Refine Search

Best-Seller Least Read?

THE Bible, now in its third billion edition has a greater circulation than any other book in the world. In whole or in part it has been translated into more than 1,090 languages and dialects. With a continual distribution of 1,500,000 copies every month, it is still far ahead of all other books as the world’s best-seller. But in spite of all this the general ignorance about its contents, even the simple things in this important book, is really appalling.

A recent survey conducted by the Gallup Poll, and published on the front page of Britain’s News Chronicle, showed that only 3 persons out of 5, that is only 60 percent, could give the names of the four Gospels which are the first books of the so-called New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. One person in every four, or 25 percent, could not name even one of these Gospel books!

Now this survey was not conducted behind the Iron Curtain in atheistic Russia, or in the pagan jungles of Africa, or among the non-Christian Mohammedans, Buddhists and Hindus of greater Asia, nor was it made in a notorious Bible-burning country. Instead, this amazing sample of ignorance was taken from a churchy country that loudly boasts of being a Bible-loving land, namely the British Isles.

Broken down, the figures show that among the four leading sects—the Church of England, the Nonconformist, the Church of Scotland, and the Roman Catholic—the greatest ignorance showed up among Catholics. Only 51 percent of the church-going Catholics surveyed could name all the Gospels, and well over a third, 36 percent, to be exact, failed completely, not being able to name even one of the Gospels.

“Why?” the News Chronicle asked. Why such ignorance about a book that is found in the majority of British homes? Among the various answers sent in and published was this one: “This rotten condition of affairs,” wrote Mr. H. Mills, “is chargeable to pseudoscience, modernism and false doctrine persistently held and taught by the Churches both Protestant and Roman Catholic. The latter call the Bible a dead book and the former are becoming more and more disposed to accept the false idea that it is a book of legends and folklore not to be taken seriously.” The bishop of Rochester, Dr. C. M. Chavasse, wrote, “The chief cause of all for the Bible being an unknown book is, of course, non-Christian homes.”

The Rev. Dr. H. Townsend, Principal Emeritus, Manchester Baptist College, was honest enough to admit that even the clergy are grossly ignorant when it comes to the Bible. Backing up his admission he quoted the Anglican Commission as saying: “The ignorance of the Bible today amongst many of the younger clergy is really horrifying.” Others thought that the clergy should be only partly blamed. Wrote Mrs. H. M. Fenn, “The clergy are not the only ones responsible for interpreting the scriptures. Even when being taught by Christ’s own apostles the early Christians were commended for ‘searching the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.’ (Acts 17:11)”

The truth of the matter is, these are all contributing factors—evolution, modern atheism, pagan doctrines taught by both the Catholics and the Protestants, the hiding of the Bible under the creeds and traditions of men, the rejection of the Bible as God’s inspired Word of Truth, the gross blindness of the clergy, and the woeful indifference of the people themselves toward reading and studying the Bible—all these elements combined have produced a wild generation of hypocrites! They draw near to God with their lips in prayer, but their hearts are far from Him and their minds are so far removed they know not even the simplest things about the Bible. In vain they do worship, teaching and believing the commandments of men and the philosophies of the pagans.—Matt. 15:1-9.

But you, dear reader, do not be like those who have the best-seller in their homes and yet open it so seldom they cannot tell the Gospel books containing the life of Christ. Do not be an imitation Christian. Instead of following the blind clergy of Christendom and falling into their miry ditch of confusion, better it will be if you study the Bible for yourself, as Christ and the apostles did. It too can be a lamp for your feet. It can lead you out of the darkness and death of this present devil-ruled world into the glorious brightness and life of the new world of righteousness. Gain such lifegiving knowledge and wisdom and you will not exchange it for silver or gold or precious rubies.—Ps. 119:105; Prov. 8:8-12.