Where to start in the bible?

[Adalia]

I have a NKJV bible and I don't know where a good place is to start reading. (I am looking for an easier to read bible...reply to my other post if you can assist me ) I want to know about who Jesus was and what he did. Can you recommend me a good chapter to start with? Thank you.

 

[zoziw]

Matthew Chapters 5 - 7 is a good introduction.

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four gospels.

The NKJV is a pretty good version, you might also consider the New International Version (NIV) for ease of reading.

Happy reading!

 

[Rafael]

Definately start in the New Testament which represents God completed covenant with mankind. Personally, I would say start with the book of John, the fourth gospel, recording the life of Jesus as being deity - God come to mankind in the flesh.
There are several New Translations of the Bible that put it into modern terms, but some are not as accurate either. The NASB (New American Standard Bible) would be most accurate, but I've gotten quite fond of the NLT (New Living Translation). The King James Version is my favorite to memorize, as the Old English and poetic style just seems to stick with me, and it is sometimes very beautiful when read.
All can be viewed at the BlueletterBible.com web site.
God bless you richly as you seek Him and His Word....

http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/tools/printer-friendly.pl?book=Jhn&chapter=1&version=nltp&Go.x=20&Go.y=13

 

[tamtam92]

I agree that you should begin with the new testament, firstly the gospels -John is good, but Luke too...
Then you can read Genesis quite soon, because it helps to understand what's said in the new testament. In fact Old and New Testament are complementary.

You should also read Isaiah, especially chapter 53. It is a clear prophesy about Jesus. Read it after you've read at least one Gospel (or at the end of your reading one) for a better understanding.

 

[TheThirdLink]

Alos, wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting get understanding. That is from Proverbs. After your study on Jesus, you can study Proverbs, for "principal" means "first."

Keep it up!

 

[Stinker]

I have a NKJV bible and I don't know where a good place is to start reading. (I am looking for an easier to read bible...reply to my other post if you can assist me ) I want to know about who Jesus was and what he did. Can you recommend me a good chapter to start with? Thank you.

Definitely the red-lettered New American Standard.

Females attach to the gospel of John, so if you are a female I recommend to start there first. Then read Matthew,Mark, and Luke.

 

[St. Worm2]

Start by reading the Gospel of John. For easier reading, use the NIV (New International Version). A "Study Bible" can be helpful, like the NIV Study Bible for instance. Or in New King James, you can get the MacArthur Study Bible (which I have found to be the best of them all ... but it doesn't come in NIV, sadly).

Yours and His,
David
p.s. - the NASB (New American Standard Bible) is my principle translation, but NIV is best when you are just getting started.

 

[Writing4Jesus]

The Gosples (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are great and I would really reccomend The Message. It's basically the bible in plain American English... I dont have one but it's definately on my Christmas list!

God bless,
Melissa

 

[onajourney87]

I'm going to offer a slightly different suggestion than the others.

I suggest you start by reading the first three chapters of Genesis. The reason being the first three chapters of Genesis basically state how we got to where we are now(that is, from the Creation of a perfect world free of sin, to an imperfect world full of sin).
The first three chapters of Genesis will lay a nice, solid foundation for understanding Jesus' purpose for coming to earth.

Once you've done that, then I'd suggest you start on the New Testament Gospels. You have four to choose from. Mark(as previously mentioned) being the shortest. I perticularly suggest you start with John, as it was written to the Greeks specifically. Greek culture is much more similar to modern culture than the other cultures the other three Gospels were written to(Matthew was written to the Jews, Mark for the Romans, and Luke for the Greeks as well). On top of that, John's main goal in writing the Gospel of John is to establish Jesus Christ of Nazareth's diety; to establish than Jesus Christ is the God.

You may find this overview of the main differences between the Gospels useful:
http://www.christiancourier.com/archives/fourGospels.htm

osm

 

[adthrash]

The gospel of John is a great place to start. If your bible has Jesus' teachings and words written in red that helps too. I think you will like the NKVJ. I have that one and The Amplified version. A lot of people don't like that bible because they think it's too "wordy", but if you're like me..I like the fact that it's kind of like a dictionary, or a thesaurus--it gives several different words or phrases that mean the same thing but help you understand the context of the scripture.

 

[CaDan]

Read Mark out loud. Mark is the closest to the oral tradition. The pace is fast and furious, and the language is pretty rough--just like a bunch of stories told out loud. When I read Mark, I really get the feeling of people sitting around a campfire telling Jesus stories.

My current favorite translation for just reading is the New English Bible (not so new anymore!). It is a pretty good translation, but the best thing is that it has the verse numbers in the margins, not the text. It is not a particularly popular version in the US.

 

[brinley45cal]

I would go with the amplafied version,its very easy to understand and it breaks things down alittle better.If i had to pick a book of the bible to read first it would be the book of John.

 

[plmarquette]

I have a NKJV bible and I don't know where a good place is to start reading. (I am looking for an easier to read bible...reply to my other post if you can assist me ) I want to know about who Jesus was and what he did. Can you recommend me a good chapter to start with? Thank you.

depends .... are you born again ?
if no , first place to go is Romans 10.8-9 read aloud , give God your heart

are you spirit filled ? , if no go to Acts 19.5 ask for the gift of the father
the Holy Spirit that you might walk out what you confessed in Romans 10.8-9

do you have a home church , with a midweek service & or teaching classes ?
bible study , outreach - jail , shutins , food pantry ... might speak to
a older / wiser believer to assist , answer questions

then the gospel of John 3.16 sacrifice
Matthew 18.15-21 ... forgiveness
Ephesians 6.10-17 ... know the enemy
Mark 11.23-4 & 1 John 5.14-18 speak and believe
Genesis 50.20 ; Romans 8.28to 37 - hope

standard answer given a new believer is :
1 Gospel of John
then the other gospels gospels the milk of the word ... who Jesus is
epistles -- the meat of the word , our jobs , our commission
revelation -- the times a coming ....
then old testament -- back in the day , Jesus is coming

 

[Knight]

The NKJV is a fine translation. It is accurate and reads very well. It stands in a wonderful, elegant tradition of the King James Version.

Where to start? This depends on your situation. I see by your icon that you are a Budhist. Therefore, I would suggest reading the entire book of Romans. You will not find a more thorough summation and description of Christian doctrine and the way of salvation that this book.

I notice that several people have suggested the gospel of John. This is also very good but I stand with my recommendation.

Read one then the other if you like. Post any questions you have.

 

[Hisbygrace]

I would say to start reading in John and to read all the new testiment first. I use the Ryrei Study Bible, New American Standard Bible.

 

[Knight]

Umm....

How or why did this get moved to the Catholic forum????

Yesterday, this was in the Outreach section. My response was based upon that assumption.

 

[ZooMom]

I was just wondering that myself...

Sit tight folks. I'll try to see what's up. Be right back.

 

[LADY DI]

I would suggest the Gospel of John.
That is my favorite gospel, I love the way it is written

 

[Chris Green]

Start by reading the Gospel of John. For easier reading, use the NIV (New International Version). A "Study Bible" can be helpful, like the NIV Study Bible for instance. Or in New King James, you can get the MacArthur Study Bible (which I have found to be the best of them all ... but it doesn't come in NIV, sadly).


This is also where i started.

 

[Epiphanygirl]

I agree with the Gospel of John. I would also suggest that you say a prayer for guidance before you open up and read the Bible to.