I am excited about a new project that we're launching to combat the rising tide of Biblical Illiteracy, we're calling it "OneDay Seminary" at the Church of Champions. In a recent report released by the Barna Group and the American Bible Society, the latest statistics suggest that over 81% of U.S. adults said they consider themselves highly, moderately or somewhat knowledgeable about the Bible. Yet, less than 43% were able to name the first five books of the Bible.
Today, students do not know that Saul in the New Testament is a different person than King Saul in the Old Testament. Many people today are also confused about Joshua the son of Nun. They are unaware that Nun was actually the name of his father and not a member of a Catholic community of women.
Biblical literacy in America is in free-fall and much of it is due to how Americans view the Bible. Today, many American's don't consider the Bible to be authoritative. James, the brother of Jesus and first century church leader wrote: "Therefore, to one who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17. Neglecting to read the most precious of all books, God's Word, is sin!
Lillian Kwon, a respected columnist and news reporter wrote that the reason Americans are witnessing such huge declines in Biblical literacy include: self-reliance (not believing that there should be any authorities outside of ourselves); distractions (other people's opinions on Christianity and the Bible on Social Media), and unwarranted overconfidence (the sense that we know a lot about the Bible because we grow up in church) and, being too busy.
At the Church of Champions, we are leveraging our efforts to educate and instruct, to inform and disciple true followers of Jesus Christ. God declared by the mouth of Hosea the prophet, that His people "go into exile (captivity) for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). He also said that, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge and their honorable men are famished and their multitudes are parched with thirst" (Isaiah 5:13).
One Day Seminary will be held on Saturday November 14, 2015. More information coming soon.
Blessings,
Pastor Hutchins