I want to start and read the entire Bible. Do I just start at the beginning and read straight through?

Question

Or is there another or better way? And what would be a good book to help me understand what I don't know in the Bible?

Answer 1

When i decided to read the Bible i read the NEw Testament first because if you are a Christian that i the most imporntant part of the Holy Bible, the read the Old Testament.


Peace in Christ

Answer 2

I have a chart where I can check off the chapter I just read. I find its easier to jump around a little bit. I start with Genesis but i try to read a few Psalms every day and a chapter or two from the New Testament.
It takes (on average) 75 hours to read through the bible. So, it can easily be read through in less than a year. (I've read through in about 10 weeks once - it took about an hour a day).
For understanding I use a commentary. You can find them on the internet. For example, I had questions about 2 Sam 24 (something I read yesterday). I googled it and found a lot written about that chapter. It helps a lot.
Best suggestion though is to read a version of the bible that is easy to read. Try the New Living Translation or The Message.

Answer 3

First of all I think it's great that you want to read the entire Bible.

Years ago when I began seriously reading and studying the Bible I picked it up and began reading the very first page as I would with any other book. (I wouldn't start at the end or the middle of any other book or movie and then expect to understand it in it entirety)

Get a study Bible in addition to a New King James Version.

Reading both Bibles gives you more of a true understanding of the scriptures. Most study Bibles are written in easy to understand text. *Although the New King James Version is very easy reading - but the study Bible will give you more insight into the passages.

You can also use the websites below for any help you may need in interpreting the scriptures as well as selecting "Listen" and you can listen to the scriptures and follow along in your Bible or just sit back and enjoy the scriptures being read to you.

Both sites are fabulous for Bible study help as well as having a variety of versions to choose from.

God Bless You

Answer 4

When I read the Bible all the way through, I begin at the beginning as well as reading a chapter from Psalms and Proverbs each day. The best book to understand the Bible is the Bible; God gives wisdom and understanding of His Word to those who truly seek it. There is likely no book written by man alone which will help you understand the whole Bible but they get into the doctrine of men as well and err in an attempt to support it through Scripture. (Neither the Trinity, Christmas, Easter nor a few more things I could mention, are supported by Scripture.) Go to the Word with no preconceived notions or understanding; read it; pray for wisdom and understanding; seek advise about your "understanding" with a mature, true child of God. (This may not be one of your church leaders.) The Bible mentions the fact that in the latter days man will toss aside the precepts of God in favor of man's traditions; the Trinity, Easter, etc. Be ready to have some of your current beliefs challenged and be ready to accept and practice the truth, "Be doers and not just hearers." Also, back up Scripture with Scripture; Old with New and determine to be a true disciple of Christ-one who follows His teachings and imitates Him. Note: Christ was without sin. Get it? Search the Scriptures child.

Answer 5

I would start by reading Genesis so you get a good foundation of why Jesus came to begin with. Then go to one of the gospels, I would recommend John. Then maybe Acts then back and forth between the New and Old Testament. I would also recommend reading 1 chapter of Proverbs a day. It will really help you with living a Christ like life. For understanding the Bible prayer should come first. It is also good to find a Biblically sound church where you can ask a pastor or a veteran Christian questions. For personal use I find John MacArthur's study Bible extremely handy. It is full of notes and MacArthur really knows what he is talking about. I would also recommend checking out his free sermons online.

Answer 6

I have been in Bible study groups but it was when I took the Bible and read it straight through that I got the most out of it.

Reading the Bible from the beginning to the end was amazing, it seemed to flow and I understood much more than I ever had before. Hope this helps ... Blessings!

Answer 7

I would look for a commentary on the minor prophets and start there. Read these books and try to study the geography. It's important to know the geography. Then when you start reading elsewhere the pieces I believe will each seem more valuable and interesting. Frankly, what is your goal? If it's for a lot of in depth knowledge of the Bible fast I would start there. Instead of reading though, adopt the attititude you are studying. Start by studying the historical background of the minor prophets. Take notes. Especially some kind of timeline.
Buy one of those books Judaism for dummies. Get a real historical background. Also get a book on church history. Read and study. The reading will be much more palatable and will go by quickly and you will remember and assimilate far more than if you just try to "read" the Bible.

Answer 8

Hi there

A great question. The big story about the Bible is Jesus. You'll need to read everything in that context. I would suggest starting with one of the Gospels, either Mark or John and that will give you a good idea about what's going on. There's heaps of great resources available to help you understand the Bible, and how to read it:

"For the love of God" by Don Carson
"How to read the Bible for all its worth" by Gordon Fee and Stuart Douglas

any reading plan or booked based on the idea of "biblical theology" will give you a good start, but these two above should be pretty helpful.

Answer 9

You can, but keep in mind that the books in the bible overlap time-wise. The end of one book does not mean it picks up at the next. It often starts over again describing other things during the same time as the last book. You need to do a lot of jumping around to understand what is going on.

Answer 10

A better way is to get an "exhaustive" concordance of the Bible ("Strong's exhaustive concordance" is one of the best) and look up 'all' the scriptures under different words! The Bible has many scriptures about itself. Regarding learning what it teaches it says in Isaiah 28 verses 9 & 10 it says that the knowledge is scattered in it. In Matthew 4 verse 4 Jesus said that "every word" in the Bible is important. 2 Timothy 3 verse 16 explains that the Bible is the instruction manual that he sent with His product - man! If you look up "all" the verses under the word "soul" you will find out that your soul is your fleshly body and James 5 verse 20 shows that "souls" die. The "immortal soul" is the first lie recorded in the Bible in Genesis 3 verse 4. Good luck with your studies and always ask God to give you understanding. He will guide you!

Answer 11

If you want to read it chronologically, get a Protestant bible and start at the beginning. (In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth....)

If you want to read it so that you can not see the connections between the prophesies and who fulfilled them, get a Catholic bible. (Cyrus of Persia found in the opening of Ezra was the messiah prophesied by Jeremiah. ) When the books are not in chronological order, you can make a better argument that Jesus was the messiah.

Also, get a modern translation. The original KJV was outdated the day it came out. Reads pretty but it is without a doubt the most inaccurate English translation available.