This week I have guest bloggers giving tips on how to disciple new believers. These posts are also good for people new to Christianity who are trying to figure it all out. Today, Daniel from Desire Spiritual Growth helps us figure out where to start reading the Bible.
The Book of the Bible Every New Believer Should Read First
All Scripture is inspired and profitable (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But that doesn’t mean Leviticus is the best place to start someone who is new to the faith. Where should we advise new Christians to start reading? It’s hard to narrow things down to one book. And I don’t think we have to. So I’ll give three, and reasons for each. Pick the one that fits the need.
3 Potential Starter Books
1. The Gospel According to John
In John 20:30-31, the author let’s us know he wrote to persuade readers to believe. The book is a great place for the new believer to start for two reasons.
1. It recounts seven awe-inspiring miracles of Jesus to give the reader confidence that Jesus was God’s Son.
2. It explains the way of salvation so that believers may have hope and assurance.
2. The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 1:8 sums up the message of Acts: After the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, they were empowered to boldly proclaim the gospel. It’s the sequel to the four Gospel accounts, showing what happens when the gospel goes forth. The stories are breathtaking:
- Peter preaches, and three thousand come to Christ. Then five thousand more.
- Believers pray for boldness, and God responds by sending the Holy Spirit upon them and shaking the room.
- God strikes a man and his wife dead.
- The first martyr – Stephen – is killed as Saul approves.
- Saul ravages the church and then is saved, his name is changed to Paul, and he goes out as a chosen instrument of God on missionary journeys.
In Acts, the gospel went forth as a sweeping wave gathering momentum as thousands came to Christ in the face of persecution. Christians turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).
3. The Letter of Paul to the Romans
This book is not an easy skim read. Why do I include it on this list? Because Romans is solid, glorious doctrine. John Piper aptly calls it “the greatest letter ever written.” Others have called it a comprehensive constitution of Christianity. Some new believers need that. I’m thinking of someone along the lines of a Martin Luther [rare, yes]. Someone who has already been wrestling with intricacies of the gospel and needs the doctrinal depth of Romans.
Regardless of Where You Start, Never End
Where ever you guide the new believer to start, urge them to continue reading. I don’t mean telling them, “Read your Bible every day if you really love God.” If they are anything like me, they are going to be imperfect enough to skip days of reading. They are going to go periods where they starve themselves of the Word and then tear into the book again in famished fashion. Don’t crush them with guilt, even though they do need to learn discipline. Encourage them and build their interest in continuing to read. How can you build their interest in the Word? Share insights from your reading. The excitement is contagious. Pray that the Holy Spirit grips the new believer’s heart with captivating stories and sanctifying truth in God’s Word.
-Daniel-
I really enjoy your concluding thoughts about extending grace one-to-another. It's easy for a "seasoned" Christian to point downward to his young believer friend/brother. Thanks for adding that!
Thank you for bringing out the "read your Bible everyday" bit Daniel. I am a pastor and I completely understand the need and importance of regular Bible study and reading. However, that is not a straight-line equivalence to read your Bible everyday. The Bible does not place such a yoke upon believers. What it does command is for us to study and meditate upon the Word; to allow it to penetrate us and become a part of who we are. Sometime this means we will read a passage and think about it for days, maybe even weeks before we really "get it."
I also think you should have given a little more prominence to sharing our own insights from the Word of God with the new believers. It takes them having light bulbs coming on inside their head to get excited about reading the Word; sometimes it takes hearing insights from others to start having those light bulbs come on and the excitement to build.
You're right on. Sharing insights should have received more attention in the post. That topic probably deserves a follow-up post – a short a sweet call to share excitement in the Scriptures.
The more I mediate and dwell on the Word of God, verse by verse and preposition by preposition, the more I am starting to reject the "read the Bible in a year" listings.
I am currently intently studying Romans and memorizing Romans 8. Needless to say, I am getting more out of and realizing more of what is in store in Romans than any other book I just skimmed through.
I am all about taking the idea and making the Word check and cut against my heart.
Do you completely reject Bible-in-a-year reading plans, or just see them as an wholly inadequate substitute for careful meditation?
Recently, mediation has fascinated me – mediation means going for more *insight*, not another flood of Scriptural *input*.
But I'm not so sure that means we can write off the Bible-in-a-year plans just yet.
I think you are spot on about not completely throwing out the Bible-in-a-year plans. Well, maybe half right
I have done the Bible in 90 days recently and found that it was well worth the effort to complete it. You don't get the deep insight into individual passages, but reading that much Scripture in such a relatively short amount of time gives you a whole new perspective on the Word.
I think we have to vary our reading methods in order to get everything we can from the Bible. Let's take the book of Romans for example, since Joseph is studying it. It is quite helpful to begin by sitting down and reading the entire book of Romans in one sitting. Perhaps even repeating this for several days. This helps us understand the flow and train of thought throughout the book. Then read the first chapter, several times. Then begin reading verse by verse and preposition by preposition. After going through the first chapter in this manner, back up and read the entire second chapter. Followed by verse by verse, etc.
Bible in 90 days? That blows my reading plans out of the water…Never tried to bite off that much. Do you have a link to a reading layout for that? And how about a downloadable dose of self-discipline too?
LOL, can't really help with the self-discipline, but it's really not too bad. It takes me about 45 mins. on average to complete the reading each day. It does require a commitment though.
Here is a link to a .pdf of the reading plan.
I agree with not throwing out the Bible-in-a-year plans. I think the benefit in those (at least the benefits I'm seeing in my own life) is a familiarity with the Scriptures. Having the ability to know where in Scripture certain themes or topics are discussed is one that every Christian should have in their tool box. It never fails that someone will ask me where such and such was discussed by Paul or which Prophet of God cooked bread on animal dung (Ezekiel for the curious).
While it takes discipline, I've found it beneficial. Great post, Daniel. Enjoy it!
Great advice…never considered Acts to be a suggestion as a first read, but makes good sense. I definitely change the order…John Romans then Acts. Not sure how I feel about John or Romans first…probably John.
Great post Daniel!
I agree, Romans before Acts. John still first though – it's a midpoint between the action of Acts and the doctrine of Romans (not that Romans is dull or that Acts is without doctrine).
But I admit it…choosing between John and Romans is like choosing between cake and ice cream. I hate making that kind of decision an either/or. Better to just say, "Yes."