Seeking recommendation: book order for 2023 yearly bible reading

[Brother-Mike]

Greetings - my 2022 yearly bible reading followed the Discipleship Plan, spreading each daily reading across four different places in the bible.

For 2023, I'm going to switch to a book-by-book format (i.e. one book at a time, but not necessarily in the order of the bible).

Any thoughts on which order I should read the books? Some considerations could be: keeping logical groupings together, making sure NT books aren't all just covered at the end, etc.

Here's the full list for reference:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
First Samuel
Second Samuel
First Kings
Second Kings
First Chronicles
Second Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zachariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Epistle to the Romans
First Corinthians
Second Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
First Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians
First Timothy
Second Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
First Peter
Second Peter
First John
Second John
Third John
Jude
Revelation

Maybe you already have a beloved and trusted book order?
All feedback appreciated

 

[Michie]

Have you considered reading the Bible in chronological order?

 

[Michie]

What Is the Chronological Order of the 66 Books of the Bible?

 

[Neostarwcc]

I've never read the Bible from beginning to end but I'd like to suggest just opening the Bible and read whatever book you end up in. You can do that until you get 30 or so books done and then pick from there until all 66 books are read. Or like Michie suggested read in Chronological order. There's really no wrong way to read the Bible.

 

[Jonaitis]

I would read it cover to cover. You get more context that way.

 

[Michie]

3 Benefits of Reading the Bible Chronologically

1. We understand the story better.
The Bible is a huge and rather complicated book, and it holds a lot of information. How does one even begin? This is where the concept of reading the Bible chronologically comes in. The Bible is made up of 66 different books that are grouped mainly by genre. Some books are primarily narrative, others poetry, others personal letters, others prophecy, etc. So just reading the it from cover to cover will not be the same as reading the Bible chronologically, or in the order the events actually happened or were written. Purchasing and reading through a Bible that is specifically chronological, in other words, a Bible where the books have been arranged in the order that the events took place, or taking classes where the Bible is being taught in chronological order, will help you immensely in your journey of understanding the Word.

2. We have a clearer and broader picture of the main character of the story, God Himself.
God’s character is revealed progressively throughout the story of the Bible. Just as we do not fully know someone upon meeting them for the first time, nor do we fully understand the Lord when we only read bits and pieces of His story. Studying or reading the Bible chronologically will help bring clarity to His character, and provide a more full comprehension of who God is.

3. We avoid major gaps in our understanding of God’s plan for mankind.
It might seem easier to pick and choose certain well-known stories or easy to understand passages to read while studying the Word, but taking time to work through the Bible in the order the events actually happened is both wise and helpful in that connects all those stories. Grasping a narrative or one specific biblical principle is good, but understanding how all the accounts of the Word are tied to one another and what they mean as one cohesive record is even better, as it will paint the picture of what God’s plan and purpose for mankind really is. This is why New Tribes Mission takes a chronological teaching approach when planting new churches in cross-cultural contexts. We want to understand the big picture for ourselves, and help the people we minister to grasp it as well!

Continued below.
Benefits of Reading the Bible in Chronological Order

 

[TrevorL]

Greetings Brother-Mike,

Maybe you already have a beloved and trusted book order?

The following is a reading chart that traverses the OT once and the NT twice each year. This is used by many in my fellowship, but I only use this to read one section each morning, and as a result I cover this plan every three years.
https://sfchristadelphian.org/files/bible_companion.pdf

Kind regards
Trevor

 

[Homeby5]

What Is the Chronological Order of the 66 Books of the Bible?

THIS is what I would recommend. Every year I read it chronologically but I change translations. I simply use the Bible Gateway Chronological tool. It's simple...
Also...maybe try to not pay attention to the verse or chapter divisions. The books were just that...books or letters. IMO, dividing into verses and chapters make for easy reference but they also lend to out of context meanings.

 

[Jipsah]

OK, I'll be the joker in the deck here.

First, the Gospels and Acts,every day, all the time, for the rest of your life. From the beginning of Matthew to the end of Acts, then start over again. Minimum 3 chapters a day, and more if you're so lead. That's the foundation. Then the Epistles, in succession, after reading the Gospels. Try to read each letter all at once to get the full understanding of what the writer was trying to say. If that's too much, read as much as is easy; forcing it will cause your attention to lag. Read the OT chronologically when and as much as you like at any given time, as you would a work of history, which is what it is. The New Testament, and specifically the Gospels, is where our faith comes from. The OT is back story, and should be understood as such. Nothing against history, I'm a history geek myself, but the OT describes how we got here, not where we ought to be.

Apart from that, read any other part of the BIble any time you feel like doing so; it can't hurt. I even read the Revelation a couple of times a year. But don't neglect your regular course of reading; that's the main thing.

