03 The Bible / Where to start
I've never read it. Where do I start?
A helpful suggestion: start with Jesus. You can begin anywhere, but beginning with Mark tends to make the rest easier.
Why not start with Genesis?
Starting with Genesis isn't wrong. But the Bible isn't a novel and isn't arranged in reading order. Start at page one and you'll hit long sections of ancient legal material within a few weeks — which is usually where good intentions quietly run aground.
Start with Jesus instead. He's the point everything else is organised around, so starting there makes the rest make sense later.
The simplest possible plan
- Day 1Read Mark chapter 1. It's about five minutes. You don't need to understand every detail. If something puzzles you, make a note or look it up.
- Day 2Read Mark 2. Same again. Notice what Jesus says and does, and who he spends time with.
- ThenCarry on through Mark at whatever pace suits you. Sixteen chapters. Missing days is allowed and doesn't reset anything.
- AfterIf you want more, read John next — slower, stranger, more openly making a case.
Any translation works. If you want one picked for you, the NIV is clear and easy to find, in print or free online.
Finished Mark?
Want a longer reading route?
There is no single "correct" order for reading the Bible. You can read any part of it at any time. But if you're completely new to it, this route will help you meet Jesus first, understand what Christianity is about, and then begin seeing how the bigger story fits together.
- 01MarkMeet Jesus
Start here. Mark is the shortest of the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, teaching, death and resurrection, and it moves quickly. It introduces you to Jesus through what He did, what He taught, what happened to Him, and who Christians believe He is.
You don't need any background knowledge. Just read it and notice Jesus. What does He care about? How does He treat people? What does He claim? And why do people respond to Him so differently?
- 02JohnUnderstand who Jesus is
John tells the story of Jesus differently. It spends more time exploring who Jesus claims to be, His relationship with God the Father, what it means to believe, and why Christians believe His life, death and resurrection matter.
Mark helps you meet Jesus. John starts asking the bigger question: Who is He?
- 03ActsSee what happened next
Jesus has been crucified and raised. So what happened to everyone who followed Him? Acts continues the story. It tells how the first Christians began sharing their faith, how the early Church formed, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and how people such as Peter and Paul carried the message of Jesus far beyond Jerusalem.
This is where Christianity begins spreading into the wider world.
- 04RomansUnderstand what Christianity means
By now you've met Jesus and seen what happened after Him. Romans helps explain the meaning underneath it all.
Why does humanity need saving? What is sin? What is grace? Why does Jesus' death matter? What does faith mean? Can we earn God's acceptance? What does a changed life actually look like?
Romans is deeper than the books before it, so don't worry if you need to read parts twice. You are not expected to understand everything immediately.
- 05LukeGet the fuller story
Now return to the life of Jesus. Luke gives a detailed and carefully ordered account of His life, teaching, death and resurrection. It pays particular attention to compassion, prayer, outsiders and people society often overlooked.
There is also a useful connection: Luke and Acts were written by the same author. Luke tells the story of Jesus. Acts tells what happened next.
- 06GenesisDiscover where the story begins
Now step back to the beginning of the Bible. Genesis introduces some of the biggest ideas and people that appear throughout everything that follows: creation, humanity, our relationship with God, sin, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.
You will start recognising ideas that the New Testament assumes its readers know. You do not need to solve every question Genesis raises. For now, understand the story.
- 07ExodusUnderstand rescue, covenant and God's people
Exodus continues the story. You'll meet Moses and read about Pharaoh, the Exodus from Egypt, Passover, the Ten Commandments and God's covenant with Israel.
A lot of Christian language makes more sense once you know this story. Ideas such as rescue, sacrifice, covenant and Passover appear again later when Christians talk about Jesus.
- 08MatthewSee Jesus in the bigger story
Now return to another Gospel. Matthew tells the story of Jesus while repeatedly connecting Him with the Old Testament story you have begun to understand. It also contains some of Jesus' most famous teaching, including the Sermon on the Mount.
By reading Matthew here rather than immediately after Mark, some of those Old Testament connections should begin to mean more.
Where next?
From here, there's no strict order. You have enough foundation to explore according to what you're interested in.
One last thing. This isn't a syllabus. You don't have to finish these books before you're allowed to pray, visit a church, ask questions or explore Christianity more seriously. You also don't have to understand everything you read. Christians who have been reading the Bible for decades still find things they have questions about. Read slowly. Notice what stands out. Ask questions. And keep going.
Or start from where you actually are
Two things that make it easier
First: read it like a story, not a manual. You're getting to know a person, not extracting instructions.
Second: if something baffles or annoys you, that's a normal reaction and not a sign you're doing it wrong. Note it and keep going. Some of it baffles people who've been reading it for forty years.
Still unsure what you're holding? Go back to what the Bible actually is.