May local churches become places where readers are formed not to be partisans of earthly kingdoms but martyrs of the kingdom of heaven, able to say with Luther, “Here I stand,” with a boldness tempered by an openness to being corrected. Learning how to embody these interpretive virtues is sanctification too—and perhaps the best way to proclaim biblical truth in a culture rife with partisan pride and systemic suspicion.

ABSTRACT: In today’s intellectual milieu, pride and sloth are the two chief interpretive vices. Partisan pride protects its beliefs behind the shield of identity politics, while systemic sloth shrugs indifferently at the pursuit of truth itself. In response, today’s Bible interpreters need more than the right kind of method; they need to be the right kind of people: readers marked by interpretive virtue rather than interpretive vice. With boldness, they oppose systemic sloth and proclaim what God has said. At the same time, with humility, they resist partisan pride and remain humbly open to correction. Meanwhile, local churches have the opportunity to become cultures of virtuous reading, places that form Bible readers to be people of interpretive virtue.
For our ongoing series of feature articles for pastors and Christian leaders, we asked Kevin Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, to describe a hermeneutics of boldness and humility.
Of the writing of books about reading the Bible there appears to be no end. Twenty-five years ago, I published one such book: Is There a Meaning in this Text? The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge.1 It was the high noon of postmodern theory, and I wanted to provide a Christian alternative to two deadly sins of interpretation: modern pride (a too confident belief in reason, truth, and method) and postmodern sloth (a too dubious disbelief).
I believed then—as I still do—that biblical Christianity, by definition, depends on being “biblical,” that being biblical requires a high view of Scripture and the wisdom to read it rightly, that reading rightly is challenging in every age, and that reading rightly requires you to be more of a saint than a scholar.2 I also believe that fulfilling Jesus’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations involves helping Jesus’s followers to follow God’s word where it leads with minds and hearts, thus becoming readers and doers.
There is a place for exegetical methods in learning to read the Bible rightly, but even heretics may know how to parse verbs, diagram sentences, and so forth. Methods alone are no guarantee of truth, which is why I ended my hermeneutics text with a section on the importance of humility and conviction—qualities of the reader, not steps in an impersonal process.
From Intellectual to Interpretive Virtue
Hermeneutics may be “the science of textual interpretation,” but good reading, like good science, requires readers to have certain personal qualities. So does good knowing, as I discovered in Linda Zagzebski’s Virtues of the Mind.3 I knew about moral virtues—characteristic traits and habits of a “good” person—but even though I studied philosophy in college, I had never heard of intellectual virtues. Opinion became knowledge (so I was taught) thanks to the process of justification. By way of contrast, Zagzebski defined knowledge as what a person attains by acting with intellectual virtue (“a state of cognitive contact with reality arising out of acts of intellectual virtue”).4 Intellectual virtues are habits of thinking that lead to truth rather than away from it, habits that accord with the mind’s “design plan,” the way it should work in order to achieve its proper good: knowledge.5 Put simply, an intellectual virtue is what leads to an intellectual good.6
My proposal (which I believe was the first to make explicit mention of interpretive virtues7) was similar: an “interpretive virtue” is a personal characteristic or habit that leads readers to the interpretive good of understanding. It all starts with a heartfelt desire for the interpretive good of understanding: “making cognitive contact with the meaning of the text.”8 Good readers respect both the author’s intention and what is objectively there in the text rather than trying to come up with self-serving interpretations.
Reading relates to virtue in two distinct ways. Some people read the Bible (the proverbial “good book”) for the sake of virtue formation. William Bennett’s The Book of Virtues is a compilation of hundreds of character-building stories whose tales help children and others learn the importance of moral traits like self-discipline, loyalty, and compassion.9 Karen Swallow Prior does something similar in her book On Reading Well, pairing classic novels with virtues (e.g., Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities and justice, or Shusaku Endo’s Silence and faith).10 Prior knows there is a difference between reading for moral virtue and reading virtuously, and she deals with the latter in her introduction: “Reading virtuously means, first, reading closely, being faithful to both text and context, interpreting accurately and insightfully.”11 We can read about virtue, and we can also practice virtue while reading.
