As a minister, I’m finding one thing concerns me above all other problems among Christians in general. That problem is a lack of Biblical knowledge. This problem is not just found among the ranks of young Gen X’ers who are more into feelings rather than truth. This problem plagues Christians who have been in the pews for forty and fifty years as well.
Only when Christians KNOW what the Bible teaches will we understand that there are very few genuine teachings in the Bible that our different interpretations of are important enough to divide Christians into zealous separatist who refuse to worship or even fellowship with one another.
To Illustrate my point, take a look at how many denominations there are, all under the umbrella of Protestant Christianity. You have major ones such as Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian, and Methodist. Then you have hundreds of smaller denominations and thousands of independent churches. Why can’t we all just call ourselves Christians and follow Christ? It’s because we don’t all believe the same things. Why don’t we all believe the same thing if we read the same Bible?
There is a serious lack of Biblical knowledge today. To a great degree this can be attributed to our loyalty to a particular denomination or specific congregation, and even to a cult like following of some popular ministers that is more important to the vast majority of Christians than there is a desire to be unified as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let’s face it, we can’t all be right. The Bible can’t both accept divorce and condemn divorce and remarriage as adultery. Homosexuality can’t be both a disease someone is born with and a sin condemned by God.
Someone at the top of our churches has made the decision that these things are either right or wrong. And we were either born in this denomination or we joined it from the outside. Whatever the case may be, we either blindly accept our church’s position on these issues or it doesn’t bother us enough to find another church. Why? Because many don’t personally have a clue what the Bible teaches on most issues.
But the real question is: do you know why your church takes the stand that it does on these issues. I’d venture to say that most Christians can’t cite Bible passages to support what they believe – they’ve just always been taught that way.
The lack of Biblical knowledge doesn’t stop here however, and this is where I get concerned. There are plenty of issues of interpretation that I disagree with other ministers on and I’m capable of agreeing to disagree. But it’s really troubling that there is a sheer lack of knowledge of the gospel and how to help the lost accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Sadly there is even a lack of knowledge among Christians about general Bible stories. Even Christians who have attended church for years can’t properly give an accurate accounting of Jonah and the whale, or the miracles of Jesus Christ, even of the resurrection of Lazarus. Who is going to be capable of teaching our Children the basics of the Bible when the there are no adults left who know anything about it?
If Christians want to be taken seriously in the world, they need to know what they believe and why they believe it. If they want to know why they believe something, they need to have an understanding of the Bible.
It is my prayer that Christians would get back to studying the Bible and really know what it says from cover to cover. Only then are we going to be able to reach others with the gospel or to even personally stand firm and against the Devil’s attacks.
Again I Repeat: Only when Christians KNOW what the Bible teaches will we understand that there are very few genuine teachings in the Bible that our different interpretations of are important enough to divide Christians into zealous separatist who refuse to worship or even fellowship with one another.
Brother Jerry H. Miller / brothermiller1@charter.net
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