Sermon Illustrations

BIBLE ILLITERACY

During my days in New England, I heard of a teacher who quizzed a group of college-bound high school juniors and seniors on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible-as-literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High School, generally considered one of the best public schools in the nation. Among the most astounding findings he got from the students were:

Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.

Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey.

The four horsemen appeared on the Acropolis.

The New Testament Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luther, and John.

Eve was created from an apple.

Jesus was baptized by Moses.

The answer that took the cake was given by a fellow who was in the top 5 percent of the graduating class, academically.

The question: What was Golgotha?

The answer: Golgotha was the name of the giant who slew the apostle David.

If it were not so pathetic, it would be hilarious. Isn’t it amazing how pitifully illiterate John Q. Public is of the written Word of God? In a land filled with churches and chapels, temples and tabernacles, there is only an insignificant handful of fairly well-informed students of the Book of books. We have Scriptures in hardback, paperback, cloth, and leather . . . versions and paraphrases too numerous to count, red-letter editions along with various sizes of print on the page . . . Bibles as big as a library dictionary and as small as one frame of microfilm . . . yet the years roll by as one generation after another passes on its biblical illiteracy.

(Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.)

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • A Speaker In Colorado Was About To Address A ...

    Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 3, 2005
    based on 1 rating
     | 10,463 views

    A speaker in Colorado was about to address a gathering of businessmen and women. Sitting a the head table, he turned to the real estate salesman on his left and said, "So, how are things going for you?" "Terrible," he answered. "Haven¡¯t you heard about the strikes? 80% of the people in this ...read more

  • Dreary Statistics  PRO

    Contributed by Pb Stetser on Jul 6, 2004
    based on 6 ratings
     | 3,347 views

    Dreary Statistics • 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes --U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census • 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes --Center for Disease Control • 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes ...read more

  • Poem: More Than A Mother  PRO

    Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 14, 2004
    based on 3 ratings
     | 2,354 views

    B. Poem: MORE THAN A MOTHER When God set the world in place, when He hung the stars up in space, when He made the land and the sea, then He made you and me. He sat back and saw all that was good, He saw things to be as they should. Just one more blessing He had in store; He created a ...read more

  • A Woman Went To Her Doctor With A Whole Catalog ...  PRO

    Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 3, 2005
    based on 6 ratings
     | 4,986 views

    A woman went to her doctor with a whole catalog of complaints about her health. He examined her thoroughly and came to the conclusion that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her physically. He was convinced that her problem was due to her negative attitude toward life. She had become filled ...read more

  • Dwight L. Moody Once Told The Fable Of An Eagle ...  PRO

    Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Nov 10, 2004
    based on 3 ratings
     | 3,834 views

    Dwight L. Moody once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.” The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So ...read more

Related Sermons