The latter possibility is our concern here. The key premise should be obvious: how you read is related to the kind of person you are. When it comes to hermeneutics, the who (the kind of person you are) is as important or even more important than the what (the particular method you use).
To avoid modern interpretive pride, our certainty must be tempered by hermeneutic humility; to avoid interpretive sloth, our skepticism must be tempered by hermeneutic conviction. Both boldness and humility are appropriate in biblical interpretation because, as James Eglinton observes, the form of theology must be suited to the subject matter.12 A theologian’s voice must be bold when reporting what God has said, and modest when claiming to say what it means: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).
The Situation Today: An Old and New Challenge
Getting the delicate balance right of a hermeneutics of humility and conviction is more important than ever. Pride and sloth remain the chief interpretive vices, infecting yet another generation, even if 25 years on they have mutated somewhat to adapt to a new cultural situation. Pride now expresses itself as uncritical partisanship that breeds distrust; sloth has developed into systemic skepticism, cynicism, and apathy.
Bonnie Kristian’s Untrustworthy calls out the knowledge crisis that, in the words of her subtitle, is “polluting our politics and corrupting Christian community.”13 Americans no longer trust experts or institutions—unless they agree with their identity politics. Instead of giving reasons for what one believes, one has simply to wrap oneself in the mantle of one’s identity (e.g., “Speaking as an X”). This is what I mean by partisan pride—the idea that me and my tribe are in a special position to know. Unfortunately, if you disagree, you become my antagonist: “Speaking as an X, I am offended that you claim B.”14 To a proud partisan, every disagreement is a hostile act. You are either for or against me; there is no neutral third space for impartial dialogue—or rationality.15
Partisan pride does not need to listen to others; it already knows. Partisan pride is not only tribal but destructive of true democracy. In a culture of identity politics and partisan pride, people on the other side of the aisle—whether in Congress or in church—are not interlocutors, but potential enemies. It’s not even safe to talk about the weather anymore, at least not if you connect the dots between record flooding and climate change. A Chicago Tribune headline declares, “Meteorologists Feeling the Heat from Viewers.”16 Forecasters are without honor in their hometowns. Apparently, whether or not you trust your local weatherman is a function of your party politics.
Twenty-five years ago, I suggested that sloth was the signature temptation of postmodern theorists. Since then, however, the suspicion that truth claims are in fact power plays has become something of a fixture in public consciousness, resulting in systemic skepticism and cynicism—an inability to trust or believe in anything or anyone: “Whereas pride claims knowledge prematurely, sloth prematurely claims the impossibility of literary knowledge.”17 Postmodern suspicion has spread, like a virus, from the labs of French literary theory to Main Street.
To think that no one is in a position to know what texts, including the Bible, really mean is disheartening. Why begin to climb a mountain if you know you’ll never make it to the top? Why start a game of chess if you know the best-case scenario is a stalemate? What began as a hermeneutics of suspicion has developed into systemic skepticism, and it breeds what theologian Uche Anizor calls a “culture of apathy,” which does not merely tolerate but nurtures “an attitude of indifference” toward what used to be important.18 What distresses Anizor is the extent to which this attitude of indifference, even toward spiritual things and biblical truth, has become normal.
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It’s progressives who rarely defy political orthodoxy and who harbor disdain for conservatives. And the hardening lines between these two groups add weight to the thesis of J. Gresham Machen a century ago: when it comes to Christianity and theological liberalism, we really are talking about two different religions.

Are conservative Christians prone to politicizing their faith, conflating Republican Party politics with biblical fidelity?
Some are, and we could point to plenty of examples. But the bigger, underreported story is that conservative Christians are not uniquely prone to such errors, and in fact, “progressive” Christians outpace their conservative counterparts in succumbing to politicization.
One Faith No Longer
George Yancey and Ashlee Quosigk’s new book, One Faith No Longer: the Transformation of Christianity in Red and Blue America, published by NYU Press earlier this year, has a provocative thesis. Based on new research and extensive interviews, the authors claim current progressive-conservative divisions among Christians in the U.S. (descending from the modernist-fundamentalist battles a century ago) are manifestations of fundamentally different belief systems.
Yancey and Quosigk believe we are not dealing with minor alterations in doctrine and values, but belief systems that have grown so drastically different that each side’s “goals” become oppositional, thereby “interfering with one another’s ability to accomplish their desired purposes” (209).
