Breaking Down the Bible
The Bible is a book that consists of 66 books, each one important in its own right. The Bible is the Word of God, it has life, when we look for God we can always find Him in His Word. Hebrews 4:12 declares that the Bible is sharper than any double edged sword, that it is alive and active. The Bible is God’s voice, a voice that is alive, active, accurate, precise and effective. However, the real question is, where does one start when first picking up a Bible? They could read it front to back in order to read in chronological order. One could read the New Testament first because it’s more “relatable” to the modern day Christian. You can even read it alphabetically just because. There are so many options but what is the most effective approach?
Well the foundation of our faith is the Father’s and Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us, so that we will not perish but have everlasting life. In summary, because of Jesus' death, God’s children have life. The books that dial in on the life of Jesus including His birth, His development, His ministry, His crucifixion, and His resurrection are known as the Gospels. These books are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They each go into depth on the life of Jesus, who is the basis of our faith, so the gospels are the best books to start with when first reading the Bible. I heavily recommend starting with John because it emphasizes the love and grace Jesus bestowed on each and every single one of us.
After reading the Gospels, I find moving onto Paul’s letters to the churches a great next step. Paul wrote many letters such as Romans, Corinthians, Hebrews, Ephesians, Philippians, and more in order to speak to Christians about the problems they are facing or will face, to teach people to repent of their sins, how to navigate through these problems, and to spread the Good News.
After Paul’s letters, Proverbs is a beautiful book to step into, for it provides God’s very own wisdom. The book of Proverbs gives us council, advice, and causes us to reflect on our lives to see where we can better ourselves. Wisdom is an attribute all Christians need, and Proverbs is the best place to obtain it.
Finally, a final suggestion after reading the book of Proverbs is to start from the very beginning: The Origin of Creation. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy speak about how God created the world and many humanity. They are also books that have the accounts of some of the greatest men of God ever, these books are a testament to God’s faithfulness but also give great teachings.
The Bible is all God’s Word, meaning it’s all free game. However, beginning with the Gospels and following with Paul’s Letters, Proverbs, and the first five books of the Bible is a great place to start to successfully build a foundation on the Christian faith.
