What Order Should a New Christian Read the Bible in?

[ViaCrucis]

I usually recommend this starting order when this question shows up:

Start with the Gospel of Luke, then the Acts of the Apostles, then Romans.

Luke has the birth, life, work, teachings, passion, and resurrection of the Lord. Luke also wrote a follow-up, the book of the Acts which picks up where the Gospel ends, with Jesus' Ascension and the inauguration of the Church and the Apostles' ministry. Acts also introduces us to St. Paul, the most prolific of the writers of the New Testament. From there, Paul's letter to the Romans, his Magnum Opus.

So Luke, Acts, Romans. After that one can go in almost any direction. Some people like the idea of starting from the beginning with Genesis and just reading the Bible like a book, just experiencing the unfolding narrative of Scripture from creation to Christ to the consummation of history at the end of the Revelation. If one wants to focus on certain books, it can be helpful to work with study guides. At that point getting plugged into your church's Bible study group is incredibly beneficial.

I know why the Gospel of John is frequently suggested, but John is incredibly dense theologically. Opening up with a declaration of Christ as the Divine Logos, that's some pretty dense Christology. I'd recommend reading John with good study guides, and/or especially in a Bible study group with those who are already more familiar with Scripture and who can help explain the more difficult concepts being explored in it.

And above all, being part of a local community of faithful believers with a good pastor where the Scriptures are regularly read and the sermons are filled with excellent teaching and exposition, and participating regularly in that is a solid foundation of Christian discipleship and living.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[eleos1954]

What Order Should a New Christian Read the Bible in? I have recently discoered faith and really want to read the Bible but not sure what order to go in fully!

Probably wise to start with the Gospels (Matthew, mark, Luke & John) .... I like studying topically and searching the entire bible and thereby getting the overall view and then moving into specifics as my interest leads.

Here is a source you might find useful ... where one can run various searches easily (search criteria can be changed at the top)

What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?

 

[I's2C]

I usually recommend this starting order when this question shows up:

Start with the Gospel of Luke, then the Acts of the Apostles, then Romans.

Luke has the birth, life, work, teachings, passion, and resurrection of the Lord. Luke also wrote a follow-up, the book of the Acts which picks up where the Gospel ends, with Jesus' Ascension and the inauguration of the Church and the Apostles' ministry. Acts also introduces us to St. Paul, the most prolific of the writers of the New Testament. From there, Paul's letter to the Romans, his Magnum Opus.

So Luke, Acts, Romans. After that one can go in almost any direction. Some people like the idea of starting from the beginning with Genesis and just reading the Bible like a book, just experiencing the unfolding narrative of Scripture from creation to Christ to the consummation of history at the end of the Revelation. If one wants to focus on certain books, it can be helpful to work with study guides. At that point getting plugged into your church's Bible study group is incredibly beneficial.

I know why the Gospel of John is frequently suggested, but John is incredibly dense theologically. Opening up with a declaration of Christ as the Divine Logos, that's some pretty dense Christology. I'd recommend reading John with good study guides, and/or especially in a Bible study group with those who are already more familiar with Scripture and who can help explain the more difficult concepts being explored in it.

And above all, being part of a local community of faithful believers with a good pastor where the Scriptures are regularly read and the sermons are filled with excellent teaching and exposition, and participating regularly in that is a solid foundation of Christian discipleship and living.

-CryptoLutheran

I always thought you should start at beginning for if you dont know what happened in the beginning you will never understand the end. When I build a house, I dont start with the rooth but the foundation. Build your house on THE ROCK!

 

[ViaCrucis]

I always thought you should start at beginning for if you dont know what happened in the beginning you will never understand the end. When I build a house, I dont start with the rooth but the foundation. Build your house on THE ROCK!

If we're using that analogy, then surely the rock, the foundation, is Christ Himself.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

I always thought you should start at beginning for if you dont know what happened in the beginning you will never understand the end. When I build a house, I dont start with the rooth but the foundation. Build your house on THE ROCK!