In defining conservative and progressive Christians, the authors use theological rather than political criteria. Individuals who believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and say Jesus is the only path to salvation are conservative Christians. Those who do not believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and do not see Jesus as the only path to salvation are progressive Christians.
The decision to define these groups by theological rather than political criteria is itself one of the areas where the differences between progressives and conservatives are most starkly represented. Everywhere we turn, we hear that conservative evangelicalism has become overly politicized and partisan, unable to speak to power prophetically. And we can certainly point to people and places where this has been the case. But we’re wrong to assume that the answer to this politicization will be found by turning to the Christian left. On the contrary, progressive Christians who fit this description are more, not less, politically minded than the conservative Christians.
Here are three surprises from Yancey and Quosigk’s research.
1. Progressive Christians are more likely to establish their identity through politics, while conservative Christians find their identity in theology.
Put simply, progressive Christians see the world through a political lens; conservative Christians, through a religious lens (155). This doesn’t mean that progressives are atheological and conservatives apolitical, but only that the emphasis is wildly disparate between the groups.
For example, progressive Christians…

…emphasize political values relating to social justice issues as they determine who is part of their in-group; they tend to be less concerned about theological agreement. Conservative Christians, however, do not put strong emphasis on political agreement in order to determine if you are one of them—their major concern is whether you agree with them on core theological points…(4)

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There are only 52 Lord’s Day a year to preach, and in our historic congregation at Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church, the longstanding practice is lectio continua. Preaching book by book, chapter by chapter, pericope by pericope gives God’s people stability. However, once a year this pattern changes… on January 1st, 2023. God’s people will be pointed to the Bible Reading Plans we’ve curated and developed for them.

The first Lord’s Day of each year we preach on the primacy of God’s word and the blessings of reading the Scriptures. That will happen again on January 1st, 2023. God’s people will be pointed to the Bible Reading Plans we’ve curated and developed for them.
Some plans will challenge and stretch Christians to spend vast amounts of time in God’s word. Other plans will fit into the busy packed schedule of work and child rearing.
Get the Bible reading plan that fits your life and schedule.
“I will meditate on Your precepts,And contemplate Your ways.I will delight myself in Your statues;I will not forget Your word.”
Some Advice On Bible Reading Plans
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you’re on this page it means you want to challenge yourself this year. That’s great! But, maybe you didn’t finish your plans in previous years. That’s okay. The goal is not to check boxes off our to-do list but to bury God’s word in our hearts. Don’t get discouraged. Every time we open God’s word He is using it – He will not allow His word to return void.
So here’s some tips for accomplishing your 2023 Bible Reading Plan:

Pick a realistic plan
Pick a plan that fits you – take into account your personality, time, and life circumstances
Devote a time each day to when and where you’ll read – seriously you might need to put it on your calendar
Summarize what you’ve just read
Pick an accountability partner who can encourage you (and you them!)

Below you’ll find a compiled list of 2023 Bible Reading Plans. They are not listed in any specific order, but we pray you’ll find this list helpful as you search for this year’s plan.
May God bless you this year as you read and meditate upon His word!
List of 2023 Bible Reading Plans
Morning & Evening Bible Reading Plan
I LOVE this Bible Reading plan. In fact this is the plan I used my first time going through the Bible. You read a larger chunk of the Old Testament in the Mornings and a smaller portion in the Evenings. Breaking up the readings makes the plan accomplishable. You start your day in God’s redemptive plans in the past and end your day with Jesus. I highly recommend this plan.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
5 Day Bible Reading Plan
“The Five Day Bible Reading Schedule’s secret is that you only have to read five times a week, not every day. This allows time for catching up, taking a day off, read other parts of the Bible to prepare for Bible class, etc.  Read the entire Bible or just the New Testament – it’s your choice and it is easier than ever to accomplish!”
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Professor Grant Horner’s Reading Plan
This plan is unlike any other. If you really want to read broadly and get contextualization then this is your plan! It it not for the faint hearted but those who want to be deeply watered. Each day consists of 10 chapters in various genres of the Bible. Every year you’ll read through all of the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1 1⁄2 times!
