Why do people go to church but never read the Bible?

[Rescued One]

Am I dense? Aren't they curious?

 

[Josheb]

Why do people go to church but never read the Bible?

Am I dense? Aren't they curious?

LOL! Here's an assortment of random thoughts...

Do you mean, "Why do Christians go to Church but never read the Bible?" because the answers to those two questions are going to be completely different. Not all people are Christians. There were a lot of people sitting all around me in the congregation this morning. They were all people, but I doubt they were all Christians. Furthermore, all the people were sitting in a building colloquially called a "church," but it is only the Christians in that building who are members of the Church, the body of Christ.

Why do non-Christians sitting in a building on Sunday morning listening to the preacher preach not read their Bible? Because they are not Christians! I don't expect non-Christians to act like Christians.

Why don't actual Christians read their Bible? That answer is quite diverse. Some never learned reading is good, necessary, important, or adventurous. Some do not have very good reading skills, and they may feel frustrated or self-conscious. Some may not even have Bibles! Some get their reading vicariously through others. I suspect the most veracious answer lies in the fact that most Christians are sheep and not shepherds. I liken it to something I once read about theology (I think it was C. S. Lewis). Many are content to walk along the shore of the seas and take delight in the beauty and vastness of land and sea. Others are willing to set out on the ocean and explore God's creation (in this case, His written word). They return home to retell of their adventure, comparing accounts with other explorers and non-explorers, having their stories checked or supported by the explorations of others until a map of the entire ocean and all its adjoining lands are eventually compiled.

Ephesians 4:11-16
[Jesus] gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers....

Some are shepherds. Most are not.

Ephesians 4:11-16
And he gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Jesus gave the Church leaders of various types so that everyone might be work in service, edify one another, become united in faith, know Jesus. mature and obtain the fulness of Jesus, become steadfast and resist the world and fit together as a whole.

It's ironic that was put in writing .


I'll tell you one of my favorite theologians was an older man I knew who had Down's Syndrome. His IQ was around 47. He read his Bible prodigiously, to the point of being an example to me, personally, and my being an embarrassment to myself. He spurred my on to love and other good works, one of which was to read more..... and more. He was not as articulate as I am, and he could not form an intricately worded presentation as I can, but he could, nonetheless speak with enormous power because of his lack. His example helped immeasurably because I've rubbed shoulders and traded words with many PhDs and ThDs. It helps to remember that as I once looked at my friend and teacher, God looks at me. Despite all the letters after our names, we're profoundly lacking in comparison with the all-knowing God.

I read scripture a lot. Reading, in and of itself, does not make me knowledgeable or wise. It alone will never cure me of my pride being a voracious reader, provide me with compassion for those who are not, or inspire me to pastor or teach as Paul directed in Ephesians 4. For those things I must have God at work within me to love and do His will and pleasure.

I am, therefore, a little more worried about those who read a lot but either have not the Spirit or who have it but ignore it. The non-reader may die dead in sin never knowing what they could know. The unknowing reader can wreck a congregation and take many with him/her. Satan knows scripture.

Am I dense?

Not in my estimation. You put up with my posts well enough .

Aren't they curious?

Maybe some, but I am more inclined to attribute that problem among the saints to either sloth or frustration. Reading the Bible is not an easy thing for many. I've been discipling (mostly) men for forty years and one of the first things I try to accomplish is a joyous desire to read God's word. I assign select passages and ask them to read the same text every day twice a day until we next meet and then we discuss the text. Or, rather, I ask a few questions and listen to their report because few things feel as powerful as feeling heard. Without their realizing it (until much later) they are assigned another passage that they will again report on in vibrant conversation with an attentive listener and that repeats itself until they evidence their own ability to read, mine, and apply scripture themselves.

Those that endure are then asked to consider doing the same in the life of another.

Am I dense?

LOL! If so, what does scripture say about the dense?

 

[Rella]

Am I dense? Aren't they curious?

Decades ago when I was a teen I had friends whose families never owned a bible but they went faithfully to mass every week.

