Welcome!
Today, we’re talking about biblical literacy.
How well do Americans know the Bible? Not very well, it seems.
On a recent episode of the game show Jeopardy, host Mayim Bialik gave the following question: “Matthew 6:9 says, ‘Our Father, which art in heaven, [THIS] be thy name.’” But NOT ONE contestant knew the missing word was HALLOWED, which means HOLY. Now, that’s not a trick question — The Lord’s Prayer is one of the most easily-recognized passages from the Bible — or at least it used to be.
The incident is a sad commentary on the increasing biblical ILLITERACY of our culture in recent years. The tragic reality is that it’s only when people have a scriptural understanding of sin, the need for redemption, and salvation through Christ that they can have hope.
As Chris Larson of Ligonier Ministries said, “[I]f people don’t know their Bibles, they can’t know God.”
And why else is biblical literacy important? We’ll discuss that another time.
For additional resources, go to www.hopetools.net. Stay bold!
Carl Kerby is the founder of Reasons for Hope and co-creator of the DeBunked apologetic video series. His radio feature, Fast Facts, is heard weekly on VCY America, Saturdays at 9:25 AM Central.
