Building Biblical Literacy in a Congregation

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Bible is the best-selling book in human history. Most American households contain an average of four Bibles. Dozens of Bible versions are instantly available through several free apps on your phone. Access to the Bible has never been easier, but ask the average pastor, and you might discover that many Christians in our churches do not know much about what is in the Bible. The research seems to bear out what pastors learn through personal experience – biblical literacy is at a low ebb.

Encouraging biblical literacy is not just another form of legalism. It is a way of encouraging Christians to get to know their God. It is a way for Christians to learn what God intends for our lives, families, and futures. Scripture is our direct glimpse into God’s will, and it is critical that Christians know and love God’s Word.

What can a pastor and church do to encourage biblical literacy?

What is biblical literacy?

Biblical literacy is not just factual knowledge of the Bible, but it certainly begins there. For example, if a Christian is to understand the importance of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, they certainly need to read the Gospels. We cannot love what we do not know, and if we want Christians to develop a love for Scripture, they need to get to know it.

Beyond simply reading Scripture, Christians should learn to study Scripture, properly understand it, and apply it to their lives. This means having at least some sense of biblical history and an understanding of how literary context gives meaning to single verses or short passages. Knowing Philippians 4:13 is one thing. Understanding Paul’s letter to the Philippians is another.

Biblical literacy is a safeguard

This is important because these skills and a love of Scripture build confidence in the truth and goodness of God’s will. Worldviews that are openly opposed to God’s will barrage us daily. How would we know that if we do not know Scripture in the first place? The sooner we begin loving God’s truth, the sooner we become repulsed by what is false and destructive.

The pulpit

For most people in the pews, biblical literacy begins in and will be encouraged from the pulpit. This is more than telling people that they need to read the Bible. It means that over time, a pastor has demonstrated what it means to understand and apply Scripture well.

One obvious way to do this is to preach through books of the Bible regularly. Doing this allows the congregation to understand the flow of a book from beginning to end. If a pastor feels more comfortable preaching topically, they can still root everything they preach in sections of Scripture (not just single verses) and draw connections to passages in both the Old and New Testaments. When we do this, people can gain an appreciation for the unity and power of the Bible.

It never hurts to create Bible reading plans for the congregation. These work best if a consistent follow-up plan reminds people of the readings or even provides short explanations of the passages. Building a church library is another good way of putting good resources within reach of the congregation. In these ways, people can find encouragement by studying the Bible with others.

Small groups

Many churches have small groups focused on shared interests or similar stages of life. Our church does, too. I do not believe anything is wrong with those, but they can easily become disconnected from our foundation in Scripture.

We all need fellowship and practical guidance. I would encourage pastors to make sure they ground the bulk of their small groups, Sunday school classes, etc., in reading and understanding Scripture. We believe in the sufficiency of Scripture, meaning that God’s Word has valuable insights to guide us through any stage of life or issue we face. In addition, if we emphasize practical advice without grounding people in the Word, we risk promoting the idea that the Bible is nothing more than a self-help document.

Start young

I grew up in a church with a strong Sunday school program. It is where I learned the basics of the Bible, and I honed my passage-finding skills with Sword Drills. But beyond that, I entered my high school years knowing the basic stories of Scripture and what they meant. Biblical stories convey meaning all by themselves. They warn us against vices and encourage virtues. We want our students to understand when we warn them about Sampson’s life choices, and we want to stir them to courage when we talk about Esther and Daniel.

We recently retooled the curriculum for children at our church and have found ways to encourage biblical literacy among our kids, from the youngest to young adult. It takes a little bit of work to find the right kind of curriculum. Some curricula advertise biblical literacy but include very little Scripture in their pages. One option we have made available to our congregation is the Live It Challenge* produced by Focus on the Family. One great example is the materials on Daniel**, which include long family readings, historical and biblical background, and questions to prompt discussion for a wide age range. (For more information on the Live It Challenge and the upcoming Bring Your Bible to School Day on Oct. 5, go to focusonthefamily.com/live-it).

Passing on the faith from generation to generation is critical, and biblical literacy is a necessary part of the hand-off.

©2023, 2025 Phil Steiger. Used with permission.