The Best Way to Read New Testament

A lot of new and seasoned Christians take a story about their attempts to read the Bible cover to comprehend that goes something like this: Information technology was going great as they read through Genesis and Exodus, only somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, they started to get bogged down in details they didn't quite understand. And past the time they hit Deuteronomy, they were done.

While it's true that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and grooming in righteousness" (2 Timothy three:sixteen), we need to recognize that the Bible is not similar whatsoever other volume. Information technology isn't necessarily meant to exist read from forepart 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 variety of different genres or types of literature. These genres all need to exist read a piddling 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 work together.

In that location are a few means to allocate the genres of the Bible, but they typically fall into these categories.

Historical narrative

Books include: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jonah, Acts

While most of the Bible'southward books accept some chemical 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 lot probably heard when y'all were a kid.

Wisdom literature

Books include: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes

Wisdom literature focuses on what it means to live well. Some of the language is poetic and figurative, so it can't e'er be read in the same way that you'd read the Bible's historical books. For instance, Proverbs thirteen:14 tells u.s. that "the didactics of the wise is a fountain of life . . ." This doesn't hateful that wise teaching is a literal fountain, but a rather standing source of intellectual and spiritual nourishment.

Poesy

Books include: Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations

While many Old Testament books contain portions of poetry, these three books are written as verse. Dissimilar English poetry that focuses more on rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry creates an emotional bear upon by focusing on counterbalanced, parallel lines. We tin can run into an example of this in Psalm 24:3-4 where nosotros're told,

"³Who may arise the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴The one who has clean easily and a pure heart,
who does non trust in an idol
or swear by a false god." — Psalm 24:iii–4

Both verses use repetitive lines to drive the point home. To arise to the mount of the Lord and stand in his holy identify both communicate a blamelessness earlier God—and faithfulness is communicated by the comparable ideas of not trusting in idols or swearing by fake 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's word spoken through his prophets. These letters tend to emphasize Israel'south need to repent before they experience the Lord's judgment. When reading prophecy, it'due south essential to sympathise who God is talking to through his spokespeople and the overall bulletin he is trying to convey.

Apocalyptic literature

Books include: Daniel, Revelation

Like some of the Bible's prophetic literature, the apocalyptic writings focus on future events. Considering then much apocalyptic literature involves dreams and visions translated into symbols and imagery, this is often the most hard genre to sympathize—and the easiest to misinterpret.

Gospels

Books include: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts

Sometimes the Gospels become lumped in with the historical narrative books of the Bible, and that makes sense. Subsequently 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 ane approaches the story differently. Luke'south Gospel and Acts are both technically epistles, but they revolve effectually the Messiah and his establishment of the church building, and so they also fall into this literary genre.

Epistles

Books include: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, ane and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude

Epistles are letters, and similar modernistic letters, they're fabricated upwards of a greeting, a body, and a endmost. These messages focus on pedagogy, 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 every bit both history and Gospel. Proverbs is a wisdom book that includes poetic elements. Only the signal is that learning to encounter these books through the lens of genre can help make Scripture reading a lot easier.

And so where do I outset?

Now that you have a better motion-picture show of the Bible as a collection of books, you can be intentional near how you arroyo it. Instead of walking into what is essentially a library and trying to read your way through the books indiscriminately, y'all can read them strategically. As you practise, you lot'll find that with each Bible book that you read, you gain a better agreement of the others.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

The Gospel of Mark

Genre: Gospel
Chapters: sixteen
Total verses: 678

For the Christian, the Bible is ultimately well-nigh redemption through Jesus Christ. Information technology makes sense then to begin your biblical journeying in the Gospels, and Mark'due south is a great place to commencement. Running the length of a longer magazine article, it should take less than two hours to read in a unmarried sitting.

Marking'due south Gospel will give you an overview of Jesus' life without getting y'all bogged down in as well many details. One time you take 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.

Key verse: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life equally a ransom for many." —Mark x:45

The Gospel of John

Genre: Gospel
Chapters: 21
Total verses: 879

Where Marking focuses on what Jesus did, John looks closely at what Jesus said about himself. We find some of the clearest explanations of who Jesus was and what he came to accomplish in John's Gospel account. It's from John's Gospel that nosotros learn that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and simply Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish simply have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Fundamental verse: In the start was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John i:1

Genesis

Genre: History
Chapters: 50
Total verses: i,213

Genesis sets up many essential biblical themes. It'due south hither that we learn that God was responsible for creating the heavens and globe; we witness humans as they rebel against their creator; and we watch God plant the nation of Israel. The entire biblical story of God's working with and redeeming humanity is established in this important book.

Genesis is a genuinely enjoyable read, but we realize pretty quickly that we're reading about an ancient, foreign culture. It's helpful to accept some tools on hand to brand sense of some unfamiliar concepts and traditions. Resources similar the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible  or the NIV Faithlife Illustrated Report Bible  tin can provide a lot of helpful context.

Key verses: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. —Genesis 1:1

The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your state, your people and your father's household to the state I will evidence you.

"I will make you into a nifty nation,
   and I will bless yous;
I volition make your name nifty,
   and you lot volition exist a approval.
I volition bless those who bless you,
   and whoever curses you I volition curse;
and all peoples on globe
   will be blessed through you."—Genesis 12:one–three

Proverbs

Genre: Wisdom literature
Chapters: 31
Total verses: 915

While there is of form theological truth to be plant in Proverbs, it's substantially a compilation of unproblematic instructions for living wisely. Post-obit these principles volition help yous live a life of integrity and virtue.

