Where to Start with the Bible?

Question:

Where to Start with the Bible?

Im new to reading the Bible, which book should i start with. And should i read it cover to cover.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

The Bible isn't like a novel, so I wouldn't attempt to read it like one. The books don't go in chronological order and don't follow on from each other. Start with the first five books, in order (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). That will give you a general background on God and his people. After that, try reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). They tell the story of Jesus - birth, life, death and resurrection. After that, you can more or less pick whichever book you want to read next, as there is no specific order to them. The Old Testament is all about what happened before Jesus, and is quite similar to the Jewish Torah. The New Testament is about what happened during and after Jesus' life. The book of Revelations (the last one) talks in detail about the Second Coming, and is very difficult to understand as it is very cryptic. You might consider leaving that until last, or at least reading it more than once. Remember that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally, a lot of it is symbolic or metaphorical, or was only valid in the time that it was written (e.g. married men are not allowed to shave their beards - we don't generally live by that any more). Be prepared to find things in the Bible that you won't necessarily understand or agree with. Don't freak out, just take it in, think it over, maybe even pray about it to try to understand it better. It's a big book, written by lots of different people. Good luck getting through it.