I Want to Start Reading the Bible, Where Do I Begin?
A newly baptized Christian posed the above question to me which is one frequently asked by most new believers. There are 66 Books in the Bible and it’s crucial to start where it all began.
From my own experience, here is what I believe will help any bible reader set the right path in their journey through the Scriptures.
Begin Where All Began
Begin with the first book of the Old Testament. Start with Genesis: “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1).
In the New Testament, begin with the gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1).
It is important to start from the origin, God, and His Word. Then, be like a little child open to receive, ready to believe, and willing to obey.
Humble yourself before God, be fully open to hear His speaking, and let His Spirit teach you. This will prevent you from having preconceptions regarding God and His Word.
The One who started all, In the beginning, GOD…
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
So, first and foremost, start with the first five books in the Old Testament as all the seeds are planted there.
This is the sequence I would highly recommend: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, then Deuteronomy, strictly in that order.
Before God and His Word, be like a little child, humble to receive, ready to believe, and willing to obey.
I will not elaborate on the contents of these books in this article as a new believer must have a first-hand encounter with this great and awesome God. God revealed Himself to a new child of His by His pure word.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and (Samuel) did let none of His words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. (1 Samuel 3:19-21)
If you persevere to complete reading these five books, even if you don’t understand some verses at first, you will be so blessed in your walk with God.
Crucial truths will be deposited in your spirit and you will have a solid foundation as you read further on especially when you come to the Gospels in the New Testament.
You will be able to relate what you read in the Gospels for the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance what you read in those first five books in the Old Testament (John 14:26).
The word of God will come alive in your spirit which will bring life to your soul (John 6:63).
How it all started… In the beginning, was the WORD
In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
When you come to the New Testament, I must recommend reading the first five books. Beginning with the word of the Gospel according to John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, then Acts, again strictly in that order. These five books are the solid foundation of the New Testament.
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The gospel of John introduces us to Christ in Jesus as the life with the divinity of God.
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In Matthew, we see Christ in Jesus with the authority of a heavenly king.
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While in Mark, we see Christ taking the form of a lowly man in order to serve man.
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Then in Luke, Christ is revealed in Jesus as the perfect man which God originally intended man to be.
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Finally, in Acts, we experience Christ as the promise of God. He comes as the Holy Spirit to be the power for man to live and move according to God’s command.
Once you complete that, then you are ready to move on to the Epistles of the Apostles.
A warning and a blessing
No matter what other Christians may tell you, no matter how exciting it may sound, do not be curious to jump to the book of Revelations, unless you have read all 65 books of the Bible. That is, from Genesis to the Epistle of Jude for you will not have the proper spiritual grounding to understand that last book of the Bible, the Revelations of Jesus Christ.
All those things My hand has made, and all these things have been, says the LORD. But to this man will I look: even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My word. (Isaiah 66:2)
May you be blessed in your journey with a pure heart to know God, to fear God, to love God, and to serve God. Amen.
(This article was first published on Medium)