Every bit y'all're reading Proverbs, information technology'southward important to think the difference between a principle and a hope. For example, Proverbs 22:6 says, "Start children off on the way they should become, and even when they are quondam they will non turn from it." The betoken is that information technology'due south important to be intentional about teaching your values and behavior to your children. But it's not a hope that doing so will ensure a specific result.

Proverbs is full of wise advice virtually living, but information technology shouldn't be read equally God promising sure results for specific behaviors. Remember that the wisdom that the Proverbs offers is broad-ranging and more general in nature.

Key verse: The fright of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and didactics. —Proverbs one:7

1 John

Genre: Epistle
Capacity: 5
Total verses: 105

Since the start of the Christian church, authorship for this letter has been attributed to John the apostle. In this epistle, John makes simple contrasts like light vs. darkness, truth vs. falsehood, and honey of God vs. honey of the globe. This alphabetic character is intended in part to give Christians an assurance of their salvation.

Central Verse: I write these things to you who believe in the proper name of the Son of God so that you lot may know that you take eternal life. —1 John 5:13

Psalm 119

Genre: Poesy
Total verses: 176

The unabridged book of Psalms is total of insight and comfort. Christians throughout history have turned to the Psalms when they needed direction, alleviation, and delectation. Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and shares David's eye for God'south Word. If you're diving into Scripture, Psalm 119 will help you run into what falling in love with the Word of God looks like.

Key verse: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. —Psalm 119:105

Bible reading plans

If yous're brand new to the Bible, it's good to have an understanding of the Bible's message and telescopic before you dig into a through-the-Bible reading plan. Zondervan provides a fantastic drove of reading plans that will give yous a stiff working knowledge of Scripture.

This reading plan starts with an overview of Jesus' ministry, and and then spends a calendar month helping y'all to get to know and sympathise God better. From there it focuses on various topics and readings appropriate for new Christians. By the time y'all're done with this reading program, you're going to accept a helpful understanding of the foundations of God and his Word, which will prepare you for committing to a more than intensive Bible reading plan.

Nearly full-Bible reading plans focus on a year, which is a very reasonable corporeality of time to read through the Bible. The average reader reads about 200 words per infinitesimal. This means that you should be able to get through the entire Bible in a year past spending effectually 15 minutes a mean solar day on this effort.

At that place are a total of ane,189 chapters in the Bible, which means that yous should be able to get through the unabridged Bible by reading three or 4 chapters each twenty-four hours.

Zondervan has a strong plan to become through the Bible in one year. This ane starts at Genesis and goes straight through to Revelation. They too take readings that include a sixty-solar day overview of the Bible, and a listing of non-so-famous Bible stories. Yous can check those out here.

BlueLetterBible.com has some helpful reading plan options that give y'all readings for every solar day of the year. These include the following:

● Canonical plan: While this entire post is written to offer alternatives to reading the Bible straight through, there are people who nonetheless want to follow that method. This plan breaks Scripture into daily chunks for a cover-to-cover trip through Scripture.
● Chronological programme: This plan organizes Scripture sequentially. Equally you work your style through this programme, you'll exist reading Scripture in the bodily guild in which the events took place.
● Old Testament and New Testament together plan: Going through the Old and New Testaments simultaneously tin give you a lot of insight into God's Word. This reading plan will equip you to read both testaments together in 365 days.

How to stick to your reading plan

Allow's be honest; a year is a long time to stay committed to something—particularly when you're working through some of the harder-to-read passages. Here are four tips for seeing your one-year reading delivery through.

ane. Read at the same time every solar day

Habits are built on persistent behavior. If yous're doing your reading at random times every day, information technology's going to be harder to institute a routine. Only once you begin reading your Bible at a specific time of day (and fifty-fifty in a consistent place), it's going to exist a lot easier to follow through.

2. Find a Bible-reading partner

If you're serious about your commitment, find someone who will join y'all. Setting goals with a friend tin make all the difference in the world. Not only will the two of you concord each other accountable for your daily reading, but you lot'll also be able to go deeper past discussing what yous're reading together.

three. Get a Bible you bask reading

Bible reading isn't very fun when you don't understand what you're reading. It'southward incredibly helpful to have a Bible that tin can help you sympathize what's happening (and how it applies to you).

If you're looking for a helpful resources, the NIV Student Bible will provide a lot of insight. Built specifically for students of the Bible, it gives you but the correct amount of assist without overwhelming your time in the Word. And it has its own three-runway reading programme!

Another great resources is The Books of the Bible. Cleaved into iv-volumes and past many of the genres mentioned before, 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 be very enlightening and meaningful.

4. Mind to an audio Bible

For a lot of the church building'southward history, people listened to God's Discussion instead of reading information technology. Sometimes it tin exist helpful to buy an audio Bible, then have a walk and listen to the Bible instead of reading information technology. If you detect that you lot're struggling through your daily reading, consider supplementing information technology with an audio Bible.

With the NIV 50th Anniversary app (bachelor for iPhone and Android), you can read or heed to the total Bible text—and it's free!

Benefitting from God'south Word

The Bible can be pretty intimidating for the new Christian, but it doesn't have to be. Knowing where to offset tin help immensely. As you make your mode through Scripture, you'll detect the assurance, strength, and wisdom that but come from immersing yourself in God'south Word.

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7
NOV
2018

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Source: https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/start-reading-bible/

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