Biblical Illiteracy

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

This is the opening verse to one of the most comforting Psalms in scripture. You would assume that most Christians are very familiar with the 23^rd Psalm and that have even memorized the Psalm. But not so fast in your assumption. Albert Mohler wrote the following about Bible illiteracy in the church today:

“While America’s evangelical Christians are rightly concerned about the secular worldview’s rejection of biblical Christianity, we ought to give some urgent attention to a problem much closer to home–biblical illiteracy in the church. This scandalous problem is our own, and it’s up to us to fix it. Researchers George Gallup and Jim Castelli put the problem squarely: “Americans revere the Bible–but, by and large, they don’t read it. And because they don’t read it, they have become a nation of biblical illiterates.” How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it’s worse than most could imagine. Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can’t name even five of the Ten Commandments. “No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don’t know what they are,” said George Barna, president of the firm. The bottom line? “Increasingly, America is biblically illiterate.” Multiple surveys reveal the problem in stark terms. According to 82 percent of Americans, “God helps those who help themselves,” is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better–by one percent. A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in life is taking care of one’s family. Some of the statistics are enough to perplex even those aware of the problem. A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife. A considerable number of respondents to one poll indicated that the Sermon on the Mount was preached by Billy Graham. We are in big trouble.”

Every one of us, who is a follower of Christ, should have a hunger to know more about the God we serve. In the book of Acts Luke recorded the following after 3,000 new believers were added to the Church, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” As Christians we need to faithfully attend church to hear the Word of God proclaimed. We should make every effort to attend Sunday school so that we can grow together in our knowledge and understanding. At Grace Harvest we are blessed to have family groups that meet in our homes. I would encourage you if not attending a homegroup now that you would give one a try. We are called to fellowship with one another and to pray with one another. Church, Sunday school, and our family groups give us the opportunity to do exactly what the early church did, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark