Christians have a special relationship with the Bible. It is not just a book that we read once and put aside. it’s one we look forward to returning to regularly for insight, inspiration, and guidance.
You are reading: Bible books in chronological order
The challenge we face is maintaining consistent exposure to scripture without developing a “I was there and I read that” mentality. Finding new ways to approach the Bible prevents us from the kind of familiarity that makes reading it a chore.
reading the bible chronologically can be a refreshing way to see it with new eyes. We might think that because the Bible begins with creation and ends with revelation, it is already presented sequentially, but it is not. reading it in the order events occurred can equip us to understand its narrative more clearly and see it from a new perspective.
Why isn’t the Bible in chronological order?
It is important to remember that the Bible is a collection of writings. no one sat down and said, “let’s write the bible from cover to cover.” The scrolls that make up the books of the Bible were written by more than 30 authors and accumulated over thousands of years.
These books were organized by literary genre:
- the books of moses (from genesis to deuteronomy)
- the history books (from joshua to 2 chronicles)
- the books of wisdom (from the work until the singing of songs)
- the prophets (from isaiah to malachi)
- the gospels (from matthew to acts)
- the epistles (from romans to Judas)
- final prophecy (revelation)
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at the beginning, the bible is in chronological order. If you read the books of Moses in the order they appear, you are reading the Bible story in its correct sequence. and of course the old testament is chronologically prior to the new testament. but eventually you’ll get to places where the timelines intertwine or overlap. And there is a benefit to this arrangement, in that, for example, stopping to read a prophet can give you insight into a historical narrative, and reading one of Paul’s epistles can clarify events in factual history.
why time reading can be fun and insightful
Almost everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, but what if you could hear David talk about that story from his perspective? you may! psalm 151 is a short psalm (not included in the standard hebrew bible or our old testament, but can be found in the deuterocanonical books or online) where david talks about defeating goliath and removing misfortune from israel.
what if you could get information about nathan’s confrontation with david about bathsheba? Reading Psalm 51 after 2 Samuel 12 gives you a poignant look at the extent of David’s repentance. He also connects a clear cause-and-effect relationship between Nathan’s rebuke and David’s response. here is a potential timeline for each psalm.
Like most prophets, it’s easy to read the Book of Amos as a floating prophecy without understanding its place in the Israelite narrative, but 2 Kings 14:23-29 gives it an anchor. Reading the prophecy of Amos where it occurs historically (Amos prophesied during Jeroboam’s reign) contextualizes the prophet’s words.
That’s why reading the Bible chronologically offers new insights and perspectives on passages you may already be familiar with.
bible gateway provides a useful chart for discerning where the books of the old testament prophets would have landed in israel’s timeline.
reading the epistles with facts
more than 25 percent of the new testament was written by the apostle paul, and all of his letters fit into the narrative that luke provides in the facts. Reading Paul’s epistles as we read along with his missionary journeys can give us a new appreciation of his relationship with these churches and their backstory.
In Acts 17, we read about some of the struggles Paul went through planting the church in Thessalonica. This provides a perfect backdrop for reading his first and second letters to the Thessalonian churches.
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blueletterbible.org provides a helpful chronology of the New Testament beginning with the second chapter of Acts.
a chronological reading plan
If you’re wondering where to start reading the bible chronologically, check out some of the links above. You can also check out the NIV’s Bible Once Daily Chronological Edition: E-Book Chronological Edition, which divides the Bible into 365 sequential readings in chronological order, making it one Bible reading ideal for a year. plan.
another great resource is the niv chronological study bible which presents the scriptures in chronological order with full-color notes, articles, and graphics that connect the reader to the history and culture of the nivs. Biblical times.
You can also see this year-long reading plan from blueletterible.org.
gain a firmer understanding of the scriptures
If you want to develop a better understanding of the Bible and God’s salvation history, reading the Bible chronologically will help. It will increase your appreciation for God’s patience and love for His people and reinforce a deeper admiration for God’s story—and your place in it!
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See Also: Robert B. Parker – Book Series In Order