reading the bible regularly is one of the best habits a person can establish because the scriptures are god’s communication to people. However, the Bible contains 66 separate books, many of which have different authors, settings, and themes, and it can be challenging, especially for someone new to Bible reading, to know what order to read the books in. /p>
when it comes to the reading order of the biblical books, it is advisable to start with the gospels, since they are biographies of jesus christ. Then read Acts, James, 1 John, and Paul’s letters. after that, read the rest of the new testament. then in the old testament it starts with genesis, psalms and daniel.
why start with the new testament instead of the old? why read james and 1 john after the gospels? Why start reading the Old Testament with Genesis, Psalms, and Daniel? what is a study bible? read on to find out the answers to these and other questions.
You are reading: Best order to read the books of the bible in
suggested reading order of the books of the new testament
Most of the time, when people start reading a book, they open it to the first page because that’s where the story begins. While Genesis begins the story of the Bible and is a remarkable book, God’s communication to people is ultimately about the person, life, and ministry of Jesus Christ.
why start with the new testament? the new testament tells the story of jesus and the community of believers he established, called the church. the old testament anticipates the arrival of christ through prophecy, typology and omen. however, the new testament teaches readers about his birth, his death and resurrection, and everything that happened in between.
The Old Testament is also much easier to understand after readers have a basic understanding of the New Testament teachings.
the gospels
The best place to start reading the Bible is with the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they are eyewitness accounts of the life and teachings of Christ. because they are biographies of the same person, they contain overlapping stories, but each gospel also has unique characteristics.
john is a great gospel to start with because it is the easiest to understand. After John, the suggested reading order is Mark, which is the shortest gospel, followed by Matthew and Luke.
reading the gospels in any order will help people understand christ better. It is not necessarily the order in which they are read, but rather a person’s devotion to understanding and applying the teaching of the Gospels that uplifts and changes lives.
acts
The reason Acts is a great option to read after the Gospels is that it is a continuation of the same narrative. lucas is the author of the facts, and he intended it to be a continuation of the gospel that bears his name.
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All four gospels end in a similar way, with the resurrection of Christ. Acts begins with the disciples interacting with the risen Christ before ascending to heaven and sending the holy spirit to earth.
acts then goes on to tell the story of the community of believers in christ that the holy spirit used to establish his churchon earth.
Also see How to Study the Bible for tips on how to get the most out of your reading.
james and 1 john
the new testament contains different literary styles or genres, such as biography (see above). however, the genre most found in the New Testament is the epistle or letter. Just as it sounds, letters are written correspondence from one person (an apostle) to other believers, such as an individual or a church.
James and 1 John (not to be confused with the Gospel of John) are great books to read after the Gospels and Acts because they are short, easy to understand, and contain memorable teachings.
- In James, readers will learn about faith and works, resisting the devil, and the power of prayer.
- In 1 John, readers will learn about walking in the light , not loving the world, and testing the spirits.
paul’s letters
paul, an early convert and missionary in the christian church, wrote 13 of the 27 books of the new testament. His writings contain some of the most famous passages ever written (for example, 1 Corinthians 13), but some who are new to reading the Bible may find some of his teachings difficult to understand at first.
Fortunately, reading them gets easier with a little time, practice, and maybe a study bible (more below). Paul’s letters in the new testament are arranged by size. in order, they are:
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- 2 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- 1 Thessalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- titus
- philemon
There is wisdom in reading Paul’s letters in the order they appear, due to the importance of Romans to Christian beliefs. however, if a person wants a suggested reading order based on which ones are easier to understand, the recommendation would be Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, and Titus , 1-2 Corinthians, Romans, and then Galatians.
also see which are the longest books of the bible by chapters, verses and even words.
the rest of the new testament
See Also: Importance of Books in Our Life: Role of Books in Our Life – Leverage Edu
after the letters of paul, people should read hebrews to revelation minus james and 1 john because they appear earlier in the suggested reading order list. Books in this section include:
- Hebrews
- James (see above)
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- 1 John (see above)
- 2 juan
- 3 juan
- judas
- apocalypse
A person can read these books in order. however, a suggested reading order based on which books are easiest to read would be Jude, 2 and 3 John, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, and then revelations.
Study Bibles are a great resource for people who are new to reading scripture. they are bibles that contain explanations of verses on each page, as well as maps, charts, and images. recommendations below.
suggested reading order of the books of the old testament
By beginning with the three books below, readers will grow in their understanding of God’s creation of the world, the invasion of sin, people’s struggles as a result, and God’s plan to redeem and overcome that.
- Genesis: Although Genesis is one of the longest books in the Bible, readers love its stories. The first quarter of the book teaches about the origins of the universe, the earth, people, families, work, and sin. The remainder of the book tells readers about the origins of the nation of Israel.
- psalms: many bible readers consider the psalms one of their favorite books due to the beauty of its descriptions and the way it talks about people longing for god, they fight against sin and live life in a world infected by sin.
- daniel: the old testament prophet daniel is a shining example of faithfulness to god. Readers love stories about Daniel risking everything to defend his faith and survive being eaten by lions due to God’s intervention.
the old testament contains 39 books, three of which are suggested above. one person can read the remaining books in order. if some want a suggested order based on readability, then the recommendation is below.
Please note that ordering is only a recommendation. it may be best used as a starting point for considering which books to read and study.
- proverbs
- exodus
- joshua
- judges
- ruth
- jonah
- 1 and 2 samuel
- 1 and 2 kings
- ezra
- nehemiah
- esther
- work
- ecclesiastes
- song of solomon
- isaias
- jeremiah
- lamentations
- leviticus
- numbers
- deuteronomy
- 1-2 chronicles
- ezekiel
- 12 minor prophets (hosea-malachi , minus Jonah)
also see what are the additional seven books in the catholic bible? why aren’t they in protestant bibles?
what is a study bible?
Study Bibles are excellent resources that new Bible readers should seriously consider. Study Bibles contain explanatory notes to help people understand what they are reading.
They generally include maps, graphs, timelines and images. Every major English translation has a study bible and most have multiple options. recommendations include:
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- the niv study bible (thousands of notes, full color images, maps, etc.)
- the esv study bible (thousands of notes, dozens of articles; fewer images)
- the nlt study bible (thousands of notes, amazing visual aids)