Overview of the Story of the Bible Reading Plan
A lot of new and seasoned Christians accept a story about their attempts to read the Bible cover to cover that goes something like this: It was going bang-up equally they read through Genesis and Exodus, only somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, they started to become bogged down in details they didn't quite understand. And by the time they hitting Deuteronomy, they were done.
While it'south true that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, rebuking, correcting and grooming in righteousness" (ii Timothy 3:16), we need to recognize that the Bible is not similar any other volume. It isn't necessarily meant to be read from front to back. In fact, the Bible is actually a library.
The Protestant Bible is comprised of 66 books, and many of those books are written in a diverseness of different genres or types of literature. These genres all need to be read a little differently. Starting at Genesis and trying to read straight through without a strategy can get frustrating if you don't know how these books and their literary genres piece of work together.
There are a few ways to classify the genres of the Bible, but they typically autumn into these categories.
Historical narrative
Books include: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, ane and 2 Samuel, ane and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jonah, Acts
While most of the Bible'south books have some element of history to them, these are the ones that are primarily focused on communicating stories of historical significance. In these books, y'all'll find a lot of the Bible stories you probably heard when you were a kid.
Wisdom literature
Books include: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
Wisdom literature focuses on what it means to alive well. Some of the language is poetic and figurative, and then it can't always exist read in the aforementioned mode that you'd read the Bible's historical books. For instance, Proverbs 13:fourteen tells us that "the didactics of the wise is a fountain of life . . ." This doesn't mean that wise teaching is a literal fountain, but a rather continuing source of intellectual and spiritual nourishment.
Poesy
Books include: Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations
While many Old Testament books contain portions of poetry, these iii books are written as verse. Unlike English language poetry that focuses more on rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry creates an emotional touch by focusing on balanced, parallel lines. We can see an example of this in Psalm 24:3-iv where we're told,
"3Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy identify?
4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does non trust in an idol
or swear by a false god." — Psalm 24:3–four
Both verses use repetitive lines to drive the point dwelling house. To ascend to the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place both communicate a blamelessness before God—and faithfulness is communicated by the comparable ideas of not trusting in idols or swearing by false gods.
Prophecy
Books include: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
The Bible's prophetic literature focuses on God'south discussion spoken through his prophets. These messages tend to emphasize Israel's need to repent before they feel the Lord's judgment. When reading prophecy, it'due south essential to understand who God is talking to through his spokespeople and the overall bulletin he is trying to convey.
Apocalyptic literature
Books include: Daniel, Revelation
Similar some of the Bible'southward prophetic literature, the apocalyptic writings focus on futurity events. Considering so much apocalyptic literature involves dreams and visions translated into symbols and imagery, this is often the almost hard genre to understand—and the easiest to misinterpret.
Gospels
Books include: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
Sometimes the Gospels get lumped in with the historical narrative books of the Bible, and that makes sense. After all, their entire value rests on their historic nature. But what separates them into their own genre is that the Gospels focus on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And while all four Gospels concentrate on the life of Jesus, they all have a unique emphasis and each one approaches the story differently. Luke'southward Gospel and Acts are both technically epistles, but they revolve around the Messiah and his establishment of the church, so they too autumn into this literary genre.
Epistles
Books include: Romans, 1 and two Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and ii Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude
Epistles are letters, and similar modern letters, they're made upward of a greeting, a body, and a closing. These messages focus on education, correction, and encouragement for these new first-century churches.
Some books have multiple genres
There's definitely some genre-hopping going on throughout the books of the Bible. Daniel is both historical narrative and apocalyptic literature, and Acts works equally both history and Gospel. Proverbs is a wisdom book that includes poetic elements. But the point is that learning to see these books through the lens of genre can help make Scripture reading a lot easier.
So where practice I start?
Now that you have a better picture of the Bible every bit a collection of books, you tin be intentional virtually how you approach it. Instead of walking into what is essentially a library and trying to read your way through the books indiscriminately, you tin can read them strategically. Every bit yous do, you'll find that with each Bible book that you lot read, you proceeds a better understanding of the others.
