6-Week Bible Survey Reading Plan

 

The six chapters of the catechism are designed for initial use in a six-week catechism class or catechumenate in preparation for baptism and church membership. The main assignment for this class is to establish a habit of daily prayer and Bible reading by setting aside time each day, at the same hour, that is specifically devoted to reading the Scriptures and drawing near to God in prayer. This is commonly called “daily devotions” or “the daily office.” If you would prefer to have your devotions when you wake up in the morning, see the outline for “Daily Morning Prayer.” Or, see the outline for “Daily Evening Prayer.” Say the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed every day at prayer, and aim to memorize both by the end of the class. For the Scripture lesson(s) at Morning or Evening Prayer, complete the assigned reading below.

Week 1 Reading

 

  • Day 1: Genesis 1–3. Creation & the Fall of Humanity. God creates a perfect world, but human beings sin and are exiled from his presence. God promises redemption. In Genesis 3:15, the promised “offspring” of Eve who will defeat the serpent is Jesus Christ (see Galatians 4:4–5; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 16:20; Revelation 12:9).
  • Day 2: Genesis 4; 6; 11. The Flood, Tower of Babel, & Genealogy of Abraham. Earth is filled with violence. God judges humanity with a flood but spares righteous Noah and his family. The people multiply and become proud, so God scatters them by confusing their languages. The flood story points forward to Christian baptism, in which God saves his people by bringing them safely through water (see 1 Peter 3:20–21).
  • Day 3: Genesis 12; 15; 17. Covenant with Abraham. God chooses Abraham and promises to bless all nations through his offspring. God also promises to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s offspring. Abraham believes God, and it is counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). God gives the sign of circumcision as a seal of his promises, and promises a son to Abraham by his wife Sarah. The promised “offspring” of Abraham is Jesus Christ and those who belong to him (see Galatians 3:16, 29). The cutting of circumcision signifies the removal of sin, which is also signified in the washing of Christian baptism (see Colossians 2:11–12).
  • Day 4: Genesis 21:1–7; 26:1–5; 35:1–29. Covenant Reaffirmed with Isaac & Jacob. God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham’s son Isaac and grandson Jacob. Jacob is renamed Israel. (Jacob’s twelve sons become the twelve tribes and nation of Israel.). In Genesis 26:4, the promised offspring in whom all nations will be blessed is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world (see Acts 3:25).
  • Day 5: Genesis 46–47, 49. Israel Settles in Egypt. Jacob’s family moves to Egypt to escape famine. (Jacob’s favorite son Joseph had been betrayed by his jealous brothers and sold into slavery, but God exalted him to the right hand of Pharaoh to provide grain for Israel and all people.) Jacob blesses his twelve sons and prophesies about their future. In Genesis 49:10, the promised ruler to whom belongs the obedience of the peoples is the Lord Jesus Christ, who descended from Judah through the lineage of King David (see Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5).
  • Day 6: Exodus 1–3. Moses Called to Deliver Israel. When the people of Israel multiply in Egypt, a new Pharaoh feels threatened and enslaves them. God calls Moses to deliver Israel and lead them to the land which he promised to Abraham. God reveals himself to Moses by his personal name Yahweh (translated as “the LORD” in most English Bibles), which means, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus Christ claimed to be Yahweh by his “I am” sayings, most clearly in John 8:58: “before Abraham was, I am.” It was Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who delivered God’s people out of Egypt (see Jude 1:5).
  • Day 7: Exodus 12; 14–15. Passover & Exodus from Egypt. (God sends nine plagues against Egypt, but Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let Israel go. God threatens a tenth plague: the death of every firstborn.) God promises to pass over any household that will apply the blood of a lamb to the doorposts of their house. Israel leaves in a mass exodus. Israel passes safely through the waters of the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army is drowned behind them. The Passover Lamb points forward to Jesus Christ, whose bloody death saves us from the wrath of God and judgment for our sins (see 1 Corinthians 5:7). The Red Sea points forward to Christian baptism, in which God’s people are baptized into Christ (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–4; Galatians 3:27).

