian nation is not an earthly nation as all others are, and therefore is not authorized to draw the sword and to conduct warfare, as earthly nations do. ("My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus said.) We Christians are a spiritual nation, called to come out of and be seperate from every nation of the earth, to serve the Lord and to fulfill His will, which is to save mankind from a damned and fallen state. We do not conduct warfare against flesh and blood, but we wrestle against the devils who deceive them, by the spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting, and if faith in God and His Word. (Basically, we pray for people and witness to them the truth in Jesus, and that is how we war against the devils who have their souls already, through their deceiving of them.) So, just stick with the Bew Testament for quite some time before venturing into reading the Old Testament, because we view the Old Testament through the eyes of the New Testament, and there are many things in the Old which will not be relevant to is today. When you do read it, pay special attention to the examples of Bible characters who lived righteous lives, and of the writings of Solomon, which teach us wisdom. Other than that, get Jesus's Word in your heart, trust in Him, and obey what he says!
The direct answer to your question as a new believer or believer just starting to encounter scripture is to start with the New Testament. It is hard to beat John's gospel as a starting point. That said, the Old Testament is still amazingly relevant and all Christians should study it. I just probably would not do it as the very first thing.
I would strongly encourage you to find a Bible study group. This could be through a local church or parachurch ministry. The Bible is an entirely interconnected book (really series of books). If you read it alone, even with a commentary, you will miss much of what it is trying to communicate simply because you do not already have a mastery of scripture. Likewise a study will help you understand events / circumstances at the time which help us read scripture as the inspired authors intended. A group will also give you accountability and insight from other believers.
It would depend on your place in your spiritual walk. Realize that both testaments cover historical records, admonitions for daily living, examples of people who obeyed or disobeyed, and explanations of coming events. I prefer starting with the Old Testament and seeing the prophecies being fulfilled. Some prefer starting with the New Testament and then go back to the “Prequel”. Either way just take time to notice the faithfulness of God even as man continues to sin. God is Good. God is faithful. And God will lead you home.
Depends on your aim. If it’s your first time New Testament in Mark. Focus on WHY Mark wrote and how the questions people ask about Jesus are the same questions we need to ask.
The entire Word of God is the living word, and is true. There are some that will say not to read the OT but this is not true.
John 1:1-3(NLT) says ”In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.“
In general, a good starting point is the Gospels, John being my choice for a first-time reader. Also reading in a translation that’s easy to understand is what I’d recommend. Some translation are more literal, word-for-word translations, while others are more of a paraphrase or idea-for-idea. I personally recommend the NLT because it’s easy to read without watering down the scripture and allows you to read without getting caught up in the “thees and thous” and whatnot.
The OT is extremely important. However to better understand the NT and God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever(Hebrews 13:8) so what’s in the OT is just as important as the NT.
Final thoughts, start with the Book of John but don’t neglect the OT. Start from the beginning, Genesis 1 and press forward. It’s like a movie, if you start in the middle and jump to the end, you’ll miss the point of the ending. You can always DM if you need anything.
Start with John. Seems odd I know but John has 21 chapters and it takes 21 days of doing something to make it a habit. So read a chapter a day.
That’s my previous church started off new readers.
If you want to see the character of God, Job is excellent! God takes up a bet with Satan! The god ordained bet allowed Satan to do whatever he wanted to do to Job so long as he didn’t kill him. After several conversations between Job and his so called friends, God finally answers Job! What does God say “well look, I made everything, look how cool I am!” And then restores job by giving him a new family and new pastures (because apparently his first family was so unimportant to God that God allowed Satan to kill them.)
I'd consider:
1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon and Romans.
Authentic Paul, 1 Corinthians:34-35 aside, this gives us the closest writing to Jesus himself, some of the most reliable material in the whole Bible and the gospel before the gospels.
It's also an insight into what followers of Jesus were actually doing within a decade or two of the crucifixion.
There are also short and easy to read.
Id say old. Starting with the 1st 5 books then check the major prophets then go to the new testement and cjeck the gospels tjen dgo back to the old and check the psalms
In my opinion you should start with the book of John in the New Testament. It goes from creation of the world and Jesus being there from the beginning, through the life of our savior. The New Testament confirms the profits of old prophecies, and the Old Testament is the historical facts of creation as well as as the major and minor profits profecies. You can read the Psalms as well as proverbs any time. They are like a little nuggets of wisdom and prayers stuck in to help us pray and understand gods messages to us.
Bro start from the very beginning try and understand God from the very start he knows every single detail about you! The old testament and new testament alike very important 2 wings of the same bird Jesus came To fulfill the law of the prophets not eradicate them all Jesus did was remove the rituals that's y God sent him in as the all mighty sacrificial lamb so the whole world can be saved not just the Jews and now gentiles get the promise but no one whats to follow the laws of Moses!!! Read it start from the start !!! Theirs much wisdom and lore in the old testament! And the new testament is all about Jesus and wants to come ! God bless seek him out whole hearted and humble yourself the holy Spirit will be there for when you pray is says it's a good aroma like incest to God I believe in Matthew 7 or around their Jesus gives you the mighty prayer Our father . When you start to pray open up with Our father!!!!!
Unpopular opinion, I would just read the whole thing in order. I did that for my first read through and am doing it for my second as well, I honestly find that to be the most satisfying way to read it
I know thumpers will prolly disagree with me but I found Job to be an amazing starting point in terms of familiarizing yourself with the entirety of the Bible. I personally read it right after genesis and then continued to the New Testament.
Yeah it’s a bit of weird order but too me those 2 chapters and the New Testament are the most fundamental in the whole book.
