First time reading the bible

[Atle]

I have just started reading the bible for the first time and I'm a little lost.

Logic tells me to start at the beginning, but I think that may be a little difficult!

I couldn't decide, so simply let the pages fall open and started reading Luke.

How do you think an absolute beginner should approach the bible?

 

[ebia]

It depends on the individual. Ideally one would start at the beginning and read all the way through - but that requires a lot of comittment and stamina.
Another good approach for some is to choose one gospel and read that - there will be references you miss but that's not a disaster.
If you go that way IMO Luke is the most accessible gospel for you.

Another good approach is an overview - pick out the books that give you the key thrust of the story:
Genesis
Exodus (1st half)
End of Deuteronomy
Joshua
1&2 Samuel
Skim 1&2 Kings
Ezra
Luke
Acts
Ephesians

Then go back and start to fill on the gaps.
Or one

 

[Singermom]

My former (retired) pastor gave me a Bible reading schedule that was absolutely wonderful. It broke up each month into 25 days instead of 30, giving you a little "wiggle room" so that, if you miss a day for any reason, you're still on schedule. I used to not read on Sundays. Each day was broken up into 4 sections: 2 OT, 1 Psalms, Proverbs or Songs, 1 NT.

I loved this schedule because, when I got to books like Numbers, I didn't feel so bogged down, as I knew I was going to read some Proverbs and NT as well.

I wish I had a copy somewhere...

 

[Mr Dave]

I'd recommend starting with Mark. It's the shortest of the Gospels and will give you the bones of what's in the other three but with less padding. However, if you've started with Luke then carry on with Luke, that will give you all of Mark and a bit more, and will introduce you to the main themes of Christianity as held in the gospels.

After Luke, I would suggest Acts. They are both written by the same person (usually named Luke), to the same person (Theophilus) so you can carry on the story, post-resurrection, of the early church in the same writing style.

After this, you could move onto some of the letters of Paul; these will introduce you to some of Paul's theology which has been key in shaping Christianity.

Then it might be worth moving onto some Old Testament books, such as Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Jonah. These contain some stories that may be more familiar to you, and thus will probably make for easier reading (Creation, Noah's Ark, Burning Bush, Daniel and The Lion's Den, Jonah and the Whale/big fish).

Of course all the books are important, but for introducing yourself to the Bible, that's what I would do, it takes you through the important facets of Christianity and the early church, and then through some of the more familiar OT books that show some of the Jewish thought behind the New testament.

 

[Sketcher]

That's fine. I started in Matthew and read through the New Testament.

The first four books of the Old Testament cover the life of Jesus from four different perspectives. What happened immediately after the end of these books is covered in Acts (which was also written by Luke). The books after that are letters to various churches which explain certain parts of the faith that they were struggling with at the time.

If there was one Old Testament book that I had to pick for you to read at some point, it would be Genesis. There are references to Adam and Eve, the Great Flood, and Abraham in the New Testament books that most people recognized when Jesus or the Apostles talked about them. But I'm not going to say stop reading Luke and start reading Genesis.

 

[ebia]

Just to add, don't be afraid to skim over boring stuff. This won't be a problem with Luke, who is a great storyteller who's style still works well in our age, but some of the O.T. has pages of stuff who's significance won't be apparent at first and its better to put on one side and come back to later than get bogged down in.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

To properly understand the Word of God you must download all of it into your hair-covered computer. This should be done by reading the bible from front to back, in that order. If you like movies with constant out-of-context flashbacks then start wherever you want and try to 'defrag' it later. Good luck with that. Reading the gospels first is just reading about the first Christmas. No one would start reading a great work of literature anywhere except at the beginning. Don't fall into the trap of reading the bible in a hodge-dodge willy-nilly way. Do it right! Also it is very important that you read either the KJV or RSV (if you can find one) versions before turning to the more modern versions.

 

[razeontherock]

I have just started reading the bible for the first time and I'm a little lost.

Logic tells me to start at the beginning, but I think that may be a little difficult!

I couldn't decide, so simply let the pages fall open and started reading Luke.

How do you think an absolute beginner should approach the bible?

Luke is good! I actually advise people to start at the very next book, the Gospel of John, because it starts "in the beginning," and then gets you through the rest of the New Testament pretty quickly. Luke is actually better because it's more similar to Matthew and Mark, while John is very unique in many ways.

Realize that some parts will simply give you no real understanding, but you'll have to have the info in your head for G-d to have something to work with. If you feel like a break, you could use multiple bookmarks and start in on Psalms (right around the middle of the whole Bible) and Proverbs has 31 chapters so it's always convenient to read one chapter every day of the month.

Prayer is a two way thing: talking to G-d yes, but the more important part is Him talking to you. Reading your Bible is 1 way - purely Him talking to you

Approach it with that simple awe, asking Him to show Himself to you however He sees fit, and when you find good things ask Him to make them a reality in your life!

 

[Singermom]

To properly understand the Word of God you must download all of it into your hair-covered computer. This should be done by reading the bible from front to back, in that order. If you like movies with constant out-of-context flashbacks then start wherever you want and try to 'defrag' it later. Good luck with that. Reading the gospels first is just reading about the first Christmas. No one would start reading a great work of literature anywhere except at the beginning. Don't fall into the trap of reading the bible in a hodge-dodge willy-nilly way. Do it right! Also it is very important that you read either the KJV or RSV (if you can find one) versions before turning to the more modern versions.

I disagree. First of all, while the Bible is The Good Book, it's actually a whole library, so you can choose which Book you want to read first. Second, I can't make my way straight through KJV; I read NIV first and have done comparisons to other styles later (I have an incredible Bible program in my computer).