I was told that they did not need to read a bible because the priest was better equipped to tell the congregation what was in it and the meanings.

As I was getting older in my teens my birth mother died and my dad remarried. He remarried to a Catholic girl, who did convert to Protestantism... but not before after a couple of years of she and I both going to Mass then to my church service we discovered a lot of the sermons were on the same subject. That convinced her the protestants were not evil I think>

Anyway , her sis did not own a bible. Married with 3 kids and would attend mass but not read a bible . Or even want one.

Her son recently , who does a daily scripture reading... sometimes with a grandson... and listens to morning worship services looked at me like I was nuts when I quoted something from the bible to his wife (I dont remember what it was about at the moment, but more then likely was either on baptism or the trinity... or possibly on Nicodemus)) and he came into the kitchen and I casually mentioned it to him and he looked at me like I was crazy and I simply said ... it's in your bible look it up.

He wanted to know why I brought it up and I simply said it was a discussion on one of my forums.

A little later on that morning I mentioned since covid I had been doing Holy Communion online when my church had it. (At the time they were giving us those little individual kits to have to participate from home) and I showed him as I still had some, and am physically unable to go to church. He was a little shocked to see those.

I dont know why I even opened my mouth but I simply said that personally I saw nothing wrong as they were symbols and not the actual fleah and blood... and he got upset, insisting it was ... and we dropped it.


A couple of months later they were here for another visit and he was in another room and he called over to me and asked me if I was still on those forums? I said yes, and he simply said... "You better quit. They are dangerous"

So for his hit or miss bible reading, he does not learn a lot not retain much of what he reads. He also does not go to church on any regular basis.....

No, you are not dense. For some I think it is a matter of believing that what they have preached at them is all they really ever know.
(Man I could get into that but I wont)

 

[Rescued One]

WOW! I'm almost speechless. Even pastors have told me that certain people are Christians. And I think, "Really?" I don't want to be judgmental, but it seems to me there's a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. I'm not saying only non-murders are Christians.

 

[David Lamb]

Am I dense? Aren't they curious?

I suppose the answer to the second part (why people don't read the bible) depends to a great extent on the answer to the first (why people go to church.) People go to church services for a wide variety of reasons. I was brought up from early childhood to go to church. Nobody ever told me why. It was just one of the things I was taught to do, like cleaning my teeth and writing thank-you letters after Christmas and birthdays. (When I was converted, I learned that the whole notion of church being something one goes to was wrong - Christians are the church. When Paul wrote his letters to the church at Corinth, he was writing to people, not to a building or a service.) Some people go to church services to make themselves look good. And of course some go to services because they are part of the church - they are Christians. The last group, Christians, should read the bible. Like the Bereans, they should check that what the preacher says is to be found in God's word. Also, God speaks to His people by His Spirit through His word. But such reasons don't apply to someone who just attends services because they have been brought up to do so, because they think it will make them look good, or anything like that.

 

[Fred]

Am I dense? Aren't they curious?

They would rather have their pastor tell them what is right and wrong, etc. It's as if they created another pope.

 

[Rella]

WOW! I'm almost speechless. Even pastors have told me that certain people are Christians. And I think, "Really?" I don't want to be judgmental, but it seems to me there's a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. I'm not saying only non-murders are Christians.

I'll give you a 2nd WOW. I was at the beauty shop Tue and overheard a conversation.

Beautician was talking about a boy. (Her son or nephew) who wanted to know if she had a bible because he wanted one. She said yes and almost gave hers to him but it was forgotten when he left.

Then when she remembered she was glad that she had not given hers... even though this middle aged woman has never read it.

What she did was go to a book store and bought him one she thought would be suitable for his age because it had something in the corners???
not sure what as my head was being shampooed at the time, and then I think I heard but wont swear about it that shew picked up something like a comic book that I think was on the subject matter to give to him also, I guess feeling he needed to start out in a beginners way?

Now, I do not know if this woman goes to church or if she has ever.... But I would be willing to bet she is with the RCC or was.

I so wanted to open my mouth and say something but then my head was being scrubbed and I did not. What would I have said anyway?