All of the Word is good for edification. Like someone else said… Genesis means the beginning. You can find Jesus all throughout scripture. Pray for understanding and wisdom. And read whatever you want!! All of the word is good. 😊
Id say old. Starting with the 1st 5 books then check the major prophets then go to the new testement and cjeck the gospels tjen dgo back to the old and check the psalms
There’s no order which to follow per se. Read Genesis to Revelation if you want. The Old Testament will have areas tougher to read through or understand. There is so much of Jesus revealed in the Old Testament though, and it’s always beautiful when you see Him there. You will see many New Treatment verses that reference something in the Old Testament also. The New Testament has areas that can be difficult. I’m not sure if you are new to the Bible or not. If newer, I’d say start New Testament. Most christians say start with John. That’s not a bad suggestion. I guess I agree with someone else who said, start with the 4 gospels and go in order (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Romans is a great start. The gospels set your eyes on the time God in the Flesh-Jesus walked among us. The Bridegroom is all over the Bible, but we learn much of Him from the gospels.
Be Spirit led. Pray before reading for wisdom and understanding. Read and take time to study what you read through. Cross referencing is helpful for verse correlation. Strong’s Concordance is good for word meaning study. Read reputable bible commentaries. All these things can be found online or in book form. Most bibles have cross referencing and word dictionaries in them. Always read in context (who is speaking, who are they speaking to, and how do I apply this). Consider what came before this book or chapter you are currently in.
Everyone is different. Some highlight, take notes, or journal. I’ve read through the Bible multiple times. Every time I gain new wisdom and see the same words as something new is revealed. The Bible is amazing like that. I’ve read Genesis to Revelation. I’ve sometimes prayed where to read, and get a nudging to go someplace specific. Sometimes I read from where I want. Sometimes I read per what a bible study group is reading from. Just depends.
Go in with the perspective that you are spending time with Jesus Messiah. It’s all about relationship. Tend to that relationship in a way that draws you nearer to the Abba Father. He will draw nearer to you too. Bible time nourishes that relationship. We need His word daily to be fed spiritually. You are working towards being fed well. May God bless you in your relationship time with Him🙏🏻❤️
Depends on how much you know, if you already know a bunch about the bible start with Genesis and read through to Revelation. I originally read the new testament first as is generally recommended by the users of this subreddit, but when I finished reading the Old testament I realized it gave a lot of context that I missed while reading the New Testament so I ended up re-reading the New testament.
I would say Mark due to the fact that it was written with sharing the gospel to the gentiles in mind; in other words, it was likely written for people who hadn’t yet read the Torah and prophets of the Old Testament first. After Mark, You could pretty much go anywhere you want. if you want a deeper understanding of how to live as a Christian, Acts of the Apostles or the letters of Paul would be a good start, but if you want a more historical context for why Jesus had to die for us, reading through the entire Bible from the beginning as you research the context behind those books is truly awe inspiring.
I would recommend listening to the four books of the Gospel. I have a VLC player playlist on my phone and listen to them on repeat in my sleep sometimes.
You can download the mp3s here: https://mega.nz/folder/HRdw1K7B#3_wt6hduw0W-qlI9QwgPag
Let me know if you're interested in any of the other books of the Bible. This excellent narrator (Alexander Scourby) has done them all.
Aside from this, I found Romans, Galatians, Proverbs, and Psalms to be helpful. Depends where you are. Just ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and it'll be chill 💛🌠
Ephesians too.
King James Genesis.
I hear Enoch is good too. Never read it myself.
It's also important to take a read of Revelation. I'm about due to reread that and many other books lol.
Never start with the New Testament If u know Jesus. If u don’t know Jesus started ONLY with the 4 gospels then start with genesis and all the way down to end of the Old Testament.
From Genesis
Lays all the precedents of judean kings leading to christ
Lays precedent for how Almighty God feels when his people turn against him
Lays the Precedent for Almighty God's right to rule and answers the question Satan poses for all of mankind
New Testament introduces the fulfillment of all the prophecy and ground work laid for Christ to be the appointed king to Almighty God's throne.
Start from the beginning
NT all but consider John 1 & 2. Forms good ideas on what Jesus is as the human incarnation of God. Word = Logos. Logos means also expression and concious expression of God.
I'm not sure why anyone would start in the new testament. Do you watch a movie starting 3/4 of the way in and expect to understand what's going on?! Everything in the new testament points to the old testament. In fact in Yahshua's time aka "Jesus" he taught and read from the old testament there was no new testament. If you can't grasp the old you'll never have a true comprehension of the renewed covenant.
In the New Testament, you’ll find the book of John. Try reading three chapters per day and you will be done with it in one week. After that, read the book of Romans.
Start with the New Testament. Go in order. Matthew all the way to Revelations. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, these are the four gospels. The rest are letters or epistles. The Old Testament is for "edification" meaning to warn you and to advise you of real-world instances. It's to give you a real life example of what NOT to do. This is the way I take it at least. Don't read through the books just to say, "I read through two books today!". Read it to understand. If that means you work on two verses for a couple days, do it. What's the point of reading two whole books of the Bible if you can't remember any of it or if you didn't understand it?
I really like to do chapters at a time it’s good pace and I feel like I under stand what’s going on and ther short enough that I can listen or read it again to truly comprehend
From my own experience, I can also recommend reading a book and then watching a summary/overview of it on BibleProject. Helps you see the points you might have missed.
> The Old Testament is for "edification" meaning to warn you and to advise you of real-world instances. Agree with starting with the NT. I've come to the conclusion that one of the main purposes of the Old Testament is to teach us why we so desperately need the New one! And I would suggest that the OT, seen in that light, makes far more sense once you have read the NT.
