Is the Bible a book that you read from cover to cover?

Question

Or do you just start at any chapter?

Answer 1

You can read the Bible however you want to read it. I am the type of person who feels like I have to read it from cover to cover, but I know lots of people that just read what they feel like reading.

Answer 2

it definately can be. The Bible is a story of the state of the world in three parts

Creation
Fall
Redemption

It is one continuous story...but the books are made in such a way that when you get later into the Old Testament and the New Testament, the time periods overlap
(i.e. Acts starts after the resurrection of Jesus around 36AD and ends somewhere in the early 60sAD when Paul was still in Rome as a prisoner. A couple books later, first corinthians was written while Paul was in Greece, before he ever went to Rome)

My suggestion is that if you want to read it from cover to cover, buy a "Chronological Bible". It situates the verses from several books chronologically. Then you can read it cover to cover. Of course this should not be a substitute for your good old Bible, since the Holy Spirit revealed that the Bible should be constructed as we have it.

Answer 3

Realise that it is actually a collection of books supposedly in some sort of chronological order. Some of the books stand by themselves. Job is an example of that.
Others are telling stories that have nothing to do with any real history but are mythological history. Genesis is that.
The best thing is to read from cover to cover with a good shot of the history of the Bible with it. In structure the Bible strongly resembles a Readers Digest magazine. You can just read the jokes or the story of the month of course, but reading cover to cover gets it all.

Answer 4

The actual order of the books in the Old Testament is different for Jews (from whom the Old Testament originated) and Christians. Each book has its own author, and the order in which they were written historically isn't even exactly known. As far as the books in the New Testament, their historical order is more coherent, because they are much more recent. The authorship is not the same from book to book in either testament.

As far as the best way to read it, I would read the first books of the Old Testament in their proper order (from Genesis to Esther). The next five books can be read in any order, independently of the rest of Bible, as they are not part of the historical narrative.

The last of the books, (from Isaiah onward) are prophets, and chronologically occur before Ezra. They could be read after Kings or Chronicles, or after Esther, as they are ordered.

The books of the New Testament should probably be read in their given order, although the four Gospels all cover the same events, so their order among each other isn't important.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

It would depend on what God is leading you to read...When we study the Bible in school, we study it from cover-to-cover beginning with Genesis and ending in Malachi for the OT, then next year we'd start with Matthew and end with Revelation. I am so excited to study Revelation, even though it won't be for another year...You can study the Bible from cover-to-cover or chapter-by-chapter, it doesn't make that much of a difference. The important thing is that you study it.

Answer 6

It doesn't really matter, as long as you read it. You could start out by reading the gospels if you wanted and then the prophets perhaps because they pointed to the arrival of the Messiah.

That said, if you wanted to read it from cover to cover as compiled, and not make yourself nuts because it's such a long book... or well really collection of books... if you read about 5 chapters a day you can finish your project in about a year.

Answer 7

I think it is best that you read it from cover to cover to understand fully. Like lets say a good novel you would like to read. You would not start just anywhere in the book. Not if you wanted to get the full story. That is why I say read from cover to cover. May God Bless U.

Answer 8

I dont think it works like that.

Its like a life long book- hence the genisis part being about the beginnings of life, jesus about comming of age and learning through experience and rebellion as oppose to just the 10 commandments, and then revelations about contemplation and passing of life.

You could try reading it cover-to-cover but you are supposed to take in whats being said, to think about it, take it in, discuss it, understand it and live it.

This is why churches have priests and vicars who although may have read the bible and know about it, cannot really claim to know it word for word, they "simply" know through and through the mentality and methodology of it, which means when "tested " or challenged or unsure of something, they either just know the best answer as trhey are constantly following "God's way" or they know how to take a bible, look for guidance and understand the metaphor the bible talks about, then put that metaphor/idiology back into the problem to gather a solution.

They are then there to help others by gathering the support for them, assisting them to search for their own answers or support the best "correct" decision in Gods eyes.

If you could read it from cover to cover and change your ideas, challenge your thoughts and re-establish your life, well then maybe you should think about auditioning for the role of God???


Make sure you dust those pearly gates DAILY!

Answer 9

I tried to read It cover to cover. It's hard. Now I read a chapter or even just a verse at a time. And determine what I will read by my mood.

Answer 10

When I started reading the Bible all the way through, I started with the New Testament. For me, the language is a little easier to understand, and I didn't get all bogged down in the "begats" early in my reading. Once you get through the New Testament, you're a little more used to the wording, and its not as hard to read to the Old Testament. This is true, no matter what translation you are using.