If a Christian does not know the Bible, it is fair to call him ignorant?

Question

I am embarrassed by the number of people on Yahoo who claim Christianity but show their horrendous lack of basic Bible reading and comprehension.

Atheists, on the other hand, are to be commended for their knowledge of scripture as a whole. At least they know what they stand against. Many Christians on here do not even know what they stand for!

James M -- If you do not know history then do not try to speak about it. The fact is that the scriptures being read, copied and translated was one of the PRIMARY activities of Christians during the early church years.

Don't believe me? Here is another logical question: What writings were of the Christians were confiscated and burned during the 10 persecutions during the Roman Empire?

Take a wild guess.

Molly S - Moses, Jesus, Paul (just to name a few) all disagreed with you by their own teaching method. Jesus once used a Cat-of-9-Tails to teach. It was an exhilerating object lesson. It was not sweet and kind either. But it was still the truth in love.

Jude 1:22-23
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
(KJV)

Answer 1

Hebrews 5:12-14, "For when for the time YE OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat. FOR EVERY ONE THAT USETH MILK IS UNSKILFUL IN THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: for he is a babe."

There's just a lot of very old "babes" in Christ here, but our Lord loves them, and so should we.

On the other hand, Paul did say, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be IGNORANT, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea....for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ"; 1Corinthians 10:1-4.

Paul again, "For they being IGNORANT of God's righteousness, and going about to establish THEIR OWN righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God"; Romans 10:3. In the 1st verse, Paul expresses his desire that Israel be saved from this ignorance.

Answer 2

It's not uncommon for people to claim they have been a Christian 10 or 20 years or more and still know no more about the Bible then when they first proclaimed to believe. That's a crying shame! If it tells anything, it tells that you really are taking God for a joke. It does lead one to consider are they really saved?

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4::17

The King James Bible is only written in 3rd grade English.

The definition of Christian is servant. That said, how can one be a servant if they have little or no knowledge of what they claim to be?

"Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read:" Isaiah 34:16

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments." Psalms 119:9-10

"Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD." Lamentations 3:40

"Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Matthew 22:29

Answer 3

The first few generations of Christians did not have anything like a bible. At best they had one or two copies of one of Paul's letters or maybe a gospel ( and possibly not one of the gospels in your modern bible)..and the Jewish scriptures..But what they did have of Christianity were traditions, what the earlier christians did and told them how to live the life of a Christian.

So, are you saying that the first few generations of Christians were ignorant ? Because they had no Bible ?

Remember that the "Bible" as we have it today was the product of the 4th century Roman Christians. The were the favored texts of those Christian groups who were connected to Rome. The emerged victorious and subsequently called their version "orthodox". In the 1940s, at Nag Hammandi, some of the gospels of the gnostic Christians were uncovered. These are a very different from what is in today's bible.

Answer 4

Anyone claiming to be anything, should have expertise in that area of knowledge. Any Christian should have full knowledge of God's Bible. Otherwise, they will not garner the respect due a Christian.

I wish for you and your loved ones, a most prosperous, healthy, God-endowed, Happy New Year.

Answer 5

It goes against the Word to attack other Christians who are weak and not as knowledgable of the Bible. The Bible says we are to correct in love, not in derisiveness.

It is counter-productive to tear one another down. We are to lift each other up.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.


Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
Gal 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.


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Jesus didn't use that cat-nine-tails on BELIEVERS. He used it on the moneychangers in the temple.

Answer 6

"Ignorance o f Scripture is ignorance of Christ" St Jerome

Is just memorizing passages of a text( often taken out of context)in a translation- not necessarily the best -real knowledge of that text?

Which tradition's interpretation,contextualization and "illumination" of the text is to be used for the authentic knowledge of the text?

Is not familiarity with Mosaic and Apostolic Tradition,from which the Bible came,needed also to interpret the Bible accurately?

How about knowledge of ancientNear Eastern languages,archeology,Natural Law and ancient Near Eastern Literature and other related sciences?

Calling folk ignorant can be a two way street,to mix metaphors,so one should always consider one's own need of knowlwege first when exposing that of others.

Answer 7

Yes. Take Webster's dictionary which defines it( Ignorance) as " lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified. There are many who have a " Basic" understanding of what the Bible says..but ask them the " Deep Things" and they are Spiritual Babes. There are even those who have had a Bible and have read it for Years, they too could be spiritual Babes as well. None of this is meant to Boast as to how much knowledge one has of the Scriptures, but not " Applying" them as well is part of Ignorance.

Answer 8

No, there is so much to learn from the bible, no one will ever know all of it. For those that are reading it...since there is so much, it may take A LONG time to learn about it. Even the basics. There is so much to learn from it, just because someone may not know that Moses built the ark, doesn't mean they wouldn't know where Christ was crusified. This is a minor example of my main point.

Answer 9

Greetings!

I'm not sure it's fair to call a Christian who doesn't know the Bible ignorant. It's probably accurate, since they have little demonstrated knowledge of a thing they claim to believe in.

I think it's more accurate and fair to call people who only believe in ONE thing and only read from ONE source ignorant. Out of all the colors in the crayon box, they choose one color, proclaim it as the ONE TRUE COLOR and then deny or denounce the other colors as less than, untrue or blasphemous. Then, they make that color their "religion". They try to convert people who use other colored crayons to only use THEIR ONE, TRUE COLOR, lest they burn in eternal broken-crayon hell for refusing to join their monochromatic "crayology". :) "You must BELIEVE!" "You must have FAITH!", they say.

Belief only requires acceptance.
Faith only requires obedience.
Most religion requires Belief and Faith / acceptance and obedience.

In other words, Unconscious choices (belief) + Comfort (faith) = Entropy. ( the degradation of the matter and energy in the universe to an ultimate state of inert uniformity)

How many "colors" are in your box?

I wish you Peace.

Answer 10

I'm not Christian, although I wonder why this bashing back and forth, like in Ireland about religion, my way is better? Can it be settled sometimes soon? We're a civilized society, we should act as such! Like you is you and me is me! That's fine! There's enough war going on in the World not to add up?
This question, rather hainous comment only create frictions...
How is it going to be a Happy New Year???