Here are some suggestions to go you started:
The Gospel of Mark
Genre: Gospel
Capacity: 16
Full verses: 678
For the Christian, the Bible is ultimately about redemption through Jesus Christ. It makes sense and so to begin your biblical journey in the Gospels, and Mark's is a great place to start. Running the length of a longer magazine commodity, information technology should accept less than 2 hours to read in a single sitting.
Marker'due south Gospel will give you an overview of Jesus' life without getting yous bogged down in besides many details. Once you have an understanding of this Gospel's narrative and all the characters, you'll be able to dive into the other Gospels with more clarity and understanding.
Primal poesy: "For even the Son of Man did not come up to be served, simply to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." —Mark x:45
The Gospel of John
Genre: Gospel
Capacity: 21
Total verses: 879
Where Mark focuses on what Jesus did, John looks closely at what Jesus said nigh himself. Nosotros find some of the clearest explanations of who Jesus was and what he came to attain in John'southward Gospel business relationship. It'southward from John'due south Gospel that we larn that "For God so loved the earth that he gave his one and merely Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish only have eternal life" (John iii:16).
Key poesy: In the beginning was the Give-and-take, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John ane:1
Genesis
Genre: History
Capacity: 50
Total verses: 1,213
Genesis sets up many essential biblical themes. It'due south here that we acquire that God was responsible for creating the heavens and world; we witness humans as they insubordinate against their creator; and we scout God found the nation of Israel. The entire biblical story of God'southward working with and redeeming humanity is established in this of import volume.
Genesis is a genuinely enjoyable read, but nosotros realize pretty quickly that we're reading most an ancient, foreign culture. It'south helpful to accept some tools on mitt to make sense of some unfamiliar concepts and traditions. Resources like the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Written report Bible or the NIV Faithlife Illustrated Written report Bible tin provide a lot of helpful context.
Cardinal verses: In the first God created the heavens and the earth. —Genesis one:1
The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will bear witness you.
"I will make y'all into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name peachy,
and yous will be a blessing.
I volition anoint those who bless you lot,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blest through you."—Genesis 12:1–iii
Proverbs
Genre: Wisdom literature
Chapters: 31
Full verses: 915
While at that place is of course theological truth to be constitute in Proverbs, it's essentially a compilation of simple instructions for living wisely. Following these principles will assist you alive a life of integrity and virtue.
As you lot're reading Proverbs, it's important to remember the difference between a principle and a hope. For instance, Proverbs 22:6 says, "Start children off on the style they should become, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." The point is that it's important to be intentional near teaching your values and beliefs to your children. But it'due south not a hope that doing and so will ensure a specific outcome.
Proverbs is full of wise advice about living, simply information technology shouldn't exist read as God promising certain results for specific behaviors. Remember that the wisdom that the Proverbs offers is wide-ranging and more general in nature.
Cardinal verse: The fearfulness of the Lord is the start of knowledge, merely fools despise wisdom and instruction. —Proverbs i:7
1 John
Genre: Epistle
Capacity: 5
Full verses: 105
Since the beginning of the Christian church building, authorship for this letter of the alphabet has been attributed to John the campaigner. In this epistle, John makes simple contrasts like lite vs. darkness, truth vs. falsehood, and love of God vs. honey of the globe. This alphabetic character is intended in function to give Christians an assurance of their salvation.
Key Poetry: I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you lot take eternal life. —1 John 5:thirteen
Psalm 119
Genre: Verse
Total verses: 176
The unabridged volume of Psalms is full of insight and comfort. Christians throughout history take turned to the Psalms when they needed direction, consolation, and contentment. Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and shares David's centre for God's Word. If you're diving into Scripture, Psalm 119 will assist you see what falling in love with the Give-and-take of God looks similar.
