Most people who want to read the Bible open to Genesis 1 and quit somewhere around Leviticus 6.
It is not a lack of discipline. It is a lack of strategy.
The Bible is a library of 66 books written across 1,500 years in three languages, across multiple genres, by dozens of authors.
Reading it straight through from the first page to the last is not the only option, and for a beginner, it is rarely the most effective one.
This guide gives you several approaches, ranked by how well they serve someone starting from scratch.
The Problem With Starting at Genesis
Why the Cover-to-Cover Approach Stalls for Beginners
The first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, contain narrative, law, genealogy, ritual code, census records, and poetry, all woven together.
A new reader who does not yet understand what the Bible is, how it works, or who Christ is will encounter material in Leviticus and Numbers that feels completely disconnected from anything they care about.
By Deuteronomy, they are either confused or bored or both.
This does not mean Genesis through Deuteronomy is not important.
It is foundational.
But it is not the best starting point for someone who has not yet established why the book matters at all.
The Better Starting Point Is the Person at the Center
Everything in the Bible points to Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament anticipates him. The Gospels reveal him. The epistles explain him. Revelation culminates in him.
A beginner who starts with the Gospels immediately encounters the person who gives every other part of Scripture its meaning.
Once you know who Jesus is, the Old Testament becomes a story you want to read because you now know where it is going.
The Recommended Order for Beginners
Step One: Start With the Gospel of John
John is the most theologically reflective of the four Gospels.
It was written specifically so that readers would believe that Jesus is the Christ and that in believing, they would have life in his name.
“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” — ESV, John 20:31
John explains himself. He tells you what he is doing and why.
He begins with a theological prologue that establishes Jesus as the eternal Word who became flesh, then moves into ministry, miracles, teaching, the Last Supper discourse, the Passion, and the resurrection.
By the end of John, you know who Jesus is, what he claimed, what he did, and what it means for you.
Step Two: Read the Book of Acts
Acts picks up exactly where the Gospels leave off.
It shows what happened after the resurrection: the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the birth of the early church, and the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem outward to Rome.
It provides the historical context for understanding why the New Testament letters were written and to whom.
Acts reads like an adventure narrative. It is the most propulsive book in the New Testament and one of the easiest for new readers to stay engaged with.
Step Three: Read a Short Epistle
After Acts, pick one of Paul’s shorter letters before attempting the longer ones.
Philippians is an excellent choice. It is four chapters, written from prison, filled with joy, and practically applicable to daily life.
Alternatively, James is a strong option. It is practical, direct, and addresses the relationship between faith and action in simple, memorable language.
These letters show you what Christian living looks like after the Gospels have established who Jesus is.
Step Four: Read the Other Three Gospels
With John already read, the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, become richer reading.
Mark is the shortest and most action-oriented, moving from scene to scene with urgency.
Luke is the most comprehensive historically and gives the most attention to women, the poor, and the outsider.
Matthew is written most explicitly for a Jewish audience, filled with Old Testament connections that will begin to make sense as your familiarity with Scripture grows.
Step Five: Read Genesis, Psalms, and Proverbs
Now, with the New Testament foundation established, go back to the Old Testament starting points.
Genesis provides the foundation for understanding the fall, the covenant with Abraham, and the storyline that runs through the entire Bible.
The Psalms provide a vocabulary for prayer and worship, covering every human emotion from ecstasy to despair, and showing you how to bring all of it to God.
Proverbs gives practical wisdom for daily life in digestible, memorable sentences.
These three books together cover the narrative foundation, the devotional life, and the practical wisdom dimensions of the Old Testament.
Step Six: Read Romans
Romans is Paul’s most systematic explanation of the gospel.
It covers sin, justification, faith, grace, law, election, the sovereignty of God, practical Christian living, and the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in one continuous argument.
It is dense but enormously rewarding for a reader who has now spent time in the Gospels, Acts, and a few letters.
After Romans, the rest of the New Testament epistles will feel like filling in the details of a framework you already have.
Step Seven: The Historical Books of the Old Testament
At this point the reader is ready to engage with the Old Testament story in sequence.
