The Beginning Point

When I was active as a pastor of a local church, I was frequently asked about a good starting point for reading the New Testament.  I always directed folks toward the gospel.  It seemed more important to encounter Jesus before reading the systematic teachings about Jesus that the Apostles wrote to the early developing churches. Of course, there are four gospels and I usually ended being torn between suggesting either Mark or John as the beginning  point.  The first three gospels are collectively referred to as the Synoptic Gospel because of their similarities. 

Of those three Mark was the first one written and may well have served as a guide for Matthew and Luke when they later wrote their respective accounts of the life of Jesus.  From a practical standpoint, it was often chosen because it is the shortest gospel as well as one which has little fluff.  Mark wrote in a manner that was to the point utilizing as few words as possible.  On some occasions the gospel of John was selected  There were three reasons.  It has always been my favorite.  Secondly, it has some wonderful stories of people encountering Jesus which are not recorded in the Synoptic group.  Finally, John is rich in  images that take us beyond the factual information about Jesus to a place of wonder and contemplation. 

There are always some who want to begin at the beginning.  Genesis and Exodus are full of great stories of God interacting with His people, but Leviticus has often turned into a graveyard full of the bones of those who began as eager readers.  Of course, the whole Bible reveals God at work among His people.  Those who read the gospel first will learn much about the nature of God for as Jesus said, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father>" (John 14:9).