 

Week 2 Reading

 

  • Day 8: Exodus 16–17. Manna and Water in the Wilderness. God sustains his ungrateful people with bread from heaven (“manna”) and water from a stricken rock. The heavenly bread points forward to Christ, who comes down from heaven to satisfy his people’s spiritual hunger (see John 6:30–35). The water from a rock also points to Christ, who pours out the life-giving water of the Holy Spirit when he is stricken on the cross (see John 19:34; 7:37–39; 1 Corinthians 10:4). The spiritual food and drink also points to the Lord’s Supper, in which God’s people are fed by participating in the body and blood of Christ through faith (see 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, 16).
  • Day 9: Exodus 19–20; 24. Covenant at Mt. Sinai. God appears to Israel on Mt. Sinai, gives them the Ten Commandments, and makes a covenant with them. (The Book of Leviticus records other laws given to Moses about Israel’s life and worship. For a sample, read Leviticus 16, which records how the priests were to make atonement for the sins of the people.) God’s promise that Israel will be his treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5–6), is fulfilled in the Church of Jesus Christ (see 1 Peter 2:9–10; Revelation 1:4–6).
  • Day 10: Exodus 32–34; 40. The Tabernacle. Israel sins by making a golden calf and is judged by God. The Lord commands Israel to leave Mt. Sinai. Moses insists that God’s presence go with them and asks to see God’s glory (manifested presence). God allows Moses to see the “trail” of his glory. God renews his covenant with Israel. A tabernacle is constructed in which God’s glory will dwell with his people wherever they go. The tabernacle points forward to Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of God comes to “dwell” or “tabernacle” among us (see John 1:14; Colossians 2:9).
  • Day 11: Numbers 14; 21; Deuteronomy 6. The Wilderness Rebellion. Israel rebels in the wilderness. Moses intercedes in prayer. God promises to spare his people from total destruction, but condemns the first generation to wander in the wilderness for forty years and die there. Moses exhorts the second generation to fear, love, and serve the Lord when they enter the land. (The Book of Deuteronomy records Moses’s speeches to the second generation. For another sample, read Deuteronomy 28.) In Numbers 21:9, the bronze serpent points forward to Jesus Christ, who is lifted up on the cross so that whoever looks to him may be saved from Satan’s power and live (see John 3:14–16).
  • Day 12: Joshua 1; 3; 24. Conquest of the Promised Land. Joshua is appointed as Moses’s successor and leads Israel through the Jordan River. (Joshua leads Israel to conquer the promised land of Canaan, then divides the conquered land among the tribes.) The name “Joshua” is closely related to the name “Jesus.” Joshua points forward to Jesus Christ, who was baptized in the Jordan River and leads us in victory over our enemies, securing the promised land of a new earth (see Matthew 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13).
  • Day 13: Judges 2; 1 Samuel 8; 10:17–27. Israel’s First King. Israel neglects to completely conquer the land, as God commanded. The remaining Canaanites oppress Israel, and God raises up judges to deliver them. Israel demands a king like the other nations, as Moses predicted (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). The prophet Samuel reluctantly anoints Saul as their first king. The establishment of the monarchy is a step towards the kingship of Christ.
  • Day 14: 1 Samuel 17; 2 Samuel 5; 7. Covenant with King David. Saul fears the Philistine warrior Goliath, but David trusts God to defeat him. David is anointed as the second king of Israel. (David was a great musician whose songs and prayers are recorded in the Book of Psalms. For a sample, read Psalms 19, 23, and 51.) David desires to build a house (temple) for God in Jerusalem, but God promises to build him a house (dynasty) instead. God makes a covenant with David, promising that his offspring will reign over an everlasting kingdom. Jesus Christ is the offspring of David whose kingdom will have no end (see Luke 1:31–33; Acts 13:22–23).

Week 3 Reading

 

