Get the Bible

Where do I start?

Many people begin at Genesis 1 and stop somewhere in Leviticus. There is nothing wrong with that order — it is simply not the order for someone reading for the first time.

Begin with John

The whole of Scripture is pointing at one person. Knowing who that person is first keeps you from losing your way through the rest. John is a book written holding on to that single question, and it says so from its opening sentence.

Your first month

1. Week one — John 1–5. One chapter a day is enough.
2. Week two — John 6–11.
3. Week three — John 12–16.
4. Week four — John 17–21. Reach here and you have finished a whole book.

After that go to Acts, and then to Romans. If you are reading together in a gathering, you can simply use the first-year reading plan.

If you get stuck

• Too many unfamiliar names — do not try to memorise them. Move on. The names that matter come back again.
• Strange original-language words — this translation does not erase the original, so words like ktisis and exousia stand there in the text. If you are curious, the original-language analysis shows how that word is used across the whole Bible. If you are not curious, read past it.
• A chapter you cannot follow — do not stop. Read to the end. It often comes clear later.

Do not read alone

The way it reads best is with someone else. One other person is enough. You could begin this Friday evening.