The lack of Bible knowledge in the United States is well documented. Fewer than half of Americans can name the first book of the Bible — Genesis. Only one-third know that Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Almost as many think it was Billy Graham. Six out of 10 persons cannot name half of the Ten Commandments. One in four does not know that Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave.
Reasons for this lack of knowledge are many. Americans are reading less and that means they are reading the Bible less as well. Bible reading has declined from 73 percent of Americans who read the Bible, at least occasionally, a decade ago to 59 percent who read the Bible at least occasionally now.
Americans are working longer hours now. Lives are busier. The abundance of religious books seems to have resulted in more confusion, not more understanding, as competing ideas are presented.
Whatever the causes, the problem is the same. Americans have a shrinking knowledge of the Bible, even though two-thirds believe the Bible answers all or most of the basic questions of life. Increasingly, people live ignorant of the Bible’s directions or its demands.
For Baptists, the problem is more serious. As Baptists, we hold the Bible as the sole authority for our faith and practice. Yet, among Baptists, the level of Bible knowledge continues to decline. Not only do we not know certain facts of the Bible but a study by Barna indicated that only 1 percent of adults who considered themselves born again, including Baptists, could affirm the basic belief statements of the Bible.
Another study found that four out of 10 teens who considered themselves born again, including Baptists, believed Jesus committed sin during His earthly life. Six out of 10 said a person could earn salvation by doing good deeds. Both statements are contrary to basic Baptist beliefs.
Obviously, there is a grave difference between our words about the Bible and our use of the Bible.
These findings offer Baptists many challenges. Chief among them is the challenge to the Bible teaching program of the church — the Sunday School. The primary role of Sunday School is to teach the Bible. Yes, Sunday School serves other functions. It is an outreach arm and a tool for evangelism. But the primary role is to teach the Bible.
At all age groups, it may be appropriate to re-
examine how seriously we take the responsibility of teaching God’s Word. Do participants learn facts about the Bible as well as concepts of the Bible? Is Bible understanding expanded because of the Bible study or is the time spent in other ways?
The Sunday School teacher spends more time teaching the Bible to class members than the pastor gets to spend with them in the preaching service. That means the Sunday School teacher plays a primary role in the Bible teaching program of the church. The opportunity must not be missed.
The findings also challenge Baptist worship services. Worship is more than an emotional experience. Worship has a cognitive level also. Emotions can be manipulated to make one feel good about the experience but feeling good does not mean one has encountered God.
The desire to attract people to church sometimes tempts one to talk about the latest guidelines of strengthening marriage or raising children or getting ahead in life. Each topic is important and vital to the church. But the message of the church is what the Bible says about how to strengthen marriage or raise children or get ahead in life.
The messages from the pulpit must be Bible-based.
But to blame the Sunday School or the worship services for the decline in Bible knowledge is to miss the main point. The primary fault must be laid at the feet of individual Baptists who do not read the Bible on a regular basis. Because we believe in the priesthood of each believer and the competency of each soul before God, there is no escaping the individual’s responsibility to read and study God’s Word.
The psalmist wrote, “Thy Word have I hid in my heart.” That is the goal. When one fails to do that, it is not the Sunday School’s fault nor the pastor’s fault. It is the individual’s fault. The Sunday School can help. The pastor can encourage. But, in the end, it is the decision of the individual to read and study God’s Word.
One person observed that “A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to a person who isn’t.” Most Baptists would say “Amen.” Because we believe the Bible does answer most of life’s basic questions, individual Bible study is important. Because the Bible provides the only answer to how one can be rightly related to God through faith in Jesus Christ, Bible study is indispensable.
It is not enough for the Bible to be the world’s most popular Book or widely distributed Book. The Bible must become the world’s most widely read and followed Book, as well. That process begins with each of us and our commitment to read and study God’s Holy Word, the Bible.
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