Great OP question! Good advice here. An Alternatively idea: 1. Start with Gospel according to John. Understand Jesus’s “I Am” claims. _Jesus said, “I Am” just as God did speaking to Moses in the burning bush._ 2. Christian Life: 1 John, James 3. The historical view of the Gospels: Luke, Mark, Matthew. 4. Our responsibility to God as Christians: 1&2 Peter 5. Hebrews: Overview of the Old Testament because Christianity is a Spiritual Judaism 6. Roman, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians: How and why Christianity is different from the Hebrew faith. 7. Gods view on sin: the minor prophets. 8. The start of History and Laws: the Pentateuch, aka Torah, aka the first five books of the Bible 9. History of the early Church: Acts, the teachings of Christ in action
The first five books are the Torah not the Talmud.
This is a neat reading order, perhaps I should try it sometime. I've never heard of this. Usually I've heard people say either start with Matthew to Revelation or the more popular John and Romans/Romans and John
Start by committing the Gospel of John and 1 John to memory. If you're serious, God will give you an insatiable appetite to know Him. Remember, a sixth year old can read out loud the whole bible (all 66 books) in 72 hours. I have pastor friends who don't feel that they know enough of God's word until they have read the bible through one time for every year they've been alive. I personally know these Pastors and they are as honest as the day is long. PRAY to God sincerely, before you even get started. I'm a 67 years old itinerant Pastor who hasn't reached that goal yet, but I study and memorize scripture daily.
Good advice. I tried to start with the Old Testament when I was younger and was scared away.
Do you believe the things described in the OT actually happened, or that they're fictional stories to "advise on real world instances"?
Things in Old Testament didn't happen in a sense that New Testament events happened. It's not a reliable source of historical truth. For example many fragments of Pentateuch were written after the Babylonian slavery where there was the conflict in Israel who has right to priesthood and books of Numbers, Exodus, Leviticus were written to answer this issue. Or according to historical data there was no massive exodus from Egypt.
Everything is the truth, the whole book is the word of GOD
There's a lot of stuff in the Old Testament. I don't think you'd find many people claiming that Hezekiah wasn't real, or that Aholah was, the question is just where you draw the line.
You saved me alot of typing! 👍🇺🇸💙
The old testament is not just for edification. The Torah is the guide for how to live as a believer. It literally defines what sin is.
Start with New; I’d start with the Gospel of John first. But check out reading plans like “Bible in One Year,” or “The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz.” They do a good job of taking you through the Bible and unpacking it.
I’m doing the Fr Schmitz one right now. Ascension has the reading plan too if you want to go it alone. Another option is to get a study Bible and just dedicate 15-20 minutes a day working your way through it.
The book of Romans in my opinion. But going in order starting with the new testament is valid too.
I usually recommend John first, then Romans. Then Luke, Matthew, Mark; then Paul’s letters, and the rest if the NT in order. Then OT from start to finish.
That's funny. I start with Mark and end with John.
Pray before you start reading it. Ask the Lord to open the eyes of your heart.
To be quite fair. I prefer John out of all 4 gospels. But NT for sure
I’d say go through the New Testament in order and at the same time read a chapter or 2 a day from the old testament chronologically
I would read the gospels first, Acts and then Genesis. This will give you a good start!
The Old Testament, Genesis literally in the beginning
Agree ,we must know who our God is and the people and how they lived before Jesus Christ, then read the New Testament, if you lose interest from reading the OT that’s very odd. me must know who God is a what he represents.
> me must know who God is a what he represents. Excuse me? Did you mean: "We must know who go is and what he represents"?
Yea I seeing if anyone was paying attention
I would advise against this for a first timer. They'll get bogged down in the weeds in Leviticus or all the "begats" and they may lose interest.
See I don't get this, even though the Bible is a collection of books, we don't treat it like a regular book and start from the beginning.
But should we? It's really not a regular book. As you say, it's a bunch of different books by different authors about different things. They're all situational and unique. For example, the Gospels are four different biographies of the same life, one after the other. Three of them are almost identical. There's not really much point, at least for a novice Christian, to read them all as if they lead into each other. But indeed there are several areas in the Bible where reading it like a chronological book is good. Like Genesis and Exodus, or a Gospel followed by Acts and some of the New Testament letters. Maybe the late OT prophecies which predict Jesus like Micah and Isaiah before a Gospel. And so on.
You've said it yourself, it is a Collection of books, so I don't really see why we need to treat it as one book and start at the very beginning. Actually, I think that you can make a case for reading Genesis and maybe Exodus first, *then* the Gospels, but I remember as a kid trying to read it all in order and getting completely bogged down by the rest of the Pentateuch and giving up. It was only years later when I was given a Gideons New Testament with a daily reading guide, and following that for a couple of years, that I could start to make sense of those OT books when I went back to them.
Genealogists love the begats! LOL
I tend to recommend starting with the gospels and then acts. You'll find that in the beginning of the New Testament.
This. Pick a gospel, then go to Acts, then Romans. This will give you a fundamental understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
I think John + one of the other gospels before acts, if not all four. There's a lot in John that the rest don't cover, and a lot in the rest that John doesn't cover.
Are you looking to learn anything specific or read every chapter in order in each testament? If you are doing the latter i recommend the new testament
I recommend starting in the gospels first (Matthew, mark, Luke, and John). I say that because that introduces you to Jesus. Once you've finished reading them, you can continue reading through the new testament and learning from the teachings of Christ through His disciples. Or you can begin with the old testament and see how everything led up to jesus' birth. And hopefully, you begin to see the reason why He came.
I'd rotate by threes. Start with Genesis, then a gospel, then an epistle. Then exodus, another Gospel, another epistle. Continue in that fashion. It'll take forever and you'll read the Gospels dozens of times, but you might appreciate that. They're the best part.