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
52 week Bible Reading plan
This plan will take you through a different genre of the Bible each day. Sunday – Epistle, Monday – Law, Tuesday – History, Wednesday – Psalms, Thursday – Poetry, Friday – Prophecy, Saturday – Gospels. This plan is really helpful if you have gotten bogged down before by having to read through books like Numbers or Isaiah in large chunks before. The plans strength is that it will give you something fresh to read each day of the week. However, that is also one of the weaknesses. By reading something a week ago you might not make connections with previous chapters in context as easily.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
5x5x5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan
This plan comes from the Navigators with this helpful instruction:
5 minutes a day | If you’re not currently reading the Bible, start with 5 minutes a day. This reading plan will take you through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, one chapter per day. The gospels are read throughout the year to keep the story of Jesus fresh all year.
5 days a week | Determine a time and location to spend 5 minutes a day for 5 days a week. It is best to have a consistent time and a quiet place where you can regularly meet with the Lord.
5 ways to dig deeper | We must pause in our reading to dig into the Bible. Below are 5 different ways to dig deeper each day. These exercises will encourage meditation. We recommend trying a single idea for a week to find what works best for you. Remember to keep a pen and paper ready to capture God’s insights.
Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the Bible passage. Use a pen or highlighter to mark new discoveries from the text. Periodically review your markings to see what God is teaching you.Put it into your own words. Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase or sentence using your own words.Ask and answer some questions. Questions unlock new discoveries and meanings. Ask questions about the passage using these words: who, what, why, when, where, or how. Jot down some thoughts on how you would answer these questions.Capture the big idea. God’s Word communicates big ideas. Periodically ask, What’s the big idea in this sentence, paragraph, or chapter?Personalize the meaning. When God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we must respond. A helpful habit is personalizing the Bible through application. Ask: How could my life be different today as I respond to what I’m reading?
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: New Testament | Download the PDF
Weekday Bible Reading Plan
This is a wonderful plan that gives you flexibility on the weekends. Monday through Friday you’ll read portions of the Scriptures. Yet, the plan gives you flexibility to take the weekends off or use them to catch up.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Bible Reading Chart
Don’t want to be tied down to a certain number of chapters per day? This is a helpful chart to check off the list as you go.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Maybe you’ve read through the Bible before and have wondered when the Psalms would have been written. Or wished that you knew how Hezekiah & Isaiah went together. How did the minor prophets fit into the story of the Bible. This is a really helpful Bible reading plan for those who are curious. Just a warning this plan has many who have LOVED it and many who have not.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Discipleship Bible Reading Plan
A little disclaimer – I love this plan. The Navigators have done a wonderful job of creating a plan that balances keeping context without getting too bogged down in one genre. That does mean you’ll be reading through large chunks of the Prophets and the Psalmist. It takes disciple to get through this one but many have found it very helpful.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
3 Year Bible Reading Plan
Take your time – soak it up. Not one to rush through your reading. Do you hit the Psalms and want to just slow down? This a very helpful plan to get you through the Bible in 3 years by reading 1 chapter each day. Here’s what the creators say about it:
This plan will take you completely through the Bible, reading every word. Rather than taking only a year for this project, which requires 3 chapters to read every day. That can be too much, unrealistic, and discouraging for some. In this plan you get to read one chapter a day. (Short chapters have been combined, so sometimes you’ll read two.)
Duration: 3 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
2 Years through the Bible
Think you can go quicker than 3 years? Great! Here’s a great plan for 2 years. It also has days built in to catch up which can be very helpful.
