Beginner's Guide to Reading the Bible

The best place to begin when reading the Bible is to read the parts that interest you. You don't need to begin, "In the beginning..." and read through to where "The Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen." In other words, there is no written rule that says you have to start with Genesis and proceed to Exodus then to Leviticus and so on... The Bible is a collection of stories formed into a collection of books that form the tome we refer to as the Bible. Each book has a wide variety of stories and lessons that are not necessarily written in any particular order.

In a later article, we will review what is in the Bible and where based on different topic areas. Another great resource for being able to find scripture based on subject matter is called a Bible Concordance. They can generally be picked up at any good bookstore and have listed scripture readings based by subject matter (not actual scripture).

If you are still wondering, "Where do I start?" the following sequence might be a good place to start: In the New Testament; Read through the Gospels of Mark and John to become more familiar with the life of Jesus, His death and resurrection. These two gospels portray Jesus' life in different ways and help the reader gain an appreciation for His works, deeds and enhance their understanding for who Jesus is. Next, try the book of Acts. It will give you a good appreciation for how the message of the gospel spread throughout the land and how the early Christian communities were formed. A good followup is to read Paul, specifically his letter to the Phillipians. It is a short, warm and personal view into the heart of the early Christian faith. Next, read his letter to the Romans. It is a bit longer but it is a very good summary of Paul's teachings.

Turning to the Old Testament; it might be helpful to begin in Genesis and the first twenty chapters or so of Exodus. These scriptures give the reader a history from creation to the escape from Egypt and the handing down of the commandments. Next, turn to the book of Psalms, which is a wonderful collection of hymns and prayers. The first section of Psalms (1-41) are a wonderful collection of prayers for help, contemplative prayers and prayers of thanks. The next logical step would be to select one of the prophets. Some recommendations might be Isaiah, Micah or Jeremiah. Isaiah is a wonderul book written almos fully in poetry and is very popular reading amongst Christians. Micah is a short book written largely in poetry; and contains messages of hope and warning about life. Jeremiah is widely read and contains great messages and stories about the prophets life.

This cross-section of writings should give the reader a variety of material found within Bible. From here you can get a feel for the subjects and types of writings that you will enjoy reading. It also gives you an idea where to find some very helpful and inciteful scriptures. For many people, the Bible is a daily source of inspiration and guidances. Hopefully, this article will get you started on reading the "Greatest Story Ever Told" and the following articles will help enhance your appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of God's Word.