Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

General Christian Theology

Which Gospel would you first recommend for someone just opening the Bible for the first time?

 
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KingdomBuilder
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Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Obviously all of the Gospels are great, but I've been asked by those who do not read the Bible "Where do I start?".
The natural NT answer seems to be Matthew, simply because it's first. I don't necessarily recommend this as my first choice for new readers of the Bible.

To which Gospel would you first lead someone who is seeking the faith? Why?
Last edited by KingdomBuilder on Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Josh
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Josh »

I point them to Matthew 5, 6, and 7 (and sometimes throw in 8), probably because it's the message that drastically changed my mind 3 years ago.
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Haystack
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Haystack »

I started with Matthew, then John, followed by Luke. I would also recommend listening to it on a tape as you follow along in the Bible for first time Gospel readers.
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by KingdomBuilder »

Josh wrote:I point them to Matthew 5, 6, and 7 (and sometimes throw in 8), probably because it's the message that drastically changed my mind 3 years ago.
Definitely an important set of passages.
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Bootstrap »

For a whole Gospel I would choose John for someone who is more poetic or emotionally oriented. I would choose Luke for someone who is more cognitively oriented (telling them they can skip over the genealogy the first time through).

I agree with Josh that the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start - those three chapters contain an awful lot and it is all very central. But the Sermon on the Mount does not include the passion, death and resurrection, so I would at least add those in, probably from John. I would probably send people to complete Gospels after working through the Sermon on the Mount, passion, death, and resurrection.

I like listening better than reading when I'm trying to get an overview. I suspect a lot of people do. For more serious study, reading is important and I don't get it unless I'm writing too.
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Josh
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Josh »

After the Sermon on the Mount, just keep going... the parables are all good, and then it hits you at the end with Jesus' death and resurrection (which is a lot more believable after reading all the things Jesus' said).
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by MaxPC »

Everyone to whom I've recommended Luke were very happy with that as a starter.
YMMV :mrgreen:
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Wade »

Almost everyone kept telling me John first. But as an unchurched person it was the most confusing place to start for me. I never knew Jesus was the Word so it sounded strange that a word was with God. But then when it says it was Jesus I wondered why He would be called a word... Then those same people would refer to the Bible as the word... So I would say that I thought Jesus was the word. And they would say he was/is. So why do you call the Bible the word? Did the Bible fall out of the sky on John when he was alone in the wilderness?

I cringe when I hear about John first...

Matthew first and then carry on through. By the time they get to John it might make a bit more sense.
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Valerie »

Wade wrote:Almost everyone kept telling me John first. But as an unchurched person it was the most confusing place to start for me. I never knew Jesus was the Word so it sounded strange that a word was with God. But then when it says it was Jesus I wondered why He would be called a word... Then those same people would refer to the Bible as the word... So I would say that I thought Jesus was the word. And they would say he was/is. So why do you call the Bible the word? Did the Bible fall out of the sky on John when he was alone in the wilderness?

I cringe when I hear about John first...

Matthew first and then carry on through. By the time they get to John it might make a bit more sense.
Agreed.
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Re: Which Gospel for first time readers of the Bible?

Post by Valerie »

MaxPC wrote:Everyone to whom I've recommended Luke were very happy with that as a starter.
YMMV :mrgreen:
I was really torn between Matthew & Luke- I love Luke- I think it also would be a good place to start- it just made more sense to me though to start with Matthew & read on through-
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