Bible-Reading in 2016

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bookslover

Puritan Board Doctor
As we start the second half of the decade in a couple of days, I've decided that, in 2016, I'll read through the Bible in a straight-forward, no gimmicks sort of way.

I've decided to read through the Scriptures, this time: in canonical order, straight through, 5 chapters per day. At that rate, it takes just over six months to read through the Old Testament.

After looking over the 26 zillion plans that are out there, I just decided to take the direct approach next year.
 
Same here. I've used M'Cheyne before but sort of dislike the hopping around.

So I created a custom Kindle book, stripped out all the verse numbers (which I find a distraction when straight reading), and put in headings for the sections to read for January 1, 2, etc. I should do something like that for the KJV. This one is ESV so I can't share :(

But I basically followed this plan:
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/reading_plans/straightthrough.pdf
 
In two more days, using the M'Cheyne 1 year plan, I will have read through the Bible completely for the first time in my long life. I read that D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used the M'Cheyne plan for 53 years. I personally liked the plan.

Ninety five percent of the time you're reading one chapter each in four books. Occasionally there will be two chapters to read. The reading is divided with two books of the Bible to be read in the morning and two in the evening.

I found that reading one chapter brought the content into sharper focus than my old cafeteria style reading. I had a tendency when reading multiple chapters to miss things that I didn't miss reading less at a time.

This coming year I will look at D.A. Carson's modified M'Cheyne plan and decide whether to use it or the original plan. It will be one or the other though.
 
In the "narrative" sections I'll read more than one chapter at a time. It seems artificial to break up a story. I supplement that with reading one or two chapters or Psalms from the wisdom literature. It takes me through about 1.5 times a year.

Here's a thought: I also heavily rely on the Max McLean audio bible. I don't think it is cheating because that's probably how the early church experienced the bible.
 
bookslover said:
As we start the second half of the decade in a couple of days, I've decided that, in 2016, I'll read through the Bible in a straight-forward, no gimmicks sort of way.

I've decided to read through the Scriptures, this time: in canonical order, straight through, 5 chapters per day. At that rate, it takes just over six months to read through the Old Testament.

After looking over the 26 zillion plans that are out there, I just decided to take the direct approach next year.
Click to expand...

I used the 'Zuelch' method for the second half of 2015 to read through the OT. It is a fine plan when it comes to the Books of Moses, the Books of History, and the Prophets. It is very unwieldy, however, when reading through Poetry and Wisdom literature. Try reading 5 chapters of Proverbs without you eyes glazing over.

My Youth Group is doing M'Cheyne this year and have asked me to join them. I subscribed to an email service that is supposed to send us our daily reading via email.
 
I do M'Cheyne through Logos, which makes it a lot easier to manage since it tracks the reading for you, and I can go at whatever pace I want (I try to do two days worth of readings). I know there's no one-size-fits-all plan, but I have really enjoyed M'Cheyne, as you get a nice view of redemptive history each day. I rather enjoy it.
 
If I get to the end of a book and there are just three chapters left (for example) instead of five, I'll just read the three, and not read the first two chapters of the next book. That way, I can start a new book "fresh" the next day. That's my only modification of the "5 chapters per day" rule.
 
bookslover said:
ReformedReidian said:
Here's a thought: I also heavily rely on the Max McLean audio bible. I don't think it is cheating because that's probably how the early church experienced the bible.
Click to expand...

Wow. I didn't think that McLean was quite that old.
Click to expand...

You beat me to it! Ha ha!

I'm planning to do 5 chapters per day, plus one chapter in Psalms and one in Proverbs. I did not read on a specific 'plan' in 2015 (just wanted to try that for a while to see how it went) and have decided that I didn't like it.
 
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bookslover said:
modification of the "5 chapters per day" rule.
Click to expand...

My system works well for me. I read 3 chapters from the Old Testament, 1 to 3 chapters from the poetic books. (Job to Song) Then I read 3 chapters from the New Testament. That gives me 7 to 9 chapters per day. With prayer it takes about 2 hours. I keep a log so I can remember where I left off. I have been doing this for years and I love the system.
 
