What books of the Bible are the best to read when you're just starting the book?

Answer 1

Start with the Gospel of John - then the other 3 Gospels;, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Then read the rest of the New Testament. Then Psalms, then start at Genesis and see how far you can get.

Get an easy reading version. I recommend the NIV.

Answer 2

I usually suggest starting with the New Testament first just because it's easier that way. Some people say read it from beginnning to end. That could be a good idea, but it's harder that way and many people are unable to do it that way.

Here's a little breakdown of it to help you get started.

The New Testament:

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the gospels. They are all about Jesus. It's like the same story or time period from different angles. (John's my favorite becasue you really get a feel for the person Jesus and His love, but they're all good. Matthew reads more like a history book and Luke reads like a song.)

Acts happened after Jesus died, rose again and went back to heaven. In it the Holy Spirit is introduced and the church (aka the early church) is formed (or started anyway).

Romans is all about salvation and what it means to be a Christian and "saved" or "born again." Paul spells it out nicely.

After that, most of the rest is letters written by Paul. In Acts you read about who Paul is and his story. Basically he goes around spreading the gospel and he plants churches everywhere. Then he writes letters to the different churches. Most of the rest of the books are those letters. Some of the exceptions are 1 and 2 Timothy, James, 1 and 2 John, 1 and 2 Peter, Titus, Philimon, and maybe a few others (I'm going from memory). Anyway, it's all good.

James wrote with the theme of "Don't just read the word, do what it says."

1 and 2 Peter is interesting becasue Peter walked with Jesus and was very immature at the time (you meet him in the four gospels), but then he grew up alot and so he's a different person when he wrote 1 and 2 Peter than he was before.

Then there's Revelation. The story behind that is the apostle John was later persecuted for following Christ and he was sent to the island of Patmos and abandoned there for a time. During that time God gave him a revelation, or a picture of future events. It's a hard book to understand because of the imagry, but it's good to get into.

As for the Old Testament:

First there's the torah, which is I think the first 5 (or 6) books, which is a Jewish thing....They're law books, I think that's what sets them apart.

Genesis to Esther are pretty much history books as well.

Job to Song of Songs are known as peotry books or "wisdom" books.

Isiah to Malachi are the prophets. They're kind of known as "fire and brimstone", or "gloom and doom" books. Personally I find them very passionate and I like them, but you have to read deeper to get that. In the prophets you will also find mention of Jesus and connections between the Old and New Testament. Daniel is also often compared to Revelation becasue it also has imagry and talks about future events.

Anyway, hope that helps.

Many blessings.

Answer 3

Going cover to cover is a huge task. I highly recommend
The book of John. 4th book in the new testament. Some
times called the book of "brotherly love" I also would
recommend that you don't just read it as such but STUDY it.
Only discus it with well informed Christians. Those who have
read it more that once.
I have a Thompson chain reference Study Bible- NKJV
red letter addition. I can look up any subject I wish to study
up on. Enjoy the learning so it won't become boring.
Stay with it and the best of good luck.

Answer 4

When reading, I personally believe that reading the four Gospels in the New Testament are a vital. However, I also suggest that you take in a few verses a day along with the Gospels from the book of Proverbs. This book is a vital part of our daily living and it helps to keep you on track. Good luck with this and also, remember to ask God this very same question and He'll guide you in the direction He wants you to go. God Bless you!!!

Answer 5

Unquestionably, the best way to read the bible is beginning to end. Your will understand best and most this way.

Unquestionably, this can get to be a drag if you are not sufficiently motivated!

Ignore the rest of this if you *are* sufficiently motivated.....

If your goal is to read the most interesting books, jump down to *****************************

If your primary goal is to learn about Jesus and Christianity, stick to the New Testament (NT) for starters. I would recommend the Gospel of Luke (for Jesus) followed immediately by Acts of the Apostles (same author as Luke, and it gives a pretty interesting but brief history of the early Church).

Next are Paul's letters, consisting primarily of what is known as "apologetics". This means that he tries to explain what Christians should believe, and why they should believe it. It can be pretty deep, and there is a lot of dispute about exactly what he means in many cases. I would recommend you skip these if you are just looking for the most interesting bits.

James is short enough that it will retain your interest, and there is some really good stuff in there. The Peters are less interesting but also very short and worth reading on your first browse through. Skip the Johns - not very interesting. Jude, though a little confusing, is very short and probably the most interesting book in the NT.

