Some ideas on how to begin reading the Bible.

Basic Plan

Read one chapter of the Bible each day.

If you are consistent, you will have read the entire Bible in three years. Here are three different options:

1. You could start reading the Bible from cover to cover.

2. You could read the Bible in chronological order based on the historical timeline of the Bible.

3. You could read the Bible in the order in which each book of the Bible was written.

When you are finished reading, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What did it say?

2. What did you learn about God?

3. What did you learn about yourself?

4. What does God want you to do today about what you learned?

Also, you could write chapter titles to help you remember what you read.

Advanced Plan

Read three chapters of the Bible each day.

If you are consistent, you will have read the entire Bible in one year. Here are two options:

1. You could read the Bible from cover to cover.

2. You could read two chapters from the Old Testament and one chapter from the New Testament.

When you are finished reading, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What did it say?

2. What did you learn about God?

3. What did you learn about yourself?

4. What does God want you to do today about what you learned?

Intermediate Plan

Read ten chapters of the Bible each day.

If you are consistent, you will have read the entire Bible in four months. Here are two options:

1. You could read the Bible from cover to cover.

2. You could read seven chapters from the Old Testament and three chapters from the New Testament.

Intense Plan

Read twenty chapters of the Bible each day.

If you are consistent, you will have read the entire Bible in two months. Here are two options:

1. You could read the Bible cover to cover.

2. You could read fifteen chapters from the Old Testament and five chapters from the New Testament.

Comparison Plan

Read one chapter of the Bible each day from three different translations.

If you are consistent, you will have read the entire Bible in three translations in three years.

Which translations?

1. Try using two formal/literal translations and one dynamic equivalent translation.

2. Try using three formal/literal translations, comparing the differences in translation and/or the differences between the manuscript families.

Here are three options:

1. You could read the Bible from cover to cover.

2. You could read the Bible in chronological order based on the historical timeline of the Bible.

3. You could read a chapter from the Old Testament and a chapter from the New Testament each day in each translation. If you use this approach, then you will have read the Bible twice in three translations in three years.

Proverbs

Read one chapter of Proverbs each day.

1. If you do this, you will have read the entire book of Proverbs in one month.

2. Reading Proverbs everyday can help give you the knowledge that you need in order to grow in wisdom.

3. Some people do this along with their routine Bible reading plan as a way to grow in wisdom.

4. Some people read a chapter of Proverbs and a Psalm each day.

When you are finished reading, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What did it say?

2. What did you learn about God?

3. What did you learn about yourself?

4. What does God want you to do today about what you learned?

Ephesians

Read one chapter of Ephesians each day.

1. The first three chapters of Ephesians teaches us what God has done for us. The last three chapters teaches us what God wants us to do for Him.

2. If you are consistent, you will read the entire book of Ephesians five times in one month.

When you are finished reading, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What did it say?

2. What did you learn about God?

3. What did you learn about yourself?

4. What does God want you to do today about what you learned?

The Gospel of John

Read one chapter of The Gospel of John each day.

1. The Gospel of John is great for new believers because, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31 (NASB)

2. If you are consistent, you will have read the entire book of The Gospel of John in twenty-one days.

When you are finished reading, write down your answers to the following questions:

1. What did it say?

2. What did you learn about God?

3. What did you learn about yourself?

4. What does God want you to do today about what you learned?

One Book At A Time

Read a book of the Bible in one sitting.

1. If you read one of the books of the Bible in one sitting, it will give you a better understanding of that book.

2. Remember the original Bible had no chapter numbers, verse numbers, or paragraphs. The entire book was like one long paragraph.

3. If you do this with narratives like Genesis or the Gospels, it will show you how everything ties together.

4. If you do this with the prophets, it will show you how the prophecies relate to each other.

5. If you do this with the New Testament epistles/letters, you will follow the apostle’s flow of thought with each verse, instead of taking the verse out of context by only reading a chapter.

How To Receive A Free Bible

1. There are free online Bibles available on your web browser or as a downloadable app on your phone.

   Here are a few:

   Biblegateway https://www.biblegateway.com/

   Blue Letter Bible https://www.blueletterbible.org

   YouVersion https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/

2. Attend one of these local churches, and ask if you can have a Bible to keep. Let us know if you still need one.

Bible References

Read the Bible in your own language here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read about the Authorized King James Version (AKJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read about the King James Version (KJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read about the New King James Version (NKJV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read about the New American Standard Bible (NASB) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read about the English Standard Version (ESV) here and its copyright here courtesy of www.biblegateway.com.

Read the Bible in its original Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek languages or Septuagint couresty of BLB www.blueletterbible.org.

The automatic reference tagger courtesy of FaithlifeReftagger www.faithlife.com/products/reftagger.