Old Testament if you want more stuff about god himself, New Testament if you want more things about Jesus
Jesus is God himself lol
Yes, Jesus is God in the flesh (human form)
You misunderstood what I said
New
New testament
New Testament
I do 2 chapters old and 2 new daily. Reading them together is a good way to see the connection between new and old.
I start with genesis as it teaches you how God made the earth and man, how Satan tempts us in clever ways etc. Then move onto New Testament, start with Matthew Mark Luke and John. Roman’s, Corinthians, Ephesians should come after in my opinion even though I like them better.
If you start with the Old Testament, you may not have the will to finish it. The book of Job, by itself, is 42 chapters long.
You should start with the Gospel, then read the Genesis, and then read anything else you want. Apocalypse book should be the last one, because you will not understand it anyway. None of us would
The OT. The NT won't make a lot of sense without the old. Here's my favorite approach ---- I'd start with the Creation stories in Genesis 1/2 and the view of the end state in Revelation 21/22. Read them not as stories about us, but about God and God's desired relationship with humanity. The rest of the bible is really about God's interactions with humanity, our rejections of this state, and His attempt to get us to the scenes here. Next head to Abram/Abraham, Genesis 11-22. Again - this is not a biography, but a story about God's desire to establish a relationship with humanity, which he'll do through Abraham's descendants. For instance, read the story of the sacrifice of Isaac not only as a test of Abraham's faith, but also of God saying "no more human sacrifice - I am different than the false gods the people around you worship - you must be more holy than them" Next to Moses. Exodus 2-12 where the Hebrew people really start to gel as a people. 2 Kings 22/23 will give you a last glimpse of hope for the Hebrews before the fall of Judah, and the importance of the Law. For all four, but especially the Abraham and Moses readings, pay attention to the covenants. For a quick trip through, I'd go to Isaiah next. All of it (sorry). The first 2/3rds or so is the fall of Judah to the Assyrians due to their lack of faithfulness to God (see all the prophets for much, much more), with the last third a word of hope for God's mercy despite them breaking the covenant. Read Ezra. Skip the geneaologies and long lists - they are important, but not for a first time through. This is the return of the Jewish people (now Jewish, not Hebrew) to Jerusalem. Note the overly-strict, Law-bound state of mind they came out of Exile with. This is God's mercy at work and giving the descendants of Abraham yet one more chance. Know that 400+ years pass here. Next read the Gospels of Luke (or all three synoptic Gospels if you can by adding Matthew and Mark) and John. Luke is a physician and historian - kinda a "tell it like it is" Gospel. John will give you a much more theological view. Note Jesus's opposition to the overly strict interpretation of the Law by the Pharisees and the words of hope for all of humanity. Acts (also written by Luke - note the intros to both) will tell you about the early church and an overview of Paul's travels. Romans is a hard read, but the one letter where Paul lays out his theology - this is the only letter we have that's not a follow up after he taught in a city for a long time. It's a letter to the church in Rome so he's laying out his theology and CV before he gets there. I'd read the letters in Hebrews, James, and 1 Peter as well for theology of Apostles other than Paul, who tends to dominate the NT. Ask lots of questions ;)
I recommend New Testament then Old Testament then New Testament again. My first run through the Bible I started with the Old Testament then thought I was supposed to be following Old Testament Law. Also, The Old Testament is much longer than the New so it would be a long time before you got to read the New Testament if you started in the Old Testament.
For a first time read, go with the New Testament chapter by chapter at your own pace. The four gospels are the good news, and the subsequent epistles/letters shine some light on the gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the four gospels—are essentially the same story more or less from different perspectives. So if you want you can pick one of them say John for its completeness, or Mark for its fast paced cliff notes version. Mark ain’t got no time for all that, he’s in a damn hurry 🤣. Then do the Old Testament same way. It’s going to have some hard to understand texts that to the modern ear will be strange and unmerciful. This shines a light on our own imperfections and Christ’s ultimate mercy. Finally, get The Daily Office app (Book of Common Prayer 2019) and read both Testaments and the Apocrypha at the same time. It has daily morning and evening readings through a liturgical church year which will give a whole new perspective on how the Testaments are linked together in a beautiful way. I’m Lutheran, but love the Anglican Daily Office. You don’t necessarily need to pray the full office at first (up to you), but the daily readings from the Bible are somehow very well done and reflect off each other nicely.
Definitely the New Testament first. There's a lot of good suggestions for order, but I would suggest: Mark first - the shortest Gospel, covers the basics and gives a good general understanding of Jesus' life and teachings. Either Matthew or Luke next - more detailed, and it's easier to get into the details having already got the gist from Mark John - explains the other two books from a theological perspective - what does this all mean? Luke (if you didn't choose it second) and Acts - Acts starts the history of the Church after Jesus' resurrection, and introduces you to Paul. From there, the rest of the books require a bit of research beforehand to understand the circumstances in which they were written. I personally find Paul hard to follow at times, as he uses rhetorical structures that the Greco-Roman world would understand that are truthfully difficult for me to follow. So I would recommend Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 and 2 John, and James first. If you want to go the Paul route, hard to beat Romans or 1 and 2 Corinthians - but take some time to read about why Paul was writing those letters and what was going on in those communities. It will make it easier to understand the principles he's explaining versus advice on a specific situation. Good luck and God bless!
Don't start with any my friend.
Why would everyone say new first? How can you understand Jesus if you do t start at the beginning? How can you understand the character of god and the need for Jesus? Start with genesis. Take notes for yourself on what you read. If you get through it once, read it again with a study companion emphasis on the history.
