Where to Start with the Bible?

Question

Im new to reading the Bible, which book should i start with. And should i read it cover to cover.

Answer 1

The Bible isn't like a novel, so I wouldn't attempt to read it like one. The books don't go in chronological order and don't follow on from each other. Start with the first five books, in order (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). That will give you a general background on God and his people. After that, try reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). They tell the story of Jesus - birth, life, death and resurrection. After that, you can more or less pick whichever book you want to read next, as there is no specific order to them. The Old Testament is all about what happened before Jesus, and is quite similar to the Jewish Torah. The New Testament is about what happened during and after Jesus' life. The book of Revelations (the last one) talks in detail about the Second Coming, and is very difficult to understand as it is very cryptic. You might consider leaving that until last, or at least reading it more than once. Remember that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally, a lot of it is symbolic or metaphorical, or was only valid in the time that it was written (e.g. married men are not allowed to shave their beards - we don't generally live by that any more). Be prepared to find things in the Bible that you won't necessarily understand or agree with. Don't freak out, just take it in, think it over, maybe even pray about it to try to understand it better. It's a big book, written by lots of different people. Good luck getting through it.

Answer 2

There are a lot of Bibles and books to help you read the Bible. You might start your study of the Bible at your local library, researching the volumes you like. After you find the set of tools that you keep going back to many times, you'll know what books you want to purchase for your personal library.

I would also recommend talking to a pastor or priest to see what classes may be offered at a church you enjoy attending. I've learned far more than I could have taught myself by taking Inquirer's Classes at my church.

With that said, there are books with titles like "How to read the Bible" that will suggest reading patterns. Some talk about how to read the entire Bible in a year (read x number of chapters from the Old Testament and the New Testament each day). Others discuss how to study the Bible. They will often suggest you start with the New Testament and read the Gospel and Acts first to get an overview of the message, then delve into other chapters for background information.

It is often recommended that beginners have a Handbook of the Bible handy while reading the Bible. If you get confused about what's going on, you can look up the section you are reading in the Handbook and get background information. (It's sort of a scorecard to help you keep track of the players.)

Then there is the question WHICH Bible to read. If the flowery language of the King James version puts you off, there are other translations and paraphrases available that are in more modern English.

A translation occurs when the people creating the volume you are reading go back to the original Greek and Aramic and write a completely new Bible from the original documents. The Jerusalem Bible, the New English Bible and The New International Bible are examples of modern language translations.

A paraphrase occurs when the people creating the volume you are reading modernize the language of an earlier translation, frequently the King James version. The Living Bible and the Good News Bible are popular paraphrase Bibles.

I personally like to read a multiple Bible that puts the King James version, the Revised Standard and the Living Bible together in the same volume. I read the King James for the beauty of the language, the Revised Standard for modern English and the Living Bible because it's in "everyday" language. I find reading the same passage in the three different versions gives me a better understanding of it than I would get from reading just one version.

When I'm not reading my multiple Bible, I enjoy reading a study Bible. Study Bibles have lots of footnotes that explain what 's going on or cross reference to other parts of the Bible to get background.

Now you see why I suggest you start a the library to find which books YOU like. There are just SO MANY out there, you can be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them.

Answer 3

I decided to read the Bible a few years ago, its very daunting, although it depends which version you choose. Personally i like the New King James version.
There are Bible reading leaflets available, that's what i used.
There are two short readings every day. One from the Old Testament and One from the New Testament.
The one i used was Hi lighting how Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament. So for instance you would be reading Isaiah and an account of the lead up to the Crucifixion together. Hope that makes sense!
Good luck.

I would also say to those who dismiss the Bible out of hand, if you wish to understand the modern day issues between Muslims and Jews, Read the Old Testament, particularly the story of Abraham, and the account of Joshua's claiming Arabic land for Israel.

Answer 4

It does not really matter where you start, you already know the ending! Just remember that the Bible is a whole collection of different types of literature and story telling, said by some to be inspired by G-d, but in actuality written by men with their own agendas. It should be treated with the same amount of literal truth as the latest Dan Brown.

Answer 5

That actually depends on why you want to start reading the bible.

If you want to read it as literature, then start with Genesis and go all the way. (lots of action and symbolism through the end.)

If you want to read it as inspiration, then Genesis, Exodus, and the four Gospels would do you well.

If you want read it as a rulebook on behavior, then start reading the OT rules in Exodus and Leviticus and see if they make sense to you.

If you wish to study Christianity, then just the four Gospels, and possibly Acts, is all you need, nothing else gives Christ's words; which is what Christianity is all about.

I've read the whole bible twice,. mostly enjoying it's function as literature.

Rob

Answer 6

Genesis, the first book of the Bible

Answer 7

start with Esther because it narrates the rise and fall of of a bully.then go to Jonah because it is the the best fantasy tale in the bible. grab Ezekiel next because it is the only text that that narrates the extra-terrestrial manipulation of humans intelligence.next read job because it shows why Albert Einstein accused god of indifference to humans suffering. fast-forward to Paul's letter to Philemon to enjoy how epistolary texts are actually written by recipients. don't forget mark's gospel because it is the only authentic gospel closest to the original q about Jesus adventures on planet earth. then you may read genesis out of courtesy since it is the first book by moses. by all means never touch Habakkuk. reason is, it is the most boring, the least quoted and no pastor ever says 'and now a reading from Habakkuk'. the name itself has this ominous flavor and i bet, you've never met anybody called Mr Habakkuk.

Answer 8

I sometimes ask God to guide me and then open the bible and read whatever it lands on.

Other than that read the gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) first. John is my fav because it's written simply and as he was there it's an eye witness account of what happened.

Hope that helps, God bless you.

Answer 9

I the book of Genesis. An please do not burn the bible, it is a very sacred book to keep and read all the time. Also read the book of Proverbs to. It is about knowledge and wisdom, keep that always.

Answer 10

Yes, you should just tackle it head on. Start at the beginning and read through - it took me a long, long time and I had to read it through a few times (but I skipped out the long birth line records: so and so begat so and so etc)! When you become more familiar with it you can then turn to the parts you need for inspiration. Get a comfy chair!