Where should I start reading the Bible?

Many people decide to read the Bible from the first page to the last. They enjoy Genesis and Exodus, and then somewhere in the laws of Leviticus they get lost and quietly give up. That does not mean the Bible is not for them. It means they started a library by pulling the first book off the shelf.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books of different kinds: stories, laws, songs, prophecies and letters. You do not have to read them in order. A good place to start is the place where the whole Bible points: Jesus Christ.

Start with the story of Jesus

The four Gospels tell the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. John explains plainly why he wrote his Gospel:

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
John 20:31 · King James Version (1769)

Matthew Henry sums up the purpose: these things were written so that we might believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah and the Son of God, and by that faith receive eternal life. John Wesley adds a remark that encourages any new reader: faith sometimes comes by reading.

If you are new to the Bible, begin with one of these:

The Gospel of Mark. The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown calls it the briefest of the Gospels, yet vivid and practical. At a chapter a day you finish its sixteen chapters in a little over two weeks (Mark 1).
The Gospel of John. It was written for exactly this purpose: that readers would come to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and have life (John 1).

After that, read Luke and its sequel, Acts, which tells how the first Christians carried the good news into the world. Then go back to Genesis to see how the story began, and add a psalm now and then (Psalm 23). William MacDonald opens his notes on the Psalms with John Calvin’s description of the book as an anatomy of every part of the soul: every grief, fear, doubt and hope is mirrored there. Leave harder books, like Leviticus or Revelation, for later, when you know the big picture.

Choose a translation in modern language that you understand easily.

Read a little, but every day

When God called Joshua to lead Israel, He told him to keep His Word close and think about it day and night:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Josh 1:8 · King James Version (1769)

Henry explains that Joshua was to meditate on the law day and night so that he might understand it, and that no amount of business excused him from it. Wesley takes day and night to mean diligent, constant study. The first psalm describes the same habit (Psalm 1:2). In Henry’s words, “To meditate in God’s word, is to discourse with ourselves concerning the great things contained in it.”

That is why a short daily reading is better than a long one once in a while. Ten or fifteen minutes is enough. A few simple habits help:

Pick a time and place. Morning, a lunch break or the evening before sleep. What matters is that it becomes a habit.
Read slowly and ask questions. Henry advises that when reading God’s Word we should often pause and ask whom and what the writer is speaking about, and above all think about the Redeemer.
Keep one verse. Write down a verse that stood out and think about it during the day.

If you miss a day, do not give up and do not try to catch up on everything. Just pick up where you left off.

Pray and read with others

Before you read, ask God for help, as the psalmist prayed for God to open his eyes to see wonderful things in His law (Psalm 119:18). Wesley explains the request as asking God to enlighten the mind by His Holy Spirit, and Henry agrees that those who want to see these things must ask God for understanding.

It also helps not to read alone. When Paul preached in Berea, the listeners did not simply take his word for it:

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Acts 17:11 · King James Version (1769)

Henry notes that the Bereans compared what they heard with the Scriptures, and that the teaching of Christ does not fear such examination. Wesley adds that eagerness to receive the Word and careful searching of it go well together.

When an Ethiopian official was reading the prophet Isaiah, Philip asked whether he understood it, and the man admitted he needed someone to guide him (Acts 8:30–31). Look for a church where the Bible is taught, a small group or a Christian friend who will read with you. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

A lamp for every step

You will not understand everything at once. But each day you spend with God’s Word gives light for the next step:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Ps 119:105 · King James Version (1769)

Henry writes that God’s Word directs us both in choosing our way and in the steps we take along it. Start with a Gospel, read a little every day, pray, and do not walk alone. Over time you will find that you are not just reading a book, but getting to know the God who gave it, and the Son He sent so that you may believe and have life in His name.