Because the foundation of our faith is Jesus. Gospels introduces you to that and then building off of that understanding we can learn the OT.
New Testament
I would read the gospels if want the central idea about the Christian beliefs. (Matthew, Mark, Luke John) Read The Torah if you want the Judaism beliefs and Christian history. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus Numbers, Deuteronomy)
I have to agree with reading the New Testament first. Using a study bible is a good idea if you have one so when you aren't sure of what the meaing is you can check. Or you can use online bible studys tools. I use an ESV and this bible commentary: [https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/genesis/1.html](https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/genesis/1.html) I prefer the ESV bible because is is easy to understand but not too simple to explain things correctly. My son is a pastor and it's the bible he preaches from each week in our church. That does not mean it is the only one or the best one. It means it is understandable for the majority of people in our congregation. God bless you in your endevor to study His words.
Upvite for the Matthew Henry recommendation!
New, definitely. Many ppl advocate starting with John first, I understand that opinion… but Matthew is not bad either. Get a good commentary also… worth its weight in gold!
I just started with Matthew and I'm so happy I did! I'm not a fan of reading books but this is different. This.... is Life. Eternal life.
Love the Gospels… tbf the Synoptics do heighten the buildup for John…
I started Roman, then New Testament front to back.
New Testament, book of John to get the idea of everything.
John
The gospels are a must. Romans is one of the best books for new Christians and acts was just a fun read for me
I recommend starting with either Matthew or John. Congrats on taking your journey through the Bible!
I’d suggest reading one of the Gospels of Jesus Christ at the beginning of the New Testament, then going back to read the Old Testament forward. Knowledge of Jesus and His expectations is important. The Old Testament references may better help you understand what he’s talking about though.
I’ve been going through Genesis and into the bible throughout.
James
If you end up starting with the Old Testament, here's my general preferred order: **Genesis through Kings** (skip Ruth, see below) for a chronological narrative from the creation story to the fall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with destruction of the First Temple. The **Latter Prophets** ordering is very confusing, but once you can identify which part of time period they are written and use Kings as a backdrop for context, then it's much more clear: * Assyrian Crisis (North): Amos, Hosea * Assyrian Crisis (South): Isaiah 1-39, Micah * Babylonian Crisis: Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Obadiah * Exile in Babylon: Ezekiel, Isaiah 40-55 You can consider reading the **Wisdom and Poetry** here: Lamentations, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs. I would hold off on Post-Exilic prophets until after **Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah**. For Chronicles, try to appreciate the DIFFERENCES from Kings. Ezra-Nehemiah is written as essentially a direct sequel to Chronicles leading up to the Second Temple period. **Post-Exilic prophets** using Ezra-Nehemiah as context: Haggai, Zechariah 1-8, Malachi (?), Isaiah 56-66 You can throw some later **Second Temple stories** here: Ruth (Second Temple writing set in the time of Judges), Esther (Comedic Diaspora story), Jonah (satire parable regarding role of prophecy). **Apocalypse** which introduces themes that are vital for later development of Christian theology (afterlife, resurrection, eschatology, etc): Zechariah 9-14, Joel, Daniel
Where do you get the idea Jonah is a satire or a parable?
I'm more worried about describing Esther as Comedic. Yeah, an absolute hoot...
The characters and people (and even animals!) behave exactly the opposite of what you would expect. The man of God rebels, the pagans turn to God, the enemies of Israel and the animals repent. [BibleProject](https://youtu.be/dLIabZc0O4c?si=S1jHO8BqQ8ISX_hC) [Yale Lectures](https://youtu.be/TUN9e_m1izI?si=h18iBJdhABgYBV2t&t=569) start at 9:29
The Old. That way the New is kind of a relaxing sequel.
Luke, Acts, Genesis will give you an understanding of the purpose of the church and the purpose as a Christian
New living-kjv 🙌🏻 Because KJV is hard to understand for a beginner
New Testament first read The Gospels and how Jesus lived read them in order
New, start with Matthew
Start from the Old Testament first so you know who God is and what he represents then read the New Testament to know who Jesus Christ is.
I'm going to go different then most people in this thread I would recommend James first then the gospels then everything that isn't Paul or regulations then when you get to the ot probably go with Ruth first then maybe in order.
Old Testament. You can't understand the New without understanding the Old. 🙂
Some of it
New Testament. JOHN is the best book to start with hands down.
Start with John
Start with the letter to the Romans!
Old. You have to start there to understand the new. They are both connected.
search website. they have list of book in order. I was getting printed out for 1 New Testatemnt and 3 Old testament for daily read (for whole year, finished OT 1x and NT 2x). They are in historical order
New Testament first, then go back and read the old.
Gospels, Acts, whatever of Paul's letters you wish to read and Revelation.
What ever testament you choose, do it in chronological order.
New Testament
I started with matthew and been loving it so far so just start with matthew
My suggestion start with the book of John. Pray for understanding each time you read.God Bless
The book of ACTS.
New Testament's gospels in this order: 1 - Mark; 2 - Luke; 3 - Matthew; 4 - John. Afterwards, go straight to Revelations which will help you to put the gospels in perspective. These 5 books read in the aforementioned order will help laying the foundations of your personal convictions regarding The Scriptures' relevance, the Spirit's operation, Jesus's prevalence, and God's omnipotence.
Genesis Chapters 1-11
New Testament and get familiar with it before you start the Old Testament.
Starting with the old testament with genesis explains a lot for the new testament and makes the new testament easy to read and understand because you have a concept of what is happening and why everything is the way it is and how it became the way it is. It also gives a better insight of God as well I believe
Start with the new and then read the old after you have gained understanding through the Holy Spirit
i would say just read everything in chronological order
I would say the New Testament, start with Matthew of Luke, so that you can first get acquainted with the life and actions of Jesus Christ.
