29 August 2011

The Sweep of the Bible in Two Weeks

If a freshman in college or stay-at-home mom or aspiring deacon or friend from work or anyone else asked me how they might get a rough grasp of the macro-storyline of the Bible in a few weeks, I'd send them not to any secondary resource but to the Bible itself for a reading plan that might look something like this.

Week 1
Sunday - Genesis 1-3
Monday - Genesis 12-17
Tuesday - Exodus 1-3, 12
Wednesday - Exodus 14, 19-20
Thursday - Joshua 23-24; Judges 1-2
Friday - 1 Samuel 8, 16; 2 Samuel 7, 11; Psalm 105
Saturday - Isaiah 7, 9, 11, 35, 52-53, 65
Week 2
Sunday - Jeremiah 30-33; Ezekiel 36-37, Zechariah 9; Malachi 3-4
Monday - Matt. 1:1; Mark 1:1-15; John 1:1-18; 5:39-46; Luke 24
Tuesday - Mark 14:1-16:8
Wednesday - Acts 1-2; 13:13-49
Thursday - Rom. 1:1-6; 16-17; 3:9-31; 5:12-21; 8:18-23; 1 Cor. 15:1-23
Friday - Heb. 1:1-4; 10:19-12:2
Saturday - Revelation 1; 20-22

11 comments:

keith said...

I read the Bible through in three weeks back in February 2004. It was life changing.

I then did it in four months the next year and six months in 2006.

There is no substitute for reading God's word (all of it) to learn about God.

Stephen Shead said...

Love this post! I have to say, my first inclination would have been to lend them a good macro-storyline-of-the-Bible book. Thanks for challenging me on that one.

I thought this deserved to be a more-than-one-comment post :)

Yancey Arrington said...

Dane, once again, your post is incredibly helpful for those who desire to understand the Bible as more than just a collection of assorted stories with Jesus somewhere towards the end. Please continue helping move people (including me)in a direction where Christ is the sum and spectrum of all things.

...for the Bible tells me so.

hb said...

I enjoy reading in overview mode several times a year as well - it's good to keep your eye on the over-riding narrative. Here's a 100 'essential' passages reading plan I am working through right now: http://www.ststephenschurch.net/e100/e100_planner.pdf

Dane Ortlund said...

Keith, thanks. We'll try to get you a medal.

Emmanuel said...

That list could also be turned into a sermon series, or bible study.

The Schindel Six said...

Thanks for sharing this! I'll be trying this out starting tomorrow.

Ben said...

I love the idea behind this. I am curious, however, about your reasoning behind choosing these passages.

Larry Lazarus said...

Sounds like a great plan, thanks for sharing. Also, wondering why you set it up to read the account of the resurrection in Luke 24 before reading the crucifixion account?

spaceloom said...

I think you should add psalms to every reading. I also added 1 Cor 13 which I think is critical (well, everything is critical!):
Week 1
Sunday - Psalm 90
Monday - Psalm 105
Tuesday - Psalm 106
Wednesday - Psalm 19
Thursday - Psalm 44
Saturday - Psalm 73

Week 2
Sunday - Psalm 51
Monday - Psalm 16
Tuesday - Psalm 88
Wednesday - Psalm 2
Thursday - Psalm 14
Friday - Psalm 110
Saturday - Psalm 144

Laws of prosperity said...

Nice information, many thanks to the author.I agree with your thought.Thank you for your sharing.

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