Duration: 2 Years — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
McCheyne’s plan is a classic for a reason. If you would like to include your entire family in your Bible reading this is a very helpful resource. You can read part by yourself in your devotions and then in the morning and evening read other portions with your family. It is amazing how often this plan has readings that correspond to one another.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
Straight Through the Bible Plan
This is a really easy philosophy. Take up the book and read. Start at Genesis and end at Revelation. Cover to cover in 1 year.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Whole Bible | Download the PDF
1 Year Through the Old Testament
If you would like to challenge yourself to read the Old Testament in 1 year you’ll find this helpful. This plan, like most Old Testament in a year plans, can be heavy on some days a light on others. Just budget you time since somedays you will have more reading than on other days.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: Old Testament | Download the PDF
1 Year Though the New Testament
If you’re new to the faith or you just want to slow down and chew over the words of the New Testament this will be helpful. You’ll read 1 chapter a day for 5 days of the week starting at Matthew and ending with Revelation.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: New Testament | Download the PDF
Deep Dive Bible Plans
These Readings through smaller parts of the Bible are great for those with limited time but want to read deeply
Old Testament Bible Reading Plans
The Law (Genesis to Deuteronomy)
This plan will take you through the foundation of Biblical understanding. The Law, Books of Moses, or Pentateuch are essential to understanding the rest of the Bible.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books | Download the PDF
Historical Books (Joshua to Esther)
Spend the year reading about God’s covenant faithfulness, the highs and the lows of Israelite devotion, and see the redemptive sweep of Biblical history.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 12 Books of Biblical History | Download the PDF
Poetry & Wisdom (Job to Song of Solomon)
The Poetry of the Scriptures shed light on the profound depth of human emotion in light of God and His promises. The Wisdom literature give practical principles for godly living the come from a heart that loves the Lord.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books of Poetry & Wisdom | Download the PDF
All The Prophets (Isaiah to Malachi)
Delve deep into the prophetic writings of the Scriptures. Hear God’s words to His people and to the nations as He spoke through His prophets.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 17 Books of Prophecy | Download the PDF
Major Prophets (Isaiah to Daniel)
Major & Minor prophets is not means to be a qualitative distinction but quantitative. It is not that the major prophets are better or more important but that their writings are generally longer. That said, enjoy a year exploring the depths of the prophets. See how the Christ is prophesied so clearly in Isaiah. Soak in the gospel through the prophet Jeremiah. And stand in wonder of the visions in Ezekiel.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Book of Prophecy | Download the PDF
Minor Prophets (Hosea to Malachi)
This is a wonderful Bible reading plan full of variety and Messianic hope. Hear of God’s covenant love in Hosea. See God send the gospel to the gentiles in Jonah. And hear the voice proclaiming His covenant faithfulness in Malachi.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 12 Books of Prophecy| Download the PDF
New Testament Bible Reading Plans
Read the Gospels (Matthew to John)
Spend time this year looking at who Jesus is, what He has done, and what hope there is for the world today.
We did the plan live throughout 2020! Check it out by clicking the link DEVOTIONS above.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 4 Books | Download the PDF
Gospels & Revelation (Matthew to John + Revelation)
Learn about the Alpha and the Omega. During this year you’ll see the promises of the Old Testament come to fulfillment in Jesus. You will also be blessed to see the Son of Man sitting on His throne being worshiped by the heavenly hosts.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 5 Books | Download the PDF
Jesus & Paul (Matthew – Hebrews)
This Bible reading plan will take you through all the gospels. You will learn of the Christ and His eternal kingdom. Then you will see how that gospel spread to the furthest reaches of the known world. Your heart will also be challenged and blessed as you study God’s instruction to the Churches in Christ.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 19 Books | Download the PDF
Paul’s Letters (Romans to Hebrews)
Paul’s letters are foundational to the Christian church. Working through these books will give you the foundation of Jesus in your faith and point you to Jesus as the cornerstone of the church. Paul’s letters to the church and pastors are absolutely necessary to understanding God’s will for your life.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 13 Books | Download the PDF
Hebrews to Revelation
Your soul is going to be enriched as you read about Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith. In Hebrews see how the whole Old Testament points toward and is fulfilled in Jesus. You’ll receive instruction from the book of James for your life. John will point you to Jesus time and again. Revelation will show you Christ in His splendor.
Duration: 1 Year — Amount: 9 Books | Download PDF
Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church is located in SE Iowa within driving distance from Burlington, Columbus Junction, Mediapolis, Middletown, Morning Sun, Mt. Pleasant, and Winfield.
Note:
We did not create many of these plans. Most of the Bible Reading Plans have their creators’ information in the plan. Creators own all intellectual copyrights to their works. In compiling this list of Bible Reading Plans Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church is not giving approval to any ministry, church, or organization but merely listing resources which they have provided online for use.
This list was assembled by Bryan Schneider, pastor of  Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church in Morning Sun, Iowa.
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