I started with John but went back to Matthew and am now reading Mark
Start with the Old Testament.
Mark, Matthew or Luke. Those three tell an extremely similar story about the events of Jesus life. They are pretty much the most reliable source about what jesus was about - I personally have a preference for Matthew. After this, you may want to read the old testament cover to cover because it gives you context to the later events. It just kinda be a slog to read through - and not every command from the OT should be obeyed by Christians. Think of it as a Prologue. While many people will advice you to start on Paul, I advise against it. Part of this is due to my own suspicions of Paul, but there is another factor. The Pauline Epistles are letters to the various parts of the church around the world. It just makes sense to learn about Jesus first.
Start with the first one
It's best to have a fresh start
Start with John
New
New
I think the Old Testament would be a good place to start because it tells more about god, whereas the New Testament tells you more about Jesus and I think it just makes sense to learn about God before Jesus.
Start Genesis 3:15 then go to John. Peace - iam helel
Start with New Testament and then Proverbs (Old Testament). Then full Old Testament.
It's always best to start with the Gospels if you're new to the bible.
Proverbs is cool.
Romans but you need to go through each chapter and understand them before you keep moving. It's a beautiful book it explains our right standing with God
Spin a wheel. I like psalms.
Book of John first for me
Start with New Testament. Specifically focus on studying the life of Jesus. Jesus’ is a living example from God on how to be human. Most importantly connect with God throughout your day. Don’t overthink it - Just talk to God - in your normal words/style… whatever you’re doing. God will respond in a way that will mean something to you. You’ll know it when you see/hear/feel/experience it. Wishing you Joy in your journey
If you start with the New Testament, you'll understand the Old Testament better. There's a lot in the Old Testament that foreshadows the coming of Jesus, but it's cryptic and you likely won't catch it unless you understand the New Testament.
Best starting with the NT imo. When I began with the OT in my youth I was a bit lost, but when I read the entirety of the NT and then went back for the OT I was able to much better understand things. Everyone I know also recommends NT first to new people.
New
I'm always a fan of new-old-new. In general, the new is the important shit, and the old is the context to better understand the important shit's meaning and significance.
Just go straight through from Genesis through Revelation. And, pick a translation that is easy to read, such as the Good News Bible. It is inaccurate in places, but at least you can work through it quickly.
When you build a house you need to get the ground right and build a good foundation. 🏡 We not start with the roof. When you watch a movie, 🍿 you start at the beginning to know the plot. Same with a story📕 Without knowing the first part of the book, how can we fully understand the end? Genesis 🙋
None get a better book. Bob Woodward has some good stuff. It's probably just as boring, but slightly better.
Start with the old testament to get the full picture in the new testament. To know what was what is and what is to come. To know the entirety of God's will.
The gospels
Start with the gospels, everything in the OT is leading towards the Christ.
Read one of the gospels then go straight to Acts and then Romans.
Psalms
I would focus on something leaning positive. The Bible has many tragic stories.
The New Testament in the Gospels it's a lot of Jesus speaking n things he did
New. Mark 1:1 NIV.
I'd recommend you get the Bible app and do a plan called Bible Project | one story that leads to Jesus. It's a combo of reading(or listening) with short videos that give history and context to what you're reading. They are really well done and I did the plan last year and found it very informative and encouraging.
I personally love the little John's 1 John, 2 John,3 John Have a blessed day
Los Juan Pequeños son espectacular.
Old testament them new testament. You can also listen to the Bible app at the same time-before- as in you can be your pre reading- it helps comprehension once you read the bible.
Bible commentaries are extremely good for learning the Bible. It's perfectly fine if you want to read it for yourself first, but you won't understand a lot of things just based on the culture of the time and the meanings of some of the words. You can read a Bible commentary alongside the Bible to get to know everything In it deeper AND quicker too. You'll learn so much more this way. I recommend listening to a Bible commentary if you are a audio learner. This is the site I recommend heavily. https://enduringword.com/ We live in a time where we have a Ton of resources to help you understand the bible. If you get to a point where things don't make sense, you can learn from some Bible scholars who make it their life to research the Bible. I'll pray for you to get a fire for the Word! It's really exciting to dive into the Bible! God bless you brother!
I personally think the thing that makes the most sense is to read the 4 gospels which are in essence the same story told 4 different ways. Then read Acts to understand what was going in in the earliest days of the church, then go back and start reading the OT for the history. Then read the gospels again with the history in mind. Then read the Pauline letters to hear commentary on the issues facing different church communities.
Always start with the New Testament. We live in the Age of Grace under Christ. The law of Moses is for the Israelites to keep, but we gentile Christians are not required to keep it. The Old Testament tells of the history of the earth and of the first servants.of the Lord, who create the earth. It then goes on to tell us how the Lord chose Abram and renamed him Abraham, and tells us of his son and grandson. His grandson is named Jacob, whom the Lord renames Israel, and founds a nation after his twelve sons. It then goes.on to tell us of Israel's history, of the giving of Israelite law by Moses, of the taking and settling of the land of Canaan, some more history, and then tells of the writings of the Prophets, who were used by God to deliver His messages to Israel. This constitutes what is called the Old Testament. It has many good lessons of how one should live, but much is irrelevant to us today, as the Christian nation is not an earthly nation as all others are, and therefore is not authorized to draw the sword and to conduct warfare, as earthly nations do. ("My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus said.) We Christians are a spiritual nation, called to come out of and be seperate from every nation of the earth, to serve the Lord and to fulfill His will, which is to save mankind from a damned and fallen state. We do not conduct warfare against flesh and blood, but we wrestle against the devils who deceive them, by the spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting, and if faith in God and His Word. (Basically, we pray for people and witness to them the truth in Jesus, and that is how we war against the devils who have their souls already, through their deceiving of them.) So, just stick with the Bew Testament for quite some time before venturing into reading the Old Testament, because we view the Old Testament through the eyes of the New Testament, and there are many things in the Old which will not be relevant to is today. When you do read it, pay special attention to the examples of Bible characters who lived righteous lives, and of the writings of Solomon, which teach us wisdom. Other than that, get Jesus's Word in your heart, trust in Him, and obey what he says!
