The Bible – For First Time Readers

Bible sales have increased by 22 percent, with 13 million sold so far in 2024. The reasons given for this are general anxiety about world conditions, the elections, and the rise of artificial intelligence. There have been 5 billion Bibles sold around the world. With a global population of 8.2 billion that is more than one Bible for every two people.

A question to ask is, how many are first time readers? I would venture to say that many are. How many do not have a general understanding of the Bible? With 66 books in the Holy Scriptures where does one begin reading. If you are in one of these categories this article is for you.

A good place to start is in the beginning, in the Book of Genesis. It will tell you about the creation of the world and humanity, that God created male and female  in his image. You will learn how and why sin and evil came about (Genesis 1-4). You will learn about the flood in Noah’s time (Genesis 6-8), and how and why the different languages originated (Genesis 11).

The Psalms is a great book to read for comfort and peace in times of physical ailment or emotional distress. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament, and James in the New Testament, give much practical and spiritual wisdom for daily living.

In the New Testament read any of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, to learn about Jesus and how he interacted with people. You will read about the birth of Jesus (the real story of Christmas), his death on the cross for your sin and forgiveness, and his resurrection from the dead. In the Book of John, Jesus says things about himself which point to him being the Son of God in human flesh.

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, will tell you where the world is headed (Revelation 13), and what to expect in the time of God’s judgment. We are already seeing things in Revelation developing in the world’s current events.

I have given Bible books and chapters to read that I believe will be of the most help to first time readers.

Here is a general overview of the Bible. “Know this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:20-21). Prophecy written thousands of years ago being fulfilled to the exact detail in our current events proves this to be true.

Dr. David Jeremiah gives this overall summary of the Bible: “The Bible is…the story of God’s reign over creation through humanity. The story opens with a happy beginning (Genesis 1-2). But a crisis occurs with the entrance of Satan and sin. God’s solution…is the promise of a coming Redeemer who will deal with the sin problem and restore God’s original plan for His creation…The climax of the story is the arrival of the Redeemer, Jesus, on earth to die for sinful humanity and rise from the dead. In the end everything comes full circle when Jesus returns to earth to rule and reign over the world.” *

As important as it is to begin reading the Bible, you need to get to know the author of it, God, by accepting Jesus as your personal Savior. “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…” (I Timothy 2:5-6).

(*Dr. David Jeremiah, After The Rapture, An End Times Guide to Survival, W Publishing Group, 2022, page 164)