spending time in the word of god is very important to grow your faith! If you are a new Christian or just new to bible study, you may be wondering “which book of the bible should I read first?”
while there may not be right answers, there are definitely wrong answers (looking at your song of solomon and revelation)!
You are reading: Books of the bible to read first
the bible tells a big story, but it is also made up of smaller stories in a total of 66 biblical books by more than 40 human authors.
Think of the Bible as a river that flows in only one direction. You don’t want to drop completely into the middle of the stream where the water is flowing fast and you have no idea what’s going on, but there are also plenty of easy spots where the water slows down and it’s a good time to jump.
new testament books to start reading
The New Testament is a great place to start reading as the story of Jesus’ coming into the world begins! Everything else in the Bible points back to Jesus, so for those new to the faith or just curious about the faith, the Gospels (the first four books of the New Testament) are a great place to start!
1. gospel of john
john is my favorite of the gospels and maybe my favorite book in the whole bible. the first chapter is so incredibly beautifully written! the book of john highlights the deity of jesus as the son of god.
It also has really beautiful themes and light versus dark images woven throughout.
the book of john also has the most popular bible verse, john 3:16, which is such a beautiful summary of the gospel!
Because God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
the life of jesus is recounted in this book, his many interactions with people, his miracles, the parables of jesus, the lessons he shared with his disciples, his death, his resurrection and the subsequent time until he ascended to heaven .
2. Gospel of Mark
the book of mark is the shortest gospel and is a great place to start reading the bible for the first time because it is short, powerful and to the point.
mark’s gospel focuses on jesus as the son of man and the servant. It has a slightly different perspective than the other Gospels and the humanity of Jesus is highlighted more than any other book in the Bible.
The other two gospels, the book of luke and the book of matthew are also good places to start reading the bible! it was so hard to choose between all of them. Matthew was written by former tax collector and disciple of Jesus, Matthew and emphasizes Jesus as the King and Messiah for the Jewish people.
The Gospel of Luke was written from firsthand eyewitness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. luke was a doctor and his account also contains tons of beautiful details of jesus.
3. minute book
The story of the early church continues to unfold in the book of Acts. we see the holy spirit entering the new believers and how god spreads the message of jesus throughout the world.
This helps frame the continuing story of the Gospels and see how deeply Jesus impacted his followers and the impact they had on the entire known world.
When I read this book, I am constantly challenged and encouraged by the acts of the early church!
4. book of ephesians,3,0.51
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the book of ephesians was written by the apostle paul and is an excellent introduction to paul’s letters (he wrote almost half of the entire new testament!).
Ephesians begins with a beautiful explanation of God’s grace and love and then moves on to Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus. he ends with practical teachings on so many different types of relationships and encouragements to stay strong in spiritual warfare.
one of my favorite verses from ephesians is…
because we are his workmanship, created in christ jesus for good works, which god ordained in advance so that we put them into practice.
It’s a short book (only 6 chapters), but it’s incredibly dynamic and uplifting to read.
6. book of james
james is a great book, it’s practical and powerful, and it’s a good place to start reading the bible!
james was written by the half brother of jesus, who also became one of the leaders of the church in jerusalem. James did not believe in Jesus until Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection. james is another relatively easy and short read, but you can also slow down and spend a lot of time on it.
One Bible study on James I recommend if you want to dig deeper is James: Mercy Triumphs Bible study by Beth Moore!
books of the old testament
1. book of psalms
This is one of my favorite books in the bible, hands down! the book of psalms is the songbook of the hebrew people, remembering their joy, sadness and hope for hundreds of years. it is a great honor to hold and read such a valuable book.
There is so much honesty and emotion in the psalms.
The Psalms are full to the brim with God’s promises which is why I love this book so much!
I created my 30 day bible study to claim god’s promises after spending the summer reading psalms. I found the most powerful promises for Christian women today and in this Bible study we spent 30 days immersing and meditating on them.
Psalms is a great place to start reading because the Psalms are simple and heartfelt. Reading them helps me feel seen, known, and loved exceedingly by the God of the universe.
2. book of genesis,
The first book of the bible is a great place to start reading the bible! You see the origin of the universe and humanity’s need for a savior, Jesus. in genesis you meet the patriarchs, the founders of the nation of israel and see how god raises up a faithful man, abraham, to bring about the rescue of the entire world.
perhaps the most famous verse in genesis is the first…
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..
3. book of exodus
In Exodus we follow the continuing story of the nation of israel as they fight slavery in egypt, how god freed them and then led them to the promised land. of course, it’s a great genesis follow up!
parts of the exodus are really hard to read, it’s frustrating to read how stubborn and ridiculous the people of israel are, but their story is a great teacher.
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in the desert god guides them and loves them tirelessly. he is passionate about her pure devotion to them and what is best for them.
4. book of ruth
The Book of Ruth is an impressive love story that illustrates God’s love and faithfulness. it’s a nice easy read and you can easily finish the whole book in one sitting.
Ruth is presented as an ideal woman and Boaz as her protector and provider. It is truly one of the most beautiful love stories in the bible!
5. book of proverbs
the book of proverbs is full of practical advice for the christian life. It has 31 chapters and reading one chapter a day for a month is a great place to start your bible reading.
the proverbs focus on contrasting wisdom and folly. Wisdom is found in the fear of the Lord and foolishness is seen in laziness, in sexual sin, in pride and in living a life apart from God.
a familiar verse in proverbs is…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
How to Approach Reading the whole Bible
once you have read a few books of the bible, I recommend that you read the whole bible in its entirety. It may seem intimidating, but you can do it!
Recently, I have read the bible in chronological order using a bible app, youversion with the bible reading plan called bible recap. There’s also a daily podcast to listen to that helps explain more difficult passages and gives you additional context for what you’re reading.
(which is especially useful in prophetic or discouraging books like the judges).
which version of the bible to read for the first time?
I read the new international version more often. it’s a great translation and I also like the new living translation – it’s very conversational, which makes it great for longer passages!
you can see a review of one of my current favorite bibles: the truth bible that she reads
Starting to read the bible for the first time is really intimidating, but knowing where to start helps tremendously. I always encourage people to read with a journal in hand so they can jot down thoughts, questions, verse highlights, and sentences as they read the word.
To learn more about bible study, check out these articles and be sure to grab their free bible study worksheets to guide you through your bible reading.
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