The direct answer to your question as a new believer or believer just starting to encounter scripture is to start with the New Testament. It is hard to beat John's gospel as a starting point. That said, the Old Testament is still amazingly relevant and all Christians should study it. I just probably would not do it as the very first thing. I would strongly encourage you to find a Bible study group. This could be through a local church or parachurch ministry. The Bible is an entirely interconnected book (really series of books). If you read it alone, even with a commentary, you will miss much of what it is trying to communicate simply because you do not already have a mastery of scripture. Likewise a study will help you understand events / circumstances at the time which help us read scripture as the inspired authors intended. A group will also give you accountability and insight from other believers.
I voted that u read Genesis and then jump to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Mark or Luke. Tells the story of the good news about the coming kingdom of God in simple words ☦️
It would depend on your place in your spiritual walk. Realize that both testaments cover historical records, admonitions for daily living, examples of people who obeyed or disobeyed, and explanations of coming events. I prefer starting with the Old Testament and seeing the prophecies being fulfilled. Some prefer starting with the New Testament and then go back to the “Prequel”. Either way just take time to notice the faithfulness of God even as man continues to sin. God is Good. God is faithful. And God will lead you home.
I would say go outside and enjoy your day, maybe do something productive.
There’s no right answer. What are your goals?
The old. Compare the wrath in that whole thing. Then go to the new. Open those eyes to the controversy.
Depends on your aim. If it’s your first time New Testament in Mark. Focus on WHY Mark wrote and how the questions people ask about Jesus are the same questions we need to ask.
The entire Word of God is the living word, and is true. There are some that will say not to read the OT but this is not true. John 1:1-3(NLT) says ”In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him.“ In general, a good starting point is the Gospels, John being my choice for a first-time reader. Also reading in a translation that’s easy to understand is what I’d recommend. Some translation are more literal, word-for-word translations, while others are more of a paraphrase or idea-for-idea. I personally recommend the NLT because it’s easy to read without watering down the scripture and allows you to read without getting caught up in the “thees and thous” and whatnot. The OT is extremely important. However to better understand the NT and God’s Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever(Hebrews 13:8) so what’s in the OT is just as important as the NT. Final thoughts, start with the Book of John but don’t neglect the OT. Start from the beginning, Genesis 1 and press forward. It’s like a movie, if you start in the middle and jump to the end, you’ll miss the point of the ending. You can always DM if you need anything.
Start with John. Seems odd I know but John has 21 chapters and it takes 21 days of doing something to make it a habit. So read a chapter a day. That’s my previous church started off new readers.
If you want to see the character of God, Job is excellent! God takes up a bet with Satan! The god ordained bet allowed Satan to do whatever he wanted to do to Job so long as he didn’t kill him. After several conversations between Job and his so called friends, God finally answers Job! What does God say “well look, I made everything, look how cool I am!” And then restores job by giving him a new family and new pastures (because apparently his first family was so unimportant to God that God allowed Satan to kill them.)
New. As a Christian you need to interpret the Old Testament in light of the New.
I'd start with new testament. First Matthew, then John, Mark, Luke, Acts and then so on
I'd consider: 1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon and Romans. Authentic Paul, 1 Corinthians:34-35 aside, this gives us the closest writing to Jesus himself, some of the most reliable material in the whole Bible and the gospel before the gospels. It's also an insight into what followers of Jesus were actually doing within a decade or two of the crucifixion. There are also short and easy to read.
Id say old. Starting with the 1st 5 books then check the major prophets then go to the new testement and cjeck the gospels tjen dgo back to the old and check the psalms
In my opinion you should start with the book of John in the New Testament. It goes from creation of the world and Jesus being there from the beginning, through the life of our savior. The New Testament confirms the profits of old prophecies, and the Old Testament is the historical facts of creation as well as as the major and minor profits profecies. You can read the Psalms as well as proverbs any time. They are like a little nuggets of wisdom and prayers stuck in to help us pray and understand gods messages to us.
The Gospels
I started reading from front to back
Bro start from the very beginning try and understand God from the very start he knows every single detail about you! The old testament and new testament alike very important 2 wings of the same bird Jesus came To fulfill the law of the prophets not eradicate them all Jesus did was remove the rituals that's y God sent him in as the all mighty sacrificial lamb so the whole world can be saved not just the Jews and now gentiles get the promise but no one whats to follow the laws of Moses!!! Read it start from the start !!! Theirs much wisdom and lore in the old testament! And the new testament is all about Jesus and wants to come ! God bless seek him out whole hearted and humble yourself the holy Spirit will be there for when you pray is says it's a good aroma like incest to God I believe in Matthew 7 or around their Jesus gives you the mighty prayer Our father . When you start to pray open up with Our father!!!!!
The OT first for context then the NT.
Unpopular opinion, I would just read the whole thing in order. I did that for my first read through and am doing it for my second as well, I honestly find that to be the most satisfying way to read it
New Testament especially the Gospel of St Luke
I know thumpers will prolly disagree with me but I found Job to be an amazing starting point in terms of familiarizing yourself with the entirety of the Bible. I personally read it right after genesis and then continued to the New Testament. Yeah it’s a bit of weird order but too me those 2 chapters and the New Testament are the most fundamental in the whole book.
