“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15, ESV)
As a pastor, I am often asked how to start reading the Bible. My answer varies depending on who’s asking, but a few principles are important no matter who you are.
The Bible is not meant to be read once. We often read books that way—from beginning to end, then set them aside on a shelf, return them to the library, or take them to the used bookstore. But the Bible is, in many ways, a unique book. It was designed by God to be read over and over, meditated on, studied, discussed, prayed, and applied. We never finish the Bible!
For those new to faith, I don’t recommend reading the Bible straight through as a starting point. Instead, start with the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then read through Psalms and Proverbs. Then read Acts. Then read through the whole New Testament (yes, you’ll re-read the Gospels and Acts). At this point, I’d recommend re-reading Psalms and Proverbs, then do a deep dive and read through the whole Bible. There are some great reading plans to guide you through this.
By the way, these initial reading steps will likely take you two or three years (yes, years) to work through. That’s okay! Part of learning to follow Jesus is learning to make Bible reading a regular rhythm of life… for the rest of your life! We are people of the book.
It’s also important to remember that the Bible is not written in chronological order. You don’t have to read it straight through to understand what it’s saying. For instance, Paul’s letters in the New Testament are arranged from longest to shortest, not in the order he wrote them. So it’s okay to jump around. At some point, you should read it from Genesis to Revelation, but you don’t have to start there.
A third essential principle is that the Bible is not meant to be read in isolation. By its very nature, it is a communal book. I certainly recommend reading the Bible and praying on your own. Daily Scripture and prayer are fundamental to a vital Christian life. But don’t try to do it only by yourself. I find that I am far more motivated in my personal Bible reading when I am also reading it with others. The Christian spiritual life is meant to be walked out together.
Trying to keep these posts under 500 words, so I’ll pause for now. We’ll pick this up in a future post. In the meantime, open your Bible and read something, even if it’s just a verse or two! I’ve been reading through Jeremiah. What are you reading these days?