For a new Christian being given a Bible for the first time
can be exciting but also a bit daunting. Where does one start?
Let me start by stating that the Bible is no ordinary book.
It’s the Word of God. From start to finish it’s God’s words to humankind, written
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the hands of people. The word of God
is powerful. It touches hearts and minds and influences in a way that no
ordinary book can.
There are lots of programs online for Bible reading and
study and these can be very helpful. However the sheer plethora of Bible study
aids can also be daunting.
The Bible contains sixty-six books and is divided into the
thirty-nine Old Testament books and twenty- seven New Testament books.
Everything in the Bible, both old and new testaments, glorifies God through His
Son, Jesus Christ and through His Holy Spirit.
The Bible is personal, for each one of us. It is also for
all mankind.
The Bible is timeless. It is history, but it is also for
here and now; and for the future.
Briefly, the Old Testament is the history of the people of
God before the coming of Jesus. Genesis, the first book details the creation of
the world, humankind’s fall into sin and the need for a way back to God.
The next five books detail the laws that God gives to
mankind. This is followed by many books detailing the history of the Jewish
people and their relationship with God, both following Him zealously and
falling away.
In the middle of the Old Testament are five books loosely
termed “poetry” – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. The
psalms in particular are songs or praises to God and are often quoted,
particularly psalm twenty -three.
The last books of the Old Testament are known as the books
of the prophets and they contain many warnings about what would happen to the
Jewish people. They also look to the coming of The Messiah, God’s Son, who
would be a Saviour.
The New Testament begins with the four gospels which
chronicle the coming and life of Jesus Christ. This is followed by the Acts of
the apostles which describes the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment
of the early church. Following Acts, we have a number of books of letters from
the apostles to the early churches describing in detail the way that Christian
life and witness is conducted both personally and corporately in church life.
The final book of the whole Bible, Revelation is a book of prophetic visions
given to the apostle John concerning events which will take place in the future
culminating in the return of Jesus Christ, the second coming.
(For this category breakdown I give credit to biblehub.com,
a resource I use frequently for Bible reading and study.)
So where to begin reading? My suggestion would be to start
with Genesis. Many commentators suggest the gospels, but Genesis provides the
reason for Christ’s coming. In Genesis we have the creation of the world – “In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1. In Genesis we
see the creation of all living things and mankind made in God’s image. We see
the temptation by Satan and mankind’s fall into sin. We read of a global flood,
and learn of some early heroes of our faith. We begin to realise the continuing
battle between the goodness of God and the darkness of evil in this world. Right
from the beginning we see the inability of fallen humankind to keep God’s laws
and the need for a Saviour.
As an aside I will mention how blessed many have been
through Creation Ministries International, Creation.com which upholds the truth
of the Bible and how it is revealed through science. There are many fascinating
articles on its website.
Following Genesis I would read through the gospels and Acts.
The life and teachings of Jesus are central to the Christian faith. In Genesis
we see the need for a Saviour. In the gospels we see Jesus revealed as the
Saviour of humanity. Praise God!
Some people like to read a psalm every day as praise. Some
read a chapter of Proverbs- pearls of wisdom. You can begin to hop between the
Old and New testaments. I personally like to read and study a complete book rather
than chapters of old and new together as prescribed in some reading plans. Read
a lot if you want to, or concentrate on a small amount. It’s often helpful to make
notes or journal as you read.
At this point I would say to a new Christian, do not be
ashamed to read a children’s book of Bible stories. These can be very helpful
by bringing to the fore many of the great heroic episodes in the Bible which
are scattered throughout the sixty-six books. For example – Noah’s Ark; Joshua
causing the walls of Jericho to fall; David and Goliath; Moses and the burning
bush; Samson’s strength; Daniel in the lion’s den; Paul’s conversion on the
road to Damascus. As you read through the Bible you will then recognise these
stories as you encounter them.
Begin each Bible reading with prayer. Ask God to reveal
himself to you and to glorify Him in your life through what you read. Have a quiet
place and regular time to read and read every day if possible. There are many
reading plans, commentaries and study guides which can help you. Remember that
God’s word is a living word. It offers new and fresh insights each time you
read it and meditate upon it.
May you be blessed as you read.
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