God's Stories

The entirety of the Scriptures are inspired by God so that we can know Him and discover the way to salvation through Jesus and grow in the Lord. 2nd Timothy 3 underscores the usefulness of the Scriptures:
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

A recent survey relative to Bible knowledge asked this question: “How much of the story of Romulus and Remus found in the Bible could you tell from memory?”  Just over a third of "Protestant churchgoers" recognized that it wasn't a Bible story. 

That's according to a Faithwire article on a recent Lifeway Research study on how well Protestants who attend church know their Old Testament. Romulus and Remus are "twin brothers whose story is part of the legend surrounding the founding of Rome," but that story is not, as the article notes, "mentioned in Scripture."

Also, the study indicates "more than one-in-10 (11%) of Protestant churchgoers accidentally offer a New Testament story when asked to share their favorite Old Testament narrative, showcasing a notable level of confusion among some believers."

Faithwire notes that "The three most popular Old Testament stories among churchgoers were Moses and the Exodus (13%), Noah (11%), and Genesis (10%)."

Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell is quoted as saying, “While churchgoers may open a Bible at church, at least 1-in-5 may not be familiar with how it’s organized and what distinguishes the New Testament from the Old Testament..."

A deeper dive into the data shows some encouraging signs; Lifeway Research indicates that 82% of respondents "say they could tell the story of Noah and the ark from memory."  Now about half of those say they could tell it "accurately."

74% said they could share the story of David and Goliath from memory, 64% on the story of Abraham and his almost-sacrifice of Isaac, and 63% for Daniel and the lion's den.  So, all is not lost, but Faithwire notes: "In the end, McConnell said the research shows the need for churches to routinely continue teaching the Bible."  He also stated, “Most churchgoers remember and can tell more than just the highlights of major Old Testament events, but the majority also admit they need a refresher on some of the details..."

The Old Testament is rich with stories of God's faithfulness to human beings, and how ordinary men and women did extraordinary things.  A working knowledge of those stories can positively impact our faith.  That is, if we make the connection between the God whom we read about in Scripture and the God who works in our lives today, who has saved us through His sending of Jesus, His only Son, into the world.

In fact, as Donna Amidon of Back to the Bible reminded us recently on The Meeting House, we can see the presence of Jesus throughout the Old Testament.  The pages are replete with prophecies that point to the Messiah who would come as the Savior of God's people - a salvation that is extended to you and me through Christ.  In the Scriptures, we see a loving God who desires to bring His people into a vibrant relationship with Himself. 

So, we should never cast aside the act of reading and studying the Old Testament - Jesus Himself said He didn't come to abolish the Law and Prophets, but to fulfill them.  The Bible says in Galatians that the Law, found in the Old Testament, is a "tutor," in order that we may come to Jesus.  When we read the stories of the Bible, we can see ourselves in those stories, and realize that we're part of the bigger, overall story of God's redemptive work - when we accept Jesus, we are inducted into the greatest love story that has ever been composed.