What Book of The Bible to Start With to Get The Most Benefit
When I started actually sitting down and studying the Bible on my own, I started with the book of Isaiah. Yeah, not the best place to start. But let me tell you where I’d start if I could begin again.
As a whole the best book of the bible to start with is Luke. As a gospel it will provide the most benefit as it tells the culmination of the biblical story, i.e. Jesus, while including enough details to understand the context behind the larger story of the Bible, namely the need for Jesus in the first place.
So, Luke is the best place to start. But why? And which translation will help beginners gain the most benefit?
The Best Book of the Bible For Beginners
Most Christians, when asked, will recommend a gospel to beginners as the best place to start reading the Bible. Typically, they’ll pick Matthew or John. But not me. I pick Luke, and here’s why.
Luke is written to Genitles, non-Jewish people, which would include most people reading the Bible today. Therefore, Luke does a little more explaining of the Jewish customs and words than Matthew or John.
Luke’s account is very detailed. He took the time to gather and ensure highly detailed, accurate information about the events that happened.
Luke is also the author of Acts. Acts is like the sequel to Luke. These two books would provide a great help in understanding the rest of the New Testament books.
Perhaps most importantly, Luke’s gospel provides enough detail to understand the significance of Jesus’ arrival on earth without the need of reading other books.
Mary and Zechriah’s songs in Luke 1 describe God’s character, His relationship with these people, the promises He made to them, and the importance of Jesus’ birth. In short, they provide enough background knowledge to understanding why Jesus’ birth was such a big deal.
Lastly, Luke also focuses on the need and cost of choosing to follow Jesus. But in doing so he does not leave out the benefit that comes with following Jesus.
The Easiest Bible To Read For Beginners
Now, that we’ve determined Luke as the best place to begin reading the Bible. What is the easiest Bible to read for beginners? Bible translations are not typically broken into grade level categories like educational material such as textbooks.
Rather, Bible translations are broken down into categories based on their approach to translating the original Hebrew and Greek into modern languages. These categories are:
- Formal Equivelent: A more word-for-word translation style.
- Functional/Dynamic Equivelent: A more thought-for-thought translation style, and
- Paraphrase: Uses more contemporary language, highly thought-for-thought.
Let’s look at a chart with four of the most common bible translations, what category they are in, and what grade level could go with them.
| New International Version (NIV) | Dynamic/Formal | 7+ grade level |
| English Standard Version (ESV) | Formal | 10+ grade level |
| New Living Translation (NLT) | Dynamic | 6+ grade level |
| King James Version (KJV) | Formal | 12+ grade level |
The New Living Translation is a great, easy translation for beginners. As you can see, it’s written at a sixth grade reading level, with a thought-for-thought approach. This makes the NLT one of the easiest bibles to read and understand on the market today.
(Plus, fun fact: The NLT was actually made to be read out loud. So, read it out loud to yourself. After all, studies show that reading out loud can help with reading comprehension).
The Best Order to Read The Books of The Bible For New Believers
The following lists are the best order to read the books of the bible, for new believers or beginners in Bible study alike. I have made two lists, one for the Old Testament and one for the New Testament.
What I have tried to do when creating these lists was to establish a foundation, then reinforce that foundation, then explain the foundation and how it relates to or works out in life, remember the foundation, reflect on the foundation, and conclude by looking to the future.
The Best Order to Read the New Testament:
- Luke
- Acts
- Mattew
- Mark
- John
- Romans
- 1 Corinthians
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- 2 Corinthians
- Philippians
- Colossians
- James
- Philemon
- 1 Peter
- 2 Peter
- Hebrews
- 1 Timothy
- 2 Timothy
- 2 John
- Jude
- 3 John
- Titus
- 1 Tehssalonians
- 2 Thessalonians
- Revelation
- 1 John
The Best Order to Read The Old Testament:
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Numbers
- Job
- Psalms
- Deuteronomy
- Joshua
- Judges
- Ruth
- 1 Samuel
- 2 Samuel
- Proverbs
- 1 Kings
- 2 Kings
- Nahum
- Ecclesiastes
- Jeremiah
- Lamentations
- Song of Solomon
- Leviticus
- Amos
- Micah
- Obadiah
- Jonah
- Isaiah
- Hosea
- Joel
- Habakkuk
- Zephaniah
- Ezekiel
- Daniel
- Esther
- Ezra
- Nehemiah
- 1 Chronicles
- 2 Chronicles
- Haggai
- Zechariah
- Malachi
At the end of the day it doesn’t matter where you start reading the Bible, as long as you start.
