If I asked you how knowledgeable you were regarding the Bible, would you answer honestly and with a sense of fulfillment; with the sense of having achieved something that is profitable for your soul and spirit? Or would you inflate how much of it you've read in order to look good in the eyes of the world -- or defiantly question its value at all? Can you even admit that it is worthwhile to be educated in the Word of God?
Maybe you don't think these questions are important to ponder. Maybe you think there is nothing in this ancient book that offers answers to the problems in today's world, so why waste your time? As someone who spent far too much of her younger years seeking answers to the world's problems from the world, itself, I can tell you that it wasn't until I cracked open the cover of my 1049-page King James Bible, and then graduated to my 1547-page English Standard Version (with its critical examinations of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts), that I began to experience a growing hunger to understand their importance. Reading them from cover to cover transformed my life!
I believe the Bible exists for mankind, because there is an instinctive sense within each of us that there is something more for us in our lives than self-gratification, in which the end result is emptiness and a meaningless life. We are created to have value and purpose beyond ourselves. The Bible is the only source I know [in this world] that is able to instruct us how to find the true meaning of our existence; who we are and why we're here. And that understanding transcends making money, being popular, exploring our sexual identity, and indulging or satisfying our own desires. If you aren't seeking those answers within the Bible, then everything the world offers will be inadequate. Take a long, honest look at the world today ... that's exactly why we must encourage Biblical literacy.
To give you an idea of just how lacking it is, a survey by Lifeway Research revealed that 87% of adult households in the US own a Bible, but only 11% have read all the Bible once, while 30% said they've only read a few passages or stories. And let me be clear -- reading the Bible and understanding it are two different things. It is such a deep and multi-layered revelation of the character of God and His relationship with His creation. It also discloses the war between Good and Evil and those who have chosen to rebel against His holy and righteous ways, resulting in His plan [throughout Time] to redeem mankind and establish us with Him in Eternity.
But it is vitally important to understand that Biblical literacy is more than being able to memorize names and stories, to explain Christian terminology, or pass a trivia test. All that is knowledge, but it's not the same as knowing God. And you can't claim Biblical literacy just because you go to Church every Sunday or hold a title in your congregation. That doesn't mean you know God ... or that He knows you. True Biblical literacy requires a commitment to search out the deeper awareness and meaning of every word in the Bible, which is how you get to really know who God is, and who you are, in order to develop a personal, genuine and authentic relationship with the living and active God of the Universe. He's not just a mythical character. He's real and involved in every minute of every day throughout all of history -- from its beginning to the very end.
And He wants to interact with each one of us and reveal Himself to us so that we can engage with Him. He doesn't want to be some remote and isolated figurehead who works independently to govern the world. He made us in His image; to work with Him, glorifying Him through our words and deeds; helping Him to govern the world with righteousness, goodness, mercy, and love. I repeatedly quote my husband Mark's favorite verse of the Bible, Proverbs 25:2 ... It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, while it is the glory of kings to search it out. This is a perfect way for me to show you the difference between Biblical knowledge and Biblical Literacy.
Mark doesn't just quote this verse over and over as an example of what the Bible says is an attribute of God's character; he lives it by example. By studying the etymology -- studying the origin and evolution -- of words in the Bible, like glory of God, and glory of kings, along with their comparative meanings in the Hebrew and Greek texts, he began to understand the historical context of this verse. In addition, he received the revelation from the Holy Spirit that God loves it when we inquire about His meaning of Scripture and endeavor to understand what He wants us to know about Him. When God conceals certain matters in His Word, it can cause us to see that He possesses infinite wisdom, and create a hunger in us to know Him more. In turn, God takes great pleasure when His creation makes the effort to run after Him. He doesn't want us to be robots who automatically glorify Him... He wants us to CHOOSE to spend the time to seek Him. And believe me, when your quest enables you to connect the dots from a concept in the Old Testament to one in the New Testament that you've never known before, it's a supernatural high that keeps you coming back to the Bible for more!
That's a little of what Biblical literacy is, and what it isn't. Now, I'd like to talk a bit about why it's more important today than it's ever been in our country's history. Living in today's world is a battlefield of Good vs Evil. And the Bible gives you the weapons and tactics, as well as the armor you will need to survive. When this country was founded, it had a solid foundation of faith and the Bible on which to stand. The Bible and its principles were taught in every school, and Pastors were solid in their study and exegesis of the Word. Over the 250 years of our history, those practices have slowly declined and our society has reaped the consequences. Churches have compromised those values in favor of more entertainment, drawing in bigger crowds, gaining popularity, and filling their coffers to overflowing.
Biblical literacy among their flocks is no longer prioritized. The Early Church in the Book of Acts gathered for sound teachings; examination of the Word, recognizing that it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). That's what it used to look like in this country. But the Church no longer appears set apart from the world, but, sadly looks to compromise with it. And by accepting a 501(c)3 designation, the Church has abdicated God's authority and laws in favor of man's form of government. We have limited the Word and it's meaning and power to what is acceptible in the eyes of men.
And Heaven forbid that you want to invite a serious discussion that your own study has evinced; not to cause discord or division, but to glorify God in the search for His truth. But believe me, if the Pastor is not Bible literate himself, you will be seen as a trouble-maker and a threat to his power and authority, if not (gasp!) an outright heretic. Ask me how I know! It is extremely sad to me that the Church is afraid of encouraging its flock to dig in and take a deep dive into the life-giving Word of God! Instead, I discern that the lack of Biblical literacy in this country has opened the door to false teachers and false prophets, whose self-serving influence has led to lukewarm faith and the growing prospect of a great "falling away" as the world abandons its moral compass and reaps the inevitable oppressive and relentless power and force of Satan and his followers.
We must not fear this conflict, because if you are Biblically literate, then you know this battle is coming. It will happen because the Bible tells us so. But if you are one who chooses to only cherry-pick the verses that tell us Jesus wins in the end (and Hallelujah, He does!), then you will be ill-prepared to persevere and endure the dark days before Christ's Divine Hand of Justice delivers Satan into the Lake of Fire. We must study and know and understand the complete counsel of God in His Word! And our efforts to do so glorify Him throughout the Heavens! So, I invite you to join me in these perilous times. The Bible is a rich and abundant treasure of God's wisdom, encouragement, and strategy to walk in victory in this world. God has given it to us to be tasted and consumed. Trust me. It is life-giving!
Proverbs 2:4-5 If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver, and search for her as you would hidden treasures; then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] and discover the knowledge of God.
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