Missing Half the Gospel

More than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible. Less than a quarter of those who have read the Bible have a systematic plan for reading the Christian scriptures daily. And a third of Americans have yet to pick it up on their own, according to a new study from Nashville-based Lifeway Research.

The American Bible Society’s annual report, “State of the Bible USA,” found a precipitous drop in Bible reading after the pandemic ended. ABS defines Bible users as people “who use the Bible at least 3–4 times each year on their own, outside of a church setting”—a low standard.

Small wonder many church leaders worry about biblical illiteracy, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.

Research has shown that Americans struggle to name:

• The four Gospels
• More than two or three of Jesus' disciples.
• Even half of the Ten Commandments

Dr. Matt O'Reilly (www.theologyproject.online, Author of "Free To Be Holy" and pastor of Christ Church Birmingham) reflects on his experiences as a church-going teenager who felt deep frustration with his Christian faith. Despite his active participation in church activities, he felt something essential was lacking.

He began to question whether there was more to Christianity than the rituals and teachings he had grown accustomed to. This experience led him on a journey of discovery, during which he realized that he had only understood part of the Gospel—something he feels many others in the American Church are also missing.

I invited Dr. Matt O'Reilly to my Unconventional Ministry Podcast to explain.

Dr. O'Reilly is the Lead Pastor of Christ Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and Director of Research at Wesley Biblical Seminary. A two-time recipient of the John Stott Award for Pastoral Engagement, Matt is the author of Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification (forthcoming) and Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice.

An interesting article in Outreach Media Group Magazine, "Missing Half the Gospel,"?by Robby Gallaty, sheds perspective on our topic.

“For many years, we have preached half the gospel by encouraging people to be saved from something—namely sin, wrath, damnation, and eternal punishment—and neglected the fact that we’re saved for something.” Robby Gallaty

According to the American Bible Society, almost nine out of 10 households (87 percent) own a Bible, and the average household has three. Yet, research has shown that Americans struggle to name:

• The?four gospels
• More than two or three of Jesus' disciples.
• Even half of the Ten Commandments

“No wonder people?break the Ten Commandments?all the time,” pollster George Barna said. “They don’t know what they are.”

How about your own experience? Have you felt something essential needed to be added to your Christian experience? Were you able to identify what was lacking?