Fifteen years ago I read the Old Testament (King James Version) and blogged it as I went. I always meant to keep on trucking, but, well, I didn’t.
Now, in January and February of 2026 I am going to read all 27 books of the New Testament (I have a passing familiarity with the Gospels, thanks to secondary school, and I did read the Book of Revelations at some point (fever dream, innit?)
The plan is to read at most ten pages a day, with rest days more frequent than old “1-in-7” for the Gospels through Romans, but then, because it all gets somewhat shorter, one a day for most of February.
Crucially, am blogging as I go.
Oh, and I am going to read Gore Vidal’s 1992 “Live from Golgotha” as soon as I am done with John…
Summary as if I were AI:
Fairly standard set of events, as per the other Synoptics; miracles, verbal jousting with Pharisees etc. The blood and guts come in 18 to 24…
Historical – when written, by whom
According to Wikipedia
The Gospel of Luke[a] is the third of the New Testament‘s canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.[5] Together with the Acts of the Apostles, it makes up a two-volume work called Luke–Acts,[6] accounting for 27.5% of the New Testament.[7]
The text is anonymous, not naming its author.[8][9] Perhaps most scholars think that he was a companion of Paul, but others cite differences with the Pauline epistles.[10][11][12] In the popular Two-source hypothesis, Luke used the Gospel of Mark and a hypothetical Q source, though alternative hypotheses positing a direct relation between Matthew and Luke without Q are increasing in prominence.[13][14][15] Luke follows Mark closely compared to other ancient historians’ usage of sources, though the parallels and variations of the Synoptic gospels are typical of ancient historical biographies.[16][17] Luke tends to follow his sources closely when checked.[18] The most common dating for its composition is around AD 80–90. The earliest witnesses for Luke are the Alexandrian and the revised western text-type.[19][20][21]
Most poetic bits (ymmv)
11:54 laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
16:21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Most quotable bits
That’s academics for you, all over.
11:43-4 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Most “wtaf” bit(s)
xxx
What it reminds me of (books/plays/jokes etc)
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Further reading
Xx
Chapter 9
As per Mark and Matthew,
- Delegation
- Herod and John the Baptist
- Feeding the 5k
Opinion poll about his identity
9: 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
9: 30-1 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
9: 52-6 52and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
9: 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
9: 62 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Chapter 10
LOTS more delegation
10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
10:13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
The good Samaritan
10:34 and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Chapter 11
Lord’s Prayer
11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Bush level binaries, innit?
11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
That’s academics for you, all over.
11:43-4 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Poetically done
11:54 laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
Chapter 12
12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Barn parable
12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
There will be unannounced spot-checks…
12:45-6 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers
Chapter 13
More fig trees
Miracle cure for an 18 year old woman
13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Chapter 14
Nietzsche probably pointed to this!
14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Project management and quantity surveying
14:28-9 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Tough selection criteria!!
14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
14:34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
Chapter 15
Pharisees gunning for him
Parable of the lost sheep (cf prodigal son, which we then get to)
Paaaaarty!
15:13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living
15:23 and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
If I were the other brother, I’d find it all a bother…
Chapter 16
16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
(cf Luke 14:33)
God’s criteria are a bit different…
16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Word Tittle – a point, ( Matthew 5:18 ; Luke 16:17 ), the minute point or stroke added to some letters of the Hebrew alphabet to distinguish them from others which they resemble; hence, the very least point.
16:21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Chapter 17
17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
That sounds like a film I saw when I was, like, 17 and grubby af…
17:35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
marchudson.net 
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