Learn more about Jesus!
The next step in learning about Jesus is to read the four Gospels. These four biographies of Jesus, which we know as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written as separate, independent accounts of Jesus within the lifetime of his followers. They tell the story of his life; his birth, his teaching and miracles, and his death and resurrection. Matthew and John were both members of Jesus’ team of twelve apostles. Mark, a younger disciple, was an associate of both Paul, and Peter in Rome. Luke, a Gentile physician, collected the stories of those who had known Jesus personally. These writings preserve in permanent form the oral traditions that were being widely circulated in the Early Christian Churches. (For more on the Gospels as history, see “Forty years on.”)
The four Gospels can be read easily in a few hours. They form the centre-piece of The Bible, the Sacred Writings of the Christian faith.
The Bible is available in many modern English translations. One popular translation, used in many churches, and on this web-site, is the New International Version, (NIV.) For example, to read or listen to Luke’s Gospel, click here.
Read or listen in your own language.
The Bible can be obtained in all the major languages of the world. It can be accessed through “Bible-on-line” sites in various languages.
ScriptureEarth ; (scripture resources in thousands of languages.)
Read the Bible on-line (choose Matthew, Mark, Luke or John from the Bible books.)
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions
fivefish.org (‘ telling the story of Jesus in every language.’) 5fish contains the Story of Jesus spoken in virtually any language for free (7,000 languages and dialects). It is produced by Global Recordings Network,(GRN), and is available as a free mobile app.
Bible reading plans
It is good to set aside a time every day to read a portion of the Bible, to meditate and to pray. Jesus was taught this principle, and put it into practice. (See Josh 1:8, Ps 1, Matt 4:4 and Mark 1:35) To establish the habit of regular reading, it is helpful to find a specific place and a time where you can be as undisturbed as possible.
There are many Bible reading plans to help you cover the whole of the Bible systematically over a longer period. To read the whole Bible over one year, you can read four chapters a day. This might include one chapter from the Gospels, one Psalm, and one chapter each from the rest of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Other plans will suggest shorter readings.
Here are some practical guidelines for regular Bible reading.
Bible reading notes can assist you to read the Bible regularly, and understand its message. They are produced by many churches and Christian organizations. For example, Scripture Union is one international organization supported by Christians from all Churches. “Daily Bread” and “Encounter with God” are two popular series of dated notes for adults by Scripture Union. They are available to purchase in printed or digital format through Resources For Ministry in Australia, or through Scripture Union in UK, (click here.) In USA, “Discovery” and “Encounter with God” are two series of daily notes, available here.
The Bridge Bible Commentary, by Don Fleming, is a one-volume commentary on the whole Bible. It has been used widely in many countries, and by many churches and Christian ministries. It is available free as a pdf. https://www.bridgeway.org.au/books/BibleCommentary.pdf. The companion resource, The Bridgeway Bible Dictionary, is also available as a pdf; https://www.bridgeway.org.au/books/BibleDictionary.pdf.
The right attitude …
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Ps 119:18)
“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sam 3: 1-10)