New to bible where do I start?

Hello I'm in my late 40s I'm from UK and I was baptised a Catholic. I remember bible classes and I can recall little to be honest. But as I've got older and I've seen how the world is and how bad it is in my opinion I started thinking there must be something else out there. I e always believed there was a god but I was never a practicing Christian. I've now downloaded the bible apps and to be honest I dont even know where to begin. What books do I read first and in which order? Any help thanks.

Hi, welcome to CC!

I would start reading the 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), then the Book of Acts.

In the Old Testament, try going with The Psalms.

As regards which version to use, try different ones and see what you feel easy with, my own preference is the New King James version, but I usually read a Scripture in various versions to get the "sense" of it.

Start at John 3:5 for sure. "verily, verily, I say to thee, except a man be born again he can NOT enter the kingdom of God. Along with that, read Hebrews 11:6- But WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is & that He is a rewarder of him that diligently seek Him. 1st become born again. when you do, the Holy Spirit moves in your life immediately &lives with you for the rest of your life. I would recommend reading James- a plea for vital Christianity, 1st John- teaches God dwelling in us, keeping His commandments, believing in God by having the witness (H.S.) in you, knowing you have eternal life, etc.

That sounds like a good idea! Hopefully Anthony will find a good start in the gospels and Psalms. God Bless You

I don't mean this to be upsetting but are you a Christian? If you believe you are, can you explain what it means to be a Christian?

Hello Anthony... Some people start at the beginning .. Genesis is full of great stories...

^ Gospel of John is also hihgly recommended, as you can see .

Have you heard of the Alpha Course?

There are 10 videos total. I hope you watch them. They could benefit you greatly

Hello Anthony and Welcome. You can never go wrong if you start with the Gospel of John and spend lots of time in it. There is a lot of spiritual food in that Gospel. Also, if you stick with the King James Bible you will never be misled. It was the Authorized Version in Great Britain at one time. "Appointed to be read in churches".

Welcome to CC! Hopefully you'll get the help and encouragement you need. I'd suggest you start with either Mark or John. Mark, because it's short and simple, and John, because it focuses on Jesus Christ. After those, you might try Acts, Philippians, and 1 John, then Genesis.

.
I was a Roman Catholic for 24 years before someone suggested I buy a Bible
of my own and read it.

My first version was the King James, which is a difficult read. The latest
version of the Catholic Bible is a much better choice for beginners. Amazon
dot com offers a wide range of prices and they're also available in just about
any well-stocked book store.

The text is available free online.

Catholic Bible
_

Reading the Bible requires thinking from God's word from God's perspective, rather than understanding and thinking about the Bible from our personal perspective.

God's perspective is deep and different from ours, and if we read the Bible and understand it from our own perspective, then many times we can't understand the Bible.

.
When my son first started reading the Bible for himself, he became very
discouraged. When I asked him why, he said that he couldn’t figure out the
hidden messages. So I told him: Son, read the Bible like a novel or an
encyclopedia and you’ll get a lot more out of it that way. He was very
relieved to know that it's okay to read the Bible like ordinary history; and
from then on that's exactly what he did and loved it.
_

Hello Anthony

I'm from The UK too and also from a Catholic background.

I would start at the begining. Genesis.
In the begining God created.....


Although there are some books of historical narrative and some books of wisdom & prophecy, The Bible books are already in a chronological order. By the time you reach the New Testament. you will have an understanding of "everything that has happened
up till now" It's not a bad idea to start at the New Testament but I would suggest the beginning. You then get a look at things from God's point of view and the journey he has had with mankind from the start.

I'll never forget my first time reading through the whole Bible from begining to end. If you have recently become interested in God
& The Bible, it's an exciting journey. Remember to pray and ask The Holy Spirit for understanding as you go.

Starting with the life of Jesus in The New Testament as some have suggested, might be more appealing to you.
The Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke & John give you the life of Jesus in narrative form. They are all together at the beginning of the
New Testament so you don't have to hunt for them. We relate to God through Jesus so it is a good thing to learn about him and
the things he said.

A Bible in correct modern English is best. There is really no point in bogging yourself down in obsolete words & phrases if you are
new to the subject. There are a handful of widely-used & trusted translations to choose from.
Someone already mentioned The New King James Version. That would be good. Or The Christian Standard Bible, The New International Version, The New American Standard Version. These are all in correct modern English.

I see you have said you have downloaded 'apps' so I reckon you will select a translation from what is available in the app you are using. I first read The Bible the old fashoined way. It may be a bit different with smart phones & not so obvious which book comes first.

God bless

i would suggest the gospel of John of all the books in the Bible that one will introduce you to Jesus Christ our lord so as you read the rest of the Bible you know some about God who the Bible is from and of and for and about

abut there’s really no bad starting point definately I would go with the New Testament first

Out of curiosity, what Bible apps do you have? Do they have any Bibles on them yet or are you looking for a Bible to put on them?

I was baptised a Catholic but never followed. I'm sorry that disappoints you but I'm now trying

Welcome, Anthony. Start with the Gospels, reading them several times each.

I have 3 Bible apps with all Bible on them

I'd stay with the New Testament for awhile. Oftentimes the New Testament will quote passages from the Old Testament; you could look those up and familiarize yourself with the Old Testament that way. You might also enjoy reading a hard copy of the Bible if you can get one.

Have a blessed day.

I'm not disappointed. I'm trying to see where you are in your relationship with God.
Do you know what salvation is and how to approach God for it?

look at the most valuable parts of the Bible that promise the best thing to the believer

Like this notice how the promises to the believers are better than anything you find elsewhere in the Bible

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1, 10, 12, 14‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.


Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:12, 31-32, 36, 51‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6:63, 68-69‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”
‭‭John‬ ‭7:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:1-3, 6-7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

just a sample but the point is eternal life is found in believing the gospel nothing else in the Bible offers salvation or eternal life

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16, 19‬ ‭KJV‬‬


So you want to start with what promises salvstion