Ignorance of Bible Stories

I have been posting insights on the Revelation thread but today I think I will instead share something here that has been real heavy on my mind.

Last week our church hosted a VBS for community children, all black. We have been doing this for quite a few years. In our wrap-up yesterday a reality was shared that has us all appalled: the ignorance of simple Bible stories among these children. The story of Daniel is unknown, e.g. How can a child grow up and not even know THIS story? We also learned this Bible ignorance is not limited to children - even college educated adults. We hosted a cell group several years ago and a couple from Asia that was attending MSU came. My husband decided to talk about Daniel in the lions den this evening. The man was totally enthralled with this story - never heard it before! And...they were religious people who considered themselves Christians.

If people do not have these Bible stories in their minds teaching them how God works, his nature, how can one even begin to minister to them?

The experts are telling us we are living in a post-Christian era. I am believing it. Since this is the case, perhaps we would do well to start at the very beginning and share the Bible Stories we grew up with and loved - let them be a springboard for teaching them the love of God. How can this even be comprehended without any knowledge of these stories that illustrate this concept so beautifully?

My burden this day...

Another burden that has been bedeviling me: we are seeing lying becoming commonplace among people, even among so-called Christians. Maybe this low regard for truth is a natural result of Bible ignorance, little concept of truth and its reality/absoluteness?

Sad.

Sandra

My wife and I hosted a youth small group of 8th graders who were sort of hand picked because they showed interest and desire to go deeper- all church kids including the pastors daughter.

I administered what I felt was a comprehensive but very basic multiple choice quiz on bible knowledge and doctrine (I think I have posted it on the forum before) and the average score was around 50%. I was pretty amazed because all these kids had attended Sunday school etc.

I learned tons of bible stories at a very young age from "the Bible in pictures for little eyes" by Kenneth Taylor. Still have a copy; still love it.

Quote by ginnyrose: If people do not have these Bible stories in their minds teaching them how God works, his nature, how can one even begin to minister to them?

Paul preached to the Romans. While some may have had a knowledge of the bible i doubt the average layperson were well acquantied with the stories of the scriptures. Christ is beyond that and, in my experience, someone who meets Christ and born anew will go back to those scriptures to learn more about God. It's the same when we witness to someone not raised Christian who has no knowledge of the bible. You start with Christ and build up.

It is disturbing though that these children, having been raised Christian do not know the scriptures. It tells me they're idea of Christianity is not living. Why read the bible unless it speaks to you? But hearing comes by Christ. So my advice would be to start there, teach them Christ and the rest will follow.

Accounts. They should be called accounts, not stories.

Might seem like I'm making a fuss, but I learnt this from a certain ministry that they should be called accounts.

And, we are living in a post-Christian era.

Sister I totally agree with your burden. I teach my children and also the children give to me in Church, the ways of God. These Bible stories are great way to teach the children God's ways of doing things.

In my case, I grew up in a Hindu home until I was 24. Hence I had no foundation of Christianity nor do I know any such stories! But to me it was a blessing in disguise! When I came to know Christ, I started fresh with New Covenant. And once I learnt the New Covenant principles, then I went to Old Covenant. I have a unique perspective of OT that many of you who grew up in Christian homes will not have. I found out that all these OT stories have a deeper meaning pertaining to New Covenant. I use such comparisons in my preaching as well. So such lack of any preconceived ideas of OT, helped me to see OT through NC eyes!

Personally I believe to an adult, we have to introduce Jesus first and then OT. We believe the Bible is true not because of Exodus or OT prophets. We believe Bible is true because Jesus believed in it. We believe Jesus is true because Jesus was the only one who died and resurrected from death, to never die again. So all our belief should be around Jesus.

This knowledge of Bible ignorance is reawakening in me the need for churches to focus on Bible stories/accounts in the teaching of children. I think one should pick out the most outstanding accounts in the WORD and teach them systematically, beginning with Genesis - they need to know the origin of sin and its aftermath. Unless this is understood the rest won't make a lot of sense.

Years ago I dreamed of compiling a series like this that would become a standard, used on a 3/4 year rotation, beginning with Genesis and going through Revelation, focusing on historical events BUT in sharing these stories explain to the students how these accounts illustrate a doctrinal truth, the nature of God and how one is to respond to this reality.

One must remember people remember stories better then a philosophical idea and it is noteworthy when we remember how much of the Bible consists of stories/historical events. I still love stories even though I am a tad bit old.

Sandra

I teach high school students at a Christian school. The great majority of the students come from homes where parents profess to be Christian and where they attend church regularly. They have also been attending this school for at least 2-3 years, taking "Bible" courses every year.

Yet, I was shocked to find that they know NOTHING of the scriptures. Even what I think are the most basic things. When I read John 1:1 to them and asked Who was this talking about, they had absolutely no clue. They had never heard John 1:1, never read it.

Yet, they have been getting As and Bs in "New Testament" and "Old Testament" every year. And they have a "devotional" every day.

So I decided to quit doing devotional and walk them through the gospel of John. They were surprised by a lot of what is in John. They had not heard of the feeding of the 5000!!! What?! Growing up in church? And a lot of other things shocked them, like the fact that (at the end of John) the Pharisees knew that Christ was raised from the dead and still chose to not believe.

So it is not just those outside the church. But I agree with what others have said here. I would rather teach them WHO CHRIST IS and then give them the accounts. Otherwise it becomes just a "story."

My nephews are in a non-Christian cult and know a lot of the accounts. They even watched Veggie Tales as kids. It did nothing for them. Just stories.

Our children need a lot of prayer. A lot of it. Satan is out to get them, and many of these parents are blindly letting him do it. :'(

As I ponder the ignorance of the Bible among children I am becoming aware how blessed I am.

Back in the 1950s I attended a Mennonite parochial school in IN. We had Bible - as a subject - four days a week, as I recall. The curriculum they used came from Gospel Light Publications founded by Henrietta Mears. It was deep, detailed. It focused on the Bible stories as recorded in the Scriptures. I do not recall whether doctrine was taught with it.... This contrasted sharply with the VBS lit that was distributed by Herald Press, Scottdale, PA - a Mennonite publisher - this lit paled in contrast to the GL lit - it was too simple, so childish to what we were used to during school time. After I became an adult I realized how wonderfully blessed we were.

At the time when I was a child I did get bored at times with the stories of the OT kings, but this did not deter our school from teaching it anyways - I am so glad they did.

Today, too many lessons focus on love, forgiveness, accepting people for who they are... but how can love be comprehended without knowledge of the wrath of God against sin? Can't happen. And they are ignorant, still.

Natalie, have you ever considered teaching Genesis to your students? After you are done with Genesis go to Exodus part ways then take on Joshua, Judges and then the Kings and Chronicles.

If I wouldn't be so old, I would love to do it...think I would need to live to be 200 YO to do all things I would love to do. Not much of a possibility of this happening..

Sandra

Count how many times the word "immediately" is used in Mark.

ginnyrose wrote:
"Natalie, have you ever considered teaching Genesis to your students? After you are done with Genesis go to Exodus part ways then take on Joshua, Judges and then the Kings and Chronicles."

No, I had not considered that. What in particular do you think I could have them learn and what should I focus on?

So far, I have been trying to simply teach the gospel in different ways and from different perspectives, and also teach them something of Who God is. From their blank faces, I have no idea if I am succeeding. :)

I did not see this response before, so I apologize for the late response.