"Oh, but that's too much reading!" Rubbish, it's a half hour to an hour a day, even if you're reading entire epistles (most of them are pretty short). The average serious Bible student in the Korean churches I've attended would read far more than that on a regular basis, because they really do take it seriously. Just sayin'.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Greetings - my 2022 yearly bible reading followed the Discipleship Plan, spreading each daily reading across four different places in the bible.

For 2023, I'm going to switch to a book-by-book format (i.e. one book at a time, but not necessarily in the order of the bible).

Any thoughts on which order I should read the books? Some considerations could be: keeping logical groupings together, making sure NT books aren't all just covered at the end, etc.

Here's the full list for reference:

Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
First Samuel
Second Samuel
First Kings
Second Kings
First Chronicles
Second Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zachariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Epistle to the Romans
First Corinthians
Second Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
First Thessalonians
Second Thessalonians
First Timothy
Second Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
First Peter
Second Peter
First John
Second John
Third John
Jude
Revelation

Maybe you already have a beloved and trusted book order?
All feedback appreciated

You left our Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees

 

[RoBo1988]

I have only read the Bible thru in a year maybe twice in my life. Most of the time, it takes me 1.5 to 2 years to read thru. I have done that around a dozen times.
I usually start with the book of Job and leave most of the New Testament for later. I use the Michael Coley reading plan, mainly as a checklist. 52 Week Bible Reading Plan

"Read the Bible in a common-sense way. Do not read it on your knees, as I have known some people do, it is an awkward posture: get into an easy chair: read it comfortably. Pray after you have read it as much as you like, but do not make a penance of what ought to be a pleasure." "True Bible-readers and Bible-searchers never find it wearisome. They like it least who know it least, and they love it most who read it most. They find it newest who have known it longest, and they find the pasture to be the richest whose souls have been the longest fed upon it. When one of our missionaries had to read a certain Book of the Old Testament through a hundred times while he was translating it, he said that he certainly enjoyed the hundredth time of reading it more than he did the first, for he understood it better, and it seemed to him to be fuller and fresher the more familiar he became with it." Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

 

[Brother-Mike]

I have only read the Bible thru in a year maybe twice in my life. Most of the time, it takes me 1.5 to 2 years to read thru. I have done that around a dozen times.
I usually start with the book of Job and leave most of the New Testament for later. I use the Michael Coley reading plan, mainly as a checklist. 52 Week Bible Reading Plan

"Read the Bible in a common-sense way. Do not read it on your knees, as I have known some people do, it is an awkward posture: get into an easy chair: read it comfortably. Pray after you have read it as much as you like, but do not make a penance of what ought to be a pleasure." "True Bible-readers and Bible-searchers never find it wearisome. They like it least who know it least, and they love it most who read it most. They find it newest who have known it longest, and they find the pasture to be the richest whose souls have been the longest fed upon it. When one of our missionaries had to read a certain Book of the Old Testament through a hundred times while he was translating it, he said that he certainly enjoyed the hundredth time of reading it more than he did the first, for he understood it better, and it seemed to him to be fuller and fresher the more familiar he became with it." Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Wonderful quote by Spurgeon - thanks!

 

[godisagardener]

Cover to cover works best for me. I find I don't stay as invested if I'm skipping between OT and NT or taking the books by topics. This year my aim was to read at least four chapters per day, which would get me done in a little less than a year. Because this kept me interested in what I was reading, I read much more most days and finished at the end of August.

In 2023 I plan to read through the Chronological Bible, which was a gift years ago from my mother-in-law to my mom. They're available in several Bible versions and there are also reading plans available online to use with your regular Bible.

I do like to use a different version of the Bible each year to change things up.

 

[RoBo1988]

This year my aim was to read at least four chapters per day, which would get me done in a little less than a year.

Yep. Historian David Barton said that 3.2 chapters a day, will do it in a year. I started this journey through The Word in May of '21. I figure around late January '23 I will start from the beginning again. However, I did spend a week going over Zechariah chapter 10, so who knows?

In 2023 I plan to read through the Chronological Bible

My wife is currently reading that.

 

[Paul4JC]

Any thoughts on which order I should read the books? Some considerations could be: keeping logical groupings together, making sure NT books aren't all just covered at the end, etc.

I used to read the Bible twice a year. 5 OT, 2 NT and a Psalm a day. Something like this.

Psalms

First Samuel Second Samuel First Kings Second Kings First Chronicles Second Chronicles Job	Matthew Mark Luke John Acts
Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth	Epistle to the Romans First Corinthians Second Corinthians
Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel	Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Titus Philemon James Jude
Proverbs Song of Solomon Ecclesiastes Lamentations	Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians
Ezra Nehemiah Esther	Titus Philemon James Jude
Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zachariah Malachi	Hebrews Revelation