The Layman
A Ministry of the Presbyterian Lay Committee

By Ed Stetzer, The Exchange blog

read-the-bible-throughHow well do American Christians know their Bibles? Hint: not well.

Do you recognize these Bible phrases or allusions?

Rarely a week goes by without any one of us quoting or alluding to that great book simply in our conversations and chatter. These are among the phrases having origins in the Bible:

  • “bite the dust” (Psalm 72:9)
  • “land of the living” (Psalm 27:13)
  • “a drop in the bucket” (Isaiah 40:15)
  • “the blind leading the blind” (Matthew 15:14)
  • “made a scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:22)
  • “go the extra mile” (Matthew 5:41)
  • “leopard can’t change its spots” (Jeremiah 13:23)
  • “by the skin of your teeth” (Job 19:20)
  • “fly in the ointment” (Ecclesiastes 10:1)
  • “as old as the hills” (Job 15:7)

More and more people don’t recognize the biblical origins of those phrases. Be sure to check here for a longer list.

Over the next couple of weeks or so, I plan to post my most recent feature article from Charisma magazine on biblical literacy. This is part one of my article, which focuses on the challenge we face when addressing Biblical literacy.

Of course, you can (and should) click over to the full article in Charisma right now. However, I will be adding more stats and context as I blog through the article. For example, at the bottom of this article article, I’ve included some relevant stats on how often people read the Bible.

America can be proud of many things: our innovation, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit are unsurpassed. Yet when it comes to our nation understanding one of the greatest gifts ever given to humanity—the Bible—we’re moving from dumb to dumber … and it’s no laughing matter.

Read more … 

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4 Comments. Leave new

fred17
October 24, 2014 5:45 pm

My recent experience is that most “Christians” do not want to know anything about the Bible that conflicts with society’s views. On same sex marriage I was told “the Bible condones slavery but we know better today and the Bible forbids divorce but we know better” etc. No use pointing out that society thinks highly of adultery and fornication too which, I guess, has nothing to do with 110million Americans having STDs. The current attitude seems to be pick and choose what you like from that book.

anon
October 25, 2014 4:25 am

“same sex marriage..divorce…adultery…fornication…110million Americans having STDs”

your comment is fairly typical of what i read here and elsewhere, and is also common of what i hear on Christian radio these days. maybe if American people weren’t so obsessed with self gratification, pleasures, sexual sin at all moral costs, including legalized abortion, we wouldn’t be in the hell bent mess we’re in today. from my experience, most Americans i know don’t want to read ANY book. i can’t even get my friends to read a brief letter or listen to a sound byte conversation any more. if you try to speak the truth now they’ll cut you off or ignore you. even this website is proving to be little more than a business marketing device for Carmen and her gang. i expect this post to be gone by noon.

SK
October 25, 2014 10:55 am

** The current attitude seems to be pick and choose what you like from that book.** Is not liberalis great allowing us to pick and choose what we want to believe, a name and claim it Christianity. We are seeing a cultural shift and God is giving us a strong delusion that we are believing a lie, believing a false Gospel ignoring the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with Him coming back at any moment.

http://www.spp.pt/forum/pandora/pandora_rings_rose_gold.html
January 19, 2016 10:51 am

The post have resolved my problem,thank you very much and hope you writting more good articles.

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