"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." II Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
Paul's Scripture was the Old Testament. The first five books discuss creation and the people group God chose among the nations to bring about salvation for all peoples. Joshua to Esther communicate the history of the nation of Israel. Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs address the question of suffering, cynicism and the mystery of true intimacy with God and marital oneness. Psalms are prayers that express the depth of human emotion and reveal God's heart back to us. Many are sung. The Book of Proverbs contains wisdom to guide your life. Isaiah to Malachi are prophetic books. They challenge and coax people to come back to God, warn about the consequences of sin and foretell the future. They have both a historical and futuristic context to be explored.
Promise after promise about the coming Messiah, the one who will save and deliver, are contained in the Old Testament. The New Testament bears witness to fulfilled prophecies. The Creator created us for relationship with Himself. Sin or doing things our own way so we could be our own gods broke that relationship. The Word of God is the story about how that relationship can be restored.
The New Testament contains four Gospels or accounts of the good news of the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus. The Book of Acts records the spread of the gospel and the birth of the Church. The rest of the New Testament are letters written by the apostles to various churches or people. They address issues, conflict, misunderstandings, and heresies that contradict the work Christ did on the cross. They also encourage, challenge and counsel believers and advise how the Body of Christ is to function.
Want a Bible Reading Plan?
My sister told me about this plan started by Grant Horner who bought, sold and used LSD before he become a follower of Jesus. Check out the YouTube video below. I recommend you speed it up. Let me know if you plan to use this reading schedule by leaving a comment.
I've been doing this plan for the last month and a half. I really enjoy finding new connections and cross references to places and people. It also pushes me to enjoy a conversation with God as I read for thirty minutes.
I couldn't print off the different Bible bookmarks so I made my own. Leave a comment if this is your first year of reading through the Bible. I can't wait to hear your stories.
Dr. Grant Horner PHD
Options to try if you need to pace the time you spend reading
1) Read five chapters a day and read five chapters the next day.
2) Read in the morning/read before bed.
3) Read and ask yourself where you hear God's sacred echo(where He repeats the same message) across the pages of each book.
4) Pay attention to the themes of grace, faith, restoration, hope, forgiveness, steadfast love, redemption. Wonder about how God's holiness, righteousness, judgement, and truth mesh with mercy, love, grace and restoration.
5) Don't worry if everything makes sense as you read it. The Holy Spirit will highlight truths he wants you to hang onto and put into practice. Every season of our lives will catch a different focus.
6) Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with a hunger and a thirst for the Word of God. (John 1:1-3)
If you want to know more about how the Old Testament and New Testament came to be known as the Scriptures for both the Jews and now for the Church, please check out this blog post. It is easy to understand.
I did the Horner plan several years ago and loved it! I loved seeing all the connections through scripture in ways I never had before.