How I Read the Bible

 

One of my regular disciplines over the last 20 or more years has been to be constantly reading through the whole Bible. I take a whole Bible reading plan of some sort (here is a link for a number of different ones), and just start reading. I have only once in my life read through the whole Bible in a year, but I just keep plugging away and generally read several chapters a day.

I miss some days, but on the whole I have become more and more disciplined so that I read more days than I miss. Furthermore, I also try to highlight passages that are meaningful to me personally and sometimes I copy and paste them into a note along with some of my reflections about the passage. If my reflections get longer they end up being a blog post here. 

Generally, it takes me anywhere from 2-3 years to get through the whole Bible and then I start again. I also like to read different versions to get a different flavor and perhaps see things in a new way, but I have repeated some of my favorite versions (ESV, HCSB, NLT). Right now at the end of 2022, I am just finishing up the book of Revelation and the last of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. This time through I have been reading through a "Readers" Bible that did not include verse numbers, and I have also tried to read through whole books instead of chapters at a time. This has helped me to see the flow of specific books and themes throughout books. 

I like reading plans that include some of the Old Testament and some of the New Testament, so I have alternated books this time around. When I do this I often see connected themes that run throughout the Bible, especially how the NT authors use OT ideas. Christianity really is a continuation and completion of the revelation given to the Jewish people. 

If you are a long-time Christian who reads other things or went through college, you really can read the whole Bible, but you may have to take it in smaller chunks and build up your reading muscles, especially as you hit some of the less thrilling parts. I know the habit has taken me a while and I still continue to build it and enjoy it more and more. I find great wisdom and joy in reading God's Word.

For those who may find it hard to read the whole Bible, I want to recommend a new plan that I just found and the I am going to try myself over the next year. 

A Bible scholar named Greg Lanier has put together this redemptive history reading plan which focuses on 13 big Bible themes and pairs Old Testament passages with New Testament passage around those themes. It is only about 200 chapters, so not the whole Bible, but it should give the reader a great overview of the big themes of scripture. If you are just starting out and trying to figure out what to read, I want to challenge you to read along with me this next year. I will try to read a chapter a day, first from the Old Testament and then the New Testament. 

I would bet if you learn to regularly read the Bible, that you will grow in wisdom and knowledge of God, the world, and yourself. Furthermore, there is almost no downside. May you be blessed this today and this year!!