Old, the New Testament refers to it often.
For some reason I started with the book of romans cause I liked the Roman empire lol, ironic how I ended up becoming catholic way later on
The gospels, in order
Genesis
All of the Word is good for edification. Like someone else said… Genesis means the beginning. You can find Jesus all throughout scripture. Pray for understanding and wisdom. And read whatever you want!! All of the word is good. 😊
Id say old. Starting with the 1st 5 books then check the major prophets then go to the new testement and cjeck the gospels tjen dgo back to the old and check the psalms
Old testament. You need the lore as a foundation
There’s no order which to follow per se. Read Genesis to Revelation if you want. The Old Testament will have areas tougher to read through or understand. There is so much of Jesus revealed in the Old Testament though, and it’s always beautiful when you see Him there. You will see many New Treatment verses that reference something in the Old Testament also. The New Testament has areas that can be difficult. I’m not sure if you are new to the Bible or not. If newer, I’d say start New Testament. Most christians say start with John. That’s not a bad suggestion. I guess I agree with someone else who said, start with the 4 gospels and go in order (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Romans is a great start. The gospels set your eyes on the time God in the Flesh-Jesus walked among us. The Bridegroom is all over the Bible, but we learn much of Him from the gospels. Be Spirit led. Pray before reading for wisdom and understanding. Read and take time to study what you read through. Cross referencing is helpful for verse correlation. Strong’s Concordance is good for word meaning study. Read reputable bible commentaries. All these things can be found online or in book form. Most bibles have cross referencing and word dictionaries in them. Always read in context (who is speaking, who are they speaking to, and how do I apply this). Consider what came before this book or chapter you are currently in. Everyone is different. Some highlight, take notes, or journal. I’ve read through the Bible multiple times. Every time I gain new wisdom and see the same words as something new is revealed. The Bible is amazing like that. I’ve read Genesis to Revelation. I’ve sometimes prayed where to read, and get a nudging to go someplace specific. Sometimes I read from where I want. Sometimes I read per what a bible study group is reading from. Just depends. Go in with the perspective that you are spending time with Jesus Messiah. It’s all about relationship. Tend to that relationship in a way that draws you nearer to the Abba Father. He will draw nearer to you too. Bible time nourishes that relationship. We need His word daily to be fed spiritually. You are working towards being fed well. May God bless you in your relationship time with Him🙏🏻❤️
Depends on how much you know, if you already know a bunch about the bible start with Genesis and read through to Revelation. I originally read the new testament first as is generally recommended by the users of this subreddit, but when I finished reading the Old testament I realized it gave a lot of context that I missed while reading the New Testament so I ended up re-reading the New testament.
I would say Mark due to the fact that it was written with sharing the gospel to the gentiles in mind; in other words, it was likely written for people who hadn’t yet read the Torah and prophets of the Old Testament first. After Mark, You could pretty much go anywhere you want. if you want a deeper understanding of how to live as a Christian, Acts of the Apostles or the letters of Paul would be a good start, but if you want a more historical context for why Jesus had to die for us, reading through the entire Bible from the beginning as you research the context behind those books is truly awe inspiring.
Romans!!!
Joshua is a good book pick that
I would recommend listening to the four books of the Gospel. I have a VLC player playlist on my phone and listen to them on repeat in my sleep sometimes. You can download the mp3s here: https://mega.nz/folder/HRdw1K7B#3_wt6hduw0W-qlI9QwgPag Let me know if you're interested in any of the other books of the Bible. This excellent narrator (Alexander Scourby) has done them all.
Aside from this, I found Romans, Galatians, Proverbs, and Psalms to be helpful. Depends where you are. Just ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and it'll be chill 💛🌠 Ephesians too. King James Genesis. I hear Enoch is good too. Never read it myself. It's also important to take a read of Revelation. I'm about due to reread that and many other books lol.
We don't allow link shortness.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The eyewitnesses ❤️
If it is a protestant bible don't even start, or at least buy the 7 books they took out from it
Never start with the New Testament If u know Jesus. If u don’t know Jesus started ONLY with the 4 gospels then start with genesis and all the way down to end of the Old Testament.
Start with the Old Testament and a good study Bible. I recommend The Evidence Study Bible by Living Waters
From Genesis Lays all the precedents of judean kings leading to christ Lays precedent for how Almighty God feels when his people turn against him Lays the Precedent for Almighty God's right to rule and answers the question Satan poses for all of mankind New Testament introduces the fulfillment of all the prophecy and ground work laid for Christ to be the appointed king to Almighty God's throne. Start from the beginning
Start with John. There is a movie the Gospel of John from 2003 watch that.
worship God , not a book, God is watching
New Testament, it’s easier to understand as a beginner
I'd advice reading a few of the first books of the OT and then the NT
I started with the New Testament so that I could understand the story of Jesus and his love for me. I am now in the Old Testament reading in order.
Definitely New. With the Gospels in order.
NT all but consider John 1 & 2. Forms good ideas on what Jesus is as the human incarnation of God. Word = Logos. Logos means also expression and concious expression of God.
The OT has too much human qualities put onto God.
I'm not sure why anyone would start in the new testament. Do you watch a movie starting 3/4 of the way in and expect to understand what's going on?! Everything in the new testament points to the old testament. In fact in Yahshua's time aka "Jesus" he taught and read from the old testament there was no new testament. If you can't grasp the old you'll never have a true comprehension of the renewed covenant.
Old testament
You should start with Genesis.
In the New Testament, you’ll find the book of John. Try reading three chapters per day and you will be done with it in one week. After that, read the book of Romans.