I think the problem with trying to read from front to back is that one is going to take a LONG time to finally get to the NT. Another suggestion would be to find a one year lectionary and you'll hit the key parts of Scripture over the course of a year. This is a lectionary from the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. file:///C:/Users/brian/Downloads/LCMS-2022-2023-Church-Year-Calendar-Three-Year-Series-A.pdf

This is the daily lectionary from the Greek Orthodox in America website:

Online Chapel - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

www.goarch.org

 

[Strong in Him]

I always thought you should start at beginning for if you dont know what happened in the beginning you will never understand the end. When I build a house, I dont start with the rooth but the foundation. Build your house on THE ROCK!

Yes - start with Jesus.
The trouble with starting at the beginning is the likelihood of giving up. How are genealogies, lists of kings and sacrificial and hygiene laws appropriate and relevant to new Christians? Start with the Gospels, learn who Jesus is and what he taught. Once a person knows that, and that they are a child of God, THEN they can go back and see how Jesus' ministry was foretold in the OT.

 

[Tom Storey]

What Order Should a New Christian Read the Bible in? I have recently discoered faith and really want to read the Bible but not sure what order to go in fully!

Hi. I'd start by recommending/choosing a good translation. My favourite by far in modern English is the RSV - Revised Standard Version. It is very clear and yet captures something of the rhythms of the King James Version. It is theologically orthodox/correct. For first readings, I'd tend to avoid the KJV - King James Version - as while the language is fabulous, that in itself can tend to obscure an easy grasp of what is being communicated.

The Gospel I'd go to first is that of Saint Matthew. This is arranged in such a way as to be fitting for those newly learning. Saint Luke's is similar - and again written at an historical remove. Thoughts differ as to when the Gospels were composed, but a fair bet is that Matthew and Luke are substantially written toward the end of the first century AD. Both Matthew and Luke draw on Mark and another lost Gospel. Mark's is the earliest Gospel text we have.

The Gospel of Saint John is different in a sense in kind from Matthew, Mark and Luke. This is often called the spiritual Gospel. There is a strong sense throughout of a theology - through the lens of which are events portrayed. (Compare this with Mark - who hardly seems to know what is going on.)

Venturing out of the New Testament, I think it is quite a good idea to start at the beginning, with Genesis, and then Exodus.

It can be useful to have a sense of breakdown of the various books. This is the Pentateuch - which is the Torah - the first 5 books. There are then histories, and there are prophets, and there are odd texts which have found their way into the Bible, including historical novel/s and odd books of saying. And there are the Psalms - which are our basic prayer to God.

If you have a nice Bible, easy to read and in a good translation, it's nice just to take the time to explore and savour the exploration.

I do recommend the RSV.

xOliver

 

[Bob Crowley]

I'd definitely start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and then Acts, which is a historical document about the very early church. I wouldn't stress over which Gospel - read them all.

After than it's open slather, but I'd leave the Old Testament alone for some time. It's just likely to confuse a new Christian.

I'd suggest the next step would be the Pauline letters (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galations, Ephesians, Philippians, Collossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon).

Hebrews is in a class of its own as authorship is disputed.

After that I'd read the other letters (James, 1&2 Peter, 1,2 & 3 John, and Jude).

Before you read them look up the reason the authors wrote them on the internet if no explanatory book is available.

I'd give Revelation a miss for quite a while. New christians don't need to get hung up on all the imagery in that book.

Eventually you'll want to read the Old Testament, but it would be wise to look for an overview first, possibly on the net.

When I was still a new Christian, the pastor did an in-house series of lectures on the Bible. That helped a lot to put the Bible in context, particularly the Old Testament.

 

[Yusuphhai]

When I read Bible, I wonder how I can understand the national and cultural backgroud of the authers of Bible. How to read Bible in a Jewish way? Am I a foreigner or native to the authers of Bible? I am seeking. Among the authers of Bible, Luke was the only original gentile(Roman). But Luke joined Judaism and could be looked as a Jew.

Jesus(Yeshua) mainly spoke Aramaic with his disciples. Matthew was originally written in Aramaic. The other Apostle Scriptures were written in Greek but in the authers' mind they translated Aramaic and Hebrew into Greek.

So sometimes I need Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) as a reference: Read the The Complete Jewish Bible Free Online

Have faith and fun in Bible.