Getting started
Where to start reading the Bible as a beginner
Start with Mark if you want to follow the life and teaching of Jesus, Genesis if you want the beginning of the biblical story, or a short psalm if you want to begin with prayer and poetry. Choose one route and read connected passages.
Start with a question, not a deadline
The Bible is a collection of books with different forms: stories, laws, songs, letters, and more. The best starting point depends on what brings you to it. You can begin thoughtfully without committing to finishing the entire collection on a schedule.
If you want to understand Jesus’ ministry, begin with a Gospel. Mark offers a direct narrative that moves through encounters, teaching, conflict, death, and resurrection. Read a scene at a time rather than treating every chapter as an identical unit.
Choose a route
Genesis introduces creation, human conflict, covenant, and the family stories that lead into Exodus. Starting there helps you follow the larger narrative, though some passages may raise questions you cannot resolve immediately.
Psalms gives you language for praise, grief, fear, and trust. A psalm is poetry rather than a chronological episode. Notice its movement and images instead of reading every line as a literal description of an event.
Make your first week manageable
Try Mark 1 over several sessions: the opening announcement, Jesus’ baptism and temptation, the calling of disciples, and the ministry scenes that follow. At each stop, ask what you learned about Jesus and what remains unclear.
If you prefer Genesis, begin with chapters 1–3 and read slowly enough to notice shifts in speakers and repeated language. Visuals can support your reading, but use the chapter itself to check details.
Keep going without pretending to understand everything
Record unfamiliar names or ideas and move on when needed. Some questions become clearer later in the book. Others deserve a separate study with a reliable reference or a trusted teacher.
The aim of your first reading is orientation: learning who is speaking, what kind of writing you are reading, and how the passage fits into its book.