[Original Post: Jan. 1, 2020]
For their New Year’s resolution, a lot of people make the optimistic goal to read the Bible more or to read the whole Bible in a year. I’m all on board with these goals, but I know, like many resolutions, in practice they don’t always make it past February. I want to help change that. I think 2021 can be the year you really get to Bible reading!
What you need, in my humble opinion, is not another Bible reading plan (not that I’m against them), but permission to read through the Bible in a way that suits you personally. There isn’t “one way” to go about reading the Bible this year, but here are some tips and ways you might find helpful in approaching this project.
1) Timeframe Doesn’t Matter
Reading the Bible in a year might sound like a good goal, but it’s not for everyone. If you lack the time or the motivation to dive through several chapters, then don’t go so hard on yourself. I personally try to go through just two chapters a day, adjusted based on chapter length. On weekends I have more time in the morning so I’ll read a bit more typically. I’ve been regularly reading the Bible for about 9 or 10 months, I still have several books to go through.
Just go at the pace that’s best for you–finishing it in a year might be too daunting of a task, but that’s okay. Set your schedule, come up with some rules, and stick to them! Setting goals is great, but make sure they are realistic.
2) Start Anywhere
It actually is legal to start reading the Bible somewhere besides Genesis. No, really, it is! While there are several benefits to starting at the beginning and going right through to Revelation in order to get the full story, it’s not required. A lot of people start with Genesis but then taper off by the end of Exodus, or get overwhelmed with something like confusing laws about your house having leprosy in Leviticus (Lev. 14, look it up). Besides, a lot of people who make it a yearly goal to read their whole Bible (but who don’t get far) have finished Genesis so often it might get boring for them.
My suggestion is to start somewhere else! My wife last year decided to start in the New Testament, then after those books, she went to Joshua and has gone in canonical order from there. After she finishes the minor prophets, she’ll end with the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
For me, I jump around way more. After I read a book of the Bible I mark down a date under the book’s name above the first chapter. This way I know I’ve read it before (and when I did). It does make it difficult to keep track of what I’ve read and what I haven’t, but I like that it gives me variety and flexibility. Seriously, after going through the Chronicles, I really need something easier to read like James or Mark!
3) You Can Skim (A Little)
Look, I’m a Bible scholar and teacher, but I’ll be honest with you: not every verse of the Bible is created equally. However, I do hold firm to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
But since the verses of the Bible came way after the writing of 2 Timothy, I’m inclined to think 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is referring to the ability of the books as a whole, or certain commands, to instruct. It’s not that each word is specifically there to equip you (if that were the case, you’d have to read it in its original languages!), but that a bigger picture of the narratives and laws can shape our hearts and mind.
All this to say: I give you permission to skim over the genealogies or the allotments of land to the tribes or the really ultra-specific laws. Yet, I say this cautiously. Notice I’m not advocating skipping over these parts. You never know what kinds of gems you’ll find. Instead, I mean to say you don’t have to pronounce “Arpachshad” in your head; just move on. With deep study, I do think many of the long lists and “boring” parts reveal compelling truths and theology. However, for your daily Bible reading, they might not readily be beneficial.
4) Doesn’t Have to be Daily
Personally, I think Bible reading should be a daily habit. Not only does Psalms 1:2 say that the righteous one is blessed because “their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night,” but it’s easier to form the habit if it’s a part of your daily routine. All that being said, I can’t come up with a valid New Testament scripture that requires us to get in two or three chapters every morning.
[From Acts we see hints that they studied their sacred texts and teaching. For instance, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship” (Acts 2:42) and the Bereans in Acts 17:11. But those instances are done within the community. Reading privately is a very recent phenomenon, mostly thanks to a large number of Christians being able to read, the mass printing of the Bible, and the modern idea that we can “read Scripture ourselves and use logic to come to the right conclusions.” I do advocate reading the Bible on your own because the Word does shape our souls. But ultimately the Bible belongs to the Christian community–not us personally.]
With all of this said, your schedule might not allow getting to dig into the Word every day, maybe because of travel, weird work hours, or kids. That’s perfectly fine. Maybe you do every other morning, or for an hour at night, or just dedicate the weekends to the Bible. One thing I highly recommend is finishing a whole book of the Bible in one sitting. This way you can see the themes, the message, and character development throughout it. Many of the letters in the NT are easy to read quickly. Also, I can attest that the Gospel of Luke only takes a little over two hours to read in full (I read it in two sittings on the same day). If your schedule allows you to consume a large chunk of Scripture only every few days, that’s totally legal.
5) You Don’t Have to READ
Thanks to modern culture, there are plenty of ways to consume the text of Scripture. Almost any Bible app you have has an audio recording of the Bible. You can also get CDs, watch YouTube videos, or find Scripture recordings in Podcast or music playing apps. Some have background music or sound effects. Others have multiple actors. Some is just a cool guy reading. There are plenty of ways to get the Word of God in your hears, you just have to find what’s God for you. But make sure you are paying enough attention to actually get something out of it.
Conclusion
Scripture is truly valuable. Anyone wanting to make it a part of there lives in 2020 is commendable. But instead of trying to read the Bible straight through then giving up in February, try experimenting with my nontraditional tips. You could find a system that really works and really helps you learn to live a better life!
For more resources, check out:
- The FOCUSed15 podcast – episode around 15 minutes that discuss Bible reading tips and offer short intros to books of the Bible.
- For books on the introduction of Biblical backgrounds, see my blog posts: 1) New Testament Backgrounds and 2) Old Testament Backgrounds.
- Free eBook from the Institute for Bible Reading called “3 Bad Habits of Bible Reading (And How to Fix Them)“
