Reading the New Testament in 40 Days

Reading the New Testament in 40 Days
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

There are many possible ways of reading the whole New Testament (or the entire Bible) in a certain amount of time (one year, two years, etc.). Some plans suggest reading the Bible in canonical order (from the Book of Genesis all the way to the Book of Revelation). For people who might want to read the whole New Testament more quickly (in just 40 days, reading about 30 minutes daily), here is a plan that intersperses the four Gospels with the Epistles and other books of the New Testament.

Day	Biblical Texts	Day	Biblical Texts	Day	Biblical Texts	Day	Biblical Texts	Day	Biblical Texts
1	Mark 1-4	9	Matthew 1-7	17	Romans 1-8	25	Acts 1-6	33	John 1-5
2	Mark 5-8	10	Matthew 8-12	18	Romans 9-16	26	Acts 7-10	34	John 6-10
3	Mark 9-12	11	Matthew 13-18	19	Luke 1-3	27	Acts 11-16	35	John 11-16
4	Mark 13-16	12	Matthew 19-24	20	Luke 4-7	28	Acts 17-22	36	John 17-21
5	1 & 2 Thessalonians	13	Matthew 25-28	21	Luke 8-11	29	Acts 23-28	37	1 & 2 & 3 John & Jude
6	Galatians	14	1 Corinthians 1-9	22	Luke 12-16	30	1 & 2 Timothy & Titus	38	1 & 2 Peter
7	Philippians & Colossians	15	1 Corinthians 10-16	23	Luke 17-21	31	Hebrews 1-10	39	Revelation 1-11
8	Philemon & Ephesians	16	2 Corinthians 1-13	24	Luke 22-24	32	Hebrews 11-13 & James	40	Revelation 12-22

Notes:

Each day of this plan includes about 200 verses of the NT, although the daily totals range from as few as 136 to as many as 266 verses.
- Chapter numbers are given after the names of longer books; if no chapter numbers are listed, then the whole book or letter is meant to be read.
Most daily selections can be read in about 20 to 30 minutes, or slightly more or less, depending on your individual reading speed.
- This plan for reading the NT can be used at any time during the year, but might be especially appropriate in Lent or during the Easter Season.
You would also do well to take some extra time each day to reflect on what you have read, on its meaning and application for your life:
- What "good news" is God revealing to our world through this text? What is God saying to me personally? How can I apply his Word in my own life?
Aside from "reading" these texts yourself in a printed Bible, you could also "listen" to them daily using audio CDs, the Internet, or Podcasts.
- See also my brief introduction on Ways of Reading the Bible, which includes other plans for daily Bible reading and an introduction to Lectio Divina.

Here is the same 40-day plan (also listing the number of verses read each day) arranged in one vertical column, in case you find this format easier to use.

Day	Biblical Texts	# Vv.
1	Mark 1-4	149
2	Mark 5-8	174
3	Mark 9-12	179
4	Mark 13-16	176
5	1 Thessalonians & 2 Thessalonians	136
6	Galatians	149
7	Philippians & Colossians	199
8	Philemon & Ephesians	180
9	Matthew 1-7	201
10	Matthew 8-12	194
11	Matthew 13-18	223
12	Matthew 19-24	246
13	Matthew 25-28	207
14	1 Corinthians 1-9	204
15	1 Corinthians 10-16	233
16	2 Corinthians 1-13	256
17	Romans 1-8	225
18	Romans 9-16	208
19	Luke 1-3	170
20	Luke 4-7	182
21	Luke 8-11	214
22	Luke 12-16	192
23	Luke 17-21	213
24	Luke 22-24	180
25	Acts 1-6	193
26	Acts 7-10	192
27	Acts 11-16	216
28	Acts 17-22	210
29	Acts 23-28	196
30	1 Timothy & 2 Timothy & Titus	242
31	Hebrews 1-10	209
32	Hebrews 11-13 & James	202
33	John 1-5	213
34	John 6-10	266
35	John 11-16	236
36	John 17-21	164
37	1 John & 2 John & 3 John & Jude	158
38	1 Peter & 2 Peter	166
39	Revelation 1-11	194
40	Revelation 12-22	210

Click here for a printable PDF version of this page.