The Chronological Bible
My family hit a milestone two weeks ago. We completed reading the New Testament in chronological order. Every weekday morning, we have a family Bible study. Our resource was The Daily Bible in the New International Version by F. LaGard Smith.
In the past, we have jumped around in the Bible reading from the Old and New Testaments. We have read them in canonical order, but we had never read them chronologically. It really was a rewarding and different experience.
Instead of four gospels, The Daily Bible intertwines the events into one narrative, which I found really enjoyable. In addition, the most marked difference in reading a chronological version was that the book of Acts was interrupted throughout with Paul’s letters. The letters to the Galatians, both letters to the Thessalonians, both letters to the Corinthians, and the letter to the Romans were placed as Paul wrote them during his lifetime.
This aspect was my favorite because it helped us learn more about Paul. As the book of Acts describes his missionary journeys, his struggles, and his achievements, you could read his words that he wrote to other churches and see what was going on in his life when he wrote them. You almost felt like you were with Paul on his journeys. It flowed really well and is strikingly different from reading the different letters and books independently.
I have been asked how they (whoever compiled the book) knows the chronological order of the Bible for certain. My response was, “I don’t know. I am trusting them.” The chronological order of the Bible is not guaranteed correct nor can it definitely be established; however, it is based on the consensus of Biblical scholars and theologians. In other words, the chronological order is an educated guess.
I personally don’t understand what the big deal is. We don’t worry about the Bible being out of chronological order when we read a traditional text. Regardless of the order, the words and message are not changed. As Paul writes to Timothy, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The order in which you read scripture does not nullify it.
The Daily Bible is also arranged to complete the entire Bible in one year. The daily readings are not that long if I was reading the Bible myself; however, I found them lengthy for my children, especially the young boys. Therefore, I ignored the dates and stopping points as I read at our own pace.
If you are looking to read the Bible in a year or to do something slightly different in your family Bible study, consider reading a chronological version of the Bible. We enjoyed it. Most importantly, we grew spiritually as we did so. We are turning back to the Old Testament and are going to read it chronologically as well. When we finish, I will let you know how it was.
The program (book) I had was “Walking through your Bible with H M S Richards” but I read the whole Bible in a Chronological order. Sometimes it seems a bit repetitious because you read the same story more than once back to back, but I found it deepened my understanding of the Bible. The book I read was more than just a list, it had a daily devotional tied to the reading.
I first read the Bible Chronologically over 20 years ago, and then did it again about 5 or 6 years ago.
I highly recommend it.
I recently acquired the Archaeological Study Bible, and have been reading that. It has a lot of extra facts from the world of archeology. It also adds great depth to the Bible. However you read it, whatever version you read, as long as you read it you are blessed!
You’ve got great insights about daily Bible devotion, keep up the good work!