If you are not a Christian or if you are newly saved and just beginning your journey a question often comes to mind. It is common to ask how to start reading the Bible for it is a very big book with a lot in it. I will help get you pointed in the right direction in a simple way removing as much of the complication as possible.
As you progress forward from these basics then you can begin to explore more in terms of Biblical context and all it holds. The foundations are far more important at the start than many of the deeper things us older people like to have fun with arguing.
If you have found this page a lot of the information on my site is deeper. Feel free to explore but know that at first it is hard to read a map without knowing its legend and marks on the paper. Navigating these deeper topics can be hard for those who have a lot of experience much less someone new to the faith.
Where To Begin Reading In The Bible
Before I get to my main suggestions there is one book that either a brand new Christian or an unbeliever should read. My purpose here is to grow you rather than throw education at you. Galatians is powerful in defining salvation and what it is that saves us. It will answer the question of whether or not good works can save us. As a foundational book it is a perfect for building faith and understanding.
In studying Galatians you will achieve more than learning. You will in turn begin to understand many of the pitfalls that trap so many Christians. The book forces one to place focus on Christ. The middle portion of the book would destroy many denominations for Paul emphasizes that our salvation is not tied to the law or any human effort that we make. I cannot think of a better place to begin reading other than this foundation in Christ.
Now to my three main suggestions for new Christians to begin with further growth. I would tell you to start in Ephesians and then Philippians. The reason why is for more than them being short books. Within them you will learn a lot about who you are in Christ.
With Ephesians you will learn about the Church and the Body of Christ and how we are to interact with each other. Call it a lesson in social etiquette with real spiritual depth. The book of Philippians will take what you have learned from the foundations in Galatians, the etiquette of Ephesians, and then wrap you into encouragement within your journey forward.
Within Philippians you will find many practical concepts which we face in daily life from children to marriage. The book is wrapped in compassion and expressing joy even within persecution. If you enjoy this book you would also find similar context and depth in the epistles of Timothy.
A man named Paul wrote these two books and the insight of his work becomes the cornerstone for much of the faith within our present day. At the time of the writing of Philippians Paul was in prison in Rome yet he speaks of love, joy, and faith. Take your time and begin to study these books in pieces if you like. There is a lot of depth to the passages though the books be short themselves.
To add the third recommendation I would suggest taking this third book one chapter at a time. Begin to read the book of Proverbs. There is no way that someone can seriously read this book and it not change their life. It is powerful yet simple to understand.
As you begin with these books I would suggest that you spend some time in them then move on to Luke or John. You can begin to add in Genesis at this point and Exodus as well. These books are larger not only in text but also concerning events and periods of time.
Please avoid non canonical books at all cost. As long as you stick to the Bible itself you are good. There are many reasons why these alternative books are misleading and should be avoided.
Additional Help
One should never read without having help in learning and understanding. I would avoid the internet in general for your help to start with. The information there is just too broad in scope and in areas misleading.
Yes I know I am online, thus me telling you this does not help me at all but it is true. Yet if there were places to look online for me to suggest I would say gotquestions.org and also answersingenesis.org . I use their material a lot as references within this site.
Those two will get you started for free without throwing you too much at one time and keep you on the right path. This in no way can replace the books you will need but they are not many. I would suggest John Macarthur either in his study Bible or his commentary. If you can get both then that is great.
The purpose in having his work is allowing you to grow into where you need to be at your pace. His explanations are simple but also deep. The commentary states what the text means without agenda or misrepresentation. It is a solid first step.
Some people like having a devotional book as well. I personally do not have devotional books because I spend so much time involved in study and reading. Devotionals are definitely helpful on days when life gets hectic yet it cannot replace genuine reading and study. Yet they can be great for training wheels or when you need to be picked up after falling down. Nevertheless Dr David Jeremiah is a great resource for this.
The benefit to his devotional is not only is it spot on but he has many other resources. If you like radio he also has this. There are just a lot of solid resources which he provides which will inform you and keep you on the right path.
There are a lot of other names and resources out there. Sadly I avoid many of them for different reasons. My reasons range from the individual and material being in error to me just not liking what someone may have. Yet if I were to start someone new down the path what I have given thus far is really the best place to begin.
What Version Of The Bible Is Best?
