Be / Become a Bible-Reading Christian
2. How Long Is the New Testament?
Do you want to be a daily bible-reader? Great! I will give you some help.
A method that will probably not work.
First, let’s put a method out of the way that looks logical but would probably end in failure.
This method is to begin reading the Bible in Genesis chapter 1 and trying to read the book(s) all the way to Revelation 22.
Genesis is full of exciting stories, and it’s fun reading. The creation, Adam and Eve, the Tower of Babel, Noah and the Flood, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are all intriguing stories. So there is no problem.
Exodus begins with the story of Moses, the Egyptians, and the Israelites. The parting of the Red Sea is epic. It’s all great reading until chapter 20. In chapter 20, you find the Ten Commandments. Wow!
But after chapter 20, for most people, it gets hard to read.
If you are not a lawyer or a cultural anthropologist, the details of the laws and the description of the religious rites may make you feel like you are trying to walk in deep sand.
In time, after a lot of Bible reading, you will find that interesting, too. But, for a first reading, after some more chapters, many people look at their Bibles and see how much more there is to read… and give up.
If that happens, I don’t blame you. Instead, let’s see another method with much better chances.
Start with the New Testament.
The length of the New Testament is about one-third of the Old’s. But for a Christian, I would say, at least 80% of the value of the Bible is in the New Testament.
80% of the value in 25% of the reading.
So, read the New Testament first. Leave the Old Testament for later.
How long is the New Testament?
I have a printed Bible on my desk right next to me. Its New Testament is 276 pages. Most printed New Testaments are usually between 200 and 400 pages.
That’s about the length of a novel. It’s not short, but it’s not extremely long, either. It can be read.
Of course, the Bible is not read like a novel. Novels have a constant flow, making you read them on and on.
The Bible has many books in them written by different authors. It has different themes and genres. It does not have a constant flow.
But that’s not a problem. We don’t have to read it in one sitting. Instead, we consume it as our daily spiritual food.
How Many Chapters?
Do you know how many chapters the New Testament consists of?
Well, Matthew is 28, Mark is 16, Luke is 24, and so on. I counted it for you.
The number is 260.
Here is a screenshot from my Calc file:
260 chapters. What does that mean?
Let’s count a little. If you read only one chapter every day, you read the whole New Testament in less than nine months. That is three-quarters of a year.
If you read two chapters a day, that is 130 days, a little more than four months. And this way, you read the New Testament almost three times a year.
If you read three chapters a day, you read the New Testament in less than three months. If you do this every day, you read the New Testament four times a year! Not bad at all.
You see, the New Testament, the treasure chest of heaven for you, is not very long. You just have to draw some from it daily.
The key is consistency. Bible reading must become a habit if we want to be successful Christians.
The main message for Christians about the Bible is to read the Bible. Just do it!
