Should i start at the New Testament?

[Makoto47]

I'm on a mission to read the bible from cover to cover, but I feel as I don't know Jesus as well as I should. Is it a good idea to start at Mathew? I've already read through the Torah, and I'm now in Joshua.

 

[intojoy]

I'm on a mission to read the bible from cover to cover, but I feel as I don't know Jesus as well as I should. Is it a good idea to start at Mathew? I've already read through the Torah, and I'm now in Joshua.

What you should do is get a "Harmony of the Gospels" by Robertson. This is simply is the four gospels paralleled chronologically from the birth of Christ to the trial, crucifixion, resurrection etc.
Because not every writer writes the same things. A good commentary is The Life of the Messiah by Alfred Edershiem.

 

[Makoto47]

What you should do is get a "Harmony of the Gospels" by Robertson. This is simply is the four gospels paralleled chronologically from the birth of Christ to the trial, crucifixion, resurrection etc.
Because not every writer writes the same things. A good commentary is The Life of the Messiah by Alfred Edershiem.

Thanks I appreciate the suggestions brother.

 

[singpeace]

I'm on a mission to read the bible from cover to cover, but I feel as I don't know Jesus as well as I should. Is it a good idea to start at Mathew? I've already read through the Torah, and I'm now in Joshua.

Makoto,

Here is a link to a website with several excellent reading plans for reading the Bible cover to cover. Hopefully you will find one of these reading plans the right one for you. Awesome that you are doing this, by the way!


Bible Reading Plan - Top Bible Reading Plans


Father God,
I ask that You guide and help Makoto to find the perfect Bible reading plan for him. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

 

[Makoto47]

Makoto,

Here is a link to a website with several excellent reading plans for reading the Bible cover to cover. Hopefully you will find one of these reading plans the right one for you. Awesome that you are doing this, by the way!


Bible Reading Plan - Top Bible Reading Plans


Father God,
I ask that You guide and help Makoto to find the perfect Bible reading plan for him. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Thanks I'll check it out. I'm truly grateful for the help. It's quite a task but one well worth doing

 

[Bobby64]

Personally, I do think it's a good idea to start at the New Testament. For the most part, it's easier to read than the Old. And, to put it bluntly, the NT is usually more interesting than the OT. The teaching of the NT is more obviously related to how we should conduct our lives. The OT is certainly important too, but it's more difficult to read--save for Psalm and Proverbs.

 

[manitouscott]

Makoto

My experience was that I was always reading something in the New Testament, and also reading portions of the OT at the same time. A few chapters a day (or maybe only a few lines, depending on the way it affected me) of OT and then reading a few chapters etc from the NT.

I think the most important thing is to read carefully whatever your read. We don't always understand the concepts explained at the moment but we should read and try our best. Later the same passages often come to life that we didn't get the first time.

+1 to a good commentary

 

[candle glow]

Jesus talked about his teachings as the "cornerstone". A cornerstone is a tool for measuring 90degree angles, and to build straight walls.

Jesus' teachings are the tools we should use to measure everything else, including the OT. In that context, it could be helpful if you started with the gospels.

 

[BryanW92]

Jesus talked about his teachings as the "cornerstone". A cornerstone is a tool for measuring 90degree angles, and to build straight walls.

Jesus' teachings are the tools we should use to measure everything else, including the OT. In that context, it could be helpful if you started with the gospels.

A cornerstone is not a tool. It is literally the bottom stone at the corner of a masonry structure. You lay that first because the first two walls will build out from that stone. Jesus' teachings are the foundation of our beliefs. Whatever builds out from there must be based on that one stone. The Epistles and all revealed truth build out from those teachings, and like a brick wall they must align to that cornerstone.

But to answer the OP, I would suggest that you start with the gospel that speaks most to you and your needs:

Matthew: Written to Jews, with Jesus as King
Mark: Written to Romans, with Jesus as Servant
Luke: Written to Greeks, with Jesus as Son of Man
John: Written to everyone, with Jesus as Son of God.

If you already have a good relationship with Christ, then read them all in any order.

 

[Dean62]

I'm on a mission to read the bible from cover to cover, but I feel as I don't know Jesus as well as I should. Is it a good idea to start at Mathew? I've already read through the Torah, and I'm now in Joshua.

I can relate. I didn't know Jesus when I started praying every day. I wanted to know Jesus because at that point I didn't know if I even believed in him. Why should I when I knew very little about Him. It made sense to me to go straight to what I saw as the source and that was the New Testament. I needed to know what it said about Jesus to decide if I was going to follow Him or head down a path of "Buddhist Enlightenment". I didn't just read it to know him I read it to know if I believed in him.

I was blown away by what I read. It was not what I thought it would be at all. It made sense out of a life of chaos. It was as if I was reading a personal love letter written to me from God. It brought me to tears and to my knees. It was as if God was breathing life into me with every page.

You say you don't feel you know Jesus as well as you should. I vote for reading the new testament right now.

 

[PrayerandPeace]

I just started reading the new testament form the beginning like two days ago. I'll ready the old testament after I'm finished with the new.

I'm also reading psalms right now and I'll read proverbs after.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Particularly if you are a new Christian and even if you are not, really I should suggest beginning with John's Gospel.

 

[candle glow]

A cornerstone is not a tool. It is literally the bottom stone at the corner of a masonry structure. You lay that first because the first two walls will build out from that stone.

Lol, of course, everyone knows you don't use tools to build straight walls...

Huh, there's always something argue about...pffft

 

[BryanW92]

Lol, of course, everyone knows you don't use tools to build straight walls...

Huh, there's always something argue about...pffft

I didn't say that. I said that a cornerstone is not a tool. That's not an argument. Its just a statement of fact. Look it up.

 

[candle glow]

From wiki...

The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

Here is the "modern day" equivalent of a corner stone:

The steel square is a tool that carpenters use. They use many tools to lay out a "square" or right-angle, many of which are made of steel, but the title steel square refers to a specific long-armed square that has additional uses for measurement, especially of angles, as well as simple right-angles.

Why is it important to use a right angle tool as a guide when building? To "determine the position of the entire structure".

Really, why would anyone feel a need to argue that a corner stone is not a tool? Is it just a religious hang-up? I don't get it. It's weird.

I know why *I* feel a need to argue that a corner stone IS a tool, though, because Jesus referred to his teachings as the cornerstone. His teachings are the tool by which we measure every other teaching or belief our there.

If a teaching or belief does not line up with the corner stone, then we throw it out, or modify/ shift it until it does line up with the system of measurement that we've been given.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I found reading the bible from front to back useful when i read it in 40 days . at that pace (if you take notes) you'll remember the beginning by the time you get to the end.

but barring that . start in the gospels . and when reading the genealogies in the Old testament meditate on the stories each name represents that usually helps me .

 

[Bobby64]

I found reading the bible from front to back useful when i read it in 40 days . at that pace (if you take notes) you'll remember the beginning by the time you get to the end.

That's fast! Personally, I read one chapter a day every day for a little over three years to get through the Bible the first time.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

That's fast! Personally, I read one chapter a day every day for a little over three years to get through the Bible the first time.

yeah there's like 1188 chapters in the protestant bible so divide that by 40 and it works out to around 30 chapters a day gets pretty strained when passing through the psalms especially that really long one .

after that i'd listen to the bible kjv on MP3 endlessly and then something odd happened which is still kinda hard to explain . but at the end of it all it's very much a part of my mind construct .

 

[vitaminC]

I think it depends upon your personality. Starting in Matthew sounds sensible.

 

[yogosans14]

Yes start with something short and simple like Mark, then go to John to get a concept of the Trinity then Matthew then Luke