Begin with Jesus
Start with Mark. It is the shortest Gospel and moves at a lively pace through Jesus’ teaching, healings, death and resurrection. Mark opens by calling this story good news about Jesus, which makes it a clear and welcoming first doorway into Scripture (Mark 1:1).
Then read Luke. Luke gives more space to Jesus’ birth, his parables, his care for people on the margins, and the road to the cross. He explains that he carefully examined the accounts available to him so that his reader could know the reliability of what they had heard (Luke 1:1-4).
Take your time. One chapter a day is enough. If a passage puzzles you, write down the question and carry on. Understanding grows as you read the wider story.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Read the story of the first church
After Luke, go straight to Acts. It is written as Luke’s follow-up account and begins after Jesus’ resurrection, as his followers receive the Holy Spirit and take the message from Jerusalem into the Roman world (Acts 1:1-2). You will meet Peter, Stephen, Philip and Paul, along with ordinary believers learning how to live together.
Acts also gives the New Testament letters a setting. Paul’s letters were sent to real churches with real friendship, conflict, questions and pressure. Reading Acts first helps you see why a letter to Corinth or Philippi says what it does.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Go back to the beginning
Next, read Genesis and Exodus. Genesis introduces creation, human rebellion, and God’s promise to work through Abraham’s family so that blessing can reach all peoples (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 12:1-3). Those themes run through the whole Bible.
Exodus tells how God heard Israel’s suffering in Egypt and rescued them from slavery (Exodus 3:7-10). It also introduces covenant, the committed relationship God formed with his people. You do not need to master every law on your first pass. Follow the main story, and return to difficult sections later.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Add prayer, wisdom and letters
Read a Psalm every few days alongside the larger books. Psalms give honest language for delight, fear, grief, anger and trust. Psalm 23 pictures God as a shepherd who guides and cares for his people (Psalm 23:1-4). Proverbs works well in small portions too. Its opening says that these sayings are meant to grow wisdom and understanding, not simply be rushed through (Proverbs 1:1-5).
When you are ready, read John, then Ephesians, Philippians, James and 1 John. John explains his purpose clearly: he records signs so readers may come to trust Jesus and find life in him (John 20:30-31). The letters show what trusting Jesus looks like in everyday relationships, hardship, work, prayer and hope.
There is no single holy reading order. Some people connect most easily with Matthew, while others prefer Luke. The best plan is one you can keep returning to. Read with curiosity, ask honest questions, and let the Bible speak in its own order as well as yours.