{"id":24366,"date":"2010-08-28T21:33:00","date_gmt":"2010-08-29T02:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=24366"},"modified":"2020-08-03T21:48:11","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T02:48:11","slug":"should-a-new-christian-read-the-bible-from-cover-to-cover-or-start-in-the-new-testament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-new-christian-read-the-bible-from-cover-to-cover-or-start-in-the-new-testament\/","title":{"rendered":"Should a new Christian read the Bible from cover to cover or start in the New Testament?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

I have a problem. I’m a relatively new Christian of six months. One of my big troubles has been finding the motivation to read the Bible. Sermons are fine, and articles, and talking to pastors. I love doing research online, finding relevant passages quickly, comparing, and studying. But I struggle so much to motivate myself to pick up the Book and read it. I pray for help with it, and I try to set times for myself, but I end up losing track of time.<\/p>\n

Today I woke up feeling differently for the whole day. I wanted to read through the Old Testament first, as a starting point, and then move onto the New Testament, while still having those Old Testament passages in my mind. I was excited about it. It’s a method that suits my nature. But my girlfriend wasn’t so happy about that. She insisted that I read the New Testament first. But my problem is that if I do it that way, I lose the motivation that I had, and I’m back to where I was before. She says that it’s more important to follow Jesus and be saved. And I agree, and I will read the New Testament after the Old — that’s my plan. But she tells me it’s wrong to do that, that Jesus said it’s wrong. What would be best for me? The motivation and enthusiasm or the order that I read it?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

And what verse does your girlfriend cite to prove that Jesus said you should not read the Old Testament before the New Testament? I know it sounds authoritative to put Jesus behind your opinions, but whenever some use Jesus’ name to bolster their argument, they better be able to show that Jesus actually did say that — otherwise, they are using Jesus’ name in vain. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen<\/em>” (I Peter 4:11).<\/p>\n

There is no prescribed way that Bible study must take place, only that one should study it. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth<\/em>” (II Timothy 2:15). The Old Testament is the history that helps you understand the New Testament. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope<\/em>” (Romans 15:4). The New Testament, however, is the covenant that you live under and which you must abide by.<\/p>\n

Let me warn you upfront that there are some sections of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, which are pretty boring as a straight read. It is hard to keep your mind focused while going through genealogies or detailed descriptions of how sacrifices were to be conducted. These things have their place and their use, but they certainly aren’t exciting reading material. I know a lot of people who like to read the Bible cover to cover. I even have several reading lists to help a person get through the Bible in a certain period of time<\/a>. If that is what you are interested in doing, go for it. But let me suggest that you don’t drop your other studies while you are doing it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: I have a problem. I’m a relatively new Christian of six months. One of my big troubles has been finding the motivation to read the Bible. Sermons are fine, and articles, and talking to pastors. I love doing research online, finding relevant passages quickly, comparing, and studying. But I struggle so much to motivate…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[1228,913],"class_list":["post-24366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-bible-reading","tag-bible-study"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":86411,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/which-new-testament-translation-should-i-read\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":0},"title":"Which New Testament translation should I read?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good morning. I wish to ask you which New Testament to read: one written by a Catholic publisher or one written by a Protestant publisher? Thank you very much. Greetings from Argentina. Answer: It isn't as much a matter of who printed the pages as it is the accuracy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12926,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-know-of-any-good-books-on-how-we-got-our-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":1},"title":"Do you know of any good books on how we got our Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: You know of any good books on how we got our Bible and why we leave certain books out? I have two people who want to know a good book about this. I have read how we got our books, but I don't have those books anymore. I can't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11817,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-most-quoted-old-testament-book-in-the-new-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":2},"title":"What is the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is the second most influential book in the world today? What Old Testament book is the most quoted or referenced in the New Testament? Which book of the Bible is thought to be the oldest in terms of when it was written? Answer: \"Influential\" is a subjective term,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42742,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-did-jesus-really-say\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":3},"title":"What Did Jesus Really Say?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jacob Wooten I saw this picture below\u00a0posted on Facebook and I've seen similar statements before, so I feel like this kind of thinking might be widespread both in the world and perhaps among those who would say they are of faith.\u00a0Let's examine this reasoning and see what Jesus really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/FalseClaimAboutHomosexuality-300x285.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":29411,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/drinking-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":4},"title":"Drinking in the Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Old Testament Sermon with Audio: Drinking in the Old Testament Article: Old Testament Beverages New Testament Sermon with audio: Drinking in the New Testament Article: New Testament Beverages","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0013_tif-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":34610,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/daily-bible-reading\/","url_meta":{"origin":24366,"position":5},"title":"Daily Bible Reading","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Keith Harris John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of our country, once stated, \"So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will become useful citizens of their country and respectable members\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Reading-the-Bible-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}