The first time I read the Bible all the way through I did 10 chapters a day for 6 months and it totally changed the way I do my Bible reading. By far the biggest lesson learned was that reading a chapter or two of a OT narrative is totally sub-par compared with reading a big chunk in one go. Reading Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther in one sitting was so so helpful!

Anyway, I'm doing 5 chapters a day in 2016 - 3ch OT, 1ch Gospels/Acts, 1 ch Epistle.
 
I'm focusing my reading on the Gospels - and following along w/ JC Ryles set of commentaries by Banner of Truth!
 
I continue to use a slightly modified version of Prof. Horner's bible reading plan. Since it goes through Proverbs so often as part of the 10 chapters, I occasionally will drop a Proverbs reading and add an extra Psalm.
 
I'll be trying a chronological reading plan for the first time. I'll also be following a systematic reading in conjunction with daily Westminster readings. I hope this will allow me to keep a sense of the overall narrative of Scripture while allowing me to test the interpretive approach that I accept as correct.
 
In 2015 I read through using a plan that had you reading certain genres certain days. I didn't particularly care for it as some days you had 5-6 chapters and some only 1. For 2016 I'm going back to M'Cheyne's plan as I've not used it for a couple-three years. I'll also be continuing my ongoing read through, one section at a time, of Matthew Henry's commentary, which continues to be a huge blessing.
 
BGF said:
I'll be trying a chronological reading plan for the first time.
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Do you, or anyone else, know where I can find a reliable chronological Bible plan. (Unless you mean just reading the books in order, from Genesis to Revelation)

Thanks
 
Ed Walsh said:
BGF said:
I'll be trying a chronological reading plan for the first time.
Click to expand...

Do you, or anyone else, know where I can find a reliable chronological Bible plan. (Unless you mean just reading the books in order, from Genesis to Revelation)

Thanks
Click to expand...


I've just begun looking. From what I understand there are two types of chronological orders, the order in which events happen, and the order in which the books were written/compiled. I've seen variations in each type due to disagreements over when events/writings occurred.

Perhaps my search for a decent plan will go quicker if I join you in asking for help from the board.

In the past I've usually done daily readings in both Old and New Testaments, in the canonical order of each testament. I'm expecting that a chronological reading will give me a fresh perspective, or season the perspective I have.
 
Reese Chronological Bible

BGF said:
I've just begun looking.
Click to expand...

There is always the Reese Chronological Bible, but I have no idea of its accuracy. I see used versions around $11 on Amazon. If it is it sure would be handy just to open and read where you left off the day before. I think I might get a copy unless someone on the board knows it is fatally flawed. It is kinda weird in some ways. Go to the Amazon link and look at the first page.
 
I'm reading through the OT narrative with my boys for school this year (through June) and will fill in as much as possible from the writings and prophets. This is the first time I've read a number of chapters out loud in one sitting and we are loving it. I'm noticing so many things that I miss reading on my own or hearing it from my husband. A different cadance perhaps? This is part of a social studies of the OT I am developing -- lots of geography, archaeology, social history, etc.
 
I read about 75 verses in the OT a day (but I always start with the beginning of a chapter and end with the ending of one)--that makes about 3 chapters of OT a day, and I do one chapter of NT a day (average chapter length in NT is 30 verses). This takes me about 40 minutes.

In this way, I read through the OT in about 309 days, and the NT in 260 days, if I do one session a day. With two sessions a day, it will take about 155 days for the OT and 130 for the NT.

I prefer my practice to a plan because 1) I can read through the Bible in less than a year without being overwhelmed with the volume of reading, and 2) when I miss a day for any reason, I don't have to make up the reading.
 
bookslover said:
ReformedReidian said:
Here's a thought: I also heavily rely on the Max McLean audio bible. I don't think it is cheating because that's probably how the early church experienced the bible.
Click to expand...

Wow. I didn't think that McLean was quite that old.
Click to expand...

Excellently played!

I've done M'Cheyne for many years. I'm liking the idea of just creating a straightforward plan in Logos for the year, though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've begun the M'Cheyne plan again, but this time with the 1599 Geneva Bible published by Tolle Lege Press. I will supplement with other translations, but that will be the primary for 2016.
 
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