This one is a hot topic depending on who you talk to. I grew up from a Tennessee Temple and Bob Jones background so it was quite strict when it comes to the resources one uses among other things. In my early years, and even still today I hear the same, there is no other version that should be used than the original King James Version.
So allow me to give you my honest review and opinion here with a lot of time and study behind me. When I am digging deep and really getting into context I use the original King James Version. You will simply find it listed as KJV these days as compared to its newer version the NKJV.
In terms of accuracy to the Greek and Hebrew text in literal translation there is no other which can match it. This is why my background stresses its use. It is also why it is my go to on a regular basis. Yet within my website here you will find where I often link to other versions. Why?
There are other versions that offer simplicity of reading and understanding within a modern English context. Here accuracy is sacrificed for a more general context of understanding for many do not read Shakespeare style literature on a daily basis.
If I were to suggest versions for this there are only two I would offer you. The first is the NKJV as I would call it maybe the number 2 in accuracy. Alternatively I would suggest the NASB version. The NASB is almost a tie in terms of accuracy with the NKJV. John Macarthur has a study bible in the NASB version as well.
Notice I have not listed any other versions. They stray too far from the original text. The NIV became very popular because of good marketing yet it is among the lower bar in many regards. I would say that I would read it only if I literally could not get my hands on what I needed. It is like the spare tire you never hope that you have to use.
I will say that if you can go with the KJV it is what I would recommend first. Use a commentary with it such as Macarthur. In this way as you run into language you do not understand it will have a simple modern explanation in the commentary. This will pay dividends later if you begin to dive more deeply into things using more advanced tools such as Scofield.
Online Pastors Or Television
I just want to get this out of the way. Avoid almost all of them. Too many out there chase one of two things the wrong way and sometimes both. Too many are after money or they promote some kind of false teaching.
If I were to recommend someone other than the names that I have already mentioned I would say listen to Jack Hibbs. The man only cares about being as accurate as possible and there is no political correctness in him. In terms of his material there are few that are as good as he is in any media format. He offers no nonsense simple explanation to truth and it just doesn’t get better. You can find him on YouTube where many of his sermons are posted from his church.
There are others that are out there but too many have either left the ministry or have passed on that were really great. Unfortunately so many of those out there now conform to other standards. If you wish to know what the Scripture states in its pure form the resources I have given thus far will take you there.
How To Understand The Bible
Literally. What I mean by that is just that one word. It is to be understood literally. Yes there are metaphors in the Bible yet it is not a metaphor. It is not symbolic. It is a record of history which has been proven by those such as British Archaeologists that found ancient cities the world had forgotten yet the Bible did not forget.
The problem is that many of those in the media such as on television or online try to play a game. They take some parts literal, other parts they take as symbolic. They believe in evolution but at the same time claim to believe in God. This is like trying to drive a car while holding down the brake. You go nowhere.
It is impossible to believe the lies of men while holding to the truth of God. Either God is true or He is a liar. It is one or the other. There is no in between. Our little human minds like to try and find these gray areas called metaphors claiming this or that is symbolic to what we want.
Removing all of the garbage and junk that mankind places on these texts, the texts are either true or a lie. If they are a lie then why bother? We are either mere animals evolved from an ape and have no moral foundation other than what we make up or we were created for a higher purpose.
We either are inheritors to a Kingdom we do not deserve or we die and leave this world exiting into a black void of the unknown to perhaps nothing. The only thing mankind can offer you in their lie is anxiety, uncertainty, no answers but only theory. They can not tell you why you are here.
In their version there is no purpose to living other than merely to exist. Yet they call people like me crazy. Seriously their ideology would drive anyone into a nut house. Being called an animal with no purpose to existence and that I would die into a black void is like some kind of flipping nightmare. Who is more crazy?
To read the Bible and understand it requires one accept its meaning and definition as God intended it to be given and read. This is why from cover to cover it must be read literally. As time goes by one can begin to explore the evidence which exists within the world to accounts such as creation and the flood. There is far more evidence to creation and the flood than evolution.
Yet the narrative you will hear from the sources around you is not the narrative of truth. If those of power told the truth they would lose their power. It is more profitable for them to sell the lie. After all there is little profit in a book that sets people free to think for themselves.