As I mentioned in my New Year’s post, our church is going through The One Year Chronological Bible in 2019.  Everyone in all six campuses is encouraged to participate and each week, every Bible Study class lessons focuses on a topic that we are reading for that week.

There are many one year Bibles, and reading plans to go through the Bible in a year, but this plan is different in that it is chronological.  On January 1st, we started with Genesis 1, and we will end with Revelation 22 on December 31st, but the order of the reading in between is very different.

The books of both the Old and the New Testament are grouped by type and then chronologically.  The Old Testament is divided into 5 sections: the five books of Law, or the Torah; 12 books of history; 5 books of wisdom and poetry; 5 major prophets, and 12 minor prophets.  The New Testament also has five sections: the four gospels, one book of history; 13 letters by Paul, 8 general letters, and one book of prophecy.

A chronological Bible lists passages according to when they occurred rather than how they are listed in the canon.  So, for example, as we read through Genesis, passages were interspersed from the Chronicles which included the genealogies. After we finished Genesis, rather than moving on to Exodus, we read Job as the account dated to the time of the patriarchs.

The Best Chronological Bible Reading Plan?

There are a number of chronological Bible reading plans and Bibles available.  My church chose one published by Tyndale.  Tyndale publishes their chronological Bible reading plan in several translations (KJV, NKJV, NLT, and NIV) and several formats (paperback, Kindle, large print, imitation leather, etc.)

Chronological Bible App

The Tyndale chronological Bible reading plan is also available as a free reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app. The app reading plan has been discussed multiple times since the beginning of the year in my Bible study.  There seems to be some confusion on what the app is, how to find the plan, and how to follow the plan on the app. Since there is so much confusion, I put together a little tutorial for finding and accessing the plan.

Step 1:  Download the YouVersion app on Google Play or iTunes

 

Step 2: Open the app and go to “Plans” (the check mark in the bottom menu.)

Step 3: Click the search icon (the green circle in the lower right) and enter “The One Year Chronological Bible.”

Using the One Year Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Using the app, you are not limited to the three translations published by Tyndale.  You can go through the reading plan by choosing any one of the 1,400 Bible versions available on YouVersion.  Several of the most popular translations are also available as an audio version. So if you don’t have time to sit down and read on a particular day, you can always listen to the audio version of the reading for the day on your commute.

Under each day of the reading plan, the chapters or passages for that day are listed.  As you read through each, the chapters are checked off.  The plan also checks off the days of the plan as you complete them and lets you know if you are on track.  After the reading is complete, there is an option to make a comment about what God is saying to you in the passage.  This comment is public, other users going through the plan will be able to see your response.

A note of warning, if the YouVersion app is set to give notifications, the comments seem to come through as a notification at set times all at ones.  Your phone will sound like it’s going crazy.

Getting Started on a One Year Chronological Bible Reading Plan

We are 50 days in to 2019, you may be thinking, “darn, I’ve missed my chance.” It’s not too late to jump in.  Just start with the daily reading and read one additional daily reading beginning with January 1st.  Each daily reading is usually about three chapters.  Maybe read one daily reading in the morning and one in the evening.  You’ll be all caught up in another 6 weeks.