Is It OK to Start with Just the New Testament?

The short answer

Yes. Starting with the New Testament, and with a Gospel in particular, is what many pastors and Bible teachers recommend to new believers; Billy Graham, for one, advised a new Christian to begin with John, Acts and Romans and then added, “You will want to study the Old Testament as well.” A New Testament is a beginning, not the whole Bible. Jesus and the apostles constantly quote and explain the Old Testament, so plan to read it too, and to own a complete Bible within your first months.

A New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible: 27 books, from Matthew to Revelation. It is shorter than the Old Testament, it is about Jesus from its first page, and it is where most guides for new Christians tell you to begin. So it is natural to ask whether a New Testament on its own is enough, or whether you need to buy a complete Bible straight away.

Why starting with the New Testament makes sense

It begins with Jesus. The four Gospels tell his life, death and resurrection, the centre of the Christian faith.
It is the right size. The whole New Testament is about a quarter of the Bible. A Gospel can be read in two or three weeks at a chapter a day; the whole New Testament, 260 chapters, in about three months at three chapters a day.
It answers a new believer’s first questions. Acts shows how the first Christians lived; the letters explain faith, grace, prayer and life together in plain terms.
It prepares you for the Old Testament. Once you know the story of Jesus, the promises, the sacrifices and the kings of the Old Testament read differently.

The New Testament books, in twenty seconds. With sound.

Why the Old Testament still matters

The Bible Jesus read was the Old Testament. When he was tempted in the wilderness, he answered with a verse from Deuteronomy:

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth.’ ”
KJVBut he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4 · World English Bible, with the King James Version

And after the resurrection, Luke records that he explained the whole of it to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus:

Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
KJVAnd beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:27 · World English Bible, with the King James Version

The New Testament writers quote the Old Testament again and again, and many words you will meet in the Gospels, such as covenant, sacrifice, Messiah, kingdom and Passover, take their meaning from it. Without it you would miss the creation and the fall, Abraham and the promise, Moses and the exodus, the Ten Commandments, David, the Psalms and the prophets. A New Testament on its own is a good place to start; it is not meant to be the only part of the Bible you ever read.

A sensible path

Months one and two: read a Gospel (John or Mark), then Acts. Our 30-day plan starts here.
Month three: read a few short letters (Philippians, 1 John, James) and start a Psalm a day.
Then: read Genesis and Exodus, the beginning of the story Jesus fulfils, and continue through the New Testament.
Within the year: own a complete Bible in a translation you read well, and consider a plan that reads the whole of it.

When a New Testament on its own is the right book to buy

A separate New Testament is a good choice when you want a lighter book to carry, a book kept for reading the Gospels and letters, a gift for someone just starting, or a copy for a group studying one New Testament book. It is the wrong choice if it would be your only Bible for good, or if someone asked you specifically for “a Bible”. Our guide New Testament vs Full Bible explains how to check what an edition contains, including New Testaments “with Psalms and Proverbs”.

What we sell, and what we don’t

We print the New Testament: the Black Edition and the White Edition (all 27 books in the World English Bible, the words of Jesus in red, softcover $60, hardcover $80), and an illustrated New Testament as single books or one volume, in the King James Version or the World English Bible. For your first step into the Old Testament, the Five Books of Moses print Genesis to Deuteronomy complete, as five books (hardcover $45 each) or one volume.

We do not currently sell a complete Bible with both Testaments. When you are ready for one, your church may give you one, any Christian bookshop has many, and the complete World English Bible and King James Version are free to read at ebible.org. We would rather you had the whole Bible than only our books.

Questions about the New Testament

Is it OK for a new Christian to read only the New Testament?

It is a good place to start, and many pastors recommend beginning with the Gospels. But the New Testament builds on the Old, which Jesus himself read and explained, so plan to read both.

How many books are in the New Testament?

27: the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Acts, 21 letters and Revelation.

Should I read the Old Testament or the New Testament first?

Most guides for new Christians suggest the New Testament first, starting with a Gospel, then Genesis and the Psalms. There is no rule about order; what matters is reading regularly.

Is a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs a complete Bible?

No. It adds two Old Testament books to the New Testament, but it leaves out the other 37 Old Testament books, including Genesis and the prophets.

Does your shop sell a complete Bible?

Not at the moment. We sell the New Testament, the Five Books of Moses and theme books of Scripture. A church, a Christian bookshop or ebible.org (free) can give you a complete Bible.

How we wrote this guide. We print New Testaments and the Five Books of Moses, and we would rather a reader knew exactly what our books leave out. The quotations are from the World English Bible and the King James Version texts we print. Published 21 October 2026.