If you are new to reading the Bible, you may not know where to begin. After all, the Bible isn’t like any other book. Chances are, you may not know that you can get more out of the Bible if you don’t begin with Genesis. Therefore, I have set up a beginner’s guide to reading the Bible.
First off, I would like to mention that this reading plan is based on my humble advice to someone who doesn’t understand the Bible, or doesn’t know where to begin when reading the Bible for the first time. Not everyone will agree with me. I’m basing this plan on my experience with reading the Bible (I have read the bible almost 4 times this year—2008), and how I would best understand the Bible if I read it for the first time.
For the main portion of the reading plan, I will give a brief explanation as to why I would choose to read a particular book in its place on the plan.
So, without further delay, open your Bible and embark on the journey of God’s holy Word.
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1. The Gospel According to John
- The Gospel of John gives a fantastic account of the deity of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John will also give you a great example of the love of Christ, why Christ came, and many other miracles not mentioned in the other three gospels.
2. The Gospel According to Luke
- I chose the Gospel of Luke because it gives the best account of the birth of Christ. You will also get a good background on John the Baptist and his role in the life of Christ. One other thing in Luke that is important is the genealogy of Christ, back to Adam—and then to God the Father. Then, like with the other gospels, you will get a good account of the life of Christ including His teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection.
The key things to learn from theses two gospels are: WHO Christ is, WHAT Christ did, WHY Christ did it, and the significance of His crucifixion and resurrection.
3. The Letter of Paul to the Romans
- Paul’s letter to the Romans contains paramount Christian teachings and examples. Read this book carefully. Paul explains in good detail what it means to be a Christian and how to live the Christian life.
4. The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians
- Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is another book containing excellent Christian teachings. Among which include: redemption, salvation by grace, unity of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, the walk of the Christian, and the armor of God.
As a shameless plug, I have written a commentary on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. I cover every scripture in all six chapters of the book. You may purchase a copy on Amazon, or on Lulu.
5. The Book of Psalms
- Prayers, praises, songs, and declarations of God’s word make up the Psalter. After reading the above books, you should have a good understanding of Jesus Christ and the life of a Christian. With this understanding, the Psalms will become so much more powerful for your life.
6. The Book of Proverbs
- Godly wisdom is essential to the life of a Christian. The Proverbs are a fine collection of wisdom.
7. The Book of Genesis
- Now, you will be taken to The Book of Genesis to read about the creation, the Garden of Eden, the story of Adam and Eve, the fall of man, the posterity of Adam, Noah and the flood, and the story/posterity of key people, such as Abraham, Isac, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, and many more.
8. The Book of Exodus
- The Book of Exodus will give you the story of Moses, the exodus of the people of Israel, and the Ten Commandments. You will also begin reading about the writing of the law, which Christ came to fulfill.
9. The Book of Isaiah
- The Book of Isaiah is important because it contains many prophesies of Christ, including His birth and crucifixion, and the significance of both. You will notice many scriptures in Isaiah that were quoted in the gospels you previously read—and also when you read Matthew and Mark.
10. Finish the remaining books of the New Testament
- Matthew, Mark, Acts, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, Revelation.
11. Finish the remaining books of the Old Testament
- Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1st Samuel, 2nd Samuel, 1st Kings, 2nd Kings, 1st Chronicles, 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephanaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
Get fed!
