Is biblical literacy waning among churchgoers? New reports indicate that some Christians are oblivious to basic scriptural knowledge, specifically the Old Testament.

LifeWay Research surveyed about 1,000 Protestant Christians about Bible stories. The results are telling. When asked, “Of all the stories found in the Old Testament of the Bible, which one is your favorite?” 11% of respondents offered a New Testament story, 7% provided “none,” and 3% responded “don’t know.” These add up to nearly one-quarter, indicating poor Bible knowledge and possibly disinterest in the Bible. In reporting on this survey, FaithWire concluded, “This accounts for a relatively sizable percentage of people who are in churches yet remain unfamiliar with how the Bible is divided, presented, and intertwined.”

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One of the questions pertained to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus. When asked to tell this “Bible” story, only 39% responded, “I don’t think that is a Bible story.” The responses of 58% indicate they thought it was a Bible story.

This is alarming news for the Church. It means that not only do many Christians lack biblical knowledge in general, but many have seemingly specifically disregarded the relevance of the Old Testament. Jesus specifically addressed this:

“’Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

In short, the Old Testament matters. The Ten Commandments matter. The accounts of Israel’s prophets, judges, and kings all matter and must be remembered by the Church. Without the Old Testament, there’s no foundation to build the salvation of the world. Jesus knew that many would accuse Him of trying to replace the laws of Moses and render the stories and traditions of the Torah as “archaic” and “unnecessary,” so He took the time to make it clear that His intention was not to abandon the law, but complete it.

LifeWay executive director Scott McConnell said the data shows “the need for churches to routinely continue teaching the Bible.”

However, the survey showed that regular churchgoers were more likely to offer biblically literate responses. As the number of churchgoers continues to decrease, biblical literacy will also fall. Either way, in order for these teachings to stick, Christians must be willing to read and study the Bible for themselves and not just passively consume it from their pastors every Sunday. McConnell also said in a statement reported by FaithWire, “Some of these attendees may have spent less time in the Bible while others may not know the Bible for themselves, because someone else has always been their GPS for navigating it.”

Let’s pray that Christians will read the Bible, seek Holy Spirit revelation, and pray the Word. A revival of Bible literacy would help the Church course correct to biblical truth in culture and society.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).

What does the Bible mean to you? Please leave a comment.

T.K. Robinson is a student and part-time (amateur) philosopher. In his downtime, he enjoys reading, music, and chronic daydreaming. His Scripture-oriented commentary usually involves the younger generation (especially Gen Z). He wants to shed light on important current events regarding his peers and share insights from a Biblical perspective.