Then there is Revelation - *very* difficult to understand but also *very* interesting to read since it is prophecy; a prophecy which most sects claim has not happened yet. The first few chapters are slow going, but then you get into the stuff that makes it into the movies: the beast, the antichrist, 666, the end of the world, the final judgment, and the final victory of Good over Evil.

*******************************************
The OT books, with *most interesting* the goal

Genesis - although it has some BOOORing lists of who was who's dad, it has most of the good stuff that makes it into the movies - Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, his ladder, and his 12 sons that *begin* the 12 tribes of Israel.

Exodus - the beginning is great. You get to read about the whole Moses thing and how God used him to rescue the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. The ten plagues and all of that. Afterwards there are quite a few interesting events mixed in with some not-so-interesting. Some of the interesting parts are the 10 commandments, the building of the ark of the covenant (which can be boring if you're not really interested in the ark), and in general Moses having to straighten the Hebrews (now Jews) out while traveling to the promised land.

Skip the next 3 books. Trust me.

Joshua - particularly interesting if you like battle strategy, it is primarily about the conquest of the "promised land". The most interesting things are 1) the walls of Jericho collapsing 2) the sun stands still in the sky for a whole day so the Jews can kill more Canaanites. This book also tells how the "promised land" is divided between the (now) 12 tribes of Israel.

Judges - one of the most interesting books in the bible, includes Sampson and a bunch of other interesting characters all in relatively short stories.

Ruth - about a foreign girl who does right by her stepmother. It's kind of girly, but pretty touching anyway, and demonstrates a very interesting Jewish marriage law.

1 Samuel through 1 Kings are about Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon. Some of this is dry, but most of it is pretty interesting. David is quite a scoundrel - more like John Gotti than Robin Hood. Elisha, near the end of 1 Kings, is my favorite OT person and performs nearly all the miracles that Jesus later preformed. He also performs CPR on someone - really!

2 Kings through 2 Chronicles have some interesting points but are, for the most part, about evil kings of Israel and Judah getting their rears kicked by enemies sent by God.

Ezra and Nehemiah are about the return from the Babylonian captivity and the building of the second temple (the one that Jesus visited). They can be pretty dry but have a lot of verifiable history. Read if you are interested in the temple.

Esther is excellent. Just read it.

Job is *long*-winded and can be boring, but there is more about Satan here than in any other book of the bible. The first chapter will probably get you hooked.

Psalms is non-rhyming poetry. Mostly boring.

Proverbs are wise sayings - most short and to the point. Several are difficult to understand, but most are well worth your time to read. Think of it as Practical advice for the God-fearing.

Ecclesiastes starts out boring and depressing but ends up slightly upbeat. Not interesting, but valuable. "There is a time to love etc. is from this book.

Song of Solomon - boring love poetry.

Next is a section known as "the prophets". The best are: Ezekiel (particularly the beginning), Daniel and Jonah. The others tend to drag.

If you are fortunate enough to have chosen a bible that is unabridged, you will also have Tobit, Judith, and 1 Maccabees. Read these! Tobit is a story which includes both angels and demons. Judith is a girl-saves-the-city story, and 1 Maccabees is a great history of how the Jews survived occupation by Alexander the Great and his descendants. Ecclesiasticus and 2 Maccabees are less interesting, but worthwhile.

If you made it this far, look at my NT suggestions at the first ********************

And if you made it *this* far, you might as well go ahead and read the whole thing from front to back! My recommendation: The New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition (my review here http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/njb.htm ). IMHO, the most accurate modern translation. Even if you read nothing but Genesis, you will learn a tremendous amount about the bible.

May God bless your endeavor.

Jim

Answer 6

Read the gospels that Paul wrote, and that would be starting with Romans..... these books were written after the finished work of the cross..... the Bible as a whole is wonderful, God given and is for all times, but the old testement, and the first 4 gospels are before the cross....... Jesus was the finished work...... He was the LAST sacrifice God would except for human sin..... He paid off the debt ....... *sigh*, I suggest starting with Romans......... God bless

Answer 7

Best bet that makes the most sense, read through the Bible chronologically, which is NOT the order that the books are actually in (frustrating). Check out this site, you will surely find a plan that works for you.
www.bibleplan.org/

Answer 8

By reading 'The Gospels' first, you will get a lot of references to the old testament; That's a good thing because you'll be introduced to it (old testament) slowly. For today's culture, those old notions about: stoning a woman and leaving her on her father's steps !!, working on the sabbath, praying in an appointed position in the church-the poorer you were the less you were respected etc. that's all silly now--unless your middle eastern?

Answer 9

John

Answer 10

The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and 1 John
and Romans Absolutely read Romans.