If you are wondering what order to read the Bible, start with what you want from your next stretch of reading. For a first reading, beginning with a Gospel such as Luke is a useful default. Read cover to cover if you prefer following the printed order. Pair Old and New Testament readings if you want to spend time in both from the start. Each approach has a trade-off, and you can change your choice later.
In short
Cover-to-cover reading gives you a clear next page, but you wait longer to reach the Gospels.
Beginning with Luke puts Jesus' life and teaching at the center of your first reading. Acts is a useful next book.
Paired readings let you read the Old and New Testaments together, but you need to keep track of separate places.
Choose an order and a manageable daily amount separately. Neither requires a finish date.
How should you choose a reading order?
Ask yourself what would make it easier to open the Bible tomorrow. Would you rather turn to the next page, keep following Jesus through a Gospel, or return to separate Old and New Testament passages? That practical preference matters more than finding a plan that looks ambitious.
| Approach | Choose it if you want | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Cover to cover | A single path through the printed order | You do not begin with the Gospels |
| Gospels first | To begin with Jesus' life and teaching | You will meet references to earlier Scripture |
| Paired readings | Old and New Testament reading alongside each other | You need to follow separate threads |
These are reading options, not a ranking of which parts of the Bible matter most.
Beginning with the Gospels does not mean treating the Old Testament as optional. In Luke 24:27, Jesus explains things about himself through Moses and the Prophets. That verse gives a reason to keep reading across Scripture, even if your starting place is Luke.
27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 describes Jesus explaining Scripture to his companions. It does not set out a daily reading plan. Keep that distinction in mind: a useful schedule is a reading aid, not a command hidden in a passage.
What is good about reading cover to cover?
Cover-to-cover reading removes a recurring decision. Begin at Genesis, continue through each book, and follow the order in your Bible. When you finish a reading, mark your place. Tomorrow's starting point is already there.
This approach suits you if you enjoy staying with a book rather than switching between selections. It also means you do not choose only familiar passages. You give the pages in front of you attention, including the ones you might not have picked on your own.
The main trade-off is the wait before reaching the Gospels. You may also find that a pace which suited a stretch of narrative does not suit a passage full of instructions. For example, Genesis 12:1-9 follows Abram's call and movement, while Leviticus 1:1-17 gives instructions for burnt offerings. Those passages ask you to notice different things.
When the reading changes, adjust your approach:
- Read a shorter section if you keep losing the thread.
- Notice who speaks, who listens, and what happens or what the instructions require.
- Keep an unresolved question beside the passage rather than stopping the whole plan.
- Resume where you left off instead of restarting Genesis after every break.
Printed order and reading pace are separate choices. You can read cover to cover without a yearly deadline. If you want help with the reading itself, the guide to how to read the Bible for beginners offers a place to start.
Why begin with the Gospels?
Start with a Gospel if your main question is who Jesus is and what he taught. Luke is a useful choice because its opening explains the writer's purpose. In Luke 1:1-4, the writer describes drawing on testimony, following events closely, and writing an orderly narrative for Theophilus.
1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,
2just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,
3it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
You do not need to compare every Gospel passage with another Gospel on your first reading. Stay with Luke long enough to notice how a conversation begins and ends. Ask what prompted a teaching, who asked the question, and how the people present responded.
A practical sequence is:
- Begin with Luke and read it in order.
- Continue into Acts.
- Return to Genesis, or begin paired Old and New Testament readings.
Acts makes a natural follow-up because its opening addresses Theophilus and refers back to an earlier book about what Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1-2). This gives your next choice a reason beyond choosing another familiar title.
The trade-off is that you will meet references to Scripture you have not read yet. Luke 4:16-21, for example, shows Jesus reading from Isaiah and speaking about that passage. You can note the reference and revisit it without abandoning Luke.
Starting here is not a shortcut around the rest of the Bible. It is a way to choose your first book. After Luke and Acts, name the next book or plan before you stop, so a finished book does not become an uncertain pause.
How do paired Old and New Testament readings work?
Paired reading means keeping a place in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament. You might begin with Genesis and Luke, reading a manageable section from each. Continue through each book in order rather than choosing unrelated verses every day.
This approach suits you if you want to begin with Jesus' life while also reading earlier Scripture. It offers variety, but the switching may take more attention. At the start of each selection, briefly recall what happened in that book last time.
Keep separate notes for the separate readings. A short sentence about each passage is enough. If you notice a possible connection, write it as a question until you have checked the context.
You can make your own paired schedule or use an existing one. If you want assigned readings rather than daily choices, compare the approach in the Bible in a year reading plan guide. Decide whether you want dated assignments before committing to a calendar.
What should you read next?
If you still feel unsure, begin with Luke. Read a manageable section, mark where you stopped, and return there next time. Keep Acts as your next book. That is enough of a plan to begin without deciding the order of every later book today.
If you already enjoy reading Genesis, there is no need to leave it because someone recommends a Gospel-first approach. Continue in printed order, or add Luke as a separate reading if you want both. Choose based on how well you can follow the passages, not on which plan sounds more serious.
After trying your choice, ask whether the difficulty comes from the order or the amount. If you like the book but rush through every reading, reduce the daily selection. If switching books leaves you confused, stay with one for a while.
The useful next step is concrete: name the book, mark the passage, and know where you will resume. You can leave questions open while continuing to read.