The Tragedy of Ignorance

You know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God

In an encounter with the Sadducees, Jesus said to them: “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). I can’t help but wonder if He would not say the same thing to many believers today!

Ignorance is a dangerous thing

There are many things we do not need to know, but when it comes to the Scriptures we cannot afford to be ignorant. Hosea wrote: Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land (Hosea 4:1). My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children (Hosea 4:6). And of Ephraim he said, I have written for him the great things of My law, but they were considered a strange thing (Hosea 8:12).

Conditions today are not that much better

Pollster George Gallup Jr. has long referred to America as a “nation of biblical illiterates.” Only four in 10 Americans know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. A majority of citizens cannot name the four Gospels of the New Testament. Would those in the church do any better?

Which of the following is found in Scripture?

• Cleanliness is next to godliness.
• God helps those who help themselves.
• Confession is good for the soul.
• We are as prone to sin as sparks fly upward.
• Money is the root of all evil.
• Honesty is the best policy.

Many things the Bible does not say are widely embraced as Scripture

If you answered that none of them are in the Bible, you would be correct. Many things the Bible does not say are widely embraced as Scripture, while much of what it does say is denied. One survey of mainline Protestants revealed that barely half of Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians believed in the devil, but 56 percent of Lutherans and 49 percent of Methodists believed in UFOs. And, while nearly three-fourths of all Americans believe in hell, hardly any believe it to be their likely destination for eternity.

The consequences of religious ignorance are devastating

Nations crumble, lives are destroyed, and souls are lost out of ignorance of God’s word. We need to be far more conscientious in our study of the Bible, and our commitment to living up to its demands. Biblical ignorance in the world is demoralizing, but in the church it is reprehensible. His word must be a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105).