Fundamental verse: Your word is a lamp for my anxiety, a lite on my path. —Psalm 119:105
Bible reading plans
If you're brand new to the Bible, it's good to have an understanding of the Bible's message and scope before you lot dig into a through-the-Bible reading program. Zondervan provides a fantastic collection of reading plans that volition give you a stiff working knowledge of Scripture.
This reading plan starts with an overview of Jesus' ministry, then spends a month helping yous to get to know and understand God meliorate. From there it focuses on various topics and readings appropriate for new Christians. By the fourth dimension you lot're done with this reading plan, you're going to have a helpful understanding of the foundations of God and his Give-and-take, which volition set you lot for committing to a more intensive Bible reading plan.
Most full-Bible reading plans focus on a year, which is a very reasonable amount of time to read through the Bible. The average reader reads almost 200 words per infinitesimal. This means that you should exist able to get through the entire Bible in a year past spending around 15 minutes a day on this try.
At that place are a full of 1,189 chapters in the Bible, which means that you should be able to become through the entire Bible by reading three or four chapters each mean solar day.
Zondervan has a strong plan to get through the Bible in ane year. This i starts at Genesis and goes directly through to Revelation. They also accept readings that include a sixty-day overview of the Bible, and a list of not-then-famous Bible stories. Yous can check those out here.
BlueLetterBible.com has some helpful reading plan options that give y'all readings for every 24-hour interval of the year. These include the following:
● Canonical plan: While this unabridged post is written to offer alternatives to reading the Bible directly through, there are people who yet want to follow that method. This plan breaks Scripture into daily chunks for a cover-to-cover trip through Scripture.
● Chronological plan: This plan organizes Scripture sequentially. Equally you work your way through this plan, you lot'll be reading Scripture in the bodily order in which the events took identify.
● Former Testament and New Testament together plan: Going through the Onetime and New Testaments simultaneously tin can give you a lot of insight into God's Discussion. This reading programme will equip you to read both testaments together in 365 days.
How to stick to your reading programme
Let'due south be honest; a year is a long time to stay committed to something—especially when yous're working through some of the harder-to-read passages. Here are 4 tips for seeing your one-yr reading commitment through.
one. Read at the same time every day
Habits are congenital on persistent behavior. If you're doing your reading at random times every day, it's going to be harder to establish a routine. But once you begin reading your Bible at a specific time of day (and even in a consistent place), it's going to be a lot easier to follow through.
ii. Find a Bible-reading partner
If you're serious about your commitment, observe someone who volition join you. Setting goals with a friend can make all the difference in the world. Non only will the two of you hold each other accountable for your daily reading, simply you'll too be able to go deeper past discussing what you're reading together.
three. Get a Bible you enjoy reading
Bible reading isn't very fun when you lot don't understand what you're reading. It'south incredibly helpful to accept a Bible that tin can help you sympathize what'south happening (and how information technology applies to you lot).
If yous're looking for a helpful resource, the NIV Pupil Bible will provide a lot of insight. Built specifically for students of the Bible, it gives y'all but the right amount of help without overwhelming your time in the Word. And it has its own three-track reading program!
Another great resource is The Books of the Bible. Broken into four-volumes and by many of the genres mentioned earlier, this Bible is free from affiliate and verse numbers that provides a seamless reading experience. When done with a partner or group, this approach to reading the Bible can exist very enlightening and meaningful.
4. Heed to an sound Bible
For a lot of the church's history, people listened to God'south Word instead of reading information technology. Sometimes it can be helpful to purchase an audio Bible, then accept a walk and listen to the Bible instead of reading it. If you find that you're struggling through your daily reading, consider supplementing it with an sound Bible.
With the NIV 50th Ceremony app (available for iPhone and Android), you can read or listen to the full Bible text—and it's gratis!
Benefitting from God'south Word
The Bible tin exist pretty intimidating for the new Christian, only it doesn't have to exist. Knowing where to start tin can assist immensely. As you make your style through Scripture, you'll discover the balls, force, and wisdom that only come from immersing yourself in God's Word.
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7
NOV
2018
Source: https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/start-reading-bible/
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