Never read the Bible? Start with John.
The Gospel of John was written so that someone who has never met Jesus could meet Him. Here is how to open it and begin.
If you have never read the Bible, start with the Gospel of John. It was written by a man who was there, and he tells you why he wrote it:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
If you are still finding out who Jesus is, that verse is for you: John wrote so that you could see Him for yourself and decide. If you have just trusted Christ, it is for you too: this is where you will begin to know Him. Either way, the best thing you can do now is open the book. This page helps you do that.
Finding the passage
The Bible is a library of sixty-six books. Each book is divided into chapters, and each chapter into numbered verses. A reference like John 1:12 means: the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 12. John 1:1-18 means chapter 1, verses 1 through 18.
The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament, after Matthew, Mark and Luke. Do not confuse it with 1 John, 2 John and 3 John, three short letters near the end of the Bible by the same writer. You want the Gospel - the long account of Jesus’ life.
Any King James Bible will do - a printed one or a free app. If you have none to hand, you can read John 1 in the King James Version here: Read John 1.
Begin with John 1:1-18
John’s first eighteen verses are a good first sitting. A few things to know before you read them:
- John introduces Jesus as “the Word” - someone who was with God, and was God, before anything was made, and who then “was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Watch for that movement: from before the beginning, to among us.
- At verse 6 a second John enters: John the Baptist, “a man sent from God.” He is not the writer. He is the one sent ahead to point people to Jesus, and from verse 19 onward you will see him do it.
- A few words in this passage have shifted meaning since 1611:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| comprehended (1:5) | overcame, took hold of |
| bare witness (1:7, 15) | bore witness, testified |
| begotten (1:14, 18) | born; “only begotten” = the one and only Son |
| beheld (1:14) | saw, looked upon |
| declared (1:18) | made known |
| verily (1:51) | truly |
Then keep going. Verses 19-51 are John the Baptist pointing to Jesus, and the first people who followed Him.
A simple way to read
Pray first. One sentence is enough:
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Read one chapter a day, slowly. John has twenty-one chapters; that is three weeks.
Ask three questions. What does this passage show about Jesus? Who is speaking, and to whom? What do I need to understand, or respond to?
Keep going through what you do not understand. You will not understand everything the first time; no one does. Note your questions and read on. Difficult sentences often become clear a chapter later, or the third time through.
Help when you need it
- A 7-day first reading plan lays out your first week in John, chapter by chapter, with something to look for each day.
- Reading John with the journey’s five questions shows where John answers the questions this site’s journey asked - for readers who came here from it.
- A short glossary of King James words that have changed meaning is at the end of this page.
- If your question is about how to respond to Jesus, What must I do to be saved? is the page for that.
Glossary: King James words that have changed meaning
| KJV word | Meaning then |
|---|---|
| conversation | conduct, way of life |
| suffer | allow, permit |
| let | sometimes: hinder, prevent |
| prevent | go before, precede |
| charity | love |
| quick | living, alive |
| meat | food |
| ghost | spirit |
| verily | truly |
| thee, thou, thy | you, your (one person) |
| ye | you (more than one) |
| -eth (he believeth) | -s (he believes) |
Where a quotation on this site uses one of these words, a small note beside it gives the meaning. The text itself is never altered.