Get the Bible right
Bible knowledge is low. The Rapportryers (a South African Christian organization) announced the results of a 20-question Bible-knowledge test that they conducted among school children in 2012. How would you have done with the following 17 questions?
1. What is the first and biggest commandment?
2. With what will John the Baptist be filled?
3. After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit came down on Him in the form of what bird?
4. On what day of the week was Jesus raised from the dead?
5. God gave Abraham the command to offer his son. What was the son’s name?
6. What divided into tongues and came over the people during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
7. In what river was Jesus baptized?
8. Apart from speaking in tongues, name any two other gifts of the Holy Spirit.
9. Apart from love, name any two other fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10. What was Paul’s name before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus?
11. According to Paul, which one is the biggest: Faith, Hope or Love?
12. What is the last book of the New Testament?
13. Who wrote Psalm 23 (“The Lord is my Shepherd”)?
14. What was the first miracle Jesus did?
15. What work did Joseph, the father of Jesus, do?
16. Name any two of the ten commandments.
17. According to the Our Father prayer, what must we be delivered from?
The 1 971 grade 7 pupils that completed this test achieved an average of 46%, and the 2 311 grade 11 pupils 36%. The test was written across South Africa in schools where the Rapportryers are involved, and the 20 questions are easy according to the organization.
In any case, you need to know the following about the Bible as God’s Book:
a. The Bible is the only Book of which the Author is always present when we’re reading it.
b. The Spirit makes the Word come alive.
c. The Bible was also written for us, but wasn’t exclusively aimed at our generation. We read the Bible over the shoulders of thousands of years’ of readers.
This is how you read the bible correctly:
a. Start at the beginning and finish at the end. Read Bible books through from start to finish.
b. Know where something that you read in the Bible texts is. Remember Jesus’ cross has something to do with the Old Testament.
c. Eat and metabolize the text like John does in Revelation 10. Rethink and process what you read like Psalm 1 requires.
d. Get to know the stories of the Bible. Oh yes, and enjoy it!