Responding to Biblical Illiteracy in the Local Church
A lack of biblical knowledge is an issue in churches today. We can mourn the loss of what once was or we can respond to the situation we are in.
I have heard some church leaders suggest that we should not emphasize the Bible as much in worship services because most people are ignorant of it. I would say that is the exact opposite of what we should do. This is not the time to give up the time to teach the Bible.
Here are some ideas of what can be done in the local church.
- Emphasize the reading of the Bible in worship services and don’t just have the passage buried in the sermon.
- Don’t assume that the congregation understands a passage that is being referred to but explain the passage.
- Make sure to explain the context of a passage.
- Don’t just teach the content of the Bible. Teach how to interpret the Bible.
- Provide training on the big picture of the Bible.
- Tailor Bible studies to where the congregation is at.
- Take advantage of the quality resources online.
- Come at biblical illiteracy from multiple fronts rather than just relying on one strategy.
- Address biblical knowledge for people of all ages.
There is no simple answer to the problem of biblical illiteracy. But it is something we can address.
I do have to be entirely curious about a religion that claims that the bible is a how to manual, but the vast majority has no idea what the bible actually says. They get the expurgated version from their pastors and priests, their little “daily readings”, etc.
Reading the bible is one of the quickest ways to become an atheist. That Christians can’t agree on what the “real” meaning is shows that it is all made up. You all have different ways to “correctly” interpret the bible. Nothing shows that any of your version is the right one.