If you’re thinking about reading through the Bible in 2008, or if you’re going to encourage your congregation to do so, here is some information which you might find helpful. I ‘did the math’ several years ago, and I’ve used this data to create a variety of plans to read through the Bible in a year.
I offer this information in the spirit of James 1:22-25 which makes it clear that people who are blessed by God are those who listen to the Word (intake) and then do it (output).
The Old Testament contains 929 chapters. Reading at a rate of three chapters a day will take 310 days to complete the entire OT (55 days less than one year). Reading four chapters a day will take 233 days (132 days less than one year). Genesis to Job amounts to 478 chapters, so reading two chapters a day will take 239 days. Psalms to Malachi adds up to 451 chapters, so reading two a day will take 226 days.
The New Testament contains 260 chapters (Gospels - 89; Acts to Revelation - 171). Reading at the rate of one chapter a day will take 260 days to complete the entire NT (105 days less than one year).
The entire Bible contains 1189 chapters. Reading at the rate of four chapters a day will take 298 days to complete the entire Bible (67 days less than one year). Reading 5 chapters a day will take 238 days (127 days less than one year).
You can use these figures to create a plan which allows you to miss one day a week or more. One good plan for reading the Bible through in a year is to read three chapters a day in the Old Testament and one chapter a day in the New Testament. You will finish the New Testament about 50 days earlier than the Old Testament, so at that point you can add an extra chapter in the Old Testament if you wish.
Another good reading plan is to read two chapters a day in Genesis-Job, two chapters a day in Psalms-Malachi, and then one chapter a day in the New Testament. You will finish the Old Testament sections within a week of each other, and then about two weeks later, you will finish the New Testament.
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 7:04 AM on December 28, 2007
Comments
An inteliligent, also a common sense approach to reading the Bible thru in a year.
I personally will find it very helpful because I try to change my plan of reading each year for variation.
I have already started my plan for the year and will try this approach next year
Posted by: john bayliss on January 1, 2008
I have developed a reading program for children that will guide them through reading the New Testament in one year. Most of the readings only take 5 - 10 minutes a day. When we did this program two years ago, there were 8 children that read the whole New Testament.
The program and more about how we implement it can be found at http://reallyrandomsite.com/chmin/ntinayear.php
thanks ... allen
Posted by: Allen R. Cook on January 3, 2008