7 Must-Read Bible Passages to Explore

The Bible is a very, very large book. It is comprised of 66 individual writings. I asked AI how many words are in the English Standard Version of the Bible and it answered me (in less than a second!) that the ESV contains approximately 757,400 words! If you're a stat nerd and want more Bible info or want to learn who wrote down the words of the Bible, see here.

The Bible is not to be taken lightly, either. It is "breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16); literally, God has spoken every word of Scripture into existence. Like His salvation offered through Jesus must be received in faith, so must His Holy Scripture must be received in faith and humility.

God Himself has promised that every word He speaks is not empty, but meaningful. His words bring spiritual life itself into being. Isaiah 55:10-11 says:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

His words also bring physical life into being. For example, Genesis 1:3 says, "God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." And so on with the plants, creatures, and all living things, He spoke them into being.

God's Holy Word is completely true. Jesus said in John 17:17, "Your word is truth," Psalms 119:160 states, "The sum of your word is truth,"

If someone asked me to choose the "best" passages, I would choose the following Scripture. There is quite a bit of Scripture listed (chapters), so I suggest reading one passage a day for a week to take time to mentally and spiritually digest each one. I have them listed in chronological order of the Bible; my intent wasn't to order any as "most" important.

1. Genesis 1 and 2

   These are the first two chapters in the Bible, and they lay the foundation for everything we know about ourselves and about God. We know that God existed before creation existed. We know that he is a benevolent, generous God interested in life and beauty and order. The first two chapters of the Bible lay the foundation for marriage and affirm our worth and purpose. Lastly the stage is set for the entire biblical narrative of redemption and will be brought full circle (see #7).

2. Isaiah 53

   This passage is the prophecy of Jesus's violent death and the betrayal and humiliation that went with it. This vivid discription of being "crushed for our iniquities" goes into all the horrific details of his torture and abuse and answers the WHY: "Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." Read the story of the crucifixion in Matthew 27.

3. Psalm 23

   This beautiful and very familiar passage has been read by millions of believers for millenia. Written roughly 3,000 years ago, King David described our Lord as a shepherd that lovingly cares for us, bravely protects us, and generously gives us all good things. Read it and you will love it!

4. Matthew 5 and 6

   Jesus preached his famous Sermon on the Mount to teach us the basics of Christianity, dealing with human issues such as anger, lust, and revenge. He also taught us how to pray in his classic Lord's Prayer. His words are so pure and wise that one could practice his teaching for a lifetime and still not have reached perfection!

5. John 14

   Although not as famous as the Sermon on the Mount, here Jesus privately teaches his close disciples the inner workings of a true faith in Him. He also promises to not leave us "as orphans," but will return. In the meantime, the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will aid us. Jesus has truly promised "His divine power [that] has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."

6. Romans 6-8

   Romans was originally a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Rome. Chapters 6-8 is like a spiritual "steak" that takes some time for even the most mature Christians to chew and digest. It discusses, among other things, the Christian's dilemma of not reaching a perfect, sinless state while on earth, no matter the effort and desire to do so. But rather than fold to discouragement and resignation to this fact, chapter 8 beautifully encourages that "there is no condemnation" from God if we are in Jesus Christ. The more I realize my weakness and my need for God the more humble I am and grateful for Jesus's sacrifice.

7. Revelation 21-22

   We end our quick journey through the Bible with the last two chapters of the book which discusses the new heaven and earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new Eden. God will be our light, not the sun, and we will have no fear or shame. All is well and God's creation is again in a sinless, perfect state and in fellowship with God. He himself will say, "I am making all things new."

Consider continuing more Bible reading with some of these reading plan schedules:

• Chronological order of the Bible here

• A 30-day reading plan and discussion for the Gospel of Luke here

• 30 Days in the Psalms here