which to read??

Not sure if this is the place to post this or not, but I have never read the bible before and not sure what plan to read, so as not to get confused and overwhelmed with it all. I would rather do it over a year I think but not sure what plan is the best. Reading from A to Z, or chronological, or New Testament only, etc. If this is not the right place I would appreciate any help you can give and I apologize.

Paul

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Paul Moore

I am reading on the iPad, and have Faithlife Study Bible and the YouVersion bible

JT (alabama24)

Hey Paul! Just some of my thoughts:

The Bible is best read in community. I don't mean that you shouldn't read it for yourself (you should), but it is good to read it along with others and ask questions. I would really encourage you to look for a group to do that with. I know that can be a challenge sometimes, so let me give you some other pointers. I am sure others will have good ideas as well.

I would start by reading the Gospel of John, followed by 1 John (a letter, many believe to have been written by John - a disciple of Jesus). I would follow that up by reading the rest of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke).

Another helpful thing would be to find a good introduction to bible study such as How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. One of the good things about this book is that it helps you to understand the importance of the genre (kind) of each biblical book. [A phone book and a love letter are different "genres"… and you wouldn't expect to read them in the same way. The same is true about different parts of the Bible. Understanding each genre is crucial!]

One last suggestion: I would recommend a good study for an introduction to the Christian faith. Two possibilities: Starting Point (Northpoint Community Church) and Questions of Life (Alpha). Both of these books are resources which are intended to be used in a group setting to explore the Christian faith, but can be read individually. Unfortunately these let two resources aren't in Logos or Vyrso.

Lionel B Dyck

reading the bible for the first time is awesome. I envy the discoveries you will make and how you'll grow. Find a good group study if possible. I'd suggest looking I see if there is a Bible Study Fellowship in your area. BSF will guide you in your reading while teaching you how to study.

Justin Cofer

Hey Paul! Just some of my thoughts:

The Bible is best read in community. I don't mean that you shouldn't read it for yourself (you should), but it is good to read it along with others and ask questions. I would really encourage you to look for a group to do that with. I know that can be a challenge sometimes, so let me give you some other pointers. I am sure others will have good ideas as well.

I would start by reading the Gospel of John, followed by 1 John (a letter, many believe to have been written by John - a disciple of Jesus). I would follow that up by reading the rest of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke).

Another helpful thing would be to find a good introduction to bible study such as How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. One of the good things about this book is that it helps you to understand the importance of the genre (kind) of each biblical book. [A phone book and a love letter are different "genres"… and you wouldn't expect to read them in the same way. The same is true about different parts of the Bible. Understanding each genre is crucial!]

One last suggestion: I would recommend a good study for an introduction to the Christian faith. Two possibilities: Starting Point (Northpoint Community Church) and Questions of Life (Alpha). Both of these books are resources which are intended to be used in a group setting to explore the Christian faith, but can be read individually. Unfortunately these let two resources aren't in Logos or Vyrso.

I agree with what Alabama said. I particularly agree you should start with the Gospel of John.

Josh

Not sure if this is the place to post this or not, but I have never read the bible before and not sure what plan to read, so as not to get confused and overwhelmed with it all. I would rather do it over a year I think but not sure what plan is the best. Reading from A to Z, or chronological, or New Testament only, etc. If this is not the right place I would appreciate any help you can give and I apologize.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I would recommend that you don't set your initial goal to be "read the whole Bible in a year". I honestly believe this is too much reading for someone who has never read the entire Bible before (and, yes, it would be overwhelming). It took me years to work my way through the Bible. You should read it at a pace that will allow you to retain and absorb what you are reading. This means taking your time and even re-reading some portions.

Also, you might want to consider reading one of the gospels first. I know most people recommend John, but I personally like to recommend Mark. It's the shortest of the four gospels and fast-paced. This makes it easy to digest and exciting to read. After this, you'd probably want to read one of Paul's shorter letters, but stay away from Romans and Revelation until much later in your study.

If you haven't yet, you might want to pick up a solid study Bible as well. I would suggest the ESV Study Bible.

Paul Moore

Thanks for all the suggestions. My wife is a spiritual, religous person and we talk about it, so it's like I have a built in study group! LOL She thought to read it from page 1 until the end, then she thought starting with Matthew because it's one of her favorites. Will show her your replies and we will go from there! Anymore suggestions are always welcome!

Josh

Thanks for all the suggestions. My wife is a spiritual, religous person and we talk about it, so it's like I have a built in study group! LOL She thought to read it from page 1 until the end, then she thought starting with Matthew because it's one of her favorites. Will show her your replies and we will go from there! Anymore suggestions are always welcome!

I forgot to mention. You might want to read most of the New Testament before moving to the Old Testament. While it seems like the most logical step to read from page 1 until the end, this is probably not the best way to read the Bible. Don't think of the Bible as a single book, think of it as a collection of books - a library. You're going to want to pick and choose each book you read. It's also helpful to realize that the Bible's books are not organized in chronological order (some books are, but some aren't - some are even synchronous with each other, and who knows where Job fits in!). There is also the issue of genre that needs to be considered.

It might be good to pick up a solid Bible handbook. This will give you the information you need to know about each book before you read it.

David A Egolf

1) Make a conscience decision of which version to read.

2) Read for a couple of sessions paying attention to page numbers in order to track progress. This will allow you to estimate how much time it will actually take and help you to set reasonable goals.

3) If you are already familiar with the Bible, then starting with page 1 is not a problem. However, many folks still read O.T. and N.T. together. A handbook, as already suggested is great for background, but don't use commentaries as a crutch. Read first before resorting to commentaries.

4) Consider audio. This might be a player if you have a daily commute of 15 minutes or longer.

5) Decide whether this is primarily a devotional project or a reading project. Whichever it is remember that you should be depending on the illumination of the Holy Spirit and each session should include prayer.

6) If possible, get with a group.