How to Read the New Testament in 90 Days

You can read the entire New Testament in 90 days by reading about 3 chapters — roughly 8 to 12 minutes — each day. The New Testament has 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,957 verses, which makes it one of the most achievable Bible reading goals you can set.

If reading the whole Bible in a year feels like too much right now, the New Testament in 90 days is a great place to start. It covers the life of Jesus, the birth of the church, and the letters that shaped Christian faith — and you'll finish in about three months.

How long is the New Testament?

At an average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute, the New Testament takes about 12 hours to read. Many people read Scripture more slowly and reflectively than that — Crossway's estimate for the average reader works out to roughly 45% more time — so plan on 12 to 18 hours in total.

Spread over 90 days, that's about 8 to 12 minutes a day.

How many chapters a day to read the New Testament in 90 days?

Read 3 chapters a day and you'll finish in 87 days, with a few days to spare. If you prefer counting verses, read about 89 verses a day.

Some chapters are much longer than others (Luke 1 has 80 verses, while all of 3 John has just 14), so counting verses or minutes gives you a steadier daily load than counting chapters.

A 13-week New Testament reading schedule

This schedule reads the New Testament in its normal order at 20 chapters a week — about 3 a day, with one lighter day each week for catching up.

You don't have to follow the canonical order. Some readers alternate between a Gospel and a letter, or start with Mark (the shortest Gospel) and Acts to get the story first. What matters most is that you keep track of what you've read so nothing gets skipped.

Where should I start?

Most people start with Matthew and read straight through to Revelation. That order works well: the four Gospels tell the story of Jesus, Acts tells how the church began, the letters teach and encourage the early churches, and Revelation closes with a vision of God making all things new.

If you'd like a gentler start, begin with the Gospel of Mark — it's short and fast-paced — or with Luke followed immediately by Acts, which was written as its sequel.

You can read a short overview of every book on our Books of the Bible pages, including how long each one takes to read. For example, Mark takes about an hour, and Philippians about 10 minutes.

Tips for finishing in 90 days

• Pick a time and place. Decide in advance when and where you'll read — for example, "after I pour my morning coffee, I'll read three chapters at the kitchen table." Research on implementation intentions shows that specific when-and-where plans make people much more likely to follow through.
• Track your progress. Studies of goal pursuit find that regularly monitoring your progress makes you more likely to reach the goal, especially when you write it down.
• Plan for missed days. Life happens. The schedule above leaves roughly one lighter day each week, so a missed day is easy to make up.
• Read with someone. Invite a friend or small group to read along and check in once a week.
• Don't get stuck. If a passage is confusing, write down your question and keep reading. You can come back to it later. Our guide to organizing your personal Bible study shows how to keep a list of open questions.

For more on building a routine that lasts beyond 90 days, see How to Build a Strong Bible Reading Habit.

Other ways to read the New Testament

• A slower pace. The Navigators' popular 5x5x5 plan reads one New Testament chapter a day, five days a week, and takes a year.
• The whole Bible. Once you've finished the New Testament, you might be ready to read the whole Bible in a year — about 3 to 4 chapters a day.
• Compare plans. See our guide to Bible reading plans to find one that fits you.

Keep track of your New Testament reading

My Bible Log is a free Bible reading tracker that works with any plan. Log what you read, check off chapters on the Chapter Checklist, and see your progress through every book on the Bible Books page. Set a daily verse goal, and the Progress page will predict when you'll finish.