How to Read the Bible When You Do Not Know Where to Start

Sixty-six books, written across more than a thousand years, in a few different languages and genres. Deciding where to start reading the Bible is its own small barrier before the reading even begins.

Skip Genesis-to-Revelation for now

Starting at page one and reading straight through is a common instinct, and a common place to get stuck. The early chapters of Exodus through Numbers include long genealogies and legal codes that make sense once you have more context, but can stall a first attempt before it gets going.

Start with one Gospel

The Gospel of John is a strong first stop: shorter than the other three Gospels, written to answer the question of who Jesus is directly, and structured in a way that reads clearly even without background knowledge of the Old Testament first.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

This verse is often used to defend reading the whole Bible eventually, and that is a fair reading of it. It is not a reason to feel behind for starting somewhere specific first.

Add the Psalms alongside it

The Psalms cover the full range of human emotion, from praise to real anger and despair, often within the same chapter. Reading a psalm or two alongside whatever else you are in gives the reading rhythm both a person's honest voice and Jesus' own words in the same week.

One chapter, not one book

A chapter a day is a realistic unit. A book a week is not, especially at the start. Small, finishable pieces build the habit faster than an ambitious plan that gets abandoned by the second week.

Let a plan choose for you

A reading plan removes the daily decision of what comes next, which is often the actual obstacle. Any reasonable plan beats an open-ended intention to "read the Bible more."

Devotional picks the passage for you each morning, so "where do I start" only has to be answered once.