It is that time of year when resolutions are made. And right along-side the goals of eating better and exercising is the plan to read through the Scriptures.

The most typical approach is to try and read the entire Bible in a single year. One of the most popular formats for getting this accomplished is the M’Cheyne One-Year Reading Plan or something very similar (ESV Study Bible Reading Plan or Daily Reading Plan). These plans provide a daily reading schedule that includes selections from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms/Proverbs.

That means that as a reader we are reading from 3 different books on a single day (and possibly a single sitting). I find that I am are less likely to be able to focus on what I am reading when I am bouncing between this many different books in a single day. And I am probably not the only one since there are plans that are put together so that the reader can focus on reading from one book at a time while still reading through the entire Bible in a year (Straight Through the Bible).

Most of these plans also schedule readings for every single day of the year. That means that when life happens and you miss a day or two you are behind schedule. Which means that readers often start speed reading and skimming in order to catch up, if they don’t lose heart and stop altogether.

Rather than trying to read the entire Bible in 1 year I am going to lay out a plan to read the entire NT in (just under) 2 years.

Why? Continue reading →