How Can Churches Battle Biblical Illiteracy in America?
Even though 70 percent of Americans identify as Christians, only 10 percent truly hold a biblical worldview and lifestyle.
A study conducted by the American Culture and Faith Institute even revealed that 46 percent of adults claim to have a biblical worldview, but their lifestyles do not reflect the same, The Gospel Herald reported.
This proves that many professing Christians know little of what the Bible teaches, and their principles and lifestyle are actually influenced more by what society dictates.
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To address this biblical illiteracy, Avery Foley from Answers in Genesis provided a few tips for parents, pastors, and Sunday school teachers.
First, Foley said church leaders must never assume people know the gospel and other fundamentals. "We tend to assume that young people who've grown up in the church understand the gospel and other biblical doctrines — but you can't assume this!" he said. "Weave the gospel into your sermons or teaching moments."
Foley also said that church leaders should teach the whole gospel and not just focus on one aspect, such as the Cross or Resurrection. At the same time, "Bible stories" are not enough for people to fully understand God's Word.
"Teaching God's Word as 'stories' can unintentionally imply that God's Word is nothing but a fairy tale or that it is less than authoritative. Teach the accounts in Scripture as real history, just as the Bible itself does. And help people to understand how these accounts teach us theology and doctrine," he stressed. "They don't just teach us to be brave like David or forgiving like Joseph — they teach us things about God and his plan throughout history."
In order to gauge people's understanding of the Bible, Foley said church leaders should encourage and answer questions. He said that Christianity is a reasoned faith that urges believers to keep discovering something new. If pastors are asked a question they do not know the answer to, they should promise to follow it up and learn about it.