  • Day 15: 1 Kings 3; 6; 8. King Solomon & the Temple. David’s son Solomon becomes king and prays for wisdom to govern Israel. (Solomon’s extraordinary wisdom from God is recorded in books such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. For a sample, read Proverbs 2 and 10.) Solomon builds a temple in Jerusalem to replace the tabernacle. The temple points forward to Jesus Christ, in whom God dwells with his people (see John 1:14; 2:20–22). The temple also points forward to the Church, which is built up in Christ to be a dwelling place for God (see Ephesians 2:22; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17). Finally, the temple points forward to the new creation, in which God’s glory will dwell on the earth forever (see Revelation 21:22–23).
  • Day 16: 1 Kings 11–12. The Kingdom Divided. At the end of his life, Solomon turns from God. The kingdom is divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
  • Day 17: 1 Kings 16; Isaiah 7; 2 Kings 17. Israel’s Rebellion and Exile to Assyria. All the kings of Israel are evil. The northern kingdom of Israel (also called “Ephraim,” after the name of the leading tribe) attacks the southern kingdom of Judah with help from Syria. The prophet Isaiah reassures Judah of God’s protection and prophesies that Israel will be destroyed by Assyria and cease to be a people. In 722 BC, the Assyrians capture Samaria (the capital of Israel), carry away the people into exile, and resettle the land with peoples from other lands. In Isaiah 7:14, the child who will be born of a virgin and called “Immanuel”—“God with us”—is Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:18–25).
  • Day 18: 2 Kings 21; Jeremiah 25; 2 Kings 24–25. Judah’s Rebellion and Exile to Babylon. Some of the kings of Judah are good, but most are evil. During Manasseh’s reign, Judah reaches a point of no return, even sacrificing their children to false gods. The prophet Jeremiah warns that God will judge Judah with 70 years of captivity in Babylon. In 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captures Jerusalem (the capital of Judah), destroys the temple, and carries away the people into exile. (The Book of Lamentations is a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. For a sample, read Lamentations 3.)
  • Day 19: Ezekiel 16; 36; Daniel 7. God’s People in Exile. While in exile, the prophet Ezekiel confronts Judah (“Jerusalem”) for their wickedness, likening them to an adulterous wife. Ezekiel prophesies that God will one day atone for their sins and establish an everlasting covenant with them. God will restore his people, cleanse them of their sins, and put a new heart and spirit within them. Also in Babylon, Daniel has a vision that future kingdoms will give way to the eternal reign of “one like a son of man.” The Son of Man is Jesus Christ, who will come a second time to bring all kingdoms under his dominion and reign forever on the earth (see Matthew 24:30).
  • Day 20: Jeremiah 31:31–40; Isaiah 9:1–7; 52:13–53:12. Prophetic Hope. Jeremiah prophesies of a new covenant in which God will write his law on the people’s hearts and forgive their sins. Isaiah prophesies of a child who will be born to reign forever on David’s throne. The promised savior-king will be a servant who bears the sins of his people through great suffering. Jesus Christ is the great light who shines in the darkness; he is called “Mighty God” because he is God in the flesh; he enacts a new covenant by his blood shed on the cross for the sins of his people; and of his kingdom there will be no end (see John 1:14; Luke 1:32–33; Matthew 4:12–17; Luke 22:20; 1 Peter 2:24).
  • Day 21: Ezra 1; 3; Nehemiah 9; Malachi 4. Return to the Land. When Babylon is conquered by Persia, the Persian king Cyrus issues a decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The returned exiles continue to sin against the Lord. The people’s prayer of confession in Nehemiah 9 provides a summary of the biblical story thus far. Malachi prophesies of future salvation for God’s people. The “sun of righteousness” that rises with healing in its wings is Jesus Christ, who brings light and renewal to God’s people (see Luke 1:78; John 1:4). “Elijah the prophet” (Malachi 4:5), who turns the hearts of God’s people, is John the Baptist, who comes in the power of Elijah to prepare Israel to receive their promised Messiah, Jesus Christ (see Luke 1:13–17; Matthew 11:7–15).

Week 4 Reading

 

  • Day 22: Matthew 1–4. Birth, Baptism, and Temptation of Jesus the Messiah. The promised offspring of Abraham and David is born, baptized, resists temptation by Satan, calls disciples, and begins his earthly ministry. Christ fulfills Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:2, and other Old Testament prophecies about the promised savior and king. Christ relives Israel’s history by going to Egypt, escaping a king like Pharoah, passing through baptismal waters as in the Red Sea, and enduring temptation in the wilderness at the very points where Israel sinned, reversing their failures with his victories (compare Matthew 2:15 with Hosea 11:1 and Matthew 4:1–4 with Deuteronomy 8:2–3).
  • Day 23: John 1–3. Divine Identity of the Messiah. Jesus Christ is no mere man; he is the eternal Word and Son of God, through whom God created all things in the beginning. The Son was made flesh to dwell among us, reveal the Father, bear our sins, and renew us by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the new tabernacle or temple who reveals God’s glory and gives people access to heaven (compare John 1:51 with Genesis 28:10–17).
  • Day 24: Matthew 5–7. Sermon on the Mount. Jesus teaches his disciples about life in God’s kingdom. Christ’s disciples live humble, repentant, righteous, pure, peaceful, and prayerful lives.
  • Day 25: Luke 9, 14–15. Transfiguration, Parables, and Miracles of Christ. Christ’s glory is revealed to his disciples. Jesus teaches on the cost of discipleship and uses parables to illustrate his teaching for those with ears to hear.
  • Day 26: John 10–12. Raising of Lazarus and the Triumphal Entry. On his way to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, Christ raises his friend Lazarus from the dead as a sign that he will also be raised from the dead and provide life for the world. Christ enters Jerusalem and foretells his coming death for the salvation of the world. Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem fulfills Zechariah 9:9, which said that Israel’s righteous king would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, humble and bringing salvation. The people’s spiritual blindness and rejection of the Messiah was foretold in Isaiah 53:1 and Isaiah 6:10.
  • Day 27: John 18–19. Crucifixion of Christ. Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples. Christ stands before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The righteous Christ is condemned while the criminal Barabbas goes free. Ironically, the soldiers mock him as a king, not realizing that he truly is the King of the Jews. Jesus is crucified between two criminals. He dies and is buried in a garden tomb. Everything that happens is in accordance with God’s predestined plan, and fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures. Christ fulfills Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Zechariah 12:20, Psalm 22:18, and other Old Testament passages and prophecies.
  • Day 28: John 20–21; Matthew 28. Resurrection of Christ and the Great Commission. Jesus is raised from the dead, in accordance with the Old Testament, and appears to his disciples. Jesus restores Peter, who had denied him three times. Eternal life is given to those who believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah and God’s eternal Son.

