For Christians, there is no denying the important role that the Bible plays in our day-to-day faith. From Psalm 119:105,
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (NLT),
to 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
We are commanded, exhorted, and encouraged to read God’s word. As new Christians, our first question is usually, “Where do I start?” and more experienced Bible readers eagerly point us to one of the gospels, the Psalms, or to a cheerful letter like Philippians. At some point in our journey of faith, we’re convicted or challenged to try reading through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. If we make it through the genealogies of Numbers and the innumerable laws of Leviticus, we may push through all the way to the strange and mysterious visions of Revelation. Everywhere in between, in the poems and stories and prophecies and letters and stories, we find a strangely tangled mix of the delightful, hopeful, horrible, and just plain strange. There are many methods of reading, interpreting, and evaluating scripture. There are myriad strategies for understanding the different genres, unearthing context, and discerning life applications. All of these methods and strategies provide compelling answers to our questions about how we read the Bible and offer convincing reasons for why we read the Bible.
Related Article: Top Bible Chapters to Read for Spiritual Insight and Inspiration
What are The Gospels?
And while I’m a huge proponent of reading ALL the words of the Bible, I want to advocate that all Christians read the Gospels… and read them again… and again… and again. What are the Gospels? They are the four books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are myriad similarities and differences between them, but they tell a unified story of the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Gospels are the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Gospels reveal Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s covenants and promises. The Gospels reveal God’s redemptive mission to bless, redeem, and restore the whole world to His presence. In the Gospels, we learn what it means to follow Jesus. In the Gospels, Jesus tells us how to live as citizens of God’s Kingdom. The Gospels lay the foundation for the mission and ministry of the body of the risen Christ, the Church.
Without Jesus, the stories of the Old Testament are a discouraging compilation of laws and the unfortunate adventures of a feckless people. Without Jesus, the New Testament letters are just lists of rules to follow. But when the other 62 books of the Bible are read with the four Gospels in mind, every word anticipates Jesus, finds meaning in Jesus, and celebrates Jesus as Messiah, Savior, and Lord.
If you have never opened your Bible, start with one of the Gospels. If you have already read all four Gospels, read them again. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus will unfold before you, and you will find yourself witnessing the climax of the greatest story ever told. Then, no matter where you read next, every page of the Bible will point to Him, unlocking God’s redemptive narrative from Genesis to Revelation.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
(Revelation 22:13 NLT)