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I disagree. First of all, while the Bible is The Good Book, it's actually a whole library, so you can choose which Book you want to read first. Second, I can't make my way straight through KJV; I read NIV first and have done comparisons to other styles later (I have an incredible Bible program in my computer).

My point is that the first-time reader shouldn't read the bible for any message about religion or morality, but as a novel, paying particular interest only to the main character, which is the nation of Israel. This gives a proper overview of what this whole thing is about. It is the continuity of the story of Israel that is important.

 

[visionary]

Turn to God and ask Him to lead you through His book. He is better able to guide you through for the things that are on your heart and mind. I found a concordance helpful when it came to answering certain questions that plagued my mind. I brushed the world aside when seeking Him. You can get back to dealing with what religions have to say after you know what God spoke to your heart and taught you.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and then all these things shall be added unto you. Search and ye shall find. Ask and it shall be given unto you.. and one of my all time favorite promises is Rev 3:20. Put your finger on that and ask God to make it real.

 

[Celticflower]

Personally - I started with John then read Luke and Acts. From there I went to Psalms (I like poetry), then Genesis, Exodus, Judges and then to the letters of Peter and Paul. THEN I went back and tried reading all the way thru - a couple of times (didn't always work). Luckily I found a copy of The Bible as Living Literature in which the the text is laid out more like a novel with no verse markings and no columns. It was easy to read and while some stuff (like all those census numbers) were editted out it did include the books commonly found in the Catholic Bible but not the Protestant (so yes, I have read Tobit and Judith). Another helpful version is to find a Chronological Bible. For me this was a great help understanding the prophets better because their prohecies were incorporated into the timeline of the OT record, rather than being stand alone books. You could understand to whom, when and why they were speaking.

Everyone has to find their own path thru the Bible - whether straight thru or by jumping around. I don't think the how is as important as the fact that you are reading it. Either way you are learning.

 

[Lukaris]

I think the Lord Jesus Christ gives us a great framework with His very commands by the golden rule (Matthew 7:12) for that is the OT law & prophets, the command to love God & neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) for on these depend the OT law & prophets. Then the Lord gives His testimony of fulfillment of all that was written of Him in the OT (Luke 24:44). The reason I believe that a framework is needed is because there are parts of the OT books of Exodus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy (in particular) that can be emotionally hard to deal with. Ecclesiastes is a good overview of life.

I would also suggest starting with the New Testament with the Gospels (esp. the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5,6, & 7). As regard to our situation with sin read Romans 1 & 2, an overview of OT history is given by St. Stephen in Acts 7, and the account of Cornelius the centurion in Acts 10 as the beginning of the conversion of the gentiles. Also in awell referenced Bible, read the OT scriptures surrounding the ones that are frequently quoted in the NT.

 

[silence_dogood]

I have just started reading the bible for the first time and I'm a little lost.

Logic tells me to start at the beginning, but I think that may be a little difficult! I couldn't decide, so simply let the pages fall open and started reading Luke.

How do you think an absolute beginner should approach the bible?

If you've never read the Bible before, then starting at the beginning and reading it through like a novel may seem like a logical thing to do, but what you have to remember is that the books of the Bible are not arranged in order, so if you started at the beginning and tried to read it straight through, you're going to be totally confused by about page 3.

I teach the New Believers' class at our church and what I always encourage new Christians to do is to start by reading Romans, then 1 John, then Hebrews. That way, you have a good understanding of what Christianity is and is not, and what it teaches.

There's certainly nothing wrong with beginning in Luke, as some have suggested, but I wouldn't recommend starting there, only because you just get the "what" without the "why" and it isn't going to make sense to you. Luke was an historian, not a theologian, so his Gospel is written in a very stripped down, Joe Friday, "just the facts, ma'am" kind of style. It's important to know that Jesus was born of a virgin, but without reading Romans, you won't understand why He was born of a virgin or why that's so important.

Likewise, unless you read Hebrews, you're really not going to understand why Jesus made some of the pronouncements that He did, why they were so important, or why people got so upset over them.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's terrific that you're reading the Bible. I just don't think you're going to get a whole lot out of it by just picking random passages to read. You'll be much better off if you start in the books of the NT that explain doctrine so that you understand why the Gospels say what they do.

 

[oi_antz]

I think it's fine to read at random, that's how I came to hear God's voice in the Bible when I was converted, I would skim really fast and the spirit would enlighten me through a verse here and there while the rest went over my head. Now that my faith is stronger I find it easier to read those tricky verses such as the six day creation, but for starters I would say as others have, begin with the new testament and just skim over it looking for passages that jump out and give you food for thought. It might also help to watch educational Christian movies or books, which can help paraphrase and give context to the passages. Context is very important, if ever you doubt the message you get from a verse, make sure you read the whole chapter or even the whole book to get a feel for how it was intended to be understood. Make sure you seek help with any questions you have if you find a difficult passage.

 

[food4thought]

I personally started reading from the beginning and kept through to the end, and then re-read it before I was able to believe that God really was talking thru it to me. This worked really well for me because I was a security guard and had tons of time to read : ) Starting in Luke and then reading Acts is good because it starts you off with the most important part: Jesus, His life, death, resurrection, and the beginning of His church.

I think your approach after Luke/Acts should depend on what you think God led you to, and also on how much reading you do. If you love reading then I think starting at the beginning is best as it will give you a complete understanding of what God wants us to know about His work in history and what he is going to do in the future. If you aren't a good reader or have limited time to spend reading, then breaking it up into smaller parts, and I think the bare bones list someone posted above would work pretty well.

Above all, remember as you read that the whole point of the book is to get to know it's Author (hint, not the people that He inspired, but the REAL AUTHOR!)