Joshua, through 2 Chronicles, tells the story of Israel in the promised land: the conquest, the period of the judges, the monarchy, the divided kingdom, and the exile.
These books make sense once you understand the covenant with Abraham established in Genesis and the Law given through Moses.
They also begin to show you why Israel repeatedly failed and why the solution had to be someone greater than any king they could produce.
Alternative Approaches Worth Knowing
The Chronological Reading Plan
A chronological Bible rearranges the text according to the historical sequence of events, interweaving Psalms and Proverbs into the relevant periods of Israel’s history.
This approach helps readers understand the context of each book without requiring them to do that research themselves.
It is particularly helpful for people who already have some familiarity with the Bible and want to see the whole story in order.
The M’Cheyne Plan
Robert Murray M’Cheyne designed a reading plan in 1842 that takes a reader through the New Testament and Psalms twice and the Old Testament once in a year.
It requires reading four chapters a day from different parts of the Bible simultaneously, which keeps the reading varied and prevents the extended stretches of difficult Old Testament law from becoming a wall.
Reading One Book at a Time Slowly
Some readers do better by choosing one book and reading it repeatedly before moving on.
Read the Gospel of John once through, then read it again, then read it a third time before continuing.
This approach builds depth rather than breadth and is especially useful for people who tend to read quickly without retaining what they have read.
A Practical Word About Translations
Which translation you read matters more for beginners than it does for experienced readers.
The King James Version is beautiful, but it uses vocabulary and sentence structures that create a barrier to comprehension for modern readers.
For beginners, the NIV, NLT, or CSB strikes the best balance between accuracy and readability.
Once you have spent significant time with the Bible in a readable translation, moving to the ESV for its word-for-word accuracy becomes a natural next step.
A Prayer Before You Begin: Lord, Open What You Have Written to Me
Father, this book is not like other books.
It is your Word, and every part of it was breathed out by you for a reason.
I come to it as someone who does not yet know it well, asking you to be my teacher.
Give me understanding that goes beyond comprehension.
Let what I read become something I believe, something I live, and something that changes how I see everything else.
Guard me from treating this as an academic project and let it become a relationship with the God who wrote it.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Questions Beginners Ask About Reading the Bible
What is the best place to start reading the Bible for the first time?
The Gospel of John is the most recommended starting point for beginners. John wrote specifically so readers would believe in Jesus, and he explains what he is doing as he goes. Starting with John establishes the person at the center of all of Scripture before you encounter the rest.
Should I read the Bible from beginning to end?
It is one option, but not the best for most beginners. Starting in the New Testament, particularly the Gospels, provides context that makes the Old Testament much more understandable. Many experienced Bible readers recommend establishing who Jesus is before reading the Old Testament’s anticipation of him.
How long does it take to read the entire Bible?
Reading at a comfortable pace of 15 minutes per day, most people complete the entire Bible in about a year. At a faster pace of 30 to 40 minutes daily, it can be done in approximately 3 months. A one-year reading plan averages about 3 to 4 chapters per day.
What is the easiest Bible to read for beginners?
For readability, the New Living Translation (NLT) and the New International Version (NIV) are consistently recommended for beginners. The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is also accessible. These translations use contemporary language while maintaining accuracy. The English Standard Version (ESV) is slightly more formal but popular among those who want more precision.
How do I stay consistent when reading the Bible daily?
Fix a specific time and location. Read immediately after waking up or at another non-negotiable daily moment. Start with a short, achievable commitment, such as one chapter per day, rather than an ambitious one that becomes unsustainable. Using a structured plan removes the daily decision about what to read, significantly reducing friction.
Resources Behind This Guide
Whitney, D. S. (2014). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. NavPress.
Fee, G. D., & Stuart, D. (2003). How to read the Bible for all its worth. Zondervan.
Best order to read the Bible for beginners. (2026). Bible Momma.
What order should I read the Bible? (n.d.). GotQuestions.org.
Best Bible reading plans for beginners. (2025). The Bible Outlined.
Where to start reading the Bible. (2024). Crossway Blog.
The best reading plan for first-time Bible readers. (2025). Rooted Bible Journal Blog.
Best order to read the Bible for beginners. (2025). Bible Study for You.