 

Week 5 Reading

 

  • Day 29: Acts 1–2. Ascension of Christ and Outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Christ ascends into heaven and pours out the promised Holy Spirit upon the Church on the feast of Pentecost. The apostles are empowered to speak in languages that they do not know so that all can understand the gospel and be baptized into the Church. Acts 2 fulfills Joel 2:28–32, which foretold that God would pour out his Spirit in the last days to empower his people. Pentecost begins the reversal of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9): the people scattered by many languages are reunited as one Church in Christ when they hear the gospel preached in their language. The descent of the Spirit with fire marks the Church as the new temple where God’s glory dwells (see 1 Corinthians 3:16).
  • Day 30: Acts 6–9. Conversion of Saul/Paul. The first deacons are ordained. Saul, a zealous Jewish leader, approves of the stoning of Stephen and persecutes the church. The scattered church preaches the gospel to the Samaritans and Gentiles (non-Jews). Saul is converted when Jesus appears to him on the Damascus Road. Saul, also called by his Greek name Paul, begins preaching the gospel.
  • Day 31: Acts 10, 13, 15. Peter, the Jerusalem Council, and Paul’s Missionary Journeys. The Apostle Peter comes to understand that Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of the Jews, is also the Savior of the Gentiles (non-Jews). The Spirit leads the Church to understand that believing Gentiles do not need to keep the law of Moses to be saved and fully included in God’s family.
  • Day 32: Acts 16–18. Paul’s Missionary Journeys (continued). The Apostle Paul spreads the gospel in Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. (Paul later writes letters to the churches in each of these cities or regions. For a sample, read the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians).
  • Day 33: Acts 19–20; 28. Paul’s Missionary Journeys (continued). Paul spreads the gospel in Ephesus and addresses the elders of the Ephesian church. Paul is arrested and eventually placed on house arrest in Rome.
  • Day 34: Ephesians 1–3. Salvation and the Church’s Unity in Christ. Paul writes a letter to the church in Ephesus, teaching them about the spiritual blessings of being united with Christ, and the unity of Jews and Gentiles as one body in him.
  • Day 35: Ephesians 4–6. Life in the Body of Christ. Paul teaches the Ephesians how to live out their new identity in Christ, both as a church and in every area of life.

Week 6 Reading

 

  • Day 36: Romans 1–3. Sin and God’s Righteous Judgment. The Apostle Paul writes a letter to the church in Rome, teaching that since everyone has sinned and broken God’s law, right standing before God cannot be achieved by keeping the law.
  • Day 37: Romans 4–5. Justification by Grace Through Faith. Paul demonstrates from the Old Testament that justification has always been by faith, and has been offered to all as a free gift through Christ’s obedience and righteousness on our behalf.
  • Day 38: Romans 6–8. Freedom from Sin and Life in the Spirit. When the law could not deliver from sin and death, God sent his Son to set us free. The Spirit of Christ dwells in all believers, empowering believers to live new lives until Christ returns to transform the whole creation.
  • Day 39: 1 Corinthians 15. The Resurrection of the Body. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul explains that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the glorious resurrection of all the righteous dead.
  • Day 40: 1 John 1–5. Assurance of Salvation. The Apostle John encourages the church to hold fast to the truth about Christ and persevere in obedience to him.
  • Day 41: 1 Thessalonians 4, 5. Called to Holiness Until Christ Comes. In his letter to the church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul calls believers to holiness and hope as we await the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead.
  • Day 42: Revelation 20–22. Christ’s Second Coming and the New Creation. The Apostle John records the visions that God gave him of the resurrection of the dead, the reign of Christ and his saints, the defeat of Satan, the final judgment, and the new heaven and earth.