Let’s say you have heard a lot about the Bible being the word of God. Or maybe a friend gives you a bible and tells you “this bible can change your life”. You already know the bible has a part called the Old Testament and a part called the New Testament. You pick up that bible and murmur to yourself:
“this book really has a lot of pages.”
Some bibles are smaller than others because the printing is really small. Or you may have received a bible which only contains the New Testament. Other bibles have a “lot of pages” for a few reasons like: large print, explanatory notes, and photos and maps.
The purpose of this website is to help you get started. There are two paths to help you do this. One path involves reading books of the bible. The second path is to read and meditate on scripture verses. This second path is included further down this page.
The bible contains 66 books. There are 39 books in the Hebrew (Old) Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.
You might ask “who wrote the bible”? In a very real sense, God wrote the bible. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired mankind to write these books of the bible. In fact, a book was not placed into the bible unless there was general agreement among scholars that the authors had been inspired by God to write what they wrote.
There were about 35 to 40 authors of these 66 books. In the Hebrew Testament, Moses is believed to have written the first five books of the bible. In the New Testament, Paul is believed to have been the author of 13 or 14 books of the New Testament.
Okay, you may be thinking where do I start? Do I just pick up a bible and start from the beginning? I’m going to suggest a different path to follow. And here is why! The Hebrew Testament, in number of pages is about two and a half times as long as the New Testament. Also, much of the Hebrew portion of the bible relates to God’s relationship and covenant with the people of Israel. By the way, I am very fond of the Hebrew testament. But I’m going to suggest reading from both the Hebrew Testament and the New Testament.
Another reason for this approach: The New Testament contains a New Covenant between God and man which is different from the covenant God made with the people of Israel.
Also, if by some chance you need a bible, you can order a large print New International Version bible on Amazon for about $6. Or you could get a New International Version, Pastor Charles F. Stanley, Life Principles Bible for about $34. Although I never met him, Dr. Stanley was my mentor as I began to read and study the bible.
A Tip: Near the front of every bible, you will find a Table of Contents listing the Books of the Bible, and where you can find them. If you place a bookmark or tab on this page, it will be much easier for you to navigate thru your bible.
The following is a link to a fairly easy to use online bible. If possible though, you will enjoy the bible more if you can hold it in your hands.
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/JHN.1.NIV
The following passages would be a good way to start to read the bible. My suggestion would be to read one chapter per day. But, if as you are reading, you may decide to just stop, and bask in what the Lord may be saying to you. Realize our God is a loving and caring Father, who sent His Son to die for us, and gave us a Helper, the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth.
- The Gospel, John wrote in the New Testament
- The Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament
- Genesis in the Hebrew Testament which contains: the Creation account; Adam & Eve; Cain and Abel; Noah and the Flood; the Tower of Babel; Abraham and Sarah; Sodom and Gomorrah; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Rachel; Joseph, son of Jacob, who was sold into slavery in Egypt, by his brothers.
- Exodus in the Hebrew Testament which contains: The Israelites in slavery; God calls Moses; Moses, Aaron and the Pharaoh of Egypt; the first Passover; the Exodus; God provides Manna in the wilderness; Mount Sinai and the 10 Commandments. In chapters 21 thru 31, God gives Moses laws which are “very specific to the Israelites and the covenant God would form with them”.
In Chapter 24, the Lord and the people of Israel make a covenant. The Israelites agreed to keep the Laws given to them by the Lord thru Moses, and God would give them favor among the nations.
In Chapter 32, while God was giving additional laws to Moses on Mt Sinai, the people decided to have a festival which included worship of a Golden Calf. You will read about how God and Moses looked upon this festival.
Chapters 35 to 40 include more laws the Israelites were to keep as part of their covenant with the Lord. - If you are a New Covenant Christian, your covenant is about what you believe Jesus Christ accomplished for you when he died on the cross. It would be a good time for you to read through the letter written to the Romans, in the New Testament. In this book, the Apostle Paul gives excellent teachings on why we can have peace with God through our Savior Jesus Christ.
- Read Isaiah, Chapter 53, in the Hebrew Testament
- The Gospel (Good News) which Matthew wrote in the New Testament
These bible passages will go a long way to get you started. Some people will try to read through the bible in a year. For me, I like to think about and meditate on short passages or single verses. To thta end, consider reading and meditating and maybe memorizing some verses which you find helpful in developing your relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The following are verses from three sections of the bible:
Psalms, Proverbs and Jesus Teachings.
You will see them just below. If you wish, you can print these as they are listed here in PDF format. At the top of the PDF, on the right side, you will see a button that is meant to look like a printer, if you push that button, it should print that page for you.
The PDF below contains 19 verses to help you start. In the bible, there are 150 Psalms. Psalm #117 is the shortest with only 2 verses. Psalm #119 is the longest with 176 verses. Psalm 23 (see above) may be the most well known of all the Psalms.
There are a total of 31 chapters of Proverbs. One of my favorites is Proverbs 3:5&6. (see the 1st Proverb listed below). It is now written on the “tablet of my heart” (see 2nd Proverb below).
As you read the following Jesus Teachings, let me make note of what John the Baptist and John the Apostle said about Jesus:
John the Baptist said: “Look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world.” The apostle John wrote: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus was with God in the beginning and is the very word of God. And Jesus came to take away the sin of the world.