Photo by Nathaniel Shuman on Unsplash.com
If you’re new to the Bible, it’s probably best NOT to just start with Genesis and try to read all the way through from beginning to end. Many have tried and have given up about 100 pages into it –– with good reason, since most of the book of Leviticus is made up of long stretches of legal material that is, shall we say, “uninteresting” to read. Instead, it’s probably better to start by reading select passages that introduce the main characters of the biblical narrative and provide a rough sketch of the entire plot from beginning to end. Below are listed 48 readings from the beginning of Genesis through the end of Revelation, designed to be read over the course of a year. That comes out to 4 readings per month, or about 1 per week, with a few extra weeks to allow for catch-up if necessary. [351 chapters = average of 7 chapters per week]
1. Creation and the Fall: The Story of God and Humanity
Read Genesis 1-4
2. Saved From the Deep, No.1: The Story of Noah
Read Genesis 6-9
3. When Bad Things Happen to Good People: The Story of Job
Read Job 1-3, 29-31, 38-42
4. A Very Peculiar Burning Torch: The Story of Abraham
Read Genesis 11-15
5. “The God Who Sees”: The Story of Hagar and Ishmael
Read Genesis 16-21
6. Sacrifice and Atonement: The Story of Isaac
Read Genesis 22-26
7. Wrestling with God: The Story of Jacob
Read Genesis 27-33
8. Hero in a Foreign Land, No. 1: The Story of Joseph
Read Genesis 37-50
9. A Very Peculiar Burning Bush: The Story of Moses
Read Exodus 1-6
10. The Ten Plagues of Egypt: A Story of Un-creation
Read Exodus 7-10
11. Saved From the Deep, No. 2: The Story of the Exodus
Read Exodus 11-15
12. Saved in the Desert, No. 1: The Journey to Mt Sinai
Read Exodus 16-20
13. Idolatry at Mt Sinai: A Story of Sin and Grace
Read Exodus 31-34
14. Saved in the Desert, No. 2: The Journey to the Promised Land
Read Numbers 10-21, 33
15. Big Shoes to Fill: The Story of Joshua
Read Joshua 1-11, 22-24
16. Disobedience and Deliverance: The Story of the Judges
Read Judges 1-3, 6-8, 13-16
17. Redeeming Love: The Story of Ruth
Read Ruth 1-4; Proverbs 31
18. The Tall King: The Story of Saul
Read 1 Samuel 1-3, 9-12, 15-18, 31
19. The Shepherd King: The Story of David
Read 2 Samuel 1-7, 11-12
20. The Wise (and Foolish) King: The Story of Solomon
Read 1 Kings 1-6, 10-14
21. Idolatry, Idolatry, Idolatry: The Story of the Northern Kingdom [ISRAEL]
Read 1 Kings 16:21-22:40; 2 Kings 2, 4-8, 17
22. Saved From Destruction, No. 1: A Story of Divine Intervention
Read 2 Kings 18-20, 2 Chronicles 29-32, Isaiah 36-39
23. Idolatry, Faithfulness, Idolatry: The Story of the Southern Kingdom [JUDAH]
Read 2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 38, 52
24. Hero in a Foreign Land, No. 2: The Story of Daniel
Read Daniel 1-7
25. Rebuilding the Temple of God: The Story of Ezra
Read Ezra 1, 3-4 [stop at 4:6, then read the story of Esther, then continue with 4:7], 4-10
26. Saved From Destruction, No. 2: The Story of Esther
Read Esther 1-10
27. Rebuilding the City of Jerusalem: The Story of Nehemiah
Read Nehemiah 1-6, 8-10, 13
28. Songs of Worship from Ancient Israel: A Collection of Psalms
Read Psalms 1, 8, 23, 37, 42-43, 51, 63, 103, 139, 148
29. Words of Advice from Ancient Israel: The Wisdom of Proverbs
Read Proverbs 1-9
30. The Messiah Has Come: The Birth of Jesus
Read Isaiah 7:1-9:7; Jeremiah 31, 33:14-26; Micah 5:2-6; Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2
31. The Messiah In the “Deep”: The Baptism of Jesus
Read Isaiah 40; Malachi 3:1-7; Matthew 3, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:1-23; John 1:19-42
32. The Messiah In the Desert: The Temptation of Jesus
Read Deuteronomy 6, 8; Psalm 90-91; Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
33. The Kingdom is God is Here: The Ministry of Jesus
Read Deuteronomy 18:15-22; Isaiah 61; Matt 4:12-7:28; Mark 1:14-3:35; Luke 4:14-6:49; John 1:43-3:36
34. Now That’s a Busy Day: Twenty-Four Hours in the Life of Jesus
Read Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17; John 6
35. Saved from Demons and Disease: The Healing of Jesus
Read Matthew 8-9, 12, 15:21-31, 20:29-34; Mark 5:1-20, 7, 9:14-41, 10:46-52; Luke 7:1-10, 8:26-39, 9:37-50, 13-14, 17; John 9
36. Tales About the Kingdom: The Teaching of Jesus
Read Matthew 13, 18; Mark 4; Luke 10, 12, 15-16, 18; John 10
37. The Messiah On the Mountain: The Transfiguration of Jesus
Read Matt 17:1-19; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36
38. The Messiah, the Giver of Life: Jesus Raises From the Dead
Read Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 7:11-17, 8:40-56; John 11:1-46
39. The Jews Crucify Their King: The Passion of Jesus according to St Matthew
Read Matthew 21:1-28:15
40. “Surely This Man is the Son of God”: The Passion of Jesus according to St Mark
Read Mark 11:1-16:11
41. Just Like He Said He Would: The Passion of Jesus, according to St Luke
Read Luke 19:28-24:12
42. “It is Finished”: The Passion of Jesus, according to St John
Read John 13:1-20:18
43. “You Will Be My Witnesses”: The Ascension of Jesus
Read Matt 28:16-20; Mark 16:12-20; Luke 24:13-53; John 20:19-21:25; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
44. The Holy Spirit Has Come: The Birth of the Church
Read Acts 1-8
45. The Most Unlikely Convert: The Story of Paul
Read Acts 9, 13-20
46. The Author and Finisher of Our Faith: Jesus, the Promised Messiah
Read Hebrews 1, 3-4, 7-9, 11-13
47. “There is Now No Condemnation”: New Life in Jesus
Read Romans 1-8; 1 John 1-5
48. In The Same Way You Saw Him Go: The Return of Jesus
Read Acts 1:1-11; Revelation